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Of #1 New York Times–bestselling author Sue Grafton, NPR’s Maureen Corrigan said, “Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters.” With only two letters left, Grafton’s many devoted readers will share that sentiment.
The number ten. An unknown quantity. A mistake. A cross. A kiss.
The shortest entry in Webster’s Unabridged. Derived from Greek and Latin and commonly found in science, medicine, and religion. The most graphically dramatic letter. Notoriously tricky to think xylophone.
The twenty-fourth letter in the English alphabet.
Sue Grafton’s X: Perhaps her darkest and most chilling novel, it features a remorseless serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes. Once again breaking the rules and establishing new paths, Grafton wastes little time identifying this sociopath. The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim.
From the Hardcover edition.
The number ten. An unknown quantity. A mistake. A cross. A kiss.
The shortest entry in Webster’s Unabridged. Derived from Greek and Latin and commonly found in science, medicine, and religion. The most graphically dramatic letter. Notoriously tricky to think xylophone.
The twenty-fourth letter in the English alphabet.
Sue Grafton’s X: Perhaps her darkest and most chilling novel, it features a remorseless serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes. Once again breaking the rules and establishing new paths, Grafton wastes little time identifying this sociopath. The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim.
From the Hardcover edition.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2015
3143 people are currently reading
14276 people want to read
About the author
Sue Grafton
143 books6,525 followersSue Grafton was a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She is best known for her “alphabet series” featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. Prior to success with this series, she wrote screenplays for television movies. Her earlier novels include Keziah Dane (1967) and The Lolly-Madonna War (1969), both out of print. In the book Kinsey and Me she gave us stories that revealed Kinsey's origins and Sue's past.
Grafton never wanted her novels to be turned into movies or TV shows. According to her family she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of these things, and out of respect for Sue’s wishes, the family announced the alphabet now ends at “Y”
Grafton was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, three Shamus Awards, and many other honors and awards.
Grafton had three children from previous marriages and several grandchildren, including a granddaughter named Kinsey. She and her husband lived in Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky.
Grafton never wanted her novels to be turned into movies or TV shows. According to her family she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of these things, and out of respect for Sue’s wishes, the family announced the alphabet now ends at “Y”
Grafton was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, three Shamus Awards, and many other honors and awards.
Grafton had three children from previous marriages and several grandchildren, including a granddaughter named Kinsey. She and her husband lived in Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,833 reviews
November 3, 2015
Sue Grafton has over the years created in Kinsey Milhone one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time. Grafton is a writer who gets better and more nuanced with each offering. And I love the fact that the books are all set in the 1980s. I get a kick each time Kinsey frantically searches for a payphone to make a call. With X Sue Grafton has written another wonderfully compelling story that brings out all of the things we love about Kinsey, but also delivers one of her most chillingly sinister villains. What separates Grafton from many writers in the genre is the heart and humanity that we see in Kinsey. You will find no more compelling character in detective fiction.
September 1, 2015
I am still trying to wrap my head around a couple of things this morning. I felt like maybe I was missing pages of information and went back and re-read a couple of passages and then realized that I wasn't missing anything. That the whole book had the weirdest and most unsatisfying endings that I have read in one of the Alphabet books.
Please don't read the following if you haven't read as far as W is for Wasted since it spoils events from all preceding books.
This book starts off with a prologue (called In the Beginning) starting off with a third person narrative by someone named Teddy Xanakis. We find out that Teddy is a bitter divorce trying to do her best to ruin her ex-husband Ari who had an affair with her best friend. As a reader you don't know what she is up to, but you know somehow it is going to include Kinsey.
The story than transitions into a first person narrative by Kinsey Millhone. The time is March 1989 in California. Kinsey is 38, and still alone.
For long time readers you know how Sue Grafton sets up her book. She pretty much has Kinsey giving all of her vital stats and trying to sum up her life to date. Nothing much has changed since W is for Wasted except now Kinsey has several hundred thousands of dollars that she has inherited from a family member on her father's side. She also now has several cousins that she doesn't want anything to do with (sound familiar?)
Kinsey meets with a client named Hallie Bettacourt about tracking down her biological son she gave up for adoption. She also starts trying to help out Pete Wolinsky's widow, Ruth, with pulling together some files for an IRS audit. Neither of these two things has anything to do with each other. We also have a story-line dealing with new neighbors and Henry's attempts at water conservation. The whole book felt like three stories combined into one barely coherent story. I found my mind wandering and I fell asleep a few times while reading.
Have you ever read about water conservation? No? Well if you have I think we can agree it's not exciting stuff.
The loosely tied story-lines were not the only problem I had while reading this book though.
I can say that for me I was really disappointed with the lack of development of the character of Kinsey. I thought based on clues in the last book, that Kinsey was finally looking forward to moving forward and away from her ex boyfriend Robert Dietz and thinking of getting back together with Cheney since that guy has been there for her more than any other man she has been involved with in 24 books.
Instead we still have her talking about her long time gone boyfriend Robert Dietz and also still feeling a pull toward her other ex boyfriend Cheney Phillips. I think based on the timeline that it has been at least 6 months since the events in W is for Wasted or thereabouts and the last time readers checked in with Kinsey, Robert was going on a long road trip with his son and Kinsey was pretty much done with him coming in and out of her life. When she eventually catches up with Robert none of that is discussed, or she at least doesn't discuss it internally so readers don't get a clue how she feels about it. I got the impression he had been back again for a while, but she hadn't seen him. She was mad about it, but I really wanted to tell her to get over it.
We also have Kinsey just not interacting with other people besides her clients and the usual group of Henry, Rosie, and William. It's just weird and unnatural. I remember in A is for Alibi there was mention of a college friend that she stayed with. She was really close with the women she worked with at the insurance agency she did some work with. She was friends with her lawyer's secretary Ida Ruth. Where the heck did all these people go? One good thing and the only reason why I gave this book three stars is that we get a re-appearance of Vera and we get to check in on her life. And we had her calling out Kinsey for not keeping in touch. Heck I would have too. Kinsey only seems to talk to people if she needs something from them.
Kinsey seems to be in a low period with not getting many clients, but she is not broke as readers know at this point. To shake things up a bit it would be interesting to have Kinsey take on a trainee (like she was trained once) or a partner, something, anything. Instead we still have her acting as if she's broke. She's not interested in traveling, she's not interested in moving away from Henry, she's just stuck.
Add into these two huge problems and I also had a problem with the flow of the entire book. None of the story-lines flowed together and we had Kinsey bouncing back and forth between events until the ending.
We had a major reveal about what caused a break in a partnership where Kinsey used to work, which didn't sound like something that would have occurred based on what Kinsey knew about these people, or without her finding out about it. We had a major re-write with regards to the character of Pete Wolinsky which also did not fit in with what we knew of the guy, and combine that with everything I felt as if the whole book was disjointed.
However, what really got me was the chapter before the ending and then the actual ending itself that I rolled my eyes about. I don't know if Ms. Grafton plans on following up on this in subsequent books or not, but she has only two more to do so.
All in all this was definitely a book for long-time readers. I wouldn't be pressed to run out and buy it. I would probably either go to the library or wait until it is out in paperback since you are not going to be missing much with this newest installment. Hopefully Y gets things back on track.
Please don't read the following if you haven't read as far as W is for Wasted since it spoils events from all preceding books.
This book starts off with a prologue (called In the Beginning) starting off with a third person narrative by someone named Teddy Xanakis. We find out that Teddy is a bitter divorce trying to do her best to ruin her ex-husband Ari who had an affair with her best friend. As a reader you don't know what she is up to, but you know somehow it is going to include Kinsey.
The story than transitions into a first person narrative by Kinsey Millhone. The time is March 1989 in California. Kinsey is 38, and still alone.
For long time readers you know how Sue Grafton sets up her book. She pretty much has Kinsey giving all of her vital stats and trying to sum up her life to date. Nothing much has changed since W is for Wasted except now Kinsey has several hundred thousands of dollars that she has inherited from a family member on her father's side. She also now has several cousins that she doesn't want anything to do with (sound familiar?)
Kinsey meets with a client named Hallie Bettacourt about tracking down her biological son she gave up for adoption. She also starts trying to help out Pete Wolinsky's widow, Ruth, with pulling together some files for an IRS audit. Neither of these two things has anything to do with each other. We also have a story-line dealing with new neighbors and Henry's attempts at water conservation. The whole book felt like three stories combined into one barely coherent story. I found my mind wandering and I fell asleep a few times while reading.
