A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

I enjoyed this author so much when I read it in the 1980s, that I decided to start at the beginning again and see where it leads. I love the wit, don't mind the violence too much, and really enjoy the colorful characters. This one is the first in the series, and it seems Grafton was already fully developed in her ideas and writing. I wonder if I'll notice any progression this time through?

This is the story of a woman out of prison who was accused of murdering her husband. She hires Kinsey to find the real killer. Through this story, we are introduced to her landlord Henry and some of her business associates. I didn't remember much about this novel at all, and was horrified that Kinsey was dumb enough to sleep with one of her suspects. The folly of that was borne out when he chased her down, and in high drama, attempted to kill her as she crouched in a garbage can on the beach. Instead, she shot him. What became a pattern in all of the novels is that there is an exciting ending, and then a very brief epilogue. We aren't told very much about how things unwound or came out, which makes the reader curious about the next installment. Threads of the previous stories are woven through later novels, so it will be interesting to see if any of these characters are referred back to later.

The Grafton/Milhone wit was fresh and funny and in full splendor in this beginning book of the series. It was good to be back in Santa Teresa, a place she describes really well. What I also noticed this time around is the absence of technology and how that affects her detective work. She's using phone books and libraries to get the job done. It's like a time capsule.