Sara Paretsky is an American mystery novelist best known for her series of novels featuring the female private investigator V.I. Warshawski. She has written over 20 books, including the New York Times bestsellers 'Hard Time' and 'Bleeding Kansas'. Paretsky has been credited with revolutionizing the genre of detective fiction by introducing a strong female protagonist. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2011.