Book Review - K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

Private investigator Kinsey Millhone is hired by Janice Kepler, a woman who lost her youngest daughter, Lorna, ten months before. Lorna was found in her secluded apartment in a bad state of decomposition. Police suspect foul play but there are no leads and the investigation is forced to a halt. But Janice doesn't want to stop, and so Kinsey must solve the puzzle of Lorna's death, but she must take care not to face her own.

K is for Killer is good in its own right, but it doesn't stand against the better Grafton novels I've read, like T is for Trespass or I is for Innocent. It was just "okay" for me.

Book Review - I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

Rating: 9/10

PI Kinsey Millhone finds new office space with her attorney, Lonnie Kingman, after being fired by California Fidelity. Lonnie has a case he needs help with: Isabelle, a house designer, was shot through a spy hole on her front door six years ago. Her husband, David Barney, was accused, tried, but found innocent because the prosecution couldn't make it stick. Now Isabelle's former husband, Kenneth Voigt, wants to try once more, and Kinsey is hired to look for evidence. However, every discovery she makes seems to prove that David Barney is innocent. If he didn't kill her, then who did?

I is for Innocent is one of the best Alphabet Mysteries novel I've read. There is a lot going on, and the reader is as clueless as Kinsey (at some part, at least) is on the investigation. The ending is surprising and, yet, predictable. It's everything you're looking for in a mystery novel.

Book Review - J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

Wendell Jaffe's wife had just collected insurance money after a lengthy fight with California Fidelity. All seem to be satisfied, until a former insurance agent spots him in a hotel in Mexico. Now Gordon Titus, the "boss" who fired her, wants to hire Kinsey Millhone to find out the truth.

What's interesting about this novel is that Kinsey finds out she has family in Lompoc. That's surprising since she's such a grumpy lady, that she doesn't entertain thoughts of family. J is for Judgment is pretty much exciting, in its own way.

Book Review - O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

Rating: 9/10

Mickey Magruder, Kinsey Millhone's first husband, is suddenly catapulted back into her life when a letter she should have read years ago is found. Fourteen years ago, Mickey was involved in a manslaughter case and subsequently quit the force. That was when Kinsey walked out on him. Now the overriding sense of guilt fills her and she has the impulse to look for him again... Only to find that Mickey is in comatose after being shot twice. Now Kinsey must unravel the knots that led to his current state.

(The summary is pretty boring, I know. Pssh.)

O is for Outlaw is one of the best Sue Grafton novels I've read for quite some time. Here, Grafton gives the reader a fresh take on Kinsey's humanity. I think the "Epilogue" is pretty dramatic, considering Kinsey's abhorrence for any familial ties. It's like looking into another part of the hardened, always grumpy P.I.

Book Review - S is for Silence by Sue Grafton

Rating: 9/10

It's been three decades since Violet Sullivan, notorious for her sexual behavior, disappeared one July 4th. But her only daughter is having a hard time dealing with the uncertainty of the loss. So Daisy hires PI Kinsey Millhone to track down her mother - be she alive or dead.

S is for Silence is the closest thing to T is for Trespass' sense of suspense. It's actually a very interesting novel, with chapters about the different characters Kinsey encounters in her investigation. It's amazing how much people are hiding from others...

Book Review - E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

Kinsey Millhone is accused of insurance fraud after taking on a seemingly innocent claim investigation. Add to that a family that hides a number of secrets. Kinsey stands to lose everything if she can't clear her name in time. But doing so might just cost her her life...

I think E is for Evidence is brilliant. It's set during the holiday season and Kinsey is "home alone", with Henry in Michigan and Rosie taking a vacation. The reader is treated to a very lonely Kinsey Millhone with no one near to comfort her sorry life. The investigation is just as awesome as Grafton gets.

Book Review - Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

Con Dolan and Stacey Oliphant are two police detectives nearing the end of their lives. But before they pass away, they want to take care of some unfinished business 18 years back: the murder of a Jane Doe whose body was found in a quarry in Lompoc. They hire Kinsey Millhone, Santa Teresa private investigator, to look into the case. What transpires is a hunt for Jane Doe's identity and her killer, who has been sitting idly with a horrible secret for eighteen long years...

I can't really say that Q is for Quarry is awesome, but it's a good read nonetheless. It didn't have me gripping my seat like T is for Trespass did but Kinsey's scrapes are naturally exciting. Add her association with Dolan and Oliphant to the mix and you've got an exhausted but effective trio.

One thing that really creeps me out is the fact that it's based on a true story. The pictures of the facial reconstruction only add to that feeling. It's really horrifying thinking that an unidentified girl was murdered and it hasn't been resolved yet. It's just... Unnerving, I guess.

Book Review - M is for Malice by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

A rich, old man dies of a disease and leaves his properties to his four sons. The problem is, one of them is missing and it is up to Kinsey Millhone to locate him. Unknowingly, she sets in motion a series of events that date back to the missing son's troubled past...