Have you ever read about water conservation? No? Well if you have I think we can agree it's not exciting stuff.
The loosely tied story-lines were not the only problem I had while reading this book though.
I can say that for me I was really disappointed with the lack of development of the character of Kinsey. I thought based on clues in the last book, that Kinsey was finally looking forward to moving forward and away from her ex boyfriend Robert Dietz and thinking of getting back together with Cheney since that guy has been there for her more than any other man she has been involved with in 24 books.
Instead we still have her talking about her long time gone boyfriend Robert Dietz and also still feeling a pull toward her other ex boyfriend Cheney Phillips. I think based on the timeline that it has been at least 6 months since the events in W is for Wasted or thereabouts and the last time readers checked in with Kinsey, Robert was going on a long road trip with his son and Kinsey was pretty much done with him coming in and out of her life. When she eventually catches up with Robert none of that is discussed, or she at least doesn't discuss it internally so readers don't get a clue how she feels about it. I got the impression he had been back again for a while, but she hadn't seen him. She was mad about it, but I really wanted to tell her to get over it.
We also have Kinsey just not interacting with other people besides her clients and the usual group of Henry, Rosie, and William. It's just weird and unnatural. I remember in A is for Alibi there was mention of a college friend that she stayed with. She was really close with the women she worked with at the insurance agency she did some work with. She was friends with her lawyer's secretary Ida Ruth. Where the heck did all these people go? One good thing and the only reason why I gave this book three stars is that we get a re-appearance of Vera and we get to check in on her life. And we had her calling out Kinsey for not keeping in touch. Heck I would have too. Kinsey only seems to talk to people if she needs something from them.
Kinsey seems to be in a low period with not getting many clients, but she is not broke as readers know at this point. To shake things up a bit it would be interesting to have Kinsey take on a trainee (like she was trained once) or a partner, something, anything. Instead we still have her acting as if she's broke. She's not interested in traveling, she's not interested in moving away from Henry, she's just stuck.
Add into these two huge problems and I also had a problem with the flow of the entire book. None of the story-lines flowed together and we had Kinsey bouncing back and forth between events until the ending.
We had a major reveal about what caused a break in a partnership where Kinsey used to work, which didn't sound like something that would have occurred based on what Kinsey knew about these people, or without her finding out about it. We had a major re-write with regards to the character of Pete Wolinsky which also did not fit in with what we knew of the guy, and combine that with everything I felt as if the whole book was disjointed.
However, what really got me was the chapter before the ending and then the actual ending itself that I rolled my eyes about. I don't know if Ms. Grafton plans on following up on this in subsequent books or not, but she has only two more to do so.
All in all this was definitely a book for long-time readers. I wouldn't be pressed to run out and buy it. I would probably either go to the library or wait until it is out in paperback since you are not going to be missing much with this newest installment. Hopefully Y gets things back on track.
October 13, 2016
The first entry in this series, A is for Alibi, appeared in 1982. It's a taut 192 pages long, written close to the bone. The suspense builds from the first page to the last and pays off with a great climax. It was a fantastic introduction to the Kinsey Millhone series. By comparison, X is 498 pages long and feels more like 698. It wanders all over the landscape; it's filled with boring minutia, and it's about as suspenseful as watching paint dry.
As the book opens, Kinsey is hired by a woman to find the son that the woman says she gave up for adoption years earlier. Kinsey assumes that the case will be a piece of cake and charges the woman a minimal fee. It then turns out that the woman has paid Kinsey in marked bills and that things are not at all what they appear to be.
Meanwhile, Kinsey is still attempting to wrap up the affairs of an old colleague, Pete Wolinsky. Pete's widow has received a demand from the IRS for some old documents and Kinsey agrees to look for them. In doing so, she discovers a mystery that she feels compelled to track down, even though no one is paying her to do so, either with marked bills or anything else.
And finally, Kinsey's elderly but still spry neighbor, eighty-nine year-old Henry Pitts, is concerned about the drought that is plaguing California. He's gone slightly nuts trying to conserve every drop of water possible, even to the extent of tearing out his lawn and ripping up all his shrubs. If that weren't bad enough, an elderly couple has moved into the house next door, and Kinsey feels that they are taking advantage of Henry's kindness by having him to their grocery shopping for them and a variety of other things.
The story meanders about, dealing first with one of these issues and then with another. None of them is remotely interesting, and the reader is subjected to what seem like endless discussions about irrigation, gray water and other such things when dealing with Henry's water problems. The book is filled with Kinsey's observations about this, that and the other thing, none of which does anything to advance the plot.
As one example, Kinsey meets an elderly church secretary with curly hair, which for some reason reminds her of of the ads she saw as a child for Toni Home Permanent kits. This sparks a very long paragraph about home permanents back in the day, which is enough to make a reader want to tear his or her hair out. The book is filled with incidents like this and one can only wonder whether Grafton has now reached a point in her career where she can demand that no one edit her work. Certainly any competent editor would have cut out about a third of this one. A competent editor would have probably also told Grafton to lose at least one of the distracting plot lines and to tighten up the book and create some suspense. But alas, no one did.
My other principal concern about this and the other later books in the series is that Grafton chose to leave the series set in the 1980s. (We're now up to 1989.) As a practical matter, the setting has stayed the same; all of the characters have remained in place; none of them has changed in any significant way, and they've all become pretty boring. Henry doesn't seem to be baking as much as he did back in 1982, but he's still basically the same guy, as are all of the other ancillary characters.
I can certainly understand that when a series is thirty-five years old and you're twenty-four books into it, it might be hard to find something fresh to do with the characters. But Grafton made it doubly hard on herself by leaving the series--and the characters--essentially frozen in time. The truth is that most of the recent books in the series are thus interchangeable and immediately forgettable.
If it seems like I'm being hard on this book, it's only because I was such a huge fan of this series in the beginning. Reading A Is for Alibi was a revelation back in the early 1980s, when there were virtually no serious female P.I.s and when Kinsey Millhone was a ground breaking protagonist.
Certainly one can't argue with success. Grafton has accumulated millions of fans and made gazzillions of dollars writing this series. Still, when I think back to the promise of the early books in this series, I can only be personally disheartened by what it's become.
2.5 stars, rounded up to three only because I used to like this series so much. And if you want to read a really great book featuring a tough, smart female P.I. set in the 1980s, don't read this one. Do yourself a favor and find a copy of A Is for Alibi. Believe me, you'll thank me.
As the book opens, Kinsey is hired by a woman to find the son that the woman says she gave up for adoption years earlier. Kinsey assumes that the case will be a piece of cake and charges the woman a minimal fee. It then turns out that the woman has paid Kinsey in marked bills and that things are not at all what they appear to be.
Meanwhile, Kinsey is still attempting to wrap up the affairs of an old colleague, Pete Wolinsky. Pete's widow has received a demand from the IRS for some old documents and Kinsey agrees to look for them. In doing so, she discovers a mystery that she feels compelled to track down, even though no one is paying her to do so, either with marked bills or anything else.
And finally, Kinsey's elderly but still spry neighbor, eighty-nine year-old Henry Pitts, is concerned about the drought that is plaguing California. He's gone slightly nuts trying to conserve every drop of water possible, even to the extent of tearing out his lawn and ripping up all his shrubs. If that weren't bad enough, an elderly couple has moved into the house next door, and Kinsey feels that they are taking advantage of Henry's kindness by having him to their grocery shopping for them and a variety of other things.
The story meanders about, dealing first with one of these issues and then with another. None of them is remotely interesting, and the reader is subjected to what seem like endless discussions about irrigation, gray water and other such things when dealing with Henry's water problems. The book is filled with Kinsey's observations about this, that and the other thing, none of which does anything to advance the plot.
As one example, Kinsey meets an elderly church secretary with curly hair, which for some reason reminds her of of the ads she saw as a child for Toni Home Permanent kits. This sparks a very long paragraph about home permanents back in the day, which is enough to make a reader want to tear his or her hair out. The book is filled with incidents like this and one can only wonder whether Grafton has now reached a point in her career where she can demand that no one edit her work. Certainly any competent editor would have cut out about a third of this one. A competent editor would have probably also told Grafton to lose at least one of the distracting plot lines and to tighten up the book and create some suspense. But alas, no one did.
