Kay's Bookshelf

I am somewhat of a fan of Kinsey Millhone’s. I really like her no-nonsense persona (I am more of a scaredy mouse type, and it was probably natural for me to be attracted to a type so much different than my own) and her courage in getting involved with all sort of people in all sort of situations. As usual, in this book we get to find out some more details about her, a few more bits of the puzzle that she is. Some of them amusing (such as the discovery that she’s, in her own words, “a bad-ass private eye who swoons in the same room with a needle“), some of them rather touching (more of her feelings regarding the loss of her parents at a tender age).

As for the other characters, we don’t get to know any of them that well, due to their paths crossing Kinsey only when needed, and that for a very short while. However, Kinsey is very observant and a good judge of character, so we do get to know at least some parts of what makes some of them tick. Taking for example Bailey’s mother, Oribelle, a former beauty but now ravaged by diabetes, heroically trying not to complain and yet complaining all day; Bailey’s father, the type used to ordering people around, now trying to get to grips with the fact that he has little more to live and his strength is seeping day by day; the reverend of the Baptist church, acting like a pious person when in fact he isn’t precisely that behind closed doors; and many more. Bailey himself is an interesting character, albeit somewhat mysterious (and very good at fending for himself when needed); overall, the reader ends up rooting for him (a good thing too, as it was kinda obvious he didn’t do it because… well, that’s how it is in this kind of books :P ).

There’s not much I can say about the plot, since the Alphabet books are more or less all similar in that department: Kinsey is on the case, Kinsey starts asking questions, Kinsey is getting closer to solving the case, Kinsey is (usually) threatened by the criminal, Kinsey (sometimes) gets hurt in the altercation, the case is nevertheless solved, the end. The charm is nevertheless in the details, and these, of course, are not to be disclosed so as not to spoil the story.

One of the things I find amusing with the books in these series is that, while the things in the first one happened in about the same year (1982 I think) the book was published, the distance between reality and fiction slowly increases. For example this one was released in 1985 but the things in it happen in 1983. That is of course easily explained by the fact that in real life the author releases about one book per year, whereas in Kinsey’s timeline only a few months pass between cases. I am however looking forward to the more recent books (with an even larger margin), to see whether cellphones or the Internet (or other such novelties) are going to make an impromptu appearance. :)

Speaking of the series, so far I enjoyed all the books, and I am impressed by the fact that so far the author never repeated herself (in terms of characters and their actions). However I did notice a pattern throughout: whenever Kinsey has to investigate something that happened years before, whoever did the deed (that cannot be pinned on him/her, else it would have been so all those years ago) gets nervous and starts killing more people. This I think is in order to satisfy the reader’s sense of justice: as the guilty part cannot be convicted, for various reasons, of the old deed, there are these new deeds so the said guilty part will be convicted nevertheless.

A favorite quote:

I thought about my papa. I was five when he left me . . . five when he went away. [...] When had it dawned on me that he was gone for good? When had it dawned on Ann that Royce was never going to come through? And what of Jean Timberlake? None of us had survived the wounds our fathers inflicted all those years ago. Did he love us? How would we ever know? He was gone and he’d never again be what he was to us in all his haunting perfection. If love is what injures us, how can we heal?

Thoughts on the ending: This was one of those books where everyone comes under suspicion at one time or another, making it impossible (at least for me) to guess who the killer was. To my delight chagrin, the one person who did it was the one person I didn’t suspect at all. Yay! :)

What I liked most: The idea of having it all happen in such a small (eighteen blocks) town. For some reason it made it all seem both more intimate and also more creepy (since everyone knows everyone it means that everyone has talked to and smiled at the killer plenty of times). The part regarding the “Family Crisis Squad” was also quite fun to imagine :)

On the kitchen counter, I could see a tuna casserole with crushed potato chips on top, a ground beef and noodle bake, and two Jell-O molds (one cherry with fruit cocktail, one lime with grated carrots), which Ann asked me to refrigerate. It had only been an hour and a half since [event]. I didn’t think gelatin set up that fast, but these Christian ladies probably knew tricks with ice cubes that would render salads and desserts in record time for just such occasions. I pictured a section in the ladies’ auxiliary church cookbook for Sudden Death Quick Snacks . . . using ingredients one could keep on the pantry shelf in the event of tragedy

What I liked least: I loved the book up until one of the last paragraphs, where there was something I didn’t quite understand. The real criminal was (of course) apprehended, but no proofs were found regarding Jean’s murder. So the police couldn’t actually prove that the said criminal was the one who killed Jean, yet Bailey was set free — why? How come, since no one has proven him not guilty of the said murder?