So, M is for Malice finds Robert Dietz back in Kinsey's life... For a short time. Anyway, this novel is pretty interesting because Guy Malek is connected to a church and, oddly enough, Kinsey finds him attractive. I was a little surprised, I admit...


The story is great and the idea of the motive is good. I think Grafton really did well with fleshing out the suspect. It's awesome. :)

Book Review - C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton

Rating: 6/10

Private investigator Kinsey Millhone is hired by Bobby Callahan, the victim of a freak accident that erased some of his memories. A few days later, Bobby ends up dead, leaving Kinsey with only the barest clues to the identity of Bobby's murderer.

C is for Corpse was so-so. There's nothing in it that really excited me. The ending was kind of lame. I was expecting the suspect to do something more sinister or crazier, at least. Oh well...

Book Review - R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

Kinsey Millhone is hired by wealthy Nord Lafferty to "baby-sit" his daughter, Reba, who is being released on parole. It seems like an easy task, especially when Reba turns out to be an obedient bun. But things start to turn around when Alan Beckwith, Reba's former employer, meets up with her once more.

R is for Ricochet didn't sound too exciting when I read the summary, but I was dead wrong. It's actually full of action, romance, and comedy. For one, her landlord Henry is involved in a love triangle with his brother and a widow named Mattie. Kinsey also "gets to know more" of Cheney Phillips, a cop who was born rich. I don't know if this will thrill you, but when the FBI is involved, my ears sort of prick up and want to hear (or, rather, read) more.

(I can't decide if I'll like Reba Lafferty's character or not. Most of the time she's a pain in Kinsey's butt, but in between she's a nice girl.)

Book Review - P is for Peril

Rating: 5/10

Renowned doctor Dowan Purcell has been missing for weeks on end. The police have not been able to uncover any leads. Dowan's ex-wife, Gwen, hires Kinsey to investigate and, hopefully, find him.

P is for Peril didn't entirely satisfy my craving. It's too slow-moving and there's this ridiculous subplot where two brothers - who may or may not be hiding a secret - rent out an office space to Kinsey. Although it is well-known that her novels are witty, Grafton's comedy somehow failed to save the day.

Book Review - D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10

An ex-convict named Alvin Limardo asks private investigator Kinsey Millhone to deliver a check for $ 25,000 to a fifteen year old boy named Tony Gahan. Kinsey readily accepts but when the retainer check given by Limardo to her bounces, she decides to confront the man. It is then revealed that Limardo's real name is John Daggett, a man who is wanted dead by a lot of people. A few days later, Daggett is found dead. Kinsey has no idea what to do - after all, how do you make a dead man pay up?

D is for Deadbeat isn't really exciting in its onset, but the ending is a real shocker. It just further proves that Sue Grafton is one of the greatest American mystery writers.

Book Review - B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

Rating: 7/10

B is for Burglar is the second installment in Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries. Private eye Kinsey Millhone is hired by Beverly Danzinger to find her sister, Elaine Boldt. According to Beverly, Elaine was last seen leaving her apartment on the way to the airport where she would fly to Boca Raton, Florida. But it seems she disappeared somewhere in between...

B is for Burglar is pretty good (but not that exciting) because of the characters in it. There's Mike (the cute, mohawk-haired, druggie), Julia (Kinsey's "eye" on Florida), and Pat Usher (who trashes Elaine's Florida apartment like crazy). It's also interesting because Kinsey just went out of a very troubling relationship with the suspect in A is for Alibi and here she is seemingly ready to pounce on Jonah Robb, a Santa Teresa cop who is plagued by marital woes... But, still, B is for Burglar is a good read, as good as any Grafton novel is.

Book Review - T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

 Rating: 10/10

Kinsey Millhone's cranky next-door neighbor Gus Vronsky dislocated his shoulder. His only living relative, a niece from New York, hires a private nurse to take care of him because of the demands of her work. Kinsey is asked to do a background check on the hired help. Everything turned out pretty well... Until her P.I. senses tell her something is terribly wrong.

I couldn't put this book down. T is for Trespass is just what the reviews say it is - terrific. Every frickin' scene made my heart race, especially the one with Henry's pick-up truck (that was the worst). Solana Rojas is one of the smartest crooks in all of the ABC novels I've read.

The humor never let down for a moment. I was laughing really hard at the part where Kinsey visited Gus Vronsky at the hospital and they had this little conversation that showed just how cranky he was.

Nor did the suspense let down. It's just amazing. Makes me want for more Sue Grafton novels. I think I'm getting a little Kinsey-esque myself. :D

(Maybe it's the long jump from N to T but I find Kinsey changed. Oh well.)

