Synopses & Reviews
Of the #1 New York Timesbestselling Kinsey Millhone series, NPR said, Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters.”
Two dead men changed the course of my life that fall. One of them I knew and the other Id never laid eyes on until I saw him in the morgue.
The first was a local PI of suspect reputation. Hed been gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. It looked like a robbery gone bad. The other was on the beach six weeks later. Hed been sleeping rough. Probably homeless. No identification. A slip of paper with Millhones name and number was in his pants pocket. The coroner asked her to come to the morgue to see if she could ID him.
Two seemingly unrelated deaths, one a murder, the other apparently of natural causes.
But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange linkages begin to emerge. And before long at least one aspect is solved as Kinsey literally finds the key to his identity. And just like that,” she says, the lid to Pandoras box flew open. It would take me another day before I understood how many imps had been freed, but for the moment, I was inordinately pleased with myself.”
In this multilayered tale, the surfaces seem clear, but the underpinnings are full of betrayals, misunderstandings, and outright murderous fraud. And Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised.
W is for . . . wanderer . . . worthless . . . wronged . . .
W is for wasted.
Review
“Grafton exhibits the pace, form, and technique of a marathon champ in her latest.”—
The Kansas City Star “The author has hit a high mark with her latest offering, a complex tale of love, betrayal, ambition, and, of course, murder…The only bad thing: There are just four letters left in the alphabet.”—The Associated Press
“Grafton brings her ‘A’ game to her ‘V’ book… an accomplished work not to be missed.” —The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
“Terrific.”—Booklist
"Sure to satisfy."—USA Today
Review
“TERRIFIC.”—
USA Today “Nine crisply plotted Millhone tales, each with a clever hook…[and] moving and surprising insights into the woman behind the bestsellers.”—Publishers Weekly
“[A] triumph.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Beyond question the most likeable of all private eyes.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Its a pleasure just to be in Kinseys company as she refreshes the formula conventions with her snappy wit and candid opinions.”—The New York Times Book Review
Review
Praise for Sue Grafton
“After three decades Graftons iconic detective remains a quirky delight. With the help of McDonalds pit stops and her single no-wrinkle black dress, Kinsey is sure to keep up the good fight through W, X, Y and Z—taking punches for the little guys and keeping the bad ones at bay.” —People
“Millhones complexity is mirrored by the novels that document her cases: books that nestle comfortably within the mystery genre even as they push and prod its contours.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Ive come to believe that Grafton is not only the most talented woman writing crime fiction today but also that regardless of gender, her Millhone books are among the five or six best series any American has ever written.”—The Washington Post
“Grafton purposively begins with a standard situation . . . and then sets about breaking every cardinal rule of the mystery novel.”—The Los Angeles Times
Review
Praise for W IS FOR WASTED
“Grafton is a writer of many strengths—crisp characterizations, deft plotting, and eloquent dialogue among them—and she has kept her long-running alphabet mystery series fresh and each new release more welcome than the last. Her greatest skill may be the way she melds disparate, unwieldy, often difficult subjects into a cohesive whole that satisfies as both entertainment and art. It's one thing to write a bestseller (or 23), but quite another to do so while addressing larger societal ills. Achieve both, and you reach the pinnacle of the profession—as Grafton has. Her work is layered, textural, sensate—ingenious and satisfying in any genre. . . Lesser authors churn books out; Grafton continues to knock them out of the park.”—Louisville Courier-Journal
“‘W is for Wasted is further proof - as if it were needed - of Graftons immense talent. And her ability to give equal weight to the story of the detective and the detective story sets her apart in the world of crime fiction.” --Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Kinsey Millhone, the well-nigh immortal sleuth in this enduring series, still has time to play her rebel role simply by living a spartan existence in a world of greedy narcissists…How sweet it is to see the California private eye back in her garage apartment…Its also fun to watch her at work, taking notes on index cards, typing reports on a Smith-Corona and heres what really matters—communicating with people face-to-face.” --New York Times Book Review
“Involving, amusing and fast-paced.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Nearing the conclusion of this celebrated series, Grafton continues to shape Millhones character, toughened by circumstance but still both understanding and forgiving.”—Booklist
“Grafton has lost none of her ability to bring her character vividly to life: Kinsey is as witty and engaging as ever, although somewhat more subdued and thoughtful owing to the emotionally charged tasks she has to perform. As Grafton nears the end of her long-running alphabet series, readers of mystery and suspense and Graftons many fans will delight in and savor this latest addition.”—Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for Sue Grafton
“After three decades Graftons iconic detective remains a quirky delight. With the help of McDonalds pit stops and her single no-wrinkle black dress, Kinsey is sure to keep up the good fight through W, X, Y and Z—taking punches for the little guys and keeping the bad ones at bay.” —People
“Millhones complexity is mirrored by the novels that document her cases: books that nestle comfortably within the mystery genre even as they push and prod its contours.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Ive come to believe that Grafton is not only the most talented woman writing crime fiction today but also that regardless of gender, her Millhone books are among the five or six best series any American has ever written.”—The Washington Post
“Grafton purposively begins with a standard situation . . . and then sets about breaking every cardinal rule of the mystery novel.”—The Los Angeles Times
Review
“A realistic female detective, a woman of her times, independent and self-reliant and smart…
W is for Wasted finds Kinsey in perfect form.”—
The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)
“The story is new, but the familiar Kinsey Millhone is in charge, not afraid to ask questions, take thrilling small risks or challenge the secretary guarding the office tower. Shes funny and quick-thinking, street-smart and kind to stray kittens…a fast-moving, readable novel that bears the mark of a master storyteller.”—Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT)
“Perhaps Americas premier writer of crime fiction…Grafton, as always, combines a gripping story line with further development of one of the most intriguing protagonists in the genre [in] prose that often startles with grace and rich detail.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
Synopsis
Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. Even more so when Kinsey Millhone's only lead is a grown man dredging up a repressed childhood memory-of something that may never have happened...
