Killing Orders

Killing Orders (1985) Sara Paretsky

In Killing Orders V.I.’s bitter and unpleasant aunt asks her to look into a matter for her–securities have been forged at the church where Aunt Rosa works, and as everyone who had access to the safe is under suspicion, she is on leave from her job at the church. Worried, and wanting to clear her name so she can return to work, she bullies V.I. into looking into the case for her. But things aren’t nearly as simple as they seem, and soon one of V.I.’s friends is dead, attempts are made on V.I.’s life, and another friend is hospitalized, all for asking questions about securities fraud.

I’m starting to remember what frustrated me so much about these books.

First, I could care less about clothes and shoes. Why should I care about the brands of shoes and clothes V.I. wears? Do I really need the details about her Italian shoes? Annoying.

Second, I don’t think I actually like V.I. very much. That isn’t a fatal flaw in a book, but it does make it difficult. When one friend is killed, and another seriously injured, she doesn’t seem to care very much–oh she says she cares, but do her actions reflect that caring? Not so much.

Although not all the rich come across as selfish, evil, and manipulative in this book, it’s still a strong theme. And there is a strong negative view of the Catholic church in this book, although much of that is directed at an Opus Dei type group, there is some general invective thrown at Catholicism in general. That I also could have done without. I think she could have created an evil Catholic group without painting Catholicism so negatively; she did try to create some positive Catholic characters, but they wear and minimal, and so the general tone was one rather Nativist. Strange thing is that I don’t think that this was her intention, but that’s how things came across.

However, despite these flaws, the stories are good, some of the secondary characters are likable, and I like the mysteries, so I’ll keep reading.

At least for now.

ADDENDUM the First:

After giving it some thought, I’m wondering if I’m being to hard on Sara Paretsky. After all, I am continuing to read the series, and I can’t put down the books once I pick them up to start reading them. The problem for me is that there are times when I just move past my suspension of disbelief into annoyance. There aren’t a lot of times, and they don’t last for long, but they are big enough to draw me away from the story, and they are big enough to keep me thinking about them later.

Some of it may also be a matter of personal preference. There were more than a few times when I stopped to think, “V.I., you’re being an total asshole”. Which is distracting.

So the books aren’t bad, I just find them frustrating.

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