Sara Paretsky – A Grand Master of Mystery Writing

Sara Paretsky has recently been selected by The Mystery Writers of America to receive their highest honour, the prestigious Grand Master designation.

As described by the association, this award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality.

“The mystery genre took a seven-league stride thanks to Sara Paretsky, whose gutsy and dauntless protagonist showed that women can be tough guys, too,” said Larry Light, Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America.

“Before, in Sara’s words, women in mysteries were either vamps or victims. Her heroine, private eye V.I. Warshawski, is whip-smart and two-fisted, capable of slugging back whiskey and wrecking cars, and afire to redress social injustice.“ – MWA

“Brash, uncompromising, tenacious, gutsy, loner, strong yet vulnerable, introspective, intelligent — all words that describe award-winning Mystery writer Sara Paretsky‘s fictional heroine, Victoria Iphigenia Warshawski.

Although not the first fictional female Private Investigator, V.I. still sets the standard for the tough, urban, feminist P.I. with a strong social conscience. Drawing the best from the classic P.I. tradition, Paretsky has created a unique feminist detective and self-reliant loner P. I. who operates under a strict moral code.” – Joyce Saricks-NoveList