"Sara Paretsky follows her instant New York Times bestseller Fallout--her most widely read novel in years--with an extraordinary adventure that pits her acclaimed detective, V.I. Warshawski, against some of today's most powerful figures. Legendary sleuth V.I. Warshawski returns to the Windy City to save an old friend's nephew from a murder arrest. The case involves a stolen artifact that could implicate a shadowy network of international criminals....

When V. I. Warshawski is asked to find a man who's been missing for four decades, a search that she figured would be futile becomes lethal. Afraid to learn that her adored father might have been a bent cop working for the Chicago P.D., V. I. takes the investigation all the way to its frightening end.

When V.I. Warshawski returns to her Chicago office, she finds her once tidy work space in ruins. Ripped documents, upended drawers, and framed pictures have been strewn about. The most chilling find, though, is a bracelet belonging to Warshawki's cousin, Petra. With Petra missing, the cops spring into action, labeling the episode as kidnapping, assault, and aggravated burglary. As they investigate, Warshawski wonders if her connection to the Anacondas...