G is for Gumshoe

Kinsey Millhone #7

by Sue Grafton

Good and bad things seem to come in threes for Kinsey Millhone. On her thirty-third birthday she moves back into her renovated apartment, it's really perfect for her, gets hired to find an elderly lady supposedly living in the Mojave Desert by herself, and makes the top of ex-con Tyrone Patty's hit list.

It's this last matter that convinces Kinsey that even she can't handle whoever's been hired to whack her, and she gets herself a bodyguard: Robert Dietz, a Porsche-driving P.I. He takes guarding Kinsey's body very seriously. With Dietz watching her for the merest sign of her usual recklessness, Kinsey plunges into her case. And before it's over, she unearths the gruesome truth about a long-buried betrayal and, in the process, comes face-to-face with her own mortality. . .

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Detective, Thriller

261 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 1990

About the author

Sue 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.

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a series that's a breeze to dive into, look no further! Each book in this collection is so easy to pick up and read that you'll find yourself eagerly reaching for the next one. Every time I finish a book, I can't help but think it's like a more serious version of a Stephanie Plum adventure.

Meet Kinsey, our fearless protagonist. She's always ready to tackle her next case, doing everything she can to help her clients. But somehow, she always ends up with a target on her back. Talk about a thrilling life!

These books are packed with entertainment, making them perfect for anyone who loves a good, suspenseful read.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review
3.5 of 5 stars for G is for Gumshoe, the 7th installment in the "Kinsey Millhone" mystery series, written in 1990 by Sue Grafton. Another good book in the series, this one offers an opportunity for Kinsey to partner with someone else -- this time to save her own life. Kinsey's just turned 33 and has a few big things going on in her life, one of which is a criminal king pin after her for some recent actions. When Kinsey realizes her life is in danger, she hires a bodyguard, but he is way more intense than she'd hoped for; however, it's a good thing he's there, as Kinsey finds herself coming close to death a few times more than usual in this book. At the core, a long-buried, and thought to be dead, secret pops back up... and several people seem willing to kill to keep it from truly coming out again. Kinsey has no clue what's going on, but is as determined as ever. Good writing. Great characters. A little formulaic at times, but I tend to like that side of it, too. The voice changes a bit in this book, but not enough to warrant any concern. I still love the supporting characters, and this one introduces a few good personalities that I hope come around every so often. For fans of the series, it's a good one -- somewhere in the middle of the range for highs and lows. Best part is how strong Kinsey is, but at the same time, shows humanity and emotion. She's the kind of detective I'd want working on my case, if I ever needed to prove my innocence. Trusts but verifies. Knows when to back off, but still finds a way to push her agenda in the background, which always ends up being a good thing -- except when she gets caught in the crossfire.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.

[Jilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes when I review a book, I don't feel like I have a lot to say, so I consider just writing a simple sentence or not even reviewing at all, but just giving a rating. Sometimes, there just isn't much to be said.


Janet obviously struggled here, but what else is there to be said in this case?

But, for this one, I have soooooo much material that I need to just pick out a couple of things to bitch about review or it's going to be as much of a hot mess as this book is. So, I'll try. It may get messy, but not as messy as things could have gotten if Janet had gone into more detail. So, there's that at least.

As you all know, I dislike Kinsey. She has been having an affair with a married man for a while now. She also has the audacity to feel sorry for herself as the other woman because he's not as invested in the relationship as she would like.

"I found it disquieting that I never knew where I stood....
I felt like a peripheral character in a play...
Clearly I hadn't the slightest idea what I was getting into...
It's hard to complain when I knew his marital status from the outset..."

Really, dumbass? You had NO idea that you weren't getting a real boyfriend when you decided to start having sex with a married man? What exactly did you think would happen? It doesn't even matter what the answer is, you were wrong... in every way.


You can hang all the inspirational quotes you want, but it doesn't mean they're true.

So, Kinsey isn't a happy hoe. And, now she finds out that there is a contract out on her life. Someone who's not even her bf's wife wants to kill her, and to make matters even worse, they are doing it for a discount price. So, she's a cheap hoe too. I would almost feel sorry for her, except that I don't. At all.

