(2004)Very good. Kinsey is hired to babysit Reba, just out of prison and is drawn into a money-laundering scheme & murder that ends with Reba double-crossing her ex who had caused her to go jail in the first place.

This was a hard one for me. My least favorite of the series. ( )

First edition signed as new

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.



The good? I liked Reba. I enjoyed her manipulations and scheming. I always love Henry and Rosie and William (and the special appearance by Lewis!). And Kinsey is the bestest of the lot. The mystery was fairly predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The bad? The romance. I liked Cheney in the previous books but something about their romance just rubbed me the wrong way in this one. To be fair though I always hate Kinsey's romances. Sue Grafton can write a mystery. But romance is just not her jam.



3.5 stars, rounded to 4. ( )

Boy, in this one Kinsey is being led around by the nose the whole time. Disappointing. ( )