I is for Innocent

Kinsey Millhone #9

by Sue Grafton

Lonnie Kingman is in a bind. He's smack in the middle of assembling a civil suit, and the private investigator who was doing his pretrial legwork has just dropped dead. In a matter of weeks, the court's statute of limitations will put an end to his case. Five years ago, David Barney walked when a jury acquitted him of the murder of his rich wife, Isabelle. Now Kingman, acting as attorney for the dead woman's ex-husband and their child is trying to divest David Barney of the profits of that murder. But David Barney still swears he's innocent.

When Kinsey Millhone agrees to take over for Morley Shine, she thinks it is a simple matter of tying up loose ends. Morley might have been careless about his health, but he was an old pro at the business. So, it comes as a shock when she finds his files in disarray, his key informant less than credible, and his witnesses denying ever having spoken with him. It comes as a bigger shock when she finds that every claim David Barney has made checks out. But if Barney didn't murder his wife, who did?

Somewhere out there, a killer waits to see just what Kinsey will find out. Somewhere out there, someone's been getting away with murder, and this time it just might turn out to be Kinsey's.

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

329 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 21, 1992

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

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I is for innocent is definitely one of the best book of the series, IMHO. The care taken, the thoughtful planning, everything was just perfect, including the title.

I don't have much to say, you know? I'm replete. I almost went back and almost reread it.

There are two types of books, those that give off light and those that need a light to be understood. This book is neither. It's pure candy. It's cloying sugar. There are just enough pages to binge through. Enjoy.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review
4 out of 5 stars to I is for Innocent, the 9th book in the "Kinsey Millhone" mystery series, written in 1992 by Sue Grafton. Innocent is a great example of why this is a good book series to read. Kinsey is funny but not silly. She is real, but flawed. The book is split into thirds, covering different angles of the case. Another example of Kinsey taking a case trying to determine what happened many years ago. But this time, she's partnering with another detective, then taking it over. She's got two husbands on different sides, fighting over the deceased's inheritance. How will she get herself thru this one? With good detective skills, some charm and a little ingenuity. That's what these books are all about. Part luck, part smarts, Kinsey always solves the case. Sometimes she gets hurt, but often she comes out on top with little damage.

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. I appreciate it.

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't bad. (That's me giving a compliment.) I was pleasantly surprised. Either the story got better, or I'm just so used to Kinsey's bullshit pathetic life in the 1980's that my standards have greatly lowered. Probably a bit of both.
I'm so glad we don't live in that time period. Those cretins were doing things like mailing shit - through the mail!!, using pay phones and phone books, and paper maps! Walking around without cell phones and the ability to text and drive. How did we live like that?
How did a guy even send a dick pic? Did he have to stand in a mirror with his ye old camera, take the picture, get dressed, go to Walgreens to turn in his film, wait three days, pick up the pictures, choose the best one, get an envelope, address it, put a stamp on, mail it, wait three days again, then call her up on the rotary phone to see if she got it?
That sounds like a lot of work.



We need to all be thankful for the technology of today. Nudes and dick pics are soaring through the magic inter-waves in the air (if my understanding of how technology works is right - and I think it is) instantaneously, all day and night. Like God intended.

Anywhoo... the book!
In this one, Kinsey is taking over a case that another P.I. was working on for a lawyer who dropped dead halfway through. She thinks this will be easy because she knew the dead guy and he was a pro..... yeah, except not. Turns out, his life, desk, office, and files were all a hot mess. Plus, he hadn't even done any of the work he said he did. It's time to drag out one of my favorite old, classic memes.


Yeah, Josh! You screwed up, big time!

So, this guy left her with a huge fire and she has a leaky bucket. (See that? I used a metaphor. By the way, her bucket is leaky because she sucks.) Her job is to find evidence against a guy who supposedly murdered his wife but was found innocent. The lawyer she is working for is filing a civil suit against him now, a la O.J..

So, Kinsey has to go back and interview everyone all over again and what she finds is a dysfunctional modern-family of exes of exes, and everyone seems to have secrets. So.... just like every other family.