She hires a bodyguard who turns out to be an awesome guy, but she isn't interested in him until her friend becomes interested. As a matter of fact, once her friend dates the guy, Kinsey suddenly decides she wants him. Seriously, bitch?


All the weenies are mine!

Bad friend, hoe, too...

In the meantime, Kinsey has a case that involves finding an elderly woman. It ends up becoming a very twisty situation. Too twisty. Like, stupidly, unbelievable, OTT shit. When you added that to the attempts on her life, things just got too unbelievable. I mean, I'm okay with everything not being too realistic because, let's face it, nobody wants to read a book of boring mundane reality, but this one tried too hard. There were car chases, multiple shootings, murder attempts, OTT villains, and injuries to Kinsey that should have killed her - if not at least kept her down for a few days. Plus, she keeps doing idiotic things like running straight into danger every time her bodyguard turns his back for a minute. The main villain has super-hero like abilities and the missing-woman case has coincidences that are almost magical. I just ended up eye-rolling the whole time.


During this book.
I consider this my workout.
So, you could say I'm pretty dedicated to physical fitness.

Overall, the only good thing about this book was the bodyguard. He's smart, intense, and has a crow as a pet, which makes him even more awesome because crows are the best birds ever. I'm hoping he shows up again, but that is just for my sake. For his own sake, I hope he stays far away from the idiot that is Kinsey and meets a nice girl instead.

A little gem on Kinsey's intelligence level:

"...on about May 5, which is not only Cinco de Mayo in California, but....."

Hey, Einstein, Cinco de Mayo means May 5th in Spanish. It's not a California thing, it's a day of the year thing. As a matter of fact, there are so many reasons this is stupid that I could make a list. But, that list would be wasted upon you, wouldn't it?

Dumb hoe...

Okay, purge complete. On to the next book!

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great, entertaining and easy read in this extensive series! I really like that I have so many left to read.

In G is for Gumshoe Kinsey has to take on a body guard to protect her from a death threat and this has its up and its down side for her! We also follow up on a missing elderly lady, several possibly dead people and a potential house of horrors. The usual kind of stuff for our intrepid P.I.

I really enjoy these books. They are light, a reasonable length, fast paced and with a good story. I think there are about fifteen more. Fantastic:)

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first time in this series, I voiced the word 'epic' in my mind when I finished reading this book.

My memories however, are starting to fade. I don't know how much of that is because of my mind, and how much is due to the book itself.

But it was engrossing to read about the trail that Kinsey Millhone has to undertake and the adventurous dangers she faces.

Though it's a five star read, I awarded this score knowing that it doesn't break into my top 20 books. But it made for an interesting read, being icky sometimes, but that was all part of the perusal. I have no complaints.

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of my goals for this year, I am reading all of the Sue Grafton alphabet series novels. The seventh book in the series is G is for Gumshoe. In this novel, Kinsey Millhone is turning 33. She is hired to check up on a senior citizen who the daughter has been unable to contact. Kinsey must go to the Mojave to see what has happened to this elderly lady who lives in the desert alone. This is a great distraction for Kinsey, seeing as how she was informed that a contract has been put out on her and that she should probably hire a bodyguard as well. She does not believe she needs one until her car gets run off the road, while in the Mojave. She immediately hires another detective named Dietz to watch her back. The intense Dietz develops an intimate relationship with Kinsey while she investigates the whereabouts of the senior, and an assassin seems to be enjoying the cat and mouse aspects of the moving target (Kinsey) pursued by a ruthless killer-for-hire. In this one, Kinsey is targeted in ways that differ from the usual, while she continues to try to tie the disparate threads of a murder investigation together.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hardcover is signed by Sue Grafton.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton is a 1997, (originally published in 1990), Ballantine Books publication.

In January of this year, (2016), I vowed to get caught all the way up on this series by the end of the year. Naturally, I got side tracked, but I’m still determined to achieve my goal. So, here are my thoughts on the seventh installment of this popular and long-running series.

Kinsey is hired by a frail, sickly women to check on her mother because she has not heard from her in a while. Sounds like a simple enough task, and it is, at first. The old woman is found, placed in a facility, but up and disappears yet again, only this time she’s not so lucky.

