Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton

Grafton died of cancer after this last book of hers was published. Her family said, "For us, the alphabet ends in Y." I was sorry to have the series end with such a sordid and violent story. I wonder if the darkness of this last entry into the series was a reflection of how she was feeling? The tone isn't depressing, and Kinsey retains her spunk, but the subject matter and criminals are cold and violent and sordid. 

I must have read it when it first came out, but I didn't write about it here. I think it was probably because I disliked it so much. Because I was on a quest to finish the series this time around, I wasn't about to skip it. AND, I wanted to see if I had the same reaction this time around.

I am not sure I would ever choose to read it again, but it wasn't as upsetting as it was the first time around. There is still the trademark snappy humor and interesting characters, but there were too many graphic details of the teenagers' rape scene that were referred to over and over again. I didn't need to be reminded, and I didn't appreciate it. And, in the parallel story, the crazy serial killer Ned also showed his slimey violent self in colorful detail. Overall, the violence and descriptions were not to my liking. 

I enjoyed Pearl's emergence as somewhat of a hero after her earlier in the series introduction as a homeless n'er do well. Henry didn't get much air time, and neither did Cheney or Jonah. However, Cousin Anna's pregnancy may have presaged some interesting plot twists in upcoming Z. Too bad we'll never know what Grafton had in mind. I would have enjoyed seeing some of Kinsey's loose ends tied up neatly. For example, when would Henry die and leave her the house, etc.? Would he leave it to Pearl and others? What about Rosie and William? And where would Cheney end up? And would Dietz return for a romantic yet noncommittal relationship? Or would he finally be ready, and would Kinsey be ready to commit? And what about all of those Millhone relatives? Would there ever be good relationships built with them? So many questions...

It's kind of a relief to have the series be done, and it's also kind of sad. I really enjoyed the whole thing, and I'm also ready to move on. I've begun reading my journals, and there are plenty of them. So before I set out on another ambitious series, I'm committed to at least take one trip through my many, many journals.  

X by Sue Grafton

 I'm nearing the end of my second time through this series, and it makes me sad that I'm almost done! I'm sure I read it when it came out in 2015, and I bought a copy for Melissa, who read it too. I saw her copy when we were in Rapid City last Christmas, and I was tempted to borrow it. But I didn't want to be tempted to read it out of order, so I ordered a cheap used copy from Amazon and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I finished this afternoon, a beautiful spring day in St. George, in the sunshine. I remember it as being kind of a dark story, but it didn't strike me that way this time through. And why didn't I write about it on this blog when I first read it? I was at least partially retired, but I must have just spaced it out. Now I'm more disciplined and careful--I don't allow myself to start my next book until I've recorded the one I just finished. I notice that with my aging brain, I have to be much more methodical about how I operate, or else things just fall through my sieve.

This story had three different threads, and lots of interesting characters. Happily, I was able to track them all. Maybe the warmer weather is helping me think and remember things better??? At any rate, all three stories were interesting. At one point, I thought they might intersect, but they did not. 

The first thread focuses on a rich couple's acrimonious separation and divorce, and centers on the theft of a Turner painting. Of course that intrigued me because he's one of my favorite artists. The second thread involved a psychopath killer whose wife left some mementos for their daughter, and Kinsey has to follow cryptic clues to trace his crimes. And the third one is Henry's new neighbors who turn out to be squatters and criminals. They are elderly and devious. This story comes unraveled when Henry discovers they have diverted his water source when he is desperately trying to conserve water because of the drought. The California weather and landscapes always figure in Grafton's stories, and being a native Californian, that always interests me. 

I'm ambivalent about beginning Y because it is Grafton's last book in the series. She died before she got to Z. I am so curious about how she might have tied up some of Kinsey's story's loose ends. Would her boyfriend Dietz come back to stay? Would she find peace with her family? Maybe some of these will be hinted at in Y is for Yesterday. I can't imagine writing so well when one is suffering from cancer and treatment. Wow. 

