The American writer Sara Paretsky was born on June 8^th 1947 in Ames, Iowa. She grew up in Lawrence, a city in north-eastern Kansas, which is also the county seat of Douglas County. At the age of 11, the author published her first story. She herself once said that she had already started to write stories as a child but has not dared showing them to anyone.

Sara Paretsky studied Political Science at the State University of Kansas in Lawrence, the largest university in Kansas. Following her studies, she moved from Lawrence to Chicago, the city known as The Windy City on the south-western shore of Lake Michigan. There she first began working as a secretary before she began studies in Economics and History.

In 1976, she married physics professor Courtenay Wright and in 1977 she completed her studies. The topic of her doctoral was "The ollapse of moral philosophy in New England before the Civil War". Then she worked for almost 10 years as a sales manager at a large insurance agency in Chicago. In her role Sara Paretsky gained experience in the financial world. This gave her valuable information that helped her writing novels about economic crime (white collar crime).

Sara Paretsky said of herself that she had always loved detective novels. I always hated the way in which women traditionally have been drawn in this genre - they were either angry or helpless. I thought it was time for a tough, smart, lovable private investigator, and so V.I. was born.

Her first three novels were based on the lives and works of Chicago private investigator V.I. Warshawski. She wrote at night, during the day she went about her full-time job for the insurance provider, sang in the choir and cared for her husband and her three stepsons. Quote: When I look back on that time, I think I must have been crazy – I couldn’t do it anymore today.

In 1986, Sara Paretsky founded the organization Sisters in Crime with Charlotte MacLeod and other crime and thriller writers, an international network, which had set itself the goal of promoting women's thrillers. She is very involved in their work of supporting other writers and has co-founded several scholarships, among other things. Around this time, the author began to devote herself only to literary activities.

The crime novels about the private detective Vic Warshawski were translated into 24 languages ??and inspire readers around the world. In addition, Disney produced the movie V.I. Warshawski starring Kathleen Turner.

Awards

1988 Silver Dagger by the British Crime Writers Association for her novel Bloodshot

1993 Marlowe of Raymond Chandler Society (Germany) eV for Guardian Angel

2002 Cartier Diamond Dagger by the British Crime Writers Association

2004 Gold Dagger of the British Crime Writers Association for Blacklist

2011 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, the highest award for outstanding performance and consistently high quality

Books about V.I. Warshawski

Indemnity Only (1982)

Deadlock (1984) Basis of the film V.I. Warshawski, starring Kathleen Turner

Killing Orders (1985)

Bitter Medicine (1987)

Blood Shot (1988) Published as Toxic Shock in the UK.

Burn Marks (1990)

Guardian Angel (1992)

Tunnel Vision (1994)

Hard Time (1999)

Total Recall (2001)

Blacklist (2003)

Fire Sale (2005)

Hardball (2009)

Body Work (2010)

Breakdown (2012)