In the meantime, Kinsey is informed she could be the target of an assassin she helped put away, requiring her to have a bodyguard, one she becomes quite close to before all is said and done.

This chapter in the series seemed super short for some reason. I read it in under an hour, but not because it was impossible to put down. There was a lot of action, some romance, but the case is a little murky and I had to read the last few chapters twice in order to make sure I had understood it right.

The assassin on Kinsey’s trail proved to be the more exciting part of the book and the irony of it made this story as hardboiled as any 1940’s detective story. This side story is the reason it upped my star rating, otherwise this one would have fallen rather flat.

Overall this one gets a 3.5 rounded to 4

Onward to H is Homicide

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Irene Gersh asked PI Kinsey Millhone to go to the desert where her mother Agnes used to live, Kinsey thought it was a fairly easy job. Irene hadn't seen or heard from her mother in six months and was getting concerned. Finding Agnes wasn't too difficult - she was in a hospital after being found collapsed outside a shop. Now that she'd been found, Irene organised Agnes to be flown to Santa Teresa, to a nursing home there. Her mother was now in her eighties and could no longer care for herself. But this was where problems set in - Agnes was frightened, terrified in fact. And while Kinsey was driving home, she was attacked various times. Her vehicle being run off the road was the most serious, and while she was recovering in hospital, she phoned a contact. PI Robert Dietz was now her bodyguard, and what he told her sent shivers of terror down her spine. There was a hit man out to get her...

G is for Gumshoe is the 7th in the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton and I enjoyed it, except for the multitude of editing errors in my copy. No idea at all how it would slip through as it was atrocious! But the plot was good with Kinsey fighting her way to the top again. Recommended.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Very exciting one as Kinsey has a price on her head. This is a story with new beginnings of more than one kind.

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. "G is for Gumshoe" is one of the many Sue Grafton' Kinsey Millhone novels that received accolades. It was a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America Anthony Award for best novel, and the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award for the same. Me? I found it dragged. It's properly named; gumshoe work by a private investigator is the drudge work he or she has to do to eventually resolve a matter. Tedious and seemingly going nowhere. Didn't make for a thrill-a-minute read. But give Kinsey her due. She has two attributes which are often ignored even by herself. Her instincts, and her persistence. It pays off and the prize, or at least the outcome because the revelation is a horror, is worth it. Irene Gersh wants Kinsey to locate her elderly mother Agnes. Eventually she is located out in the California desert in a convalescent home with what appears to be dementia. At the same time an old nemesis, Tyrone Patty, reappears after a stint in jail. His idea is to shut Kinsey up permanently. That's when another PI appears, Robert Dietz. Kinsey hires him in an effort to stay alive, and falls for him! Overall? A nice little jaunt. (February 2022)

[Petula Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

G is for Giant Decrease in I.Q.
Kinsey, what happened? I used to be able to count on you for being one of the few sleuths who didn't make me pull my hair out in exasperation. Reading this book, however, practically gave me a bald spot as you careened from one blatantly bad decision to the next.
I still care about you and plan to read future installments, but I think we need to take a break for a while. It's not me - it's you.

[Deborah Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

And now, here is a quick review
Before this book gets overdue.

(I'm a poet and I DO know it, thank you very much.)

Five fun things this particular Kinsey Millhone mystery has to offer:

1. A fun, funny, believable strong female main character who refuses to buy into conventional ideas of femininity.

If I were asked to rate my looks on a scale of one to ten, I wouldn't.

2. Reasonably obscure Brontë references -- perfect for that Victorian-lit nerd in your life! (Can't say more or I'll give away major plot points.)

3. Still more refusing to give into stereotypes about women.

Why does everybody assume women are so nurturing? My maternal instincts were extinguished by my Betsy Wetsy doll. Every time she peed in her little flannel didies, I could feel my temper climb. I quit feeding her and that cured it, but it did make me wonder, even at the age of six, how suited I was for motherhood.

4. Lots of deadpan humor.

"He's a cut-rate killer. Fifteen hundred bucks."

Dietz amplified. "For that kind of money, he's not going to hang around for long. If he's quick about it, it may be worth it to him. Otherwise forget it. It's not cost-effective."