V is for Vengance by Sue Grafton - 2nd review

 This story was intriguing and fun, with disparate characters coming together in unexpected ways. It really shows Grafton's development as a writer. I especially enjoyed it because I could follow all of the threads. The characters were interesting, as usual, but one in particular became more likable as time went on. Dante, the mobster, was trying to get "honest" and I was hoping he would safely escape at the end. And the bad informant cop seemed to get away, but at the very end Grafton gives us a juicy tidbit that is very satisfying. I also liked the way Kinsey and Dante interacted.

I doubt if Nora's life was anything like real; but it's fun to imagine a country club lawyer's wife with money to burn and how she dresses, socializes, etc., I guess I'm not looking for reality, so it's okay that she was rather unbelievable and shallow. And how could Dante fall instantly in love with her? Who knows? All in all, these were fun people. I was disappointed that Cheney and Kinsey's relationship never reheated, and that Kinsey's family didn't enter in, but the obnoxious reporter that makes frequent appearances came out better in the end and almost makes up for the lack of the other characters' lesser roles.

I read this while waiting for winter to end in St. George, an unlikely long winter. I got to the end during a three day getaway with Leonard in Las Vegas, and it was fun to have such a good book when there was some restful downtime between our outings. I wish I could have enjoyed it around the pool, but it wasn't open yet...Alas, what a problem, huh? 

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

 This was an intriguing one. Kinsey again solves an old case - twenty plus years- and the flashbacks to the sixties as told by the other characters is a fun look at the stereotypical hippie and commune culture. In the modern part of the story (late 80s), Kinsey puts together cryptic clues from fascinating characters to eventually solve the crime.

She has little help from her old flame Cheney Phillips in the police department, but at least he makes an appearance or two, and seems to be moving on after being dumped!

My favorite part of this story was watching Kinsey finally learn some of the other side of her estranged family's story. And there's a sweet moment when she finally thaws out to the point of meeting her autocratic and well-known grandmother. I also loved it when she grilled the detective who had investigated her Aunt Gin. We finally get a closer look at this character who has figured strongly in every episode but only from a very narrow point of view.

I also loved how we got to see Walker, an alcoholic criminal, start on the road to sobriety and better thinking. Grafton's gift of illuminating characters' thinking is one of her best. I learn a lot from thinking about the criminal, the timid, the confident, and other types of personalities that she so thoroughly describes as they move the plot forward. Of course I enjoyed a brief look in on Stacey Oliphant and Con Dolan, the retired law enforcement buddies she has worked with before. 

I'm feeling glad to be near the end of this marathon, to move on to other things, but also a little sad because I enjoy these stories and characters so much. Sometimes, though, I'd rather read than engage with the real world, and that isn't always healthy for me, especially when there's Relief Society work that would bring more good into the world. Still, I love my time with my nose in a good book! If only thses weren't so addictive!

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

 This was riveting. I liked the variety of having an additional narrator besides Kinsey. Hearing Solana's point of view added to the tension in the story. In fact, the tension in this story and the way it unfolded really held my interest. Solana's devious plans and actions as she stole someone's identity and then proceeded to take advantage of Kinsey's elderly neighbor were instructive. It was interesting because it seemed so easy to do, and she had a lot of know how and a lawyer to help her. I also kept thinking about how this was the 80s and would not unfold this way with today's technology.

I was disappointed that near the beginning Kinsey explained why she broke up with Cheney. Oh, no! He added so much spice to the story! He does make a brief appearance near the end of the story, but the romance is not re-ignited. Bummer! I liked that aspect of the series because it showed a new and vulnerable side of Kinsey. I was also hoping for some more family connections, but there wasn't time in this one, I guess. The side story of the accident where the missing witness was an ex-con provided a break from the main story. Now that I think about it, the woman who was trying to take advantage of the system by claiming injuries was similar in deviousness to Solana. Two very dishonest women. And the ex-con, an earnest ventiloquist, seemed to be doing what he could to get himself healthier. Not sure about that, but he was definitely an interesting character.