Synopsis
Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone embarks on a terrifying but all-too-real ride that will reveal not everyone is who they say they are.
Synopsis
"A woman with a murky past who kills herself.
A dying old man cared for by the son he abused.
A lovely woman whose life is about to shatter.
A professional shoplifting ring. A brutal gangster.
A wandering husband. A spoiled kid awash in debt. A lonely widower
desperate for answers. A ruthless business man: the spider at the center
of the web. And Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth birthday present is
two black eyes and a busted nose."
Synopsis
A spiderweb of dangerous relationships lies at the heart of V is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton's daring new Kinsey Millhone novel.
A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.
And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.
V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.
Synopsis
Private detective Kinsey Millhone feels a bit out of place in Nordstrom’s lingerie department, but she’s entirely in her element when she puts a stop to a brazen shoplifting spree. For her trouble she nearly gets run over in the parking lot by one of the fleeing thieves—and later learns that the one who didn’t get away has been found dead in an apparent suicide. But Audrey Vance’s grieving fiancé suspects murder and hires Kinsey to investigate—in a case that will reveal a big story behind a small crime, and lead her into a web that connects a shadowy “private banker,” an angry trophy wife, a spoiled kid with a spiraling addiction, and a brutal killer without a conscience…
Synopsis
In 1982, Sue Grafton introduced Kinsey Millhone. Today, Kinsey is an icon of detective fiction and her creator is at the top of her form. This collection is both a look at Sue Graftons own early life in the guise of the character Kit Blue, and a fascinating glimpse of Kinsey Millhone in nine tales featuring the spunkiest, funniest, and most engaging private investigator [in] the entire detective novel genre.”Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
The first victim was a local PI of suspect reputation whod been gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. The other body was found on the beach six weeks latera homeless man with Kinsey Millhones name and number written on a slip of paper in his pants pocket.
Two seemingly unrelated deaths, one a murder, the other apparently of natural causes.
But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange linkages begin to emerge. Not just between the two victims, but also to Kinseys past. And before long Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised
Synopsis
A Kinsey Millhone Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of W is for Wasted.
Cases dont get much colder than that of Violet Sullivan, who disappeared from her rural California town in 1953, leaving behind an abusive husband and a seven-year-old named Daisy. But P.I. Kinsey Millhone has promised Daisy shell try her best to locate Violet, dead or alive. All signs point to a runaway wifethe clothes that disappeared; the secret stash of money Violet bragged about; the brazen flirtations she indulged in with local men, including some married ones. Kinsey tries to pick up a trail by speaking to those who remember herand perhaps were more involved in her life than they let on.
But the trail could lead her somewhere very dangerous. Because the case may have gone cold, but some peoples feelings about Violet Sullivan still run as hot as ever
Synopsis
Private detective Kinsey Millhone feels a bit out of place in Nordstrom’s lingerie department, but she’s entirely in her element when she puts a stop to a brazen shoplifting spree. For her trouble she nearly gets run over in the parking lot by one of the fleeing thieves—and later learns that the one who didn’t get away has been found dead in an apparent suicide. But Audrey Vance’s grieving fiancé suspects murder and hires Kinsey to investigate—in a case that will reveal a big story behind a small crime, and lead her into a web that connects a shadowy “private banker,” an angry trophy wife, a spoiled kid with a spiraling addiction, and a brutal killer without a conscience…
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton is published in 28 countries and 26 languagesincluding Estonian, Bulgarian, and Indonesian. Books in her alphabet series, begun in 1982, are international bestsellers with readership in the millions. And like Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, Robert Parker, and John D. MacDonaldthe best of her breedSue Grafton has earned new respect for the mystery form. Her readers appreciate her buoyant style, her eye for detail, her deft hand with character, her acute social observances, and her abundant storytelling talents.
Sue divides her time between Montecito, California and Louisville, Kentucky, where she was born and raised. She has three children and two grandchildren. Grafton has been married to Steve Humphrey for more than twenty years. She loves cats, gardens, and good cuisine.