Recommend it to? Everyone who loves mysteries :)

This book is a sequel to:
A Is For Alibi
B Is For Burglar
C Is For Corpse
D Is For Deadbeat
E Is For Evidence

Amazon Affiliate. If you click an Amazon link and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Popularity: 10% [?]

The first things I noticed in this book about the characters were their names. We have one Linden Wood, one Ebony Wood and one Olive Wood. Sure, the rest of the cast has normal names (like Lyda Case or Ashley Wood) but the first few caught my attention. Also, it’s perhaps the strongest case of cognitive dissonance I have ever met while reading a book, I kept thinking of Ebony as being African-American (yes, with more or less ebony skin, but also because usually the Ebonies are indeed dark skinned) and of Olive as being Latina (yes, with olive skin, how obvious was that), when in fact she was blonde no less. I did of course manage to think of them as them, the ones in this book, after a while — but I find it oh so interesting because it’s the first time in memory when this has happened to me.

As usual, in this book we find out a bit more about Kinsey, our main character. This time an important part of her past is back in town: her second husband, who has abandoned her after less than a year of marriage and countless infidelities. Kinsey’s current sort of boyfriend (Jonah, from the previous books) has taken his family somewhere to ski, and Kinsey is feeling a bit under the weather due to her having to spend the holidays by herself. And then Daniel (the ex) appears out of a sudden at Kinsey’s door and it’s obvious that she still has some leftover feelings for him. Kinsey in love, and Kinsey betrayed: two new sides of her that we get to discover in this book.

What I liked most: I am in love with the series — for some reason I find them a very relaxing read. Perhaps because the rhythm is not very alert, very little stuff blows up and mostly we get to watch Kinsey more around trying to unearth information. Don’t get me wrong, I like a suspense novel with rapidly succeeding events just as much as anyone else, and yet I seem to like these “quieter” books very much too. While I am still trying to put my finger on the reason why, this quote of Kinsey’s offers a possible explanation: “I love information. Sometimes I feel like an archaeologist, digging for facts, uncovering data with my wits and a pen.“. And it seems like I very much enjoy watching Kinsey digging for facts and uncovering data, hee hee. :)

What I liked least: This has got to be the most predictable book in what I read so far (and I have not enjoyed it very much because of that).

It all started when show spoiler

Recommend it to? Mystery book lovers, especially those who like female PIs. This being said this has not been my favorite book in the series so you might want to start off with another one (so far anything would work since there is no actual connection between the books other than the main characters so each works on its own quite well). Then again, I met lots of reviews that named this as one of the best books in the series so to each its own.

This book is a sequel to:
A Is For Alibi
B Is For Burglar
C Is For Corpse
D Is For Deadbeat

This book is followed by:
F Is For Fugitive

Amazon Affiliate. If you click an Amazon link and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Kinsey is… well, the same old Kinsey: a tough little thing, a loner, trying to be the best person she can and living up to her principles. One thing I really like about her is that she’s built a nice life around her, and she is happy with it and never complaining. I was amused to see that in this book she gives up her defenses and actually starts a relationship with Jonah — a good thing for both of them although I do wonder how it will all work out in the long run. I was amused to meet in passing some other characters from the previous books (such as Mike the pink-haired teenage drug dealer from B Is For Burglar).

As usual I am wowed by Kinsey’s way to conduct her investigations: her patience in following all the possible leads and, of course, her smarts in finding those leads in the first place. As I have probably said before, watching Kinsey at work is like watching a jigsaw puzzle being solved — you never know what will come off it in the end but it’s sure to encompass all the bits and pieces found scattered along the way :)

Another thing I found interesting in the book was the questions it arose: John Daggett was in jail for “vehicular murder”, having killed five people in a drunk driving accident. While he was always a no-good fellow, does that mean his death was a reason for joy? It is perhaps interesting to notice how in front of death we all are equals: Kinsey doesn’t hesitate to search for Daggett’s murder (to avenge his death in a way), despite his (perhaps) unworthiness. It made me feel sad reading about it, the accident, the emptiness it left behind in the lives of people involved, and most of all the fact that it could not be repaired, not even by the very death of the guilty part.

What I liked most: the very idea of having a collective name for a whole building (a.k.a. when any of the tenants needed to use a fake name he used Alvin Linardo :P ). Like a very original insider joke.