My other principal concern about this and the other later books in the series is that Grafton chose to leave the series set in the 1980s. (We're now up to 1989.) As a practical matter, the setting has stayed the same; all of the characters have remained in place; none of them has changed in any significant way, and they've all become pretty boring. Henry doesn't seem to be baking as much as he did back in 1982, but he's still basically the same guy, as are all of the other ancillary characters.
I can certainly understand that when a series is thirty-five years old and you're twenty-four books into it, it might be hard to find something fresh to do with the characters. But Grafton made it doubly hard on herself by leaving the series--and the characters--essentially frozen in time. The truth is that most of the recent books in the series are thus interchangeable and immediately forgettable.
If it seems like I'm being hard on this book, it's only because I was such a huge fan of this series in the beginning. Reading A Is for Alibi was a revelation back in the early 1980s, when there were virtually no serious female P.I.s and when Kinsey Millhone was a ground breaking protagonist.
Certainly one can't argue with success. Grafton has accumulated millions of fans and made gazzillions of dollars writing this series. Still, when I think back to the promise of the early books in this series, I can only be personally disheartened by what it's become.
2.5 stars, rounded up to three only because I used to like this series so much. And if you want to read a really great book featuring a tough, smart female P.I. set in the 1980s, don't read this one. Do yourself a favor and find a copy of A Is for Alibi. Believe me, you'll thank me.
July 30, 2022
After a ~4 year hiatus from reading the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series, I got back to focusing on it late last year just before the author, Sue Grafton, passed away. In the second to last installment, X, Kinsey and the series become a bit more relaxed, but it also reminded me there's only 1 book left as the final one (Z, 26) won't be completed by a ghost writer.
There are three primary story lines in this novel, not the usual focus or style for Grafton: (1) Henry and Kinsey's personal problems with their new neighbors, (2) Kinsey's friendship with the wife of a late deceased colleague (who we learned a lot about in W is for Wasted) where peculiar people and letters start showing up, and (3) a mystery investigation Kinsey's actually hired to solve by a real client. Each on their own wasn't enough to carry a 400+ page novel, but by combining it together, readers were treated to a "week in the life" of a private eye who we've come to love.
One of the things that struck me the most was how Grafton only aged Kinsey by a few years over the course of ~35 years writing the novels. The setting still take place in the 1980s where there were no cell phones or usable personal computers, but there were major issues occurring in California, like a drought. Grafton uses the book to offer solutions on how to solve the water shortage, which actually applies today in many cases, too. Always keen to offer political or societal commentary through the characters, we don't lack for an education in this one either: both treatment of the aging and conservation of water in and out of the home. At times, I thought... wait, did I start reading non-fiction again?
As for the 2 main mysteries, both ended with too many loose ends. While we know the criminal, it's not your standard whodunit in the first one; and in the second one, Kinsey ends up playing matchmaker. While I enjoyed the book, it wasn't a true mystery / thriller / suspense novel like most of the past. There were several high action moments, and one where I really worried Kinsey was going to die, but in the end, I was a little disappointed in the mismatch of how it all came together. That said, it's still a strong book, just not what I was expecting or wanted. 3.5 stars and I'll round up because I have a strong affinity for the series and author.
Writing is as good as always. Characters are clear, memorable, and understandable. A few things didn't sit well, but for the most part, I cared what happened to everyone. I am both sad and excited to read the last one... probably later this month or the beginning of July.
There are three primary story lines in this novel, not the usual focus or style for Grafton: (1) Henry and Kinsey's personal problems with their new neighbors, (2) Kinsey's friendship with the wife of a late deceased colleague (who we learned a lot about in W is for Wasted) where peculiar people and letters start showing up, and (3) a mystery investigation Kinsey's actually hired to solve by a real client. Each on their own wasn't enough to carry a 400+ page novel, but by combining it together, readers were treated to a "week in the life" of a private eye who we've come to love.
One of the things that struck me the most was how Grafton only aged Kinsey by a few years over the course of ~35 years writing the novels. The setting still take place in the 1980s where there were no cell phones or usable personal computers, but there were major issues occurring in California, like a drought. Grafton uses the book to offer solutions on how to solve the water shortage, which actually applies today in many cases, too. Always keen to offer political or societal commentary through the characters, we don't lack for an education in this one either: both treatment of the aging and conservation of water in and out of the home. At times, I thought... wait, did I start reading non-fiction again?
As for the 2 main mysteries, both ended with too many loose ends. While we know the criminal, it's not your standard whodunit in the first one; and in the second one, Kinsey ends up playing matchmaker. While I enjoyed the book, it wasn't a true mystery / thriller / suspense novel like most of the past. There were several high action moments, and one where I really worried Kinsey was going to die, but in the end, I was a little disappointed in the mismatch of how it all came together. That said, it's still a strong book, just not what I was expecting or wanted. 3.5 stars and I'll round up because I have a strong affinity for the series and author.
Writing is as good as always. Characters are clear, memorable, and understandable. A few things didn't sit well, but for the most part, I cared what happened to everyone. I am both sad and excited to read the last one... probably later this month or the beginning of July.
May 1, 2019
Why are these books getting worse???
I thought maybe Grafton got her groove a few books back when she started putting in multiple POV's, but then this clusterfuck hits the shelves?
Holy hot mess, Batman.
I mean, sure we got the exciting things we have begun to expect from the series, such as filling out forms, the population and details on every town that she drives through, jogging, using the bathroom, clean underpants, every background story on every character that shows up in the book - although we have heard them a hundred times, and the added bonus in this one? She follows a mailman doing his route and we get to learn all about the mail system and every street he delivers on. Don't forget to give us the list of addresses, Kinsey!
Yeah, that's where I live since I made thedrunken perfectly rational decision to finish this series that I hate.
But, aside from all of the mind-numbing details that have held me captive for all these books, there wasn't a coherent story. It was all over the place. She didn't have a client the whole time. She was just wandering around, doing shit that she didn't need to do, for reasons, and just happened to run into a killer. Who tried to kill her, of course. Isn't there anyone out there who doesn't want to kill this woman? I mean. Really? Anyone? Because it's not me.
She was asking for it. Look at what she's wearing! Plus, she was telling them about her jogging route.
I'm not going to even tell you what this was about because it's not clear and it doesn't make sense. I think I understand why Kinsey's only friends are over the age of 75. They probably have hearing aids that they can turn off when she comes around.
Since this series is almost done, I have to mention something else that has gone on through the entire series that I haven't mentioned yet.
Kinsey, IN EVERY BOOK, makes at least 7-10 mentions of her "maiden aunt". Not only that, but other characters use the term "maiden aunt" as well. As if this is normal. It's not normal, dipshit! Oh, sorry. I'm having rage issues lately, for some reason.. Anyway, what the fuck is that about? I've never heard anyone use that expression in my life!
Basically, every time Kinsey talks, or thinks (and we get to read every thought in her head), she sounds like an old lady who definitely wasn't raised in California. It shouldn't be a big deal, but after 23 books, it throws me into a homicidal rage.
*deep breath*
One more book, Jilly, just one more.. you can do this.... then, if you want to kill everything, you can... I mean, CAN'T!! You definitely CAN'T...
I thought maybe Grafton got her groove a few books back when she started putting in multiple POV's, but then this clusterfuck hits the shelves?
Holy hot mess, Batman.
I mean, sure we got the exciting things we have begun to expect from the series, such as filling out forms, the population and details on every town that she drives through, jogging, using the bathroom, clean underpants, every background story on every character that shows up in the book - although we have heard them a hundred times, and the added bonus in this one? She follows a mailman doing his route and we get to learn all about the mail system and every street he delivers on. Don't forget to give us the list of addresses, Kinsey!
Yeah, that's where I live since I made the
But, aside from all of the mind-numbing details that have held me captive for all these books, there wasn't a coherent story. It was all over the place. She didn't have a client the whole time. She was just wandering around, doing shit that she didn't need to do, for reasons, and just happened to run into a killer. Who tried to kill her, of course. Isn't there anyone out there who doesn't want to kill this woman? I mean. Really? Anyone? Because it's not me.
She was asking for it. Look at what she's wearing! Plus, she was telling them about her jogging route.
I'm not going to even tell you what this was about because it's not clear and it doesn't make sense. I think I understand why Kinsey's only friends are over the age of 75. They probably have hearing aids that they can turn off when she comes around.
Since this series is almost done, I have to mention something else that has gone on through the entire series that I haven't mentioned yet.
