The Recurring Cast
Imagined crossover · Private eyes

What if Kinsey Millhone met V.I. Warshawski?

The first ladies of the private eye novel. The two women who changed the private eye novel, both independent, stubborn and funny.

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Artwork: Kinsey Millhone meets V.I. Warshawski

The pair

Kinsey MillhonePrivate investigator in Santa TeresaBy Sue Grafton · Kinsey Millhone · first in A Is for Alibi
V.I. WarshawskiChicago private investigatorBy Sara Paretsky · V.I. Warshawski · first in Indemnity Only
Chemistry8/10
Friction5/10
Would you read this crossover?

Where and when

Santa Teresa, California
The 1980s

The story

How they might meet
A Chicago company’s fraud trail leads to a sleepy Californian coastal town, where V.I. needs a local investigator who knows every insurance file in the county.
Why they would work
The two women who changed the private eye novel, both independent, stubborn and funny.
What each brings
Kinsey is meticulous, patient and good with index cards. V.I. is fearless, political and knows how big money works.
Where they would clash
V.I. charges straight in; Kinsey prefers to have all the facts first, and both would rather work alone.

Strengths compared

Kinsey Millhone V.I. Warshawski

DeductionMuscleRule-bendingWitHeartResourcesKinsey Millhone: Deduction 8 out of 10Kinsey Millhone: Muscle 5 out of 10Kinsey Millhone: Rule-bending 6 out of 10Kinsey Millhone: Wit 7 out of 10Kinsey Millhone: Heart 6 out of 10Kinsey Millhone: Resources 4 out of 10V.I. Warshawski: Deduction 8 out of 10V.I. Warshawski: Muscle 7 out of 10V.I. Warshawski: Rule-bending 8 out of 10V.I. Warshawski: Wit 8 out of 10V.I. Warshawski: Heart 8 out of 10V.I. Warshawski: Resources 6 out of 10

Our own ratings out of 10, for fun.

On the page together

In print together 1982–2017Kinsey Millhone · 1982–2017V.I. Warshawski · 1982–20241990200020102020

The years in which each character's books were published.

Read your way in

Start with each character's first appearance.

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