Body Work cover art

Body Work

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Body Work

By: Sara Paretsky
Narrated by: Liza Ross
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About this listen

When V. I. Warshawski, the hardest-working of private eyes, goes out one night, a stranger is shot and dies in her arms. V.I. has been visiting Club Gouge, where a woman known as the Body Artist turns her naked body into a canvas for the audience to paint on. The show attracts all kinds of people, from Ukrainian mobsters and Iraq war veterans.

A tormented young painter shows up too, and the intricate designs she creates drive one of the soldiers into a violent rage. When the painter is shot, the police think it’s a clear-cut case. But the soldier’s family hires V.I. to clear his name. And the detective uncovers a chain of ugly truths.

©2010 Sara Paretsky (P)2011 Isis Publishing Ltd
Crime Fiction Detective Mystery Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Suspense Crime

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All stars
Most relevant

Would you consider the audio edition of Body Work to be better than the print version?

No, but I like having the option to re-listen to Sara Paretsky's books. With a different narrator, I could prefer the audio version perhaps!

What did you like best about this story?

It's socio-political, it makes you think, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. But I think best of all, Paretsky's books have warm, empathetic and wonderfully drawn characters. That's why I believe this series (and this book) work so well.

What didn’t you like about Liza Ross’s performance?

Liza Ross is not a bad narrator per se but her voice is all wrong for these books. She sounds like a little old lady and VI is a tough street fighter. She just is not the right voice for these books.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The characters and the plot draw you in - the issues tackled within the book are very emotive but also make you think, in the way that the best socio-political crime drama does.

Any additional comments?

Please get different narrators - Lorelei King, Sandra Burr, Susan Erikson - for this series. Ms Ross is just not designed for this genre of fiction!

Great book, not so great narrator

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wounderful narration by liza ross it is as if VI was talking to me directly thank you

VI at her best!

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When characters sound like Bart Simpson I can’t take them seriously 😐
A shame because I’m sure the story would be engaging otherwise

Narrator problem

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