Yeah? What's the issue here?

Even worse, for her at least, is that the guy who was found innocent may actually be innocent. That is so going to screw up her job.

The mystery was entertaining and I liked how it played out. Kinsey's personal life was not really present. I wonder if the author purposely backed away from the whole married-man thing because of backlash. The good news is that she says she stopped her affair with him a year ago. Okay. I'm glad. But, I still haven't forgiven her for being a skanky cheater in the first place.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in this delightfully long series . So nice to know that I still have so many left to read:)

Kinsey stumbles around a bit in this one, partly because there are so many possible murderers that it is hard to sort them all out. She finds out in the end basically by accident and also finds herself in a very sticky position. All very typically Kinsey.

Sue Grafton's books are easy, entertaining reads and I always look forward to reading the next one.

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

As some of you may already know, I determined that as part of my reading goals for the year, I would begin and complete several series. As part of that objective, I am reading all of the Sue Grafton alphabet novels starring Kinsey Millhone. I is for Innocent is the 9th book of the series written in 1992. Kinsey is hired by the law firm that she currently rents office space from to take over the investigation from one of her former teachers / mentors. As she investigates, her former mentor appears to have been lax in his responsibilities, which she finds odd because she was so familiar with his process. When he trained her those lapses were unacceptable, but the deeper Kinsey digs, the more it seems that her mentor may not have died by natural causes. The climax culminates in a rare and cinematic shootout.

[Scoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a disappointing H is for Homicide, Sue Grafton returns to form.

Another great read from her. It's a good mystery, that unfolds at the perfect pace. The regular characters are back with the addition of Henry's fussy brother William. Kinsey's friends appear at good points in the story to keep things interesting.

Even with the book being 25 years old at this point, Kinsey's cynical observations are still pointed and fun.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I thought there would be more repercussions from her last case which was very dramatic. But no. She hardly mentions it and this is set only 4 weeks afterwards. I’m always impressed by Kinsey’s intelligence and the way she solves her cases. Henry and William were a funny counterpoint in this story.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★s

Lonnie Kingman of Kingman & Ives, hired Kinsey Millhone after she was fired from her old job, and her first case promised to be a doozy! Kinsey had to pick up from where Lonnie's investigator, Morley Shine, had left off when he died of a heart attack, and Kinsey thought it'd be simple. But Morley's files were in a huge mess, and sorting them was her first job. David Barney had been acquitted of killing his wife, but there were others who were determined to find him guilty, even though the event was six years ago. It was up to Kinsey to dig deeply, deeper than Morley did, to find the answers. But could she?

I is for Innocent is the 9th in the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton and it was an intriguing, dastardly, and fascinating plotline. Would Kinsey solve the case? Of course she would - and what an ending it was! Recommended.

[Una Tiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot with a lot of characters, sometimes hard to keep straight. Grafton brings in another old friend of Kinsey and continues the storyline with her landlord and his family.

In a 2015 re-read, I wonder, does Grafton stereotype managers in motels?

2021 re-read for plot. She is a master of plots that are woven together. I loved on brilliant plot twist but don't want to spoil it for new readers. The dialogue, held up to the light shows a lot of repetition.

Review of plot, it has a very nice sequence.

[Jack Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. Time Magazine called this her best-crafted alphabetical mystery yet. I haven't read every one of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone mysteries, but Time is certainly bang-on up to #9 in the series! Her new landlord, lawyer Lonnie Kingman, has retained her services to help on a civil suit against David Barney. Several years ago, Barney was found not guilty of murdering his wife Isabelle, but many think that was a travesty. Especially her former husband. Thus, the civil suit. The matter goes to court in a month so Kinsey must hurry. She soon finds that the previous Private Investigator, Morley Shine who has just died, left few notes! And the notes he did leave aren't very helpful either. Some witnesses he claims to have met even deny speaking with him. This is becoming a disaster for Kinsey. The number of potential murderers soon rises, even more problematic, and Kinsey is pushed to bring results quickly to Lonny to aid in the suit. The clue is there for all of us to see; but you have to catch it. I didn't. Kinsey is methodical; Kinsey is tenacious; and Kinsey is enjoyable to follow. I agree with Time Magazine. (May 2018)

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have heard a lot about this series, but not counting the set of short stories Kinsey and Me, I have not yet read any book in this series. But it was those stories that I read that encouraged me to read this book. They were quite good, and other readers in their reviews assured that the books were even better. They were right as I enjoyed this book.

