'Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky
Published by ISIS Audio Books.
ISBN 0-7531-3515-9. (11 Cassettes)
Read by Lorelei King

 

Doing a favour for her old basketball coach, VI Warshawski finds herself back in her old neighbourhood in South Chicago coaching the girls’ basketball team of her old school.  Being back at school brings back a host of memories for VI.  As the school has no money to pay for a coach, VI is stuck with the job unless she can find some funding for the school to pay for a proper coach.   She makes an appointment to see someone at the biggest company in the area in the hope of persuading them to fund the project.

 

Meanwhile the mother of one of the girls in her team asks VI to look into some sabotage at the local factory, Fly the Flag, where she works.  So doing yet another favour, VI takes a look and is soon caught up in matters of a sinister nature. There are some great characters in this book, which is essentially a story of the greed of people who already have more money than they could ever need, but still feel the need for more, and as is so often the case, obtain it at the cost of the lives of the less fortunate.   

 

On a personal note, VI is none too keen on the fact that while Morelle is convalescing he has staying with him an old journalist colleague – which sounds OK, except that said colleague is young, gorgeous and from the UK, with a honeyed tone that seems to have everyone eating out of her hand. Oh dear!

 

Lorelei King, already one of my favourite narrators, does splendid job with this book.  Her Billy the kid is terrific.

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Lizzie Hayes