Some sort of compunction keeps me finishing Grafton's alphabet but W didn't cut it for me. If you find yourself struggling to read a mystery, it is not mysterious or worth it. ( )

Murder

One of her better stories. She learns that a dead, homeless man has her name and ph # in his pocket. She gets from his homeless friends in obtaining a key to a safe deposit box. She finds his will and learns he has left all to her, i.e. $500,000. Also found dead was a suspect private investigator. We learn that the two deaths are connected due to an unethical doing research on humans to test a new drug. The homeless man died as a result of the meds and the PI was killed because he was conning the doc involved.

(2013) Kinsey is drawn into a distant family relation when she learns that she has been designated the sole heir to $500 million from a homeless man she does not know. It leads to squabbles with his estranged children and and is connected to the death of Kinsey's former partner. He was investigating the affair of a medical researcher with Dr. Linton Reed. Turns out the dead homeless man was involved in a medical study of Dr. Reed's that goes bad and 3 men die from faulty medication. Reed tries to cover it up by murdering the homeless man and the investigator. Kinsey brings him to justice just as he is about to kill her as well. Another good read in the series.KIRKUS REVIEWKinsey Millhone finds yet another way to be connected to a sudden death: as the victim's executor and sole heir.The first contact Kinsey has with Terrence Dace is in the Santa Teresa coroner's office after investigator Aaron Blumberg phones her to say that a homeless drunk has been found dead with her name and phone number in his pocket. Kinsey's ignorance of the man is so profound, and his recent companions¥Felix, Dandy and PearlÂ¥are so closemouthed about supplying information about him, that it takes her quite a while even to track down his name. Once she does, though, things start to happen. A safe deposit box in Dace's name reveals assets of over half a million dollars and a will that leaves it all to Kinsey, who's also appointed his executor. Taking this unwelcome job as seriously as you'd expect, Kinsey drives out to Bakersfield to inform Dace's son, Ethan, and his daughters, Ellen and Anna, that the father from whom they've long been estranged for perfectly logical reasons is dead and that he's disinherited them all in favor of a woman they've never heard of. Kinsey's ticklish dealings with these ill-assorted mourners are deliciously fraught. But the case takes a turn toward more conventional waters as Grafton (Kinsey and Me, 2012, etc.) begins to connect it to the shooting several months back of unsavory private eye Pete Wolinsky, whose death was anything but the byproduct of a robbery that it first seemed. Throughout it all, Kinsey, practically unique among her professional cohort, is driven not by greed, lust or revenge, but by the simple desire to do the right thing.As she approaches the end of the alphabet, Kinsey waxes ever more reflective and philosophical.Pub Date:Sept. 10th, 2013ISBN:978-0-399-15898-8Page count:400ppPublisher:PutnamReview Posted Online:July 20th, 2013Kirkus Reviews Issue:Aug. 1st, 2013

I love Kinsey Millhone. But she's not everyone's cup of tea. I started reading the Alphabet series a few years ago - I think at the time it was up to O is for Outlaw. The idea of a mystery series each title beginning with a new letter amused me. I don't know why. I don't think it's particularly original. At least - I've seen a few others since. At the time though it was new to me and it just struck me as perfect. I flew through the series. Kinsey is riveting. She's brash and harsh and charming. She's fierce and flawed. She gets scared. She holds her own. She pushes herself to run often and tackles cases without judgement and with an open mind. Rosie and Henry are brilliant and I love the little family she builds around her.

But Kinsey Millhone isn't Jack Reacher - her speed is more Tracy Crosswhite. [book:My Sister's Grave|22341263] Her cases aren't full of action and high speed chases - they're slowly nitpicking away until something clicks into place. She writes down all her thoughts and places her facts and ideas on 3x5 index cards - which she often shuffles and rearranges to help her solve her case. And I love it. Kinsey Millhone is great - but she's not for everyone.

For some reason I've seen reviewers compare this to Stephanie Plum - I don't know why - this is absolutely NOTHING like that. Stephanie Plum is a very different character and an extremely different type of book. That's more fluff. Kinsey Millhone is more procedural mysteries. And this series isn't current - it was first published in the 80's - there's not really technology. Messages were relayed by calling the landlines. Paper files were still the main form of storage. Not everyone will enjoy reading this. But if you like your mysteries to be more like procedurals with a determined and fierce character - Kinsey Millhone is for you.



Well there you go, Kinsey has family on the dad's side. I really wish she would've gotten a chance to meet Terrence. She's right in one sense, too many of her goodbyes are final ones. Although I guess she didn't actually get a goodbye for this one. And I actually really wanted her to investigate the crime he was convicted of. I mean, I didn't mind how it turned out - I ended up not hating Pete (although mostly cause of his wife) and I loved the conclusion of the gun switch. That part was hilarious. but it wasn't what I was expecting. Still it was enjoyable. There's a tiny bit of romance in this one - Dietz is back, Cheney is back - I still hate both. I could do without the romance.

I loved William's dramatic streak - and the cat! - it had me in hysterics. Poor Henry getting saddled with the cat that tripped Nell. On the other hand - William was clearly spot on - and it was perfect for Henry to have some company.



4 stars. ( )