Kinsey, IN EVERY BOOK, makes at least 7-10 mentions of her "maiden aunt". Not only that, but other characters use the term "maiden aunt" as well. As if this is normal. It's not normal, dipshit! Oh, sorry. I'm having rage issues lately, for some reason.. Anyway, what the fuck is that about? I've never heard anyone use that expression in my life!
Basically, every time Kinsey talks, or thinks (and we get to read every thought in her head), she sounds like an old lady who definitely wasn't raised in California. It shouldn't be a big deal, but after 23 books, it throws me into a homicidal rage.
*deep breath*
One more book, Jilly, just one more.. you can do this.... then, if you want to kill everything, you can... I mean, CAN'T!! You definitely CAN'T...
July 13, 2024
3.5 rounded up. Really enjoying these last few instalments.
July 21, 2021
This is another of those series which I keep reading despite everything! I always have a few criticisms, I usually give the book 3 stars, yet I am perfectly happy to read another one. It may be due to my Kinsey Millhone Special Reading Method. Following this method I skip all paragraphs describing streets, houses, rooms, clothes, traffic routes and more. This cuts the book to an appropriate length and I get to enjoy the actual mystery and the solving thereof.
In X Kinsey is working on three cases although I am not sure she ends up being paid for any of them. They are all reasonably interesting but in one case the perpetrator is never caught, which I thought was a shame since he was the only really seriously dangerous person. Kinsey has her customary close brush with death this time in a particularly unpleasant way.
Kinsey has not changed at all since A is for Alibi, twenty four books ago. The books are longer now and they meander more, but the characters are unchanged and very little time has passed. Funnily enough I like that and maybe that is my reason for continuing with the series!
In X Kinsey is working on three cases although I am not sure she ends up being paid for any of them. They are all reasonably interesting but in one case the perpetrator is never caught, which I thought was a shame since he was the only really seriously dangerous person. Kinsey has her customary close brush with death this time in a particularly unpleasant way.
Kinsey has not changed at all since A is for Alibi, twenty four books ago. The books are longer now and they meander more, but the characters are unchanged and very little time has passed. Funnily enough I like that and maybe that is my reason for continuing with the series!
September 11, 2015
Meandering Filler
After waiting for years for the 24th installment of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone Mysteries, I eagerly forked over my $20 and settled in for the evening to read. When I finished, I was in awe--not because of the finesse of another finely-tuned novel, but of the mess that the publisher allowed in bookstores. If this were a first novel for a beginning author, I would say, good effort and mention something about getting their stride after a few books under their belt. But seeing that this is the Mystery Writing Goddess, Sue Grafton, I have to wonder "What Happened?"
X is a meandering tale, with obvious filler detailing Kinsey's daily life-making coffee, driving the streets, reading mail, long monologues that go nowhere. What was also painfully obvious was there was some sort of word count either the publisher, editor or president of the company wanted. The plot waned horribly. Did Ms. Grafton put the book away for months at a time, then come back and write? Place feels out of place in this tome, as if Millhone's town were brand spanking new. Nothing felt right.
Let's talk about supporting characters and sub-plots. The elderly next door neighbors of Henry and Kinsey read as if it were lifted from three other Grafton books. Nothing new there, either. Sure, the specifics were 'different', but really? I expected something new and exciting, but after 23 books, I can guess finding new surprises for readers can become taxing. We are treated to past performers who really didn't add anything to the main plot, which was all over the place. I feel bad for Ms. Grafton, afterall, crafting a novel takes time, creativity and effort but X doesn't hit the spot this time. I give 2 stars.
After waiting for years for the 24th installment of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone Mysteries, I eagerly forked over my $20 and settled in for the evening to read. When I finished, I was in awe--not because of the finesse of another finely-tuned novel, but of the mess that the publisher allowed in bookstores. If this were a first novel for a beginning author, I would say, good effort and mention something about getting their stride after a few books under their belt. But seeing that this is the Mystery Writing Goddess, Sue Grafton, I have to wonder "What Happened?"
X is a meandering tale, with obvious filler detailing Kinsey's daily life-making coffee, driving the streets, reading mail, long monologues that go nowhere. What was also painfully obvious was there was some sort of word count either the publisher, editor or president of the company wanted. The plot waned horribly. Did Ms. Grafton put the book away for months at a time, then come back and write? Place feels out of place in this tome, as if Millhone's town were brand spanking new. Nothing felt right.
Let's talk about supporting characters and sub-plots. The elderly next door neighbors of Henry and Kinsey read as if it were lifted from three other Grafton books. Nothing new there, either. Sure, the specifics were 'different', but really? I expected something new and exciting, but after 23 books, I can guess finding new surprises for readers can become taxing. We are treated to past performers who really didn't add anything to the main plot, which was all over the place. I feel bad for Ms. Grafton, afterall, crafting a novel takes time, creativity and effort but X doesn't hit the spot this time. I give 2 stars.
July 19, 2015
Sue Grafton is one of the longest literary relationships of my life. I'm pretty sure she's the third longest author (first two are Stephen King and Sara Paretsky, respectively) whose new books I still read at the first available chance. I started reading her books in high school, and each new mystery is still welcomed with much excitement.
I feel like her books are getting darker and this one is no exception. We learn who the villain is pretty early on but the novel is still incredibly interesting and tense because where is the proof? It's all well and good to say, "Oh, this guy is straight up murdering people" but unless you can prove it, nothing can be done.
This isn't my favorite of hers, but it's very interesting and creepy. (Sociopaths are scary, guys.) And it's always wonderful to spend a few hours with Kinsey.
We only have two books left. :(
Recommended.
I feel like her books are getting darker and this one is no exception. We learn who the villain is pretty early on but the novel is still incredibly interesting and tense because where is the proof? It's all well and good to say, "Oh, this guy is straight up murdering people" but unless you can prove it, nothing can be done.
This isn't my favorite of hers, but it's very interesting and creepy. (Sociopaths are scary, guys.) And it's always wonderful to spend a few hours with Kinsey.
We only have two books left. :(
Recommended.
September 5, 2017
I'm just realising (I'm a little slow on the uptake) what a great marketing ploy this whole series has been. A series planned on the letters of the alphabet, so at Z that is it! Finito. I have invested so much time in this series (& enjoyed many of the books) that I was sure I was going to be there right at the end. But W was a bloated hodgepodge & in X Ms Grafton threw so many plots & sub plots at this reader that I was totally confused. The two main stories received less attention than the
The plus points were Grafton's gift of writing conversation & ... well, that's pretty much it. The book was a luke warm rather than hot mess.
If reviews for Z are absolutely outstanding I may attempt Y.
But I'm thinking it's time to walk away. & that makes me sad.
The plus points were Grafton's gift of writing conversation & ... well, that's pretty much it. The book was a luke warm rather than hot mess.
If reviews for Z are absolutely outstanding I may attempt Y.
But I'm thinking it's time to walk away. & that makes me sad.
September 2, 2015
Four stars because it's Kinsey Millhone and I'm always happy to return to her world. I like her, she's like an old friend that I can't wait to catch up with. I'm going to be sad when this series ends. I've spent a lot of time with these characters and I'm still not ready to say goodbye:(
November 2, 2021
In this 24th book in the 'Kinsey Milhone' series, the private detective investigates two complex cases. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Private detective Kinsey Milhone has money in the bank (for a change) and time on her hands. So when Ruthie Wolinksy - widow of Kinsey's deceased colleague Pete Wolinksy - is preparing for a tax audit, Kinsey agrees to look through Pete's old files for pertinent documents.
Instead, Kinsey finds two surprising things. One is a coded document that turns out to be a list containing six women's names. At least some of the women have a connection to an obnoxious man named Ned Lowe, who has a history of stalking and mistreating his old girlfriends and wives.
Another is a three-decades-old manila envelope containing mementos from Lowe's first wife, meant for his now grown daughter.
Kinsey had disdained Pete Wolinsky when he was alive, thinking of him as a dishonest rogue.
So when Kinsey learns that Pete had the list and envelope because he was trying to do good things, she decides to carry on with his inquiries. This isn't smooth sailing, though, because nasty Ned Lowe makes every attempt to derail Kinsey's investigation and keep her away from his daughter.
Meanwhile Kinsey takes on another case. Wealthy fashionista Hallie Bettancourt asks Kinsey to locate the son she gave up for adoption thirty years ago.
The man, Christian Satterfield, was in prison for bank robbery and has just been paroled. Because Kinsey thinks the job will be quick and easy she accepts the modest payment of two hundred dollars in cash. Kinsey then performs a spot of surveillance, finds Christian's address, and sends it to Hallie.