Kinsey is a very well written heroine. She is a strong woman, but she doesn't have to prove it at every turn. Her actions prove it. She has an interesting, complicated personality, she is not one-dimensional. And most importantly, she is intelligent. She doesn't take risks without good reason, she is careful and even if she sometimes shows excessive bravado, it is never something really stupid. She is thoroughly investigating her case. Following her reasoning gives the reader real pleasure. Certainly she is a heroine whom I will happily return to in the next books.

But even such a good character as Kinsey would not save a poor storyline. Fortunately, the plot is really good. Kinsey takes over the investigation after her dead colleague. She is looking for evidence that Isabelle was killed by her ex-husband who had already once escaped justice for this act. As Kinsey investigates the case, new threads emerge ... and new suspects appear. Neither Kinsey nor the reader is sure what exactly happened and who killed Isabelle. This is a very well written story with lots of twists and turns.

I am not sure if this is a story that I will remember for a long time, I don’t thing it is. But this is definitely a nice book that you read quickly and with joy. It also encourages me to read other books in this series.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I is for Innocent (Audiobook) by Sue Grafton.

This is a favorite of mine by Sue Grafton. She was clear and I was focused throughout the story.

Kinsey Millhone has been asked to continue with newly acquired evidence after her landlord's P.I. died during his investigation. David Birney was acquitted of his wife's murder, but not everyone agrees with this outcome. The fortune left by behind is now in the hands of Birney and her daughter by a previous marriage has been excluded.
The now deceased P.I. has left few notes for Kinsey to build on and the statue of limitations is on the immediate horizon. Kinsey's nightmare is about to begin.

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

One of the better actual mysteries of the series so far. The downside of this entry was that all the characters talked the same, they all seem like adolescents pretending to be adults. Also, Kinsey's tough, gruff humor fell flat every, single, time.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five years ago, Isabelle Barney was murdered on the day after Christmas. While her estranged husband was acquitted of the crime, her ex-husband is now suing him in civil court in a wrongful death case. Kinsey has been hired to help the lawyer win the case, taking over from a PI who just died. His notes were a mess, so she is completely retracing his steps. But as she goes, she begins to wonder just who committed the murder. Is she helping the court case, or hurting it?

Kinsey is back in top form in this book. The plot twists all over the place before coming to a perfectly logical climax. Henry and Rosie are involved in a very fun sub-plot that provides some laughs. The suspects are strong, and we meet a couple of new supporting characters since Kinsey has had to move her office.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Tanisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took a break from this series several years ago, but decided to pick it back up because a friend of mine read through the series in a matter of weeks. She really seemed to love it, so I thought I'd get back to the alphabet. **If you're looking for ONLY the summary of the book, please scroll down to the section below the break in the page**

While reading, I started to remember why I put this series down in the first place. The abundance of inconsequential detail.
First, Grafton describes Kinsey's parking EVERY time she goes any where. We find out how long it took Kinsey to find a spot, where that spot is in distance and sometimes time, why she chose that particular spot, and whether she locked her car. You may think this is minor, but consider how often Kinsey travels to and fro as a private investigator.
Second, the scenery. I enjoy visualizing character's environment; it's part of the imaginative art of reading. But, there is such a thing as too much detail. I find myself glossing over the many paragraphs of Highway 101 description, and even getting exasperated. I wonder if Grafton is trying to prove that the area really does exist, and what better way than to describe as much detail as possible?


