Critical Mass

VI Warshawski, Book 16

By: Sara Paretsky

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The brilliant V. I. Warshawski returns in another hard-hitting entry, combining razor-sharp plotting and compelling characters with a heady mix of timely political and social themes.

V. I. Warshawski’s closest friend in Chicago is the Viennese-born doctor Lotty Herschel, who lost most of her family in the Holocaust. Lotty escaped to London in 1939 on the Kindertransport with a childhood playmate, Kitty Saginor Binder. When Kitty’s daughter finds her life is in danger, she calls Lotty, who in turn summons V. I. to help. The daughter’s troubles turn out to be just the tip of an iceberg of lies, secrets, and silence, whose origins go back to the mad competition among America, Germany, Japan, and England to develop the first atomic bomb. The secrets are old, but the people who continue to guard them today will not let go without a fight.

©2013 Sara Paretsky (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

A very hostile listen

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The characters all seemed to be annoyed, hostile or defensive. Except Jake, who got two bedroom scenes and not much dialogue.

Would you ever listen to anything by Sara Paretsky again?

Probably not, although I have enjoyed "reading" her, "listening" to this book was painful.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Actually the narrator depicted the characters very well, but, they were aggressive and annoying, so it got a bit much, having that going on RIGHT IN YOUR EAR!

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe.

Any additional comments?

I found the narration overwhelmed the story, although it was very well done and faithful to the (again..) constantly annoyed, defensive and belligerent characters.

Shrillness...not for the faint of heat

Any additional comments?

The novel itself is very interesting. However, my complaint is with the narration. Sara Paretsky clearly wrote very sharp, confrontational dialogue for her characters. That is her style. This audiobook really accentuates that aspect, which can be quite distracting and overbearing. The narrator does a good job of giving each the characters an independent voice, but I felt as if every character was shrilling screeching at me, including the non-adversarial ones. The only reprieve I seemed to get was with the V.I. Warshawski's internal monologue. I don't know if this effect was a result of the abrubt dialogue, or the narrator's own twist on the book. Either way, I had to listen to this audiobook in limited chunks to give myself a break. I felt as if I'd been listening to angry people fighting in every chapter, and it was just too much! It detracted from my enjoyment of the plot. In the future, I will save her books for reading, rather than listening on audiobook.

Intricate, detailed and a bit confusing

I have read all 16 VI Warshawski books, some of them twice. Although the story line for Critical Mass is excellent, it gets really twisted up in places, like an expensive pair of pantyhose that knots up when someone tries to get into them quickly. You have to listen to the story line in this book very carefully or you will be clicking on the "back" button every several minutes. It would probably help if the listener has some knowledge of the Cold War, nuclear technology, the Holocaust, and the ins and outs of the CIA. I actually have quite a bit of knowledge in this area so I was able to follow the plot but the novel itself was very dark and somewhat depressing. I think that Sara Paretsky was trying to teach a lesson in ethics. It's good to a point but it can become very upsetting. It can also become very confusing to someone who has very little knowledge of the shenanigans that our government has gone through in the past regarding nuclear weaponry. All said though, it's still worth listening to.

Intricate plot

I have read some of the V. I. Warshawski book’s by Sara Paretsky and have enjoyed most of them. I think this one is excellent. Paretsky’s writing is excellent; she has great characterization and an intricate plot. The book has plenty of action, suspense and Paretsky’s usual dry humor. The book alternates between the current time and 1939 Vienna. In the Vienna section has life in the Jewish Ghetto, to kinder transport to England of Lotty and Kathe Binder. There is some discussion of Kathe’s mother a scientific genius who was in the concentration camps and escaped to find her way to the US. In the current time frame Dr. Lotty Herschel hired VI to find Judy Binder, Kathe daughter. Kathe then hires V. I. to find her grandson Martin a genius in Physic and computer programming who went missing the same time as his mother. We have Home land Security, a Corporation out of control and stolen designs for a computer. Paretsky weaves this into an intricate plot. If you enjoy a mystery story you will enjoy this. Susan Ericksen does a great job narrating the story.

I like this book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I've always like the VI books, and this one is probably one of my favorites

What did you like best about this story?

The story line is mostly about WWII and the atrocities, and then trying to make a small thing right.

What about Susan Ericksen’s performance did you like?

Worked for me

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not one sitting, but several. I listen while I drive.

awesome book

riveting story, loved the backward/ foreward look back. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves strong main characters.

Good writing and a dark, intricate plot

Any additional comments?

It's been a while since I've read a VI Warshawski book and I enjoyed this one a lot.

Recently, I've been disappointed at the quality of writing that I've encountered in a number of mystery novels. Not here. Sara Paretsky is an excellent writer.

The plot in this book relates to World War II and the Holocaust. It's not always the easiest material to listen to but it's clear that Paretsky has done her research well. The intricate plot weaves the current mystery with a back story that feels realistic and detailed.

It's also clear that the author has concerns and a position about current issues. She weaves them in but does not bludgeon the reader with them. As a result, I found the references to current issues like privacy and government surveillance added to the sense of depth.

I have one long-standing gripe with Ms. Paretsky that I had forgotten but which re-emerged when I "read" this book. Many of her characters are hard-edged and interactions are often nasty. Perhaps that is the way of the world but it's a bit of a downer. I am always amazed by VI's ability to maintain her cool in the face of verbal assault.

With all that, Critical Mass is a good and engaging listen. I found myself engaged and wanting to keep listening. The ending is satisfying and the author ties up a lot of lose threads -- another grip I have about many books that seem to end far too abruptly.

I give this book 4.5 stars. It's well worth a listen.

Just what I expect from Paretsky

Would you consider the audio edition of Critical Mass to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print, so I can't compare. However, the audio edition blew me away. Susan Ericksen was able to narrate a conversation between 4 people, using accents and voice inflections just enough so as to clearly distinguish each character and to make it incredibly realistic. I was awed by her performance.

Good story. loved the history & science in it too.

my favorite so far. I enjoyed the science background and the weaving of the Holocaust in the story. great job connecting it to a story involving the present. very well done. my favorite one by paretsky so far.

Lots of twists and turns

If you could sum up Critical Mass in three words, what would they be?

Historical, Surprises, Gripping

Which character – as performed by Susan Ericksen – was your favorite?

Lottie - she sounded like I had her in my head from previous books

Any additional comments?

There were many surprises in this book. I am usually wrong in trying to solve the mystery as I'm reading and this book was no different. I did not get tired of the story.