As it turns out, Hallie Bettancourt's entire persona is false. Her name isn't Hallie, she isn't Christian's mother, and the cash payment she gave Kinsey is 'marked' - part of a $25,000 ransom paid to retrieve a stolen painting a couple of years before. So Kinsey decides to find out what the unknown woman actually wants with the ex-convict. Could she be planning a robbery?
Kinsey also has one other concern. An elderly couple, Edna and Joseph Shallenbarger, have recently moved next door to Kinsey's landlord, nonagenarian Henry Pitts. Joseph is wheelchair-bound and Edna is a sly old bird who constantly wangles Henry into helping her, buying her groceries, taking her to the store and the dentist and so on.
Kinsey resents the Shallenbargers taking advantage of Henry.
In addition - as it turns out - the old couple are even worse neighbors than Kinsey feared.
In the course of her inquiries Kinsey makes a lot of phone calls, follows people, conducts interviews, looks up documents, meets a millionaire, writes up her index cards, and so on. She also spends some time dining in her friend Rosie's bar, making peanut butter and pickle sandwiches at home, and talking with old friends and acquaintances.
I enjoy this series and like visiting with the familiar characters. For me, though, the plot in this book is not riveting. Kinsey's cases seem unfocused, and her investigative procedures are a little slow and rambling. This contrasts with previous books where Kinsey's investigations were driven and fast-paced.
Still, I recommend this book to Sue Grafton fans. A flawed Kinsey Milhone story is better than none. :)
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
September 13, 2015
We’re ardent Sue Grafton fans, and like most, have read the 23 prior “alphabet” books starring laid-back private eye Kinsey Millhone. We are quite stunned at the flurry of 5-star reviews being accorded “X”, which we felt was one of the most boring in the set. Aside from the normal trivia we’re used to, like her almost GPS-like description of her driving details (wow – stopped for a red light!), there was almost nothing in the three plots to care about – and by the end, we were nearly as exasperated as Kinsey with the plodding progress of a case she was mostly working as a pastime. Even though we realize she’s now comparatively wealthy from an inheritance, we seriously doubt she would spend like $300 to scam up a room-delivery service just to find out what room a person of interest was occupying, not to mention what she spent on her own spur of the moment overnight jaunt in Beverly Hills.
I guess if you’re interested in gray water conservation, the hijinks of pushy neighbors, and a mysterious mail package that sat idle for a dozen years, then “X” is for you – but “X” was not for “X-cellent”!
I guess if you’re interested in gray water conservation, the hijinks of pushy neighbors, and a mysterious mail package that sat idle for a dozen years, then “X” is for you – but “X” was not for “X-cellent”!
December 31, 2017
I tried reading X over a year ago and thought it took forever to get going. I actually gave up at page 86 and honestly wasn't sure if I'd go back, but for some reason this holiday week I was inspired to go back and start over. Happily, it went much better this time, and I was enjoying the book immensely when I learned that Sue Grafton had died of cancer. I hadn't even known it she was ailing. I'd spent the first half of X looking at her picture on the back cover—where she appears to be in radiant good health—and wondering what she'd do when when she finally finished Z. Would she just enjoy her retirement, or write another type of book altogether? I spent the second half of the book acutely aware that there would be no Z.
I've been reading Sue Grafton for almost 30 years, and like any long-term relationship, it's had its ups and downs. I loved the first 15 or so books, but at a certain point I started to get irritated with the high level of detail they provided. Had they always been this tedious, I wondered? Or had I just outgrown them? When Sue Grafton started incorporating flashbacks and other points of view into the novels, seemingly looking for something new herself, I almost always enjoyed them, but found that I was always anxious to get back to Kinsey Millhone, the detective herself.
Thinking about all this after learning of Grafton's death, I suddenly remembered my first few years in Philadelphia. Because of a job transfer, I moved here only a month after my father's unexpected death, and while I held it all together okay, I was pretty lost for a while. I remembered that during that time, whenever I saw there was a new Sue Grafton book available, I would buy it and read it immediately. I needed the comfort they provided. I'd known Kinsey Millhone for so long, she was like a friend to me when I needed one. That was something Sue Grafton did. It was something she did for me.
Like I said, I wasn't entirely sure I'd go back to X, and I don't really know what prompted me to try it again this week. It's like nothing else I've read this year, but in its broad and deep encapsulation of the long-term relationship between an author and a reader, it's the perfect book to close out a year. Rest in peace, Sue Grafton.
I've been reading Sue Grafton for almost 30 years, and like any long-term relationship, it's had its ups and downs. I loved the first 15 or so books, but at a certain point I started to get irritated with the high level of detail they provided. Had they always been this tedious, I wondered? Or had I just outgrown them? When Sue Grafton started incorporating flashbacks and other points of view into the novels, seemingly looking for something new herself, I almost always enjoyed them, but found that I was always anxious to get back to Kinsey Millhone, the detective herself.
Thinking about all this after learning of Grafton's death, I suddenly remembered my first few years in Philadelphia. Because of a job transfer, I moved here only a month after my father's unexpected death, and while I held it all together okay, I was pretty lost for a while. I remembered that during that time, whenever I saw there was a new Sue Grafton book available, I would buy it and read it immediately. I needed the comfort they provided. I'd known Kinsey Millhone for so long, she was like a friend to me when I needed one. That was something Sue Grafton did. It was something she did for me.
Like I said, I wasn't entirely sure I'd go back to X, and I don't really know what prompted me to try it again this week. It's like nothing else I've read this year, but in its broad and deep encapsulation of the long-term relationship between an author and a reader, it's the perfect book to close out a year. Rest in peace, Sue Grafton.
December 30, 2017
X was my introduction to Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator, who attempts to uncover secrets in an age when things were, well, much more secret. There were no cell phones, few internet servers, and only the wealthy housed home computers.
Despite these handicaps, once hired by a distraught mother to find a son she gave up at birth, Kinsey does locate her man but soon discovers not only was the story false but the deceptive client paid her with two marked one-hundred dollar bills, previously put-in-play to pay an art thief’s ransom.
Throw in this revelation and Kinsey’s attempt to solve a dead colleague’s tangled case (which involves a homicide) despite unenthusiastic witnesses, and the 1989 California drought isn’t the only thing threatening to dry up viabilities.
Because the author thought it necessary to humanize the protagonist with the inclusion of unnecessary dialogue and scenes involving supporting, and often lackluster, characters, I found the storyline lagged and occasionally veered off-point altogether.
But while many of the author’s fans do not include X among their favorite Grafton novels, they remain passionate champions of her twenty-three previously released titles in the series (Y was released in 2017). Few authors achieve such a profound legacy. Rest in peace, Ms. Grafton. You will be truly missed.
Despite these handicaps, once hired by a distraught mother to find a son she gave up at birth, Kinsey does locate her man but soon discovers not only was the story false but the deceptive client paid her with two marked one-hundred dollar bills, previously put-in-play to pay an art thief’s ransom.
Throw in this revelation and Kinsey’s attempt to solve a dead colleague’s tangled case (which involves a homicide) despite unenthusiastic witnesses, and the 1989 California drought isn’t the only thing threatening to dry up viabilities.
Because the author thought it necessary to humanize the protagonist with the inclusion of unnecessary dialogue and scenes involving supporting, and often lackluster, characters, I found the storyline lagged and occasionally veered off-point altogether.
But while many of the author’s fans do not include X among their favorite Grafton novels, they remain passionate champions of her twenty-three previously released titles in the series (Y was released in 2017). Few authors achieve such a profound legacy. Rest in peace, Ms. Grafton. You will be truly missed.
September 26, 2021
The good items first, Henry Pitts is prominent in this book. She used a wider vocabulary, I had to look up a few words. The bad, the descriptions seem forced. Did someone add them on to make the book longer? There were typos, do other readers notice them?
Here Kinsey almost becomes a mediator instead of an investigator.
Another re-reading, it is not her best work.
Here Kinsey almost becomes a mediator instead of an investigator.
Another re-reading, it is not her best work.
October 7, 2015
Honestly, this is a confusing hot-mess of a book...I don't know what to say except I've loved Sue Grafton and her girl-detective Kinsey Millhone forever, this is Book No. 24 in the series, and we are limping into the finish line.