"Yeah," I said. "We don't want him to get chewed out by his accountant."

(The killer's after her, by the way.)

5. Lots of junk food, for those of us who've reached an age where we need to enjoy that kind of thing vicariously.

Also, I never know whodunnit in Grafton's mysteries until she tells me in so many words; but that may be less a compliment to her writing skills and more a sad reflection on my readerly ones.

Off to the library now.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

G IS FOR GUMSHOE is the seventh book in the Kinsey Millhone series and it’s possibly my favorite one yet. I’ve enjoyed all the books so far in this series but there’s something about this book that just gripped me from the very first page.

First of all, Kinsey continues to elate me. I love that she isn’t too fussed about a lot of things. She’s a straight-laced girl who doesn’t moan over dumb things. Her practicality makes her very endearing to me and it makes for great pacing in the book because the narrative is never bogged down by any external distractions. It’s all about the case, but Grafton still makes it fun.

The case in this one is unique because it involves a missing person. Kinsey is asked to hunt down an elderly woman whom her daughter hasn’t heard from in a while. What she finds is a complex and loony woman who could either be deranged or just suffering from old age. Kinsey isn’t quite sure but things start to get even more deadly for her when she learns that someone put a hit on her. This is the part of the book that kills me. Not only was I terrified for Kinsey, but there’s a character named Dietz that I really liked in this book. There’s tension there and I was thrilled to see this play out in the story. I know Kinsey isn’t a woman who needs a man to survive, but she is still a woman. I like that Grafton gives readers enough to tantalize and tease but not give us the whole bone. It keeps things interesting.

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one. Kinsey is excited. She moves back into her newly renovated apartment that sounds fabulous. She just celebrated her birthday with friends. She's realizing Jonah is not what she wants. And she is then told she and several others are on a hit list. Kinsey trying to investigate a missing woman realizes she can't investigate and watch her back at the same time. She hires Robert Dietz, a private investigator she hired on an earlier case in A is for Alibi.

This was great. Besides running for her life. Kinsey is dealing with her friend Verna trying to set her up with a doctor, telling herself she's not really into Dietz, and coming to terms with her own mortality.

The hitman was something out of a cartoon it felt like sometimes too. We have to get into that man's backstory and his family dynamics. No spoilers, but it was odd.

The writing was really good as was the flow. I was not expecting the ending we get and it took me by surprise. Kinsey and Dietz end up living together for a couple of months after the end of this case before he leaves to go work in Germany.

I think this book was a turning point in Kinsey's development. She finally goes and falls in love again after her wariness about getting too heavily involved with anyone.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still my favorite book in the series. This one has nonstop action and multiple cases being solved that keep evolving with the story. A must read!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Una Tiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

G is for gumshoe contains one of the better plots that starts with a missing woman and a threat on Kinsey. There are some not believable moments.
I went back to this book to find the word cenotaph. It is a monument or grave marker for someone who is buried elsewhere. It is also a good red herring for a mystery.
Several things stood out in this book written in 1990 that are about the stereotypes in place in the 1980s. One, babies should be born to married people. Two, women should be shorter and younger than men.
The third issue is how Grafton treats large people. I don't know if this is her position or the characters. She doesn't like them and it shows in many of her books. The larger people 'lumber' and if they are agile, pretty or graceful, it is a surprise.

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this installment in the Kinsey Millhone series, and thought the story was pretty well written. For some reason I didn't like it as much as the first book, but I still think Kinsey is a pretty well heeled detective and puts a good name for women detectives.

[Alyson Larrabee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinsey Milhone’s voice is a ton of fun to read. Haven’t read one of these in ages. Glad I did.

[Claire Grasse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minus a star because I could really do without the peep into Kinsey's sexual adventures. I think the books stand on their own without this facet, and I love to recommend them to friends, but I don't like to recommend books where the characters are cavorting between the sheets. Call me a prude, but I'd rather just read a good, old-fashioned mystery story. Isn't there enough gratuitous sex on TV? Romping aside, Grafton has once again given us a great whodunnit, with her usual crack-me-up, dry witticisms and the quirky, believable characters I've come to expect.

