Critical Mass by Sara ParetskyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
V.I. Warshawski's friend Lotty Herschel came to the U.S. via London while escaping the Holocaust. When Lotty hears from Judy, the daughter of Kitty - who escaped to London, then the U.S. with Lotty - saying that her life is in danger, Lotty asks Vic to help Judy in Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky.
Critical Mass begins with a flashback to Lotty's childhood, bringing in bits of her escape from Vienna as a child; these flashbacks throughout the book give substance to Lotty's life and how Kitty, Judy, and Judy's son Martin fit into the story.
Vic is pulled in several directions: First, she treks to an old farmhouse where Judy - a drug addict with a past - had been hiding out, and where she'd since left when someone started shooting up the drug addicts in the house, which is where we first find Vic. She then must find Kitty in order to get a little more background, and to try getting a lead on where Judy might be. Judy's son Martin has also disappeared, leaving a good job where he used his skills as a software designer.
As Vic struggles to find Judy and Martin, Kitty is killed by those wanting to kill her daughter and grandson. It becomes a race as to who will find the two first, Vic or those wanting to silence the two.
For anyone wanting a fast-paced book, especially but not exclusively fans of Sara Paretsky V.I. Warshawski series, Critical Mass is sure to please.
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