L finally reads Sue Grafton

I am admittedly a mystery novel novice.  The majority of my reading life, up until this past decade, has been taken up with romance novels, so it is no surprise that as I move further into the mystery genre, I am only now discovering Sue Grafton and her “alphabet mysteries.”  I have to say, I’m impressed.

 

For a first novel, A is for Alibi totally blew me away and I’m left wanting more Kinsey Millhouse, the “female hard-boiled private investigator” of Grafton’s series.  The book had everything I wanted in a mystery novel – lots of characters to choose whodoneit from, and a strong female protagonist that kicks butt when required.  The book left me guessing right up until the very end, and though I had my suspicions, they didn’t prove to be true until the last few chapters. 

 

I like strong female protagonists, and in Kinsey, I found a woman who doesn’t just get the job done, she also delves into her own psyche and experiences real, heartfelt emotion.  She became a real living and breathing person for me, unlike a certain Eve Dallas of In Death fame who tends to be more robotic and often far too prickly for this reader to commune with.  Kinsey is a down to earth character that I wouldn’t mind spending more time with, so the “alphabet series” has just topped my mystery novel reading list.

 

For those of you familiar with Grafton’s novels, you will know the first book was published in the early ‘80’s, 1982 to be exact, when I was a mere babe.  I don’t often enjoy reading pop fiction from so far back, because it’s usually very dated, with references to clothes, cars, slang and other cultural norms of the time.  Grafton’s novel was surprisingly, a timeless read for me.  Other than my wondering why Kinsey just didn’t give out her cell phone number, or whip out a cell phone when she was in a jam, it read like a current novel and I had to keep reminding myself it was written and published in the ‘80’s.  Well done, Grafton!

 

In A is for Alibi, Kinsey Millhone is hired to solve an 8-year old murder by the woman who was wrongfully accused.  After so many years, the trail has all but gone cold and as Kinsey starts digging and asking questions, more bodies begin to pile up.  Will the real killer be caught before Kinsey herself meets her maker?  Read this delightful novel and find out for yourself :)

 

Till next time, happy holiday reading

L :)