69.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [J is for Judgment]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: September 5, 2011
Rating: ***

For reasons I'm not sure I can state explicitly, I didn't really find J is for Judgment as compelling as some of the earlier Kinsey books. The mystery itself simply isn't thrilling, and there's an almost extreme amount of legwork for very little payoff. I think I was as sick of the running around as Kinsey herself says she is.

68.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: I is for Innocent
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 20, 2011
Rating: ****

Freshly wounded from being fired by California Fidelity and settling into her new offices with attorney Lonnie Kingsman, Kinsey finds herself low on confidence and doubting her professional abilities. As the first case she works for Kingsman throws her curveball after curveball Kinsey loses her footing more than once, but continues to barrel through despite her own misgivings. I thoroughly enjoy how human Kinsey is, and I find her extremely attractive for her faults and quirks.

67.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: H is for Homicide
Publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 17, 2011
Rating: ***

H is for Homicide is not as successful as previous Alphabet Mysteries; while the characters are interesting and compelling, the premise through which Kinsey finds herself in the narrative circumstances are flimsy at best.

66.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: G is for Gumshoe
Publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 15, 2011
Rating: ***1/2

In G is for Gumshoe, Kinsey finds herself going after a Bronte-colored mystery, while ducking a hi man (and his young son) when she finds herself on a convict's blame-list. I like Dietz, but not everything in this mystery flows as naturally as other books (specifically where Grafton forces the Bronte allusions). Still enjoyable overall.

64.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [E is for Evidence]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 208
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 13, 2011
Rating: ****

After a few cozy duds I decided to go with something tried-and-true to bring me out of my schlump: enter Kinsey Millhone.

I've been reading Grafton's series off and on since I was eleven, and my Gram loaned me L is for Lawless. I've never gotten any further in the series, although I own through S, largely because I keep going back to refresh with earlier books. And I keep forgetting where I left off, because I leave so much time and so many other books in-between.

This time I picked up with E is for Evidenc, because I couldn't remember the conclusion.

When Kinsey begins a routine check on a fire claim for CF, she finds herself caught up in a long-festering pool of lies, family tension, and illegal activities. Her investigation puts her under suspicion, and she finds herself working for her own cause. The case leaves a compelling line of dead bodies and old relationships, and the very human protagonist carefully sifts through the pieces- until the answer lands in her living room.

Consistent and engaging; Grafton doesn't disappoint.

P.S. Reviewing on the iPhone is tough.

65.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [F is for Fugitive]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 14, 2011
Rating: ****

In F is for Fugitive, Kinsey finds herself (blissfully) out of town, and working for one of the most unpleasant families in contemporary fiction after she is hired by the patriarch to exonerate his son, who is convicted of murdering a seventeen-year-old girl more than a decade before. Grafton presents a fairly pedestrian depiction of small-town life, but somehow following the ornery community remains interesting throughout.

8.
Author: Sue Grafton
Title: 'E' is for Evidence
Publication: New York: Bantam Books, 1994.
Pages: 200 pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: Purchased before 1998
Date Completed: January 20, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Consistent with previous books, entertaining, and off my shelf. But, oh my, what a terrible cover.

There are certain details I remember from the series from years ago, and this book delivered one (the conclusion). There's another scene in the back of my mind, and I'll be interested to see in which book it pops up.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 8
1010 Challenge: Tower Book 7
Off-the-shelf: Book 8

7.
Author: Sue Grafton
Title: 'D' is for Deadbeat
Publication: New York: Bantam Books, 1994.
Pages: 240 pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: Purchased before 1998
Date Completed: January 18, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The Kinsey Millhone mysteries continue to improve as the series progresses. Grafton is dedicated to realism in her novels, and she focuses on the little details (grocery shopping, eating dinner, the barriers Kinsey faces) to create the proper perspective. In previous novels these details were a bit tedious, but Grafton finds a nice balance of day-to-day and suspense in 'D' is for Deadbeat.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 7
1010 Challenge: Tower Book 6
Off-the-shelf: Book 7

Well, I'm off to a slow start this year. Here's book #1:


1. Grafton, Sue. 'C' is for Corpse. 1.3.10.

What I appreciate most in Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series is her attention to realism. Kinsey Millhone is a professional private detective, licensed by the state, and operating in "the real world". The books stick to this idea, and present mysteries in an almost pedestrian manner; while in the middle of a case Kinsey stops by her office, sorts through her mail, drinks coffee, and goes grocery shopping. The little details of the day-to-day are all there, and while they may come off as a bit tedious at times (usually when you've read several books in a row, all with the same details), the overall effect is one of grounded reality. Kinsey is not a super hero; it is not unusual for her to encounter some extreme scenarios because it is in fact her job to pursue mysteries - or insurance fraud (after all, both pay the bills). 'C' is for Corpse is not an extraordinary book, but I can appreciate it for its consistency, and will continue to work my way back through the series.

And the last book of the year:


145. Grafton, Sue. 'B' is for Burglar. 211 pages. 12.30.09.

The second novel in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series, 'B' is for Burglar is a great improvement over the first book. Kinsey is hired to find the estranged sister of her client, but when the disappearance suggests murder her client balks and stops the investigation. The missing woman's elderly neighbor, however, becomes delightfully involved in the investigation, and rehires Kinsey to find out once and forever what happened to Mrs. Boldt.

The flow of 'B' is for Burglar is more natural than the first book, although Grafton still wanders away from her original story from time to time. The book itself is dated by fashion (and a typewriter!), but in another few years these details will be charming instead of strange.

Not the best book to end the year with, but not a horrible one, either.

144. Grafton, Sue. 'A' is for Alibi. 215 pages. 12.27.09

'A is for Alibi is a shallow beginning to a very enjoyable mystery series. In the first of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries Grafton introduces her female detective through an investigation of a murder case closed eight years before. While the plot is interesting, the brevity of the novel leaves the narrative feeling underdeveloped. The characters are intriguing, but the ease with which Millhone forms relationships with other characters is grossly unbelievable, creating the sensation that the reader has walked in mid-story, missing a great deal of background. While 'A' is for Alibi is not terrible on its own, the Kinsey Millhone series is one that improves greatly as it progresses.