Flashman and the Mountain of Light

This is another fun page-turner in the V.I. Warshowski mystery series. Forged stock certificates turn up in a monastery safe and V.I. must find out who, what, when and why. The characters include he bitter, hateful aunt and a sexy Ajax insurance executive. Ajax insurance has appeared in other V.I. books and is involved in this one as well. There are many mean, unscrupulous men of the cloth and a cast of colorful, fun people and situations. Lots of scary, not so fun time for V.I. is to be had. The plot is interesting and this is an overall good mystery. Paretsky is an intelligent mystery lover's writer.

One of the first in Paretsky's V.I Warshawski series, Killing Orders involves stock fraud among the friars in a Chicago Dominican convent. When VI's less than beloved aunt, who works at the friary, is implicated, she calls in her niece to help her retain her good reputation. It's surprising how interesting a mystery about financial fraud can be in the hands of Sara Paretsky. VI (Victoria) is no pushover, and when the case grows personally intimidating, she digs in and resolves to break it no matter what or who she has to take on. Even if her new love interest is involved.....

KILLING ORDERS is one of Paretsky's earlier V. I. Warshawski novels. In this case her aunt Rosa is accused by her church in committing stock fraud. She reluctantly asks her niece for her help in clearing her name.I have read most of Warshawski's novels and this one is one of my favorites mainly because I got to learn more about her character as well as her relationship with her friend, Lotty. I regret having read them in disorder but I recommend this novel for anyone interested in learning how V. I. got started. Although this is the third novel in the series it tells a lot.

Reading this series in chronological order has been tricky, thanks to Fraser's skipping about history. Still, having already read "Flashman", "Royal Flash", and "Flashman's Lady", I saw a change in the "Mountain of Light": Flashy gets a little backbone.The book itself focuses on a largely forgotten episode in British India, between the Afghan withdrawal in 1842 and the Great Mutiny in the 1850s. This time, Flashman is called into service just as the 80,000-strong Sikh army, the Khalsa, appears ready to sweep down on the English and drive them out once and for all. Flashman is drawn into behind-the-scenes subterfuge that take him from the Sikh royal court to the middle of bloody battlefields. To say much more would spoil the living history that Fraser's created.However, I find it interesting to note a change in Flashman's character. The first novel, "Flashman", remains my favorite because the young character flees from every battle, and it is only through luck and chicanery that he rises to his fame. Never fear; Flashman still lies to save his hide and jumps on every woman he can get, but I finished "The Mountain of Light" feeling that Flashy had done a pretty good service--which he will tell you in the book. Maybe this is due to Fraser. While the book is the 4th chronologically, it's Fraser's 10th book about his alter ego. Having known the character for so long, maybe Flashman's done a little growing up.

Very good, in fact. I don't think Paretsky had quite fashioned her own mold for the genre yet, so there are a few cliché elements in the book, but everything else is a highly original treat. Lots of great little twists throughout--not just plot twists, but different ways of looking at things. With V.I. Warshawski, Paretsky has created a heroine who is intelligent, engaging, and not afraid to shake things up. I haven't read much early V.I. yet, but I intend to, so I can get to know this woman from the beginning.