Chapters end abruptly, three different plots run amok, Kinsey herself is just going through the motions with the people in her life. This is the thing that bewilders me the most. The special aspect of Sue's writing is the extreme level of DETAILS in every scene that makes you feel as if you are really there and solving the mystery with Kinsey. The devil is in the details, and it's so satisfying intellectually to sort through the puzzle pieces with Kinsey. But in this 24th offering, the details are simply boring, predictable. It's apparent how bored Sue is with it all.
There's a feeling of sadness running through the book -- Kinsey will always be alone, Kinsey is becoming less effective at catching the bad guy, even helpless, Kinsey does the same things over and over again. End of story.
Chapters end abruptly, three different plots run amok, Kinsey herself is just going through the motions with the people in her life. This is the thing that bewilders me the most. The special aspect of Sue's writing is the extreme level of DETAILS in every scene that makes you feel as if you are really there and solving the mystery with Kinsey. The devil is in the details, and it's so satisfying intellectually to sort through the puzzle pieces with Kinsey. But in this 24th offering, the details are simply boring, predictable. It's apparent how bored Sue is with it all.
There's a feeling of sadness running through the book -- Kinsey will always be alone, Kinsey is becoming less effective at catching the bad guy, even helpless, Kinsey does the same things over and over again. End of story.
September 24, 2015
Quick review:
Cover: Fitting
Rating: PG-13
Thumbs Up: 3.5
Overall: Slightly disappointed.
Characters: Well Written
Plot: Kinsey wrapped up in several messes
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Henry
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
I think this is one of a few or only book in the serious that was meh for me. The writing was fine, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others. Much of the story was predictable and this is mystery. I hope for some surprise.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://www.mybookboyfriend.net/2015/0...
Audio Review
Judy Kaye does a wonderful job of narration and bringing the story to life.
Cover: Fitting
Rating: PG-13
Thumbs Up: 3.5
Overall: Slightly disappointed.
Characters: Well Written
Plot: Kinsey wrapped up in several messes
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Henry
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
I think this is one of a few or only book in the serious that was meh for me. The writing was fine, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others. Much of the story was predictable and this is mystery. I hope for some surprise.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://www.mybookboyfriend.net/2015/0...
Audio Review
Judy Kaye does a wonderful job of narration and bringing the story to life.
August 30, 2015
I have anticipated and loved every one of these books. This one seemed different. Kinsey seemed different. I always liked her because she was gutsy and didn't really need a man. In this book, I felt that there was a lot of fluff, too much description, too much reference to bodily waste, and too much attention to how men looked. None was necessary to the story. It started out great and captured my attention, but then lost it in too many stories happening at once and none were given the attention they truly deserved. Overall, disappointed. I hope the last two books get Kinsey back on track to being the smart and strong woman that she is.
October 1, 2016
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
----Joe Klaas
Sue Grafton, an American bestselling author, returns with her popular alphabetical mystery series of Kinsey Millhone and this time it's the 24th letter, X that welcomes the infamous and odd female detective, Kinsey and her sarcasm about herself when she uses a marked bill at a grocery store that was paid by one of her recent clients, thereby leading her to dig up dirt about that mysterious client's background, also her late and former colleague's wife is facing a tax issue on her dead husband's assets, so Kinsey needs to find out what her former colleague was working on and last but not the least, her landlord is facing trouble with new next door tenants, so that too needs to be addressed by Kinsey.
Synopsis:
X is the New York Times number 1 bestseller and thrilling, twenty-fourth book in the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series from Sue Grafton.
In hindsight, I marvel at how clueless I was . . . What I ask myself even now is whether I should have picked up the truth any faster than I did, which is to say not fast enough . . .
When a glamorous red head wishes to locate the son she put up for adoption thirty-two years ago, it seems like an easy two hundred bucks for P. I. Kinsey Millhone. But when a cop tells her she was paid with marked bills, and Kinsey's client is nowhere to be found, it becomes apparent this mystery woman has something to hide. Riled, Kinsey won't stop until she's found out who fooled her and why.
Meanwhile, the widow of the recently murdered P. I. - and Kinsey's old friend - Pete Wolinsky, needs help with her IRS audit. This seemingly innocuous task takes a treacherous turn when Kinsey finds a coded list amongst her friend's files. It soon leads her to an unhinged man with a catalogue of ruined lives left in his wake. And despite the devastation, there isn't a single conviction to his name. It seems this sociopath knows exactly how to cause chaos without leaving a trace.
As Kinsey delves deeper into the investigation she quickly becomes the next target of this tormentor. But can Kinsey prove her case against him before she becomes the next victim?
In this book, our favorite female private detective, Kinsey, gets wrapped up in so many parallel cases at a time. Firstly, she is hired by a rich mid aged lady to find out the whereabouts about an illegitimate son she had ages ago and paid her by cash, but unfortunately the cash that the lady paid Kinsey with are marked as those notes were once used to ransom a lost and invaluable painting, and Kinsey needs to find out who that mysterious client was. Secondly, the widow of her former and late colleague is facing some tax issues regarding the case involving a ruthless and shrewd man and his escapades with many young women over the years and it is clear that someone wants some documents and proof that Kinsey's former colleague kept it to expose that person, unfortunately that person is a clever man who would do anything to stop anybody from being expose and Kinsey must be careful before digging up old dirt. Lastly, Kinsey's landlord, Henry is facing domestic issues with the new next door tenants, and Kinsey must rescue him, before things get messy and out of control for her too.
Well sadly this is my first time that I read any book by such an excellent author, and after reading this book, I'm currently in process of purchasing the previous 23 books from this series. The plot is so well driven with layers of twists and turns that kept me anticipating for the next one, although, the author knows how to concoct a plot with unpredictable turns that will blow the minds of the readers. The only disappoint that I had while reading this book is that there is almost no character development, especially of the main character, whose brief sketch is a complete turn down for such a gripping story line. Nevertheless, the plot simply excelled and overcame all the negative aspects of the story.
The author's writing style is really brilliant and is laced with enough drama to keep the readers on their edges right after the end of each chapter. The narrative is not that engaging enough to arrest the minds of the readers. The pacing of the book is slow but it won't bother the readers too much, as there are so many unraveling mysteries to look forward to. In the beginning, the story opens in a bit dull way, but with the progress of the story, the plot intensifies urging readers to stay glued to the story line.
The mystery concocted by the author is really strikingly as the author steadily unwraps the layers in each puzzle one-by-one thereby increasing suspense and anticipation from the readers. There is not much action though in the plot, yet the each piece of puzzle of such a grand mystery will keep the readers' minds arrested into the story line.
The characters from the book are, sadly, very, very boring and lacks depth hence their development sucked a lot. The main character, Kinsey, is very hard to describe except her humor about herself and her boring and single life style. The supporting cast too fail to interest or excite the plot with their demeanor.
In a nutshell, the story is highly interesting and if you can overlook the characters, then this is a must read book for all the crime fiction fans.
Verdict: Captivating and gripping thriller although the characters lacked growth.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publisher from Pan Macmillan India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Joe Klaas
Sue Grafton, an American bestselling author, returns with her popular alphabetical mystery series of Kinsey Millhone and this time it's the 24th letter, X that welcomes the infamous and odd female detective, Kinsey and her sarcasm about herself when she uses a marked bill at a grocery store that was paid by one of her recent clients, thereby leading her to dig up dirt about that mysterious client's background, also her late and former colleague's wife is facing a tax issue on her dead husband's assets, so Kinsey needs to find out what her former colleague was working on and last but not the least, her landlord is facing trouble with new next door tenants, so that too needs to be addressed by Kinsey.
Synopsis:
X is the New York Times number 1 bestseller and thrilling, twenty-fourth book in the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series from Sue Grafton.
In hindsight, I marvel at how clueless I was . . . What I ask myself even now is whether I should have picked up the truth any faster than I did, which is to say not fast enough . . .
When a glamorous red head wishes to locate the son she put up for adoption thirty-two years ago, it seems like an easy two hundred bucks for P. I. Kinsey Millhone. But when a cop tells her she was paid with marked bills, and Kinsey's client is nowhere to be found, it becomes apparent this mystery woman has something to hide. Riled, Kinsey won't stop until she's found out who fooled her and why.
Meanwhile, the widow of the recently murdered P. I. - and Kinsey's old friend - Pete Wolinsky, needs help with her IRS audit. This seemingly innocuous task takes a treacherous turn when Kinsey finds a coded list amongst her friend's files. It soon leads her to an unhinged man with a catalogue of ruined lives left in his wake. And despite the devastation, there isn't a single conviction to his name. It seems this sociopath knows exactly how to cause chaos without leaving a trace.
