Product Description

When Laurence Fife was murdered, few mourned his passing. Plenty of people had reason to want him dead. But the police thought his wife Nikki -- with motive, access and opportunity -- was the #1 suspect. The jury thought so too.

Eight years later and out on parole, Nikki hires Kinsey Millhone, a gutsy P.I., to find the real killer. The trail is cold but Kinsey finds a lead. It brings her face-to-face with the murderer!

This is the first in the popular series featuring California investigator Kinsey Millhone. She's 32, twice divorced, no kids, an ex-cop who likes her work... and who works strictly alone!

"Grafton has created a woman we feel we know, a tough cookie with a soft center, a gregarious loner... smart, well-paced and very funny." (Newsweek)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5447926 in Books
• Published on: 1995-01-31
• Binding: Paperback

From the Publisher
8 1-hour cassettes

Customer Reviews

Good fun!
I discovered Sue Grafton's "alphabet" mysteries at the local library's books-on-tape section. I did manage to get this one first (though B through H seem to be missing, so I've listened to several others in a more haphazard order). A comment about the audio cassette version for those who might want to try it. I'm assuming that this is the same unabridged version I read with Mary Peiffer doing the reading. I just love her. To me, several Grafton books later, she's the voice of Kinsey Milhone (especially since the stories are told first-person by Kinsey herself). Her tongue-in-cheek delivery is just perfect for the tone of the books.

As to this book in particular, it was a great introduction to the series. All Sue Grafton books, this one included, are light reading, but highly original and entertaining. In this one, we get to meet Kinsey Millhone and her octogenarian landlord Henry Pitts. There are enough twists to delight mystery lovers, and Kinsey is brought to life as a seemingly real person, with attitude, wit, off-beat charm, and flaws.

It's hard to imagine anyone disliking this book (or any others in this series), in much the same way that it's hard to imagine anyone disliking a puppy.

Enjoyable and entertaining mystery!
This is the first of Sue Grafton's books which I have read. It is about a mystery Kinsey Millhone, an private investigator, must solve involving the widow who had just gotten out of prison for killing her husband. However, she claims she didn't do it and hires Kinsey to find out who did.

I enjoyed the character development of Kinsey, and felt I got to understand her a little bit. Her interaction with the other characters allowed us to understand her personality more as well. Also, I liked the style in which Grafton portrayed Millhone through 1st person perspective. You "got into the shoes" of Kinsey Millhone and followed her through the mystery.

My only problems (and these were minor) were that at times some of the action was not described in much detail. Although perhaps this was partly due to the fact that it was the story was told in the first person, it didn't help me "picture" the story. One scene in particular was striking in this particular aspect. However, it came at the end of the story and kind of gives it away, so I cannot explain it...but it gave me the feeling that Grafton got "tired" of writing so she kind of wrapped it up quicly.

As I listened to the audio version, I wanted to comment on the actor's performance of the book. I thought it was excellent. Her change in inflection and pacing helped me to experience Kinsey's emotions as I went through the book.

Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to mystery lovers.

Wonderfully entertaining!!
Dear Sue Grafton,I first discovered your books when I read "J". I was hooked!! I went to a local bookstore and purchased A through I and read them all before "K" was released. I sent the books to my mother so she too could enjoy them. She passed them on to my sister. We eagerly await each new release. Imagine how pleased I was just now while browsing this site to find that "O" is about to be released. It sounds like another winner!! I teach school and discovered one day that another teacher at our school attended college with Sue Grafton. You two still keep in touch.Maybe one day you will come for a visit and Judy will call me over to meet you. Until then, Sue, keep writing!