So I’ve reached a milestone — I finished reading my 1,000th book since I started keeping track. Actually, I’ve probably read more than 1,000 books, if you count all the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High books I read as a kid. ;-)

And the 1,000th book is … Hardball by Sara Paretsky. This is a title in her long-running series about Chicago private investigator V.I. Warshawski.

In this one, Vic is asked to find Lamont Gadsden, who went missing forty years ago during a time when race riots and a snowstorm rocked Chicago. Lamont’s elderly mother and aunt want to know what happened to him before they die, so Vic sets out to help them, finding out info about corrupt cops, a murder, and more along the way. But digging up the past has a way of causing trouble, and it soon becomes clear that someone wants Vic off the case — for good.

I’ve been a longtime fan of the series, having started reading the books back in college (or maybe high school). Vic is just a great character — strong, smart, and sassy, but with some flaws too, namely her temper and impulsiveness. I think Paretsky has some really interesting things to say in this book about feminism, race relations, and how hard it is to bury the past.

However, I don’t think this is the best book in the series. The pacing is fairly slow, and the action doesn’t kick into gear until about halfway through the book. Also, it seems like Vic just kind of stumbles around looking for clues for most of the book, and she lets her young cousin Petra manipulate her for way too long. Also, it was kind of hard to keep track of the bad guys and who did what way back when.

Overall, this is a fairly entertaining read, as all of Paretsky’s books are, but it wasn’t my favorite in the series.

My grade: C.

Would I read this author again: Yes. I’ll be reading the Vic books as long as Paretsky writes them. I like the character that much.

Up next: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost.

Books in my TBR pile: About 20.