As Kinsey delves deeper into the investigation she quickly becomes the next target of this tormentor. But can Kinsey prove her case against him before she becomes the next victim?
In this book, our favorite female private detective, Kinsey, gets wrapped up in so many parallel cases at a time. Firstly, she is hired by a rich mid aged lady to find out the whereabouts about an illegitimate son she had ages ago and paid her by cash, but unfortunately the cash that the lady paid Kinsey with are marked as those notes were once used to ransom a lost and invaluable painting, and Kinsey needs to find out who that mysterious client was. Secondly, the widow of her former and late colleague is facing some tax issues regarding the case involving a ruthless and shrewd man and his escapades with many young women over the years and it is clear that someone wants some documents and proof that Kinsey's former colleague kept it to expose that person, unfortunately that person is a clever man who would do anything to stop anybody from being expose and Kinsey must be careful before digging up old dirt. Lastly, Kinsey's landlord, Henry is facing domestic issues with the new next door tenants, and Kinsey must rescue him, before things get messy and out of control for her too.
Well sadly this is my first time that I read any book by such an excellent author, and after reading this book, I'm currently in process of purchasing the previous 23 books from this series. The plot is so well driven with layers of twists and turns that kept me anticipating for the next one, although, the author knows how to concoct a plot with unpredictable turns that will blow the minds of the readers. The only disappoint that I had while reading this book is that there is almost no character development, especially of the main character, whose brief sketch is a complete turn down for such a gripping story line. Nevertheless, the plot simply excelled and overcame all the negative aspects of the story.
The author's writing style is really brilliant and is laced with enough drama to keep the readers on their edges right after the end of each chapter. The narrative is not that engaging enough to arrest the minds of the readers. The pacing of the book is slow but it won't bother the readers too much, as there are so many unraveling mysteries to look forward to. In the beginning, the story opens in a bit dull way, but with the progress of the story, the plot intensifies urging readers to stay glued to the story line.
The mystery concocted by the author is really strikingly as the author steadily unwraps the layers in each puzzle one-by-one thereby increasing suspense and anticipation from the readers. There is not much action though in the plot, yet the each piece of puzzle of such a grand mystery will keep the readers' minds arrested into the story line.
The characters from the book are, sadly, very, very boring and lacks depth hence their development sucked a lot. The main character, Kinsey, is very hard to describe except her humor about herself and her boring and single life style. The supporting cast too fail to interest or excite the plot with their demeanor.
In a nutshell, the story is highly interesting and if you can overlook the characters, then this is a must read book for all the crime fiction fans.
Verdict: Captivating and gripping thriller although the characters lacked growth.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publisher from Pan Macmillan India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
November 26, 2018
It's been a while since I visited Kinsey Millhone, so it was fun to be back in her familiar world but I also felt sad that she is still stuck in the 80s in this second last book of the series. Kinsey is still unattached, still living in the apartment over Henry's garage, still renting her office downtown and hanging out at Rosie's. And still reliant on newspapers and phone books for finding information - and no mobile phones either. But despite this it was good to be back in familiar territory with Kinsey following up an investigation started by a colleague who died recently and also trying to track down a woman who scammed her. There's also the scheming elderly woman who's moved in next door with her wheelchair bound husband who seems to have Henry wrapped around her little finger. There's something not quite right about them but Kinsey can't figure out why she doesn't trust them. So a lot going on in this book but Kinsey is nothing if not determined, so all is neatly resolved in Sue Grafton's inimitable way before the end of the book. 3.5★
November 13, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book and give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Kinsey Millhone is scammed into locating a man under false pretenses and sets out to find out why. She is also on the trail of a man who may have murdered his wife and dealing with some very unpleasant neighbors.
November 16, 2015
After reading Sue Grafton’s W is for Wasted, I couldn’t wait to see what she would come up with for the 24th book in her Kinsey Millhone detective series. What would "X" be? Two years later, I found out. X, it turns out, is for – well, X. Was Ms. Grafton having a bit of fun with us, or was she simply stumped? Maybe a bit of both. I counted at least a dozen words, names, and other references containing the letter x in this book, including Teddy Xanakis, who is one of the central characters, and her estranged husband Ari’s company XLNT (“Excellent”). Then there was Father Xavier, Bank X…so yes, I think Ms. Grafton was trying to be witty and clever.
However, the biggest X of this story is the X that Kinsey marks on the banker’s box containing files that her late colleague Pete Wolinsky had stashed in a spare room. Kinsey agrees to sort through it as a favor to his widow, her friend Ruthie. Talk about opening Pandora’s box! What she finds leads her on much the same trail that Pete most likely followed before he was killed in a robbery attempt a year earlier. Will Kinsey be more successful than Pete was?
X has three story lines: Kinsey is hired by a woman who tells her that she wants her illegitimate son, who has recently been released from prison. Then there is the mysterious packet that she finds hidden among the files in Pete’s box. Finally, there is the elderly couple who have moved in next door. What do these sagas have in common, other than the fact that they involve Kinsey traipsing about from one interview to the next, burning miles and phone calls? This is 1989, so she does not have a cell phone, Google, or reverse phone lookup, things that I found both rather amusing and frustrating. In each “adventure” – I can’t call them “cases” because she only got paid for one of these quests – someone is not who he or she claims to be. Someone is being scammed. Used. Abused.
I confess that I did not read the blurb. Had I read it, I would have felt fooled too. X is called Grafton’s “darkest and most chilling novel.” Frankly, I did not get that sense at all. While it is true that there is no secret as to the perpetrators in any of these crimes, I was curious about why these things were happening. As it turns out, one of these folks is truly dangerous, but that revelation comes very late in the novel.
Is this the best ever Kinsey Millhone novel? No, I don’t think so, but after reading 23 of them, she’s as comfortable as a well-worn pair of jeans. I love Henry, her landlord. He’s still sharp as a tack and very spry in his late 80s. So are his older brother William and his bride Rosie. There are other old friends as well. Ed, the cat, adds some smiles. Yes, there is a lot of daily life stuff in this book. There are the three-mile runs five days a week that have been going on for years, the water shortage (sound familiar, Californians?), and a lot of other humdrum stuff. Skim over it if you want to. To me, it’s all part of the Kinsey experience. Or shall I say, “X-perience?”
3-1/2 stars
However, the biggest X of this story is the X that Kinsey marks on the banker’s box containing files that her late colleague Pete Wolinsky had stashed in a spare room. Kinsey agrees to sort through it as a favor to his widow, her friend Ruthie. Talk about opening Pandora’s box! What she finds leads her on much the same trail that Pete most likely followed before he was killed in a robbery attempt a year earlier. Will Kinsey be more successful than Pete was?
X has three story lines: Kinsey is hired by a woman who tells her that she wants her illegitimate son, who has recently been released from prison. Then there is the mysterious packet that she finds hidden among the files in Pete’s box. Finally, there is the elderly couple who have moved in next door. What do these sagas have in common, other than the fact that they involve Kinsey traipsing about from one interview to the next, burning miles and phone calls? This is 1989, so she does not have a cell phone, Google, or reverse phone lookup, things that I found both rather amusing and frustrating. In each “adventure” – I can’t call them “cases” because she only got paid for one of these quests – someone is not who he or she claims to be. Someone is being scammed. Used. Abused.
I confess that I did not read the blurb. Had I read it, I would have felt fooled too. X is called Grafton’s “darkest and most chilling novel.” Frankly, I did not get that sense at all. While it is true that there is no secret as to the perpetrators in any of these crimes, I was curious about why these things were happening. As it turns out, one of these folks is truly dangerous, but that revelation comes very late in the novel.
Is this the best ever Kinsey Millhone novel? No, I don’t think so, but after reading 23 of them, she’s as comfortable as a well-worn pair of jeans. I love Henry, her landlord. He’s still sharp as a tack and very spry in his late 80s. So are his older brother William and his bride Rosie. There are other old friends as well. Ed, the cat, adds some smiles. Yes, there is a lot of daily life stuff in this book. There are the three-mile runs five days a week that have been going on for years, the water shortage (sound familiar, Californians?), and a lot of other humdrum stuff. Skim over it if you want to. To me, it’s all part of the Kinsey experience. Or shall I say, “X-perience?”
