Kinsey Millhone only took this case because something felt unfinished and every day on the job is proving her right. Nikki Fife might have been convicted of murdering her husband, but when every lead takes Kinsey into danger or toward yet another dead body, it’s looking more and more like the justice system got it wrong. Will Kinsey find the real murderer before she becomes the next victim?
A is for Alibi was Sue Grafton’s first novel in the Kinsey Millhone series. First published in 1982, this book was farm from Grafton’s first works – she had a long career spanning nearly 2 decades before Kinsey hit shelves. When Grafton passed away in 2017, she had not yet written the final book in this series to finish out the alphabet and her family had no interest in utilizing ghost writers as some other series have done with great success such as the Tom Clancy estate and the Jack Ryan novels. Therefore, the alphabet “ends at Y” with the Kinsey Millhone books. This award-winning novel is full of suspense and intrigue, and shows just how far some people will go to cover up a secret.
I give A is for Alibi 3 out of 5 stars. While I appreciate the use of a female lead here, something felt off. Flirting and even sleeping with a suspect just doesn’t sit will with me. I will say, it was a bit of time travel going back to the early 1980’s before cell phones were a thing, and even before answering machines really were, too. With similar settings, a disregard for the rules, and a need to do everything on their own, this almost felt like a female version of Harry Bosch. Ok – maybe if Harry Bosch met Jessica Fletcher.
With murder, physical assault and the discussion of dead bodies and crimes, I would direct this novel to more mature readers over 13. This would make a great mystery book club selection if only for the book club to discuss how horrible the choices Kinsey makes along the way really are. While not a favorite book for me, I would say this could fit a reading prompt for California, written in the year 1983, mystery, murder mystery, green cover, and more – it fits many categories on our reading list this year!
I chose this book for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “a mystery”. Finding a mystery with a green cover was a challenge, but this fit the bill! Again, not my favorite book so far this year, but not bad. I also chose the audio book and listening helped get through some of the tougher moments where you really just wanted to scream at Kinsey for doing the stupid thing. Have you read this series? What’s your thoughts?
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