This was a fun winter read which I enjoyed immensely as I snuggled under blankets in our living room, waiting for work men to arrive or depart as our basement repair nears its completion. While this story had horrible villains, it was not a depressing read. In fact, Kinsey challenges us at the end to do our part to protect children and the elderly. I liked that!

S is for Silence by Sue Grafton

 In this installment in the series, Kinsey again is asked to go back to the past to figure out an unsolved mystery. What was different was that the present was interspersed with chapters from the past. So we learned about the characters from different points of view in different points in time. It was a nice effect.

Like several of these books, though, there were quite a few characters to keep track of. The missing woman, Violet, was the center of the story, and it was her daughter, Daisy, who hired Kinsey to find her. Turns out there were many people deeply involved in her life and story, and keeping track of them proved challenging for me. Not bad, but I did have to keep my wits about me!

There was very little of Henry or Cheney in this story because she was on site trying to solve this missing person mystery on site in a lot of little towns not too far from Santa Theresa, but far enough that she had some interesting overnight accommodations. As usual, the characters were interesting, and again, Kinsey became friendly with several of the players. She is definitely warming up in her relationships! 

This has been a nice escape as we are stuck at home more than usual as our demolition and remodel of our downstairs is going on. It's frustrating to have it go on so long, but this series has been fun. I might have overdone it yesterday, but it was nice to hunker down in a couple of blankets and read to the end. I do have to pace myself, though, because it can be depressing if the story is seedy or violent. This one was slightly seedy, but not too violent... The parts that I enjoyed were the looks into 1953 when Violet disappeared, and I could relate to the babysitter's emerging love life. It was neat to see the potential of that relationship being rekindled later in life. That was a nice plot twist. Grafton had a lot of cultural references from the fifties too, like movies and TV shows that were before my time. Still, it added some color...

R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton

 This might be my favorite Kinsey Milhone story in the whole series. In this episode, Kinsey is hired to pick up a young woman, Reba, being released from prison, and they become friends in crazy escapades. Reba is a worthy opponent to Kinsey's reasonable advice, and so Kinsey is led into many dangerous situations. I enjoyed the rapport that these two developed, and it was cool to see Kinsey warm to having a friend.

In this book Kinsey also warms to a very attractive detective, Cheney, whom we've met before. But in this story, his romantic moves and conversation are exhibited in a captivating way. I was kind of anxious to get to the end, because he seems like such a good guy, that I didn't want the relationship to go south. I wanted brusque and prickly Kinsey to get to keep her equal partner and not blow it. 

I liked the ending when Reba was able to outsmart her evil, using boyfriend and bring him down. It was satisfying to see him get his just desserts, which isn't always the case in Grafton novels nor in real life! 

Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

I enjoyed this story because it was a significant departure in Kinsey's usual modus operandi; she teamed up with two  older detectives who kept the dialogue and action interesting and often funny. The search for the killer of a missing Jane Doe from years  earlier was the premise, and apparently this story was inspired by a real-life case. The other part that was interesting to me was when Kinsey learned more about her blocked out childhood and even had a visit with her aunt. I can sense her very gradually warming to the idea of having a family, and I just wish this subplot had been fleshed out a little more.

The other part of this one that made it interesting to me was the way Kinsey discovered the fabric in a quilt that matched the dead girl's pants. The fabric, the people in the small town, and the earlier time and lifestyle were all things to which I could relate. It wasn't as dark and sinister as some of Grafton's settings, and I liked that.

Kinsey's spunk is still evident and I enjoy the unraveling of the plot twists; this was cool because it was a plot that merged with a concurrent present plot. It definitely held my interest as I worked through it and kept MOST of the characters straight. Either I'm getting smarter or this plot was easier to follow than some of those I get lost in!

