Kinsey Millhone, PI, is back in the 23rd installment of Sue Grafton's alphabet series.
Two people are dead. One is a not-so-savory Private Investigator that Kinsey knew from many years prior. The other is a homeless man that has Kinsey's name written on a scrap of paper found in his pocket. She is called in to identify a man she has never met, but her curiosity and innate desire to get unknowns solved takes her through a tangle of shelters, never-met family members, and drug trials.

A good mystery and crime novel that has enough threads to keep you guessing until the end.

The main character, Kinsey Millhone, was front and center during most of the book. The book brought back characters that crossed paths (and love lives) with her from books past that kept the plot moving forward with just the right amount of emotional awkwardness for a different type of conflict. It delved further into Kinsey's distance from her family, which is a feat for a character that has been in 22 previous stories.

The beginning seemed slow. There seemed to be too much back story presented up front that could have waited and been integrated into the fabric of the story. After that brief portion, the tempo picked up and worked well.

Read the next in the series.

It is an excellent mystery and crime series without getting too gritty. There is plenty of action, the story plots are well thought out, and you care about all the characters.

Sue Grafton is an excellent author. She has created a person, place, and friends that keep readers coming back for the next book. Since this is #23 in what everyone refers to as her 'alphabet series' (#1- A is for Alibi), fans know it is coming to an end soon. Since her books are filled with well developed characters and creative plots, I have no doubt she will satisfy readers when she ventures out of this recognized series.

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Created Oct 01, 2013 at 7:58pm • Submit your own review...