Also, I was happy that the very last paragraph was included as without it the whole ending would have seemed perhaps a wee bit forced :)

What I liked least: Nothing — I love these books (the ABC series) on the whole.

Recommend it to? Anyone who enjoys mystery books and/or courageous heroines :) Although it’s part of a series the book can be very well read as a standalone.

This book is a sequel to:
A Is For Alibi
B Is For Burglar
C Is For Corpse

This book is followed by:
E Is For Evidence
F Is For Fugitive

Amazon Affiliate. If you click an Amazon link and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Kinsey is the same “lonely wolf”-like person I’ve grown to know and love. Same quirks, same courage, same persistence. I was a bit disappointed by the fact that in this volume she reveals only a few more things about herself; nevertheless one of them is very intriguing: a mention of the fact that Kinsey is the mother’s maiden name (so her real name isn’t actually Kinsey). I wonder whether this particular subplot will be developed in the future (allowing the readers to find out Kinsey’s actual name and the reason she changed it) or dropped.

In my opinion the plot idea was particularly interesting, and I congratulate the author for thinking of it. Kinsey’s whole case is based solely on what one person knows, only the person has parts of his brain (and as such important, relevant memories) missing after the accident he was involved in. Bobby remembers seeing his assailant, but not much else. A great way, in my opinion, for the author to give Kinsey just enough info for her to find her way around things. I mean, how many books have you seen where the sole witness is also a partial amnesiac?

It is perhaps amusing to notice how in every book so far the author has mingled a whiff of romance too. After Kinsey’s going through two short lived relationships (in books one and two), it is now her landlord’s turn to hopelessly fall in love. This particular subplot has been quite interesting for me (Lila Sams was that annoying that I couldn’t help hoping that something bad will eventually befall her, thus getting poor Henry Pitts out of her malevolent clutches :) ). I have a theory about who will be involved in the relationship in the next book (Kinsey and the guy in book two perhaps?) but I’m probably wrong and the author will surprise us (the readers) once again.

Once again I caught myself, when Kinsey was in trouble, keeping thinking Kinsey should just call someone from her cellphone already (only managing to remember after a few split seconds that, well, they had no cellphones back then). Interestingly enough I am not bothered in the least by Kinsey’s typing her reports on a type writer instead of on a computer, but the idea “Kinsey should just use her cellphone” keeps passing through my head every now and then (speaking of which, I wonder whether Kinsey will ever buy a cellphone — given that the books so far have lasted only a few weeks each, plus another few weeks in between, I’d say her chances are quite slim; but who knows).

What I liked most: I am, as usual, extremely impressed by the fact that Kinsey never runs out of places to look/people to talk with next. Which is one of the things that make her such a great private investigator (and that show I would probably be a very lousy one :) )

What I liked least: First book in the series that’s been actually predictable. Oh well.

Recommend it? Yes :)

This book is a sequel to:
A Is For Alibi
B Is For Burglar

This book is followed by:
D Is For Deadbeat
E Is For Evidence
F Is For Fugitive

Amazon Affiliate. If you click an Amazon link and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Popularity: 7% [?]

One of the things I like the most about Kinsey is how normal she is: she has doubts, she is afraid, she has pet peeves like the rest of us. She’s also persistent and smart, two must-have qualities when talking of PI work. I have also been amused by Julia, Elaine’s elderly Miami neighbor. She is the “tough nut” type, endearingly so, despite her being over 80s and her health not being what it once was. Elaine herself is being as a very likable person, and I did like her, despite her scarcely being present in the book. On the opposite side I have found the Pat Usher person, whom I very much disliked, finding the way she ruined every place she was in really really REALLY annoying (I am not a cleanliness freak but I am very sensitive when it comes to people’s homes :D ).

In this book Kinsey gathers a bit more depth (character-wise) by unveiling some tidbits about her past: she’s been a policewoman for a while, but wasn’t very good at taking orders so she quit. She’s been first taught to use a weapon by the aunt who raised her and who saw she liked the smell of gunpowder. The cramped home she loves so much used to be a one car garage (wow, that must be really cramped) and so on. Making it all the more easier for the reader to perceive Kinsey as “real”, to care for her and root for her.

The reason why I’m hooked with the alphabet series is best explained in this quote:

Most of my investigations proceed just like this. Endless notes, endless sources checked and rechecked, pursuing leads that sometimes go no place. Usually, I start in the same place, plodding along methodically, never knowing at first what might be significant. It’s all detail; facts accumulated painstakingly.