P is for Peril by Sue Grafton

 I am already to P! This one was different in two ways. First, there was a whole lot of technical detail about Medicare and Medicaid funding and its relationship to care homes. It was boring! And I kept thinking there must be a reason for this, but I'm still going to skim it because it's entirely too detailed. The other difference is that this story ends without an epilogue. Typically, Grafton ties up about 80% of my questions in an epilogue that comes after the final action in the story. This one had no such epilogue, and the exciting "ending" to the side-story of Kinsey's almost-romance came well before the end of the book. So this "soft" ending with Kinsey chatting on the patio over a glass of wine with the two murderers was surprising. Also, that these two are the murderers is only implied, not spelled out. Like many other readers, I thought maybe the epilogue had been torn out of my used copy! But as I thought about it, I realized Grafton was giving me the hints of the ending and letting me figure it out. Which I did. 

It isn't one of my favorites; there isn't enough of Henry or William or Rosie, but the Havener brothers are rather intriguing characters. It was interesting to experience Kinsey's initial attraction to Tommy Havener turn to distaste and fear. I was totally unprepared for Mariah's character to turn out to be an imposter... So there was a lot to manage in this story. Still, the characteristic Kinsey humor made this an enjoyable read, although her penchant for descriptive detail got a bit tedious. 

It was a good airport read as Len and I flew in from Bozeman, Montana to Denver and had HOURS to await our delayed flight to St. George. It made that time enjoyable, even though it was late and frustrating! The de-icing took over an hour!!! It's always good to have a diversion that is engaging, and this series always is!

I read some reviews of this book mostly to test my theory of who the murderer was, and many fans were disappointed in this installment in the series. One reviewer recommended J.D. Robb instead of Grafton, so I'm considering trying her out after I get to Y. 

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

 

N is for Noose by Sue Grafton

 Over Christmas and three weeks in South Dakota, I finished M. I didn't take N because I thought it would be good to take a break, and it was. I read Conference talks, catalogs, and of course my scriptures. Still, it was a long break and I was excited to get back into a good mystery!

I enjoyed this one. The setting reminded me of a Lake Tahoe area, only a small town with small town people. The small town characters turned against Kinsey during her investigation, and that was scary. I also related to her discomfort to staying with Selma, the police detective's widow who hired her. Her anxieties over the temperature, the food, just being a guest were all relatable, especially coming off three weeks of being a guest at Melissa's. Gratefully, my experience was good; Kinsey's was bad!

I enjoyed the learning about the high moral character of the police detective who had recently died, and it was refreshing to know there are people like that in the world. Of course I know that, but it's good to read about them as well. The snowy and cold setting were hard to live through again, having just returned from a harrowing icy road trip, so I had to take a break near the end to catch my breath! 

Still and all, an enjoyable read and a good one to unravel!

M is for Malice by Sue Grafton

 This was a good one!

There were juicy scenes with Dietz, who surprised Kinsey several times by returning to her unexpectedly. The murder victim, Guy Malek, was a sweet and engaging character whose reputation turned out to be grossly exaggerated. The brothers were nasty and interesting. The milieu of this story was much more refined than the usual decrepit and depressing ones of her stories heretofore. And there is the hint of Kinsey coming to terms with her long lost family. 

I read this while on the way to South Dakota for Christmas and our townhouse sale. I finished it tonight, and it was a welcome respite from the sometimes stressful family interactions and townhouse work, not to mention challenging weather! ICE COLD weather, that is, and our impending departure that might be delayed AGAIN. Ouch.... Stressful only because I hate putting Melissa out, but it has been really fun most of the time, and she has been a very attentive hostess. I'm grateful...I'm not sure how I would react to having houseguests so long! December 7 through December 26, at least! Wowsers, she's amazing!

L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton

 This was a romp that was not as much fun as it was stressful and kind of depressing. Kinsey often deals with "underlife," but these folks were particularly low. Kinsey tries to help a neighbor, recommended by lovable Henry whom she can't turn down, and finds herself virtually kidnapped and taken on a wild goose chase to unravel a mystery and find a stolen treasure. The treasure was stolen by a group of unscrupulous men 40 years earlier, and murder ensued, and prison terms served. However, the quest for the treasure proved to be worthwhile. The main villain is truly evil and battering, and we have to have more of him than we like. What is somewhat borderline charming is the way another of the gang, Ray, and his daughter Laura, and his mother Helen become a family for Kinsey. 