3-1/2 stars
September 12, 2015
Remember in the last couple of sookie stackhouse books, sookie has chapters and chapters where she sits on the porch, brushes her hair, makes sweet tea (and tells us every step), then puts on her underwear, then her pants, one leg at a time, then her bra, then her shirt, then her left sneaker, then her right sneaker, then brushes on some bronzer, then a little mascara, then some quick lip gloss, then puts her blonde hair into a smooth high pony tail, then talks about her boobs, then walks to her car, puts the keys in, takes a sip of water from her water bottle that Eric gave her that one time after he lost his memory, then puts the car in gear, then checks the rear view mirror even though she's at home on her own, expensive, gravel driveway, and there's no one there, and then drives to work at Merlotts? And that somehow got you from page 1 to page 358? Out of 376 pages? And then the last 18 pages were pretty action packed but by then you had lost track of who everyone was and you kind of didn't give a shit?
THIS BOOK WAS THE EXACT SAME FUCKING THING. Rosie's, Henry, his long lived siblings, her 3 mile jogs, Hungarian food, her tiny house, her lack of fashion sense, blah blah blah paycheck.
THIS BOOK WAS THE EXACT SAME FUCKING THING. Rosie's, Henry, his long lived siblings, her 3 mile jogs, Hungarian food, her tiny house, her lack of fashion sense, blah blah blah paycheck.
April 25, 2023
This book has three stories intertwined to keep PI Kinsey Millhone busy. In the first, Kinsey and her landlord, Henry, get a new neighbor, who seems adept at manipulating Henry and, by extension, Kinsey. Meanwhile, Kinsey makes an interesting discovery while digging through the papers of a late PI for the man’s widow who is facing an IRS audit. Finally, Kinsey is asked to track down a recent parolee by the man’s birth mother.
I’m glad I didn’t read the official plot description before I read this book since it has major spoilers. Instead, I let these stories unfold and interweave as they would, and I got caught up in the book. I do think the stakes were a little low, but I still enjoyed spending time with Kinsey and the rest, including some appearances by recurring characters. One of the stories has a rushed ending, but the other two stories reach satisfactory conclusions for me. Yes, this could have been a little stronger, but I really enjoyed spending time with Kinsey in this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I’m glad I didn’t read the official plot description before I read this book since it has major spoilers. Instead, I let these stories unfold and interweave as they would, and I got caught up in the book. I do think the stakes were a little low, but I still enjoyed spending time with Kinsey and the rest, including some appearances by recurring characters. One of the stories has a rushed ending, but the other two stories reach satisfactory conclusions for me. Yes, this could have been a little stronger, but I really enjoyed spending time with Kinsey in this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 5, 2015
Sue Grafton, in her newest novel "X", combines both her linguistic intelligence and her logical-mathematical intelligence.
Grafton weaves both the processing of verbal skills and the ways in which sounds, meanings and rhythms of words communicate information in combination with her ability to think analytically in order to discern patterns, and to create hypotheses to get us into the mind of her main character, Kinsey Millhone, private detective.
"X' is like a fine old pocket watch. The author places disparate characters, odd situations and mysterious coding together to create the latest adventure involving Kinsey. Somehow, all these parts interact and work together to produce a timepiece that ticks away the moments, with "X" in the middle.
Grafton weaves both the processing of verbal skills and the ways in which sounds, meanings and rhythms of words communicate information in combination with her ability to think analytically in order to discern patterns, and to create hypotheses to get us into the mind of her main character, Kinsey Millhone, private detective.
"X' is like a fine old pocket watch. The author places disparate characters, odd situations and mysterious coding together to create the latest adventure involving Kinsey. Somehow, all these parts interact and work together to produce a timepiece that ticks away the moments, with "X" in the middle.
October 2, 2015
The first Kinsey Milhone book I read was D is for Deadbeat back in 1987. I quickly went back and read the first three and have been reading them for almost 30 years now. I am despondent that there are only 2 let to go, "Y" and "Z" although Sue Grafton is probably relieved. I liked this one very much.
One of the things Grafton has done right, in my humble opinion, is to keep the series in the 1980's. It's only a couple of months between cases and I love that. I can't tell you how lovely it is to read a story without people on cell phones and computers being relatively new with many people keeping hand records. It's just so relaxing to read that time period. I also love the neighbor/landlord in his 90's, Henry, still active and churning out cinnamon rolls. California is in a bad drought, sound familiar? Henry is out to solve the problem.
In this one, Kinsey gets scammed and she just can't let it go. As she investigates why she was scammed, she stumbles into a case of missing art, dead girls and a psychotic killer. With scamming being the theme of the book, she gets some new neighbors who take your breath away with their audacity.
It's a great read with a very old friend. 30 years later and I am still entranced in Kinsey's adventures. It's good to catch up with her.
Other reviewers have mentioned the number of typos and errors in the book. They are absolutely right. I am not sure a copy editor worked on this and if they did, they should be fired. This is a major book on the best seller list and there is no excuse for it. The publishing house should be ashamed of themselves for doing Grafton such an injustice. I hope people keep talking about it and it puts pressure on publishers do a better job. This is not a cheap book and as a consumer I deserved better.
I think this is a first rate series and highly recommend it.
August 2, 2015
3.5 Stas. PI Kinsey Milhone and I have been buds for many years now. I'm going to hate to see the end of this series, if it indeed ends at Z. If you are looking for nonstop action and suspense, this series is not for you. The series is a look into the daily ins and outs of a female PI in the mid 1970's - late 1980's (Pre PC and cell phones), and her varied and intriguing cases.
Not to say the storyline and separate cases weren't interesting, they were. Some made me laugh, some made me mad, and one case was a particularly heinous crime. If it hadn't been for Grafton's habit of over-describing scenes (particularly during the middle portion of the book) this would have been a 5 star read for me. I'm hoping there will be another round of edits before release. The fun and suspense of the last hundred pages made up for that lack, however. Good series, and I'm looking forward to see how Kinsey winds up in the end.
That new auto-approval badge at NG is going to get me into soooo much trouble...Candy...I see, I want!! Lol
Not to say the storyline and separate cases weren't interesting, they were. Some made me laugh, some made me mad, and one case was a particularly heinous crime. If it hadn't been for Grafton's habit of over-describing scenes (particularly during the middle portion of the book) this would have been a 5 star read for me. I'm hoping there will be another round of edits before release. The fun and suspense of the last hundred pages made up for that lack, however. Good series, and I'm looking forward to see how Kinsey winds up in the end.
That new auto-approval badge at NG is going to get me into soooo much trouble...Candy...I see, I want!! Lol
September 2, 2015
Very puzzled by this book. Poor writing, not interesting. Awkward sentence structure.
October 6, 2015
So very disappointing. I said that about "W", but I really felt things would improve as we wind down the series. I was wrong. Who is this person? She is supposed to be this really bright, gutsy private eye, but a lot had to be spelled out to her in this book. The conversation with Vera regarding Hallie Bettancourt was agonizing. Several conversations with Ruth were mind-numbing, and ridiculous. Who badmouths a widow's deceased husband to her face and expects her to accept it? Let's not even get into the water conservation conversations with Henry. Then, she finds out this big secret about folks she really admired and there is little reaction on her part. Why isn't she upset? She is made to understand she misjudged another person close to her, but even by the books end she seems to begrudge learning the truth.
We also have another book where she doesn't have a paying client, but plenty of going into the office to turn on the coffee maker, open mail, pay a few bills etc. She also blew a bunch of her own money on a investigation that made little sense at all.
The Teddy and Ari storyline was far fetched and a little ridiculous. Also, did I miss something? who did Teddy rip off and then get a ransom from?
And really - is Grafton spreading Ned Lowe story over the final two books? It doesn't make sense that he spared her. None, zero, zilch. Now that I think of it, she adopts an ah well, serial killer got away attitude at the end of the book, after having spent 400 pages on a trivial, non-paying, goose chase to bring two spoiled rotten rich fuckers back together again. It boggles my mind.
Rant over.
We also have another book where she doesn't have a paying client, but plenty of going into the office to turn on the coffee maker, open mail, pay a few bills etc. She also blew a bunch of her own money on a investigation that made little sense at all.
The Teddy and Ari storyline was far fetched and a little ridiculous. Also, did I miss something? who did Teddy rip off and then get a ransom from?
And really - is Grafton spreading Ned Lowe story over the final two books? It doesn't make sense that he spared her. None, zero, zilch. Now that I think of it, she adopts an ah well, serial killer got away attitude at the end of the book, after having spent 400 pages on a trivial, non-paying, goose chase to bring two spoiled rotten rich fuckers back together again. It boggles my mind.
Rant over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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