[Julia Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in the 90s, but chose to re-read it because it was one of my favorites in the alphabet series. I know that Grafton was greatly influenced by Ross MacDonald, and this book is clearly an homage to MacDonald in many ways. I love both authors, and I found the dual mysteries in this one to be equally compelling and suspenseful throughout. Robert Dietz is one of Grafton's best characters, and I was glad to have the chance to revisit this novel.

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinsey Millhone mystery No. 7- Kinsey investigate a mystery around a family's past, and more essentially and possibly as a result there is a contract out on Kinsey! My fave Kinsey so far... with her in peril! 5 out of 12

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. My least favorite so far, because I felt the story built up this huge THING that ended up being resolved in a handful of sentences. Premise was good, but I was ultimately disappointed by the ending. I wanted to know a lot more than the answers that were given.

[Jaksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually met Sue Grafton back in '94, yes, had to say that.

As for the series. I read A-D years ago, borrowed from a friend, then picked up a 'letter' here and there over the years. (This was long before I joined Goodreads.) Just recently I inherited books G-Y, minus 'Q', (which I need to pick up), from a relative who passed away. But yep, these are good reads.

Kinsey Millhone is a great character, tough and gritty, not your 'feminine' kind of woman - I mean does she even own a dress? Maybe one. But she does like men, and this book, 'G is for Gumshoe' shows that in a big way. I won't even go to a scene which really stunned, astonished and totally distracted me. Yep, it's there.

As to the story - or stories - there are two here, overlaid or intersecting plots. First off, Kinsey, native Californian and private investigator, is asked to find a client's elderly mother, last seen out in Arizona living in an area known as the 'Slabs.' (The Slabs could be its own story, IMO.) At the same time Kinsey is watching out for a hired killer - or killers - who are after her for events which occurred earlier. She's hired a bodyguard, and he's great. (He also needs his own book or series.) So, dodging a hitman and looking for a possibly confused little old lady - or is it dementia? - takes Kinsey on a trip to Arizona and back. As for the hitman, he's a real psycho who drags around his little boy wherever he goes. (And that's certainly a different twist, isn't it?)

It's intense. More thriller in places than good old 'standard' mystery and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Kinsey is intense, yet likeable, the kind of person you'd wish were your second best friend. She's funny and shrewd, but knows her weaknesses as well as her strengths. I intend to continue on with Letter H, get the missing Q, and either buy or borrow A-F. That'll keep me busy for a while.

Four stars.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of May, PI Kinsey Millhone is hired by a woman named Irene to track down her mother. The two usually talk one a month, but it’s been several months since they last talked. Before Kinsey can head out to the Salton Sea area, she gets words that a dangerous criminal is vowing revenge on the people who put him away, and one of those people is Kinsey. She does take the threat seriously. Should she? Will it complicate her search for the missing woman?

I was hoping with two parallel plots that they would build off each other. That doesn’t happen quite as well as I would have liked. In fact, the book begins to drag in the middle, although it certainly picks up near the end. We get to know another supporting character pretty well here, which in turn lets us get to know Kinsey better, which I love.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Readstoomuch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this series for ages . . . and how that I've started I can't stop! I intended to read a couple of them and then break away for other books and then return to the Alphabet mysteries later on. Nothing doing . . . I am reading them nonstop (and mixing other books simultaneously ). All the while reading the next Letter of the alphabet and never taking a break from Sue Grafton's fun. :)

[Elise Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished "G is for Gumshoe" today. I happen to like Kinsey Milhoune and don't mind that she is stuck in the '80s. Though I enjoyed the story, this isn't the best Kinsey mystery, and I never did figure out what a "Gumshoe" was.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I think I figured out the Template that Sue Grafton uses when she writes these stories. It starts out with Kinsey getting a “simple” assignment, which ends up being more than she bargained for, she waxes on about how competent and ballsy she is only to ineptly stumble through each mystery to its conclusion. She also seems to get her ass handed to her multiple times in each book and is on the verge of a breakdown after each incident. This has pretty much happened in every book and this book was no exception, but at least we didn’t have to deal with any of her romantic entanglements with married people so that’s a plus, the thing is even with this formula I Kinda, like the stories in a roll, your eyes kind of way.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice - two storylines bumping up against each other and a little love interest for Kinsey!