I enjoyed having this lightweight paperback along for the trip to Rapid City from Las Vegas since it turned out to be such a comical loading and unloading of passengers as Allegiant tried to get us on a plane that worked. Because I had this entertaining, although somewhat depressing milieu, I was able to withstand the four-hour plus delay with aplomb. I did not get grumpy, nor did I get aprehensive, as Len did. We survived the ordeal and landed safely. This was a good book to have along since it totally "took me away" from the scene and helped me enjoy another world, even though it wasn't a particularly pleasant one. And a nice bonus at the end was Kinsey needing help from her cousin, whom she had rejected up to that point. It was gratifying to see that she needed help, asked for it, and got it. Which also means her cousin Tasha will most likely appear in the next installment. I also liked that Kinsey got a little sentimental at the wedding of William and Rosie. I'm glad it was a sweet occasion and that Kinsey got out of her horrible situation in time to be there. There was definitely the possibility that this adventure would waylay her plans...

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

 This story finds Kinsey trying to solve a murder of a woman who was shot through a peephole in a door. We at first think its her husband, and then we're convinced it's not. And then the plot twists again. This story has some good characters, especially as Henry (Kinsey's landlord) entertains his brother William and his myriad idiosyncrasies and then his romance. It's a fun one with more light moments than usual. 

I read this on flights to and from Rapid City and while I was there, so my focus was maybe a little off and maybe I was sleep-deprived. Still, it held up as an entertaining diversion through that week of fun upheaval. Actually, this is an attempt to explain why I don't recall more of the plot or the story.

I am noticing that Kinsey is a student of the weather. There is lots of time devoted to cloud cover and the weather in Santa Theresa. Interesting...

P.S. I just found this summary in my journal! I wrote this in Rapid City during my visit there, because I couldn't get my computer to connect to the Stevenson's internet... Here it is:

K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

 I'm plowing through these alphabet mysteries with great enjoyment! This was a fascinating one in that Kinsey steps into a night-time schedule. In the course of her investigation of the murder of a porn star and prostitute, she interviews most people involved at night. She becomes a nocturnal person as well, and is definitely changed by the experience. She works on this case alone, with minimal help from her friend Cheney Phillips, a detective she's becomeing acquainted with.

While I enjoyed this story, and there were many interesting characters, there were lots of loose ends that were never wrapped up. It seems to be a pattern with Grafton that when she ends, she ends quickly. We don't get to see any of the players' reactions to the solving of the case. And in this one, it would have been good to know how Lorna's family members reacted to the finding of her murderer. And did Cheney have increased respect for Kinsey's skills after she solved this one? And how were the unknown lawyer and the water department guy connected? I don't think i'm dumb, it was just never cleared up. It's kind of disappointing to not have answers...but maybe that's more like real life? Or maybe I missed a few clues along the way? Not sure. Still, worth the fun of reading, and of course I'm moving ahead to L!

I'm pretty sure I read this one in the 80s when I first discovered this series, but I had no recollection at all of the settings, the plot, or these characters. All brand new to me this time around. Actually, I just noticed this publication date is 1994, I don't recall much of what I read in the 90s either! Oh well... This record may help in the future???

H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton

 One of the joys of retirement life is getting to enjoy a long series at my leisure all over again. Because I originally read these back in our Laramie days, probably close to 30 years ago, these are like brand new stories to me! I believe I would have remembered this one--maybe I skipped it?

It's different because Kinsey goes underground, fairly unwillingly, and becomes part of an insurance fraud ring. It was fascinating to learn about life in a gang setting, in LA, in a crummy apartment, surrounded by hispanic gang members and a pitbull. It was pretty depressing in a lot of ways, but I really enjoyed Kinsey's introspection as she acclimated to the various characters in the story. And how she began to understand that the line between law-abiding and fraud can be tempting to cross. She waxes philosophical about the people that surround her, and they are interesting characters.