Also, while reading I remembered why I enjoyed the series as well. The characters.
Grafton does an excellent job inventing characters. I become attached and emotionally involved with some characters. For instance, if Henry were to pass away, I think I would cry. Also, Grafton does an excellent job manipulating my feelings. A malicious and cruel character I'm hoping will get his well deserved justice later becomes an endearing and misunderstood victim. It's a wonderful, and much appreciated, skill Grafton possesses.
The plot is another of Grafton's skills. I have only been right once when guessing which character was the criminal. This doesn't say much though, because there were many guesses before that.


Where does this leave me? Will the characters tip the balance and keep me going? Does the "throw away" details outweigh my joy for the characters and plot? I was able to get through 8 books before the negative outweighed the positive. I wonder how many it will take me this time? Right now, the characters redeem the inconsequential details, so I will continue.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, to this particular book.
Isabelle was shot through key hole 5 years ago and her ex-husband is sour because he wanted her money, but instead it went to her current husband, the suspected killer. He was declared innocent, but ex-husband is taking him to civil court where he will get all her money if they can prove current husband was the killer. Enters Kinsey because previous P.I. is dead. Kinsey actually solves 3 cases which include: who hit and killed an escaped elderly man from a nursing home, did previous P.I. really die from a heart attack, and who really killed Isabelle.

From the beginning, I was never convinced that the previous P.I. died from a heart attack. I was pretty sure I knew who killed the old man, and I was completely wrong regarding who killed Isabelle.

Now, jumping into book 9.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story. Kinsey slogs through the past investigation of Morley a P.I who died suddenly. Lonnie a lawyer needs her to finish the case before he goes to civil trail.

David Barney the estranged husband was found not guilty of his wife Isabelle. But everyone connected to the case believes he did it. However, he appears to have an ironclad alibi. However, a low life cell mate of his says David confessed he did the murder. Who is innocent and who is guilty.

The shootout at the end is excellent and the humor of octogenarian hypochondriac William and Rosie’s blossoming romance to the chagrin of Henry is amusing.

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love my Kinsey Milhone mystery novels. A really good thing is that Sue Grafton has evolved the series and I know that there is a split between fans on the way that the series has gone but I really do love re-reading the older novels. It's like being wrapped up in a warm hug.

I is for Innocent follows the events of H is for Homicide, with Kinsey finding herself fired from her previous job working with an isurance company. Struggling to make ends meet, Kinsey takes a case from her attorney and friend looking into the murder of Isabelle Barney that happened six years previously. The previous private investigator on the case is one that trained Kinsey for her to obtain her license decades earlier. The investigator having died, leaves Kinsey starting at square one with the case.

The writing is very good and we have some oldies but goodies (Kinsey talking about her favorite sandwich and fast food) as well as Kinsey just doing straigh investigative work looking to find out who killed Isabelle Barney. One reason why I like the Kinsey Milhone mystery series is that since these novels take place in the 1980s we have Kinsey doing a lot of leg work and having to use her brain on what steps to take next. There are no fancy devices, no social media, and Kinsey doesn't fit the role of a femme fatale role.

After this comes J is for Judgment which opens up more backstory into Kinsey's family past which I really enjoyed. I definitely recommend!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was neither the best nor the worst detective/PI novel I have ever read. It was easy and fast-paced, but fairly formulaic. I did not warm up to Kinsey Millhone, and truly liking the investigator is almost required for enjoying these kinds of books. By the same token, I did not figure out the "who done it" before the end, which his a plus.

Not being a big fan of this genre, I am probably not the best person to judge how effective this series is. Obviously, a lot of people love it, or it wouldn't be a national bestseller and I wouldn't see multiple copies of these books on all the used bookstore shelves. I don't think I will read any more of the series, however, since it just wasn't the right fit for me.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Probably my least favorite so far. The story was still good and kept me guessing and the ending was terrific and exciting.

[Aiden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinsey at it again. Someone’s always getting murdered when they are close to solving the case and she comes to the rescue.

[Quenya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t decide how much I liked or didn’t like this book which left me a 3-star rating. I know I didn’t love this book and that is for several reasons. The suspect was obvious from the get go based on their actions that were so intent on keeping Kinsey engaged in the case. Also, this book had a very small population of characters with a lot of connections with some of those connections seeming like Grafton just threw them in. The book was saved though by the final confrontation between Kinsey and the suspect. Great action, tension and a very realistic scene Grafton truly brought to life with her writing.

