Deadlock

V. I. Warshawski, the feminist sleuth who specializes in corporate crime, returns in "Deadlock," a topnotch mystery that critics say ever surpasses Sara Paretsky's first novel, "Indemnity Only. " The smart young detective becomes suspicious when her cousin Boom Boom, a former ice hockey star, drowns in a questionable dock accident. As she explores the cargo shipping world, Vic uncovers a murderous rivalry between shipping magnates. Paretsky, who holds an M. B. A. and works for CNA Financial Corporation in Chicago, brings eyewitness authenticity to this thriller - she spent several days on a freighter to get the feel of life on deck.