She's very tuned in to sexual energy, and in this story there's a lot of it. Bibianna, the hapless young woman that Kinsey befriends, attracts men powerfully and Kinsey describes it visually and with the feelings and smells that accompany it. The demented leader, Raymond, suffers from Tourette's syndrome, and his physical tics and jerks are brilliantly described. And his narcissism, and his complete disorientation from reality. What's depressing about the complete picture of this criminal is that in the epilogue, it becomes clear that he may escape justice despite his despicable crimes and behavior. Maybe that's an underlying theme; at the end, I was hoping Kinsey would kill him, but no. I was happily surprised that one of the gang members was actually an undercover cop; he was one of the better ones. That was a cool surprise at the end that I didn't see coming.

I also learned a lot about how auto insurance fraud is undertaken and it stinks. Even in the 80s setting, this was perpetuated without the help of the internet. All the paperwork reminded me of how much crime and law enforcement has changed since then! It was a fun romp, despite the depressing milieu and characters. 

G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

 This is a good one! Of course I enjoy them all, but this one is spiced up with a romance when Kinsey's life is in danger and she hires a body guard named Dietz. I enjoyed watching their romance develop, and it seems Kinsey has a very soft heart under her crusty exterior. She definitely met her match in terms of competence and independence. 

This story is comprised of two unfolding dramas; one where a psychotic killer tries to intimidate and killer which intertwines with a story of finding a lost woman in "the slabs" of the Mojave Desert. The desert milieu is fascinating, as it houses homeless and many who just want to be off the grid. Henry only figures in peripherally, and Dietz takes center stage. The lost woman's unfolding story is complicated as Kinsey and Dietz try to unravel it. It finally all comes together, but it was hard to follow as the clues came together. I finally made sense of it, but I could never have pulled it together the way Kinsey did! 

F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton

In E is for Evidence, Kinsey's apartment was blown up. So this next one conveniently takes place up the coast from Santa Theresa, in a little coastal town where everyone knows everyone. She stays in a family-run hotel, and the characters are pretty depressing. The son of the hotel owners has escaped from prison where he was serving a term for a murder he still claims he did not commit. Uncovering the truth from an old murder case means Kinsey is revisiting the past. A lot of her interviews happen in this old hotel or in a seedy bar...Still, there's plenty of humor and good thinking and sleuthing here. I missed Henry Pitts and the other Santa Theresa regulars, but it was interesting to go outside the usual venue with Kinsey on this adventure. 

My knee is feeling better and my COVID has only left a shadow of a cough. I'm grateful Sue Grafton entertained me so well while I was laid up! 

E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton

 I'm working through this series and each one is fun and a little violent. This one has bombs blowing people and Kinsey's apartment up! She is framed in this little adventure, and her ex-husband Daniel shows up. We learn a little more about their history, and his drug addiction and sexual preference. It's amazing how she figures out these obscure and complicated plots. And we also learn why she's so prickly and hard to get close to; she's been royally burned in the past! The characters in this story are friends whom Kinsey knew in high school, and it's interesting to learn a little more about some of her past.

Even though I read this when we lived in Laramie, I had not even a hint of what was going to happen next. It's amazing how my memory is like a blank slate! 

D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton

 Still suffering from Covid AND laid up with a very painful left knee, I sought comfort in yet another lightweight mystery. It was not the most pleasant of milieus, however, and I was a little relieved to have it be done. This "deadbeat" is an alcoholic who killed people in a car crash. Kinsey's attempt to solve his murder by drowning when the police didn't even count it as a murder, took her into unsavory places and people. There is though, despite the seedy characters, Kinsey's usual humor and cynicism to enjoy. Her relationship with policeman Jonah Robb heats up, and she has a harrowing experience at the very end, at the top of a building trying to talk the murderer down. This is a story where her epilogues are too brief! I really wanted to know how she got down off that building. I wanted to know how the characters left behind dealt with this tragedy. But no, her epilogues are brief and to the point. They may be alluded to in the next installment, but maybe not. We shall see!