ONE revolutionised the American private detective genre by introducing a woman PI with the grit and the smarts to make it on the mean streets of Chicago. The other introduced an emotionally inept clinical psychologist who brought a whole new approach to crime-solving in a series of Northern England-set crime novels - and sparked off the TV series Wire In The Blood.

Next Friday, Sara Paretsky - creator of Chicago private eye VI Warshawski - will meet up for a conversation with Val McDermid live on stage at Harrogate's Old Swan Hotel in what promises to be one of the highlights of this year's Harrogate Crime Writing Festival.

The night before that, however, York audiences will be treated to their own date with the best-selling Paretsky. The queen of hard-boiled crime fiction will be at the York Explore central library at 4pm on Thursday to read from her latest VI Warshawski novel, Brush Back.

This time, VI finds herself herself smack in the path of a notorious Mob enforcer after helping an old flame, Frank Guzzo, ask questions about his mother's imprisonment for murder twenty five years earlier. But will either for them live long enough to get any answers?

Paretsky may or may not reveal a few answers herself on Thursday. "We are genuinely excited that Sara will be joining us," said Sarah Garbacz of York libraries. "It's a real coup!"

  • Sarah Paretsky at York Explore central library, 4pm, Thursday July 16. Tickets £7 (£6 with a Yorkcard) from your nearest library or exploreyork.org.uk

Sara Paretsky in conversation with Val McDermid at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate, 9am, Friday July 17, as part of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Tickets £13 from harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

 

COMPETITION

The Press has five copies of Brush Back to be won, courtesy of Hodder & Stoughton.

York Press:

To stand a chance of winning, answer this question: what is the name of the woman private detective in Paretsky's best-selling series of novels?

Answers by email to stephen.lewis@thepress.co.uk by Friday July 17. Please include your address and daytime telephone number so winners can be informed. Winners will be the first five correct entries drawn.