Book Review - G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

Rating: 9/10

Kinsey Millhone is celebrating her 33rd birthday. Her landlord, Henry Pitts, finally unveiled her renovated apartment. An interesting case about an old woman living in the Mojave Desert all by herself is handed to her. More importantly, she gets included in Tyrone Patty's hitlist. So much for a birthday, eh?

G is for Gumshoe is interesting because Kinsey hooks up with this other private investigator, Robert Dietz, whom she hires as a bodyguard. (It may not make sense to those who have never read the ABC novels...) Also, Sue Grafton's sense of humor, never fails. (I swear I was laughing at the scene where Kinsey accidentally sets off the alarm and Henry comes out of the house with a meat cleaver wearing only his underwear.) There's a lot of mystery going on and everything is just spine-chilling. I got hooked on this one so bad I didn't get to review for an exam. Heh. You probably get the suspense by now. :)

Book Review - F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton

Rating: 8/10


F is for Fugitive finds private investigator Kinsey Millhone in Floral Beach, a small coastal town where there is no such thing as a "private detective". Seventeen years ago, Bailey Fowler was imprisoned for the murder of Jean Timberlake after he confessed to the crime. But pretty soon, he was able to escape and hasn't been seen since. Now, Bailey is caught and imprisoned again. His father, Royce Fowler, a man dying of pancreatic cancer, hires Kinsey to clear his son's name and find out who really murdered Jean. The trail is seventeen years cold, but Kinsey finds a chilling bend at the end...
I pretty much liked this novel, even if it's not as exciting as L is for Lawless. It's probably because of the setting. It just seems like a nice place to live (without the murder, of course). Sue Grafton did a good job with this. I think it's a perfect plot. :D

Book Review - H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton

 Rating: 10/10

H is for Homicide follows the story of private investigator Kinsey Millhone in yet another exciting mystery adventure. One of Kinsey's drinking buddies is found dead, shot. She thinks it shouldn't really involve her but her interest grows when the insurance claim she is investigating turns out to be connected to the murder. In the course of events, she meets a former school mate and ex-cop, Jimmy Tate, who is romantically involved with Bibianna Diaz, the former girlfriend of insurance fraud ring-leader Raymond Maldonado. For the first time, Kinsey goes undercover and must find evidence against Maldonado and his gang.

This is probably one of the best Kinsey Millhone novels I've read. It's fun-paced, exciting and Kinsey is just amazing. Amazing, amazing writer. Sue Grafton deserves a standing ovation.

Book Review - L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton

Rating: 10/10

Johnny Lee, a friend of Henry Pitts, died a couple of months ago. His son, Chester, and grandson, Bucky, want to collect the army pension that the deceased man was supposed to receive. But inquiries denote that Lee was nowhere in the military database. Henry asks Kinsey Millhone to find out the deal behind all this. What she uncovers is more than what she bargained for - a decades old crime and one very dangerous person dogging her every move...

L is for Lawless is, by far, the most exciting Grafton novel I have read. The character of Kinsey Millhone is believable, complete with those flaws that make us human. The adventure, adrenaline rush, and other what-not absorb the reader into a fascinating whirlwind of surprising events. Any fan of the mystery genre must read this. The plot is absorbing and well-written. I like the way Grafton writes; it's so personal, and that makes her a great writer.

Book Review - A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

Rating: 9/10

The first book in the Alphabet Mysteries, Sue Grafton introduces her detective, Kinsey Millhone, in A is for Alibi. Nikki, wife of the late Laurence Fife, is released from prison and hires Kinsey to find out who really killed her husband eight years ago. A jumble of events take place, including an affair with Fife's co-worker, the handsome Charlie Scorsoni, another eight year old murder, and a second corpse.

I liked this book; there's no denying that fact. I actually liked the character of Kinsey Millhone, because I think we're kind of similar in more ways than one. It's also an interesting read because Grafton lists down the things that Kinsey does. The reader isn't just seeing the geeky stuff. She's not just showing the reader how the investigation is going but also shows the life of Kinsey Millhone - how she lives it, how she spends her time, where she eats, the people she gets along with, etc. The first-person narrative also helped because the reader is able to see and follow the ideas that go through her mind. It also gives it a personal touch; the reader can't help but cheer for Kinsey as the story unfolds.

All in all, I think Grafton made a great debut with this novel. I've read her story in Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul and her dedicatory epistle to her father, Chip W. Grafton, is well-deserved. I bet her father's real proud of her. No wonder Sue Grafton is still a powerful force in the mystery genre today.

Book review - N is for Noose by Sue Grafton

Rating: 7/10

Yes, that's a 7 over 10. Sue Grafton is a good writer - that's undeniable - but the story just doesn't work for me. Sure, it's a mystery and I'm a fan but it just doesn't fit my taste. It feels as if something is still missing. That's just me, though. After all, she is a New York Times best-selling author. *shrug shrug*

Kinsey Mallhone is a good character, though. She's almost real to me.