Kinsey’s work has nothing of the glamour and excitement we see in the movies: it feels real and authentic. She’s taking small pieces of information and tries to make them fit so as to form one big picture — a thing that is bound to appeal to a jigsaw puzzle addict like me :)

What I liked most: The eye for detail the author gave Kinsey. Most of the times, while following her leads, Kinsey finds herself in many new places (mostly people’s homes). I have loved the way she takes everything in, from the pattern on mugs to the particular shape of a random vase. It is of course very normal for a PI to think like that, to act like that, but I couldn’t help thinking every now and then that, had I been the writer, I wouldn’t probably have thought to add in all those little “touches”. Which is probably why Mrs. Grafton is a writer and I am not: it is those very little things that make people particular, that give them life, that differentiate them from simple cardboard cutouts. :)

What I liked least: Nothing (Yay!).
(Actually, I am a wee bit bothered about why Lily Howe had to be told everything in the end, as “who did it” had no need to disclose the deed to her (hint: plastic surgery!!), but oh well, it could have happened as malefactors do seem to have a tendency to brag :P )

Recommend it? Yes, it kept me on the edge of my seat as I ended up being very curious about whatever might have happened to Elaine. Plus I didn’t quite guess the ending, which is always a plus when mystery books are involved. :)

This book is a sequel to:
A Is For Alibi

This book is followed by:
C Is For Corpse
D Is For Deadbeat
E Is For Evidence
F Is For Fugitive

Amazon Affiliate. If you click an Amazon link and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Kinsey, with her strange penchant for cramped space, and a private investigator to boot, was pretty hard for me to identify with as at first sight we have nothing in common. Nevertheless I did understand her and found out what made her tick, and I ended up liking her — she is tough and at times rude but really, how else could she have managed to hold on to such a job as hers in a world of men? Most of all I think I liked her principles (especially related to Martha Threadgill’s case), how she wanted the truth to triumph and the dishonest to be punished (or at least not to succeed). Unfortunately there has been no other character fleshed out enough — all others come and go as needed, stating what they know about the case then move out of limelight without us finding unnecessary (to the investigation) details about them. We see them only filtered through the light of how cooperative they have been to Kinsey: Gwen = good, Lyle = bad, etc.

Having recently discovered there is such thing as an “alphabet series by Sue Grafton”, I just had to see what the fuss was about. All in all I did like the book (though I did have a bit of trouble identifying who was who in the beginning, as Kinsey read some names in some files (e.g. Libby Glass had a “surly sounding” boyfriend, Lyle Abernathy), then moved on, traveled, talked to people and then she thought about seeing say Lyle, leaving me to wonder “who is this Lyle anyway??” — but that’s probably my own fault, forgetting the already mentioned names like that) and I was quite curious to see how will it all end up. I plan to read at least the next book (B Is For Burglar), and I’m quite looking forward to it too :)

There’s only one thing I find not quite adding up: where does the title of the book come from? I mean, I can of course understand “A Is For”, as it’s the very first book in the series, and “Alibi”, as it is, of course, a word starting with A. Thing is, there is no actual alibi involved in the whole book! Both murders were done in the same way: the victims took what they thought was a prescription pill (Laurence an allergy pill, Libby a tranquilizer), but had been replaced with poison. Which means the murderer could have switched the pills even weeks before the death, making the whole idea of alibi completely useless since no one knew when it actually happened.

PS If you find yourself (like me) wondering why Kinsey, when in a jam, doesn’t call the police from her cellphone, the reason is simple enough: the book was written in 1982. Wow. It really did not seem that old to me (although I did wonder more than once about the lack of cellphones :D :D )

What I liked most: The way Kinsey’s work was set out in front of her like solving a puzzle: a bit of info here, a bit of info there, all seemingly unconnected at first but getting to look more and more like one big picture as the investigation rolled on. Which is the main reason I plan to read the next book, I liked this part that much :D

What I liked least: *************SPOILER****************

Why did Charlie kill Gwen?? He had no way of knowing she had confessed the murder of Laurence Fife plus even if he did, what reason would he have to kill her? It’s not like she knew anything more about the Libby Glass part (she definitely didn’t). I don’t think the idea of Charlie panicking and not thinking straight justifies it — even so, why her?

**************END SPOILER**********

Recommend it? Yes. It’s not perfect but it’s a fast read and quite captivating at times :)

This book is followed by:
B Is For Burglar
C Is For Corpse
D Is For Deadbeat
E Is For Evidence
F Is For Fugitive

Amazon Affiliate. If you click an Amazon link and buy something, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Popularity: 8% [?]