I did like seeing Kinsey moving on and working through a new organization, Lonnie Kingman’s law firm. Lonnie is a great new character with a large personality that doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the book. He has a great chemistry with Kinsey. It will be great to see how this dynamic adds to the series.

I don’t know what else there is to say about Judy Kaye as a narrator for this series. She is amazing and her ability to create different voices for each character book after book is phenomenal.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezing right along in the alphabet books...this is deliciously twisted...almost Agatha-Christie-like in the multiple motives of the characters as they turn on each other. Kinsie has acquired a new office, a new car, and a new home over the course of the last few books...

I'm trying to pay closer attention to the chronology. I know Grafton kept Kinsie in the late 80's, into the 90's, even as her readers moved faster. Seasons come and go in Santa Teresa...

Still my favorite details are Kinsie's astute descriptions of people in her first introduction. Such great words!!

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinsey Millhone case 9: An ongoing murder case's investigation is taking over by Kinsey, after the untimely death of the previous private investigator. Kinsey is shock at the near disarray of the case records, bar what appears to be proof of the client's innocence.. which means there's a murdered walking amongst them all! This case sees the upward turn of the series maintained as Kinsey tackles this interesting whodunnit. 5 out of 12.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Kinsey Millhone story. After the fall out of the previous book Kinsey is forced to take on a murder investigation to pay the bills. As usual things start to go wrong almost from the outset and Kinsey finds herself two steps behind, until the end of the novel.

These books are written to a templates so you know what you are going to get going in and Grafton never fails to deliver. These are quick entertaining reads.

[Jaksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, I really liked this one. And for anyone attempting to read a Sue Grafton mystery, make a d--- cue card! Wish I did for this one, there are so many characters here, and I'll get to that in a minute.

First off, Kinsey Millhone, PI based in southern California, is now working for a lawyer who's about to sue (civil suit) a man for murdering his wife. Seems she was shot through the 'peephole' in her door. Yep, straight through the eye into the brain. Working for the prosecution, Kinsey's asked to find information on various topics, people, witness statements, etc. which will help with the case. Kind of routine?

Nothing about this one is just routine. There are so many potential murder suspects, including: the husband, who was acquitted of murder in the criminal trial. (Was he really innocent? Did the jury get it wrong?)

(No spoilers here, this is in the first few pages.)

There's an ex-husband and his wife. And the formerly accused but 'innocent 'man's ex-wife. And the victim's twin sister. And a close, good friend, and her daughter. And a jailhouse snitch. And the man the victim worked for and his wife. Fortunately, Ms. Grafton uses very different names for everyone, there's no Dave, Don and Dan, for example. (I've seen that in a few books.) Plus, she likes to describe every one down to their hairstyles, the color of their socks and ties, and if they have bad breath or not. Ms. Grafton is a highly detailed writer, and in this book I liked that, a lot.

It made the routine life and work of a free-lance investigator seem very real. How Kinsey goes about her day, what she finds in whose office, as well as the route she takes while driving, and what she sees, feels, hears, thinks. Meticulous writing with a capital M. (Sometimes this can get boring in a book; I never felt that way with this one.) Anyhow, how Kinsey - and Ms. Grafton - sort this one out was fascinating. Loved it.

Anyhow, I'm rolling along to letter 'J' in the series and will eventually get to letters A-F. As I said before, I inherited most of the Grafton Alphabet series, with exceptions for A-F and Q. Overall, I find these books the perfect read for a long, cold, late winter day, sun pouring through my windows. With a cup of coffee or mint tea at hand, (or sometimes a glass of wine), it's a great way to spend a few quiet hours.

Five stars.

[Katelyn (old soul country girl's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It definitely took me a little bit to get into this one as it was a slower paced court procedural story. But the ending perfectly came and brought up my enjoyment, so tense and the scariest so far.
Let me just paint a picture for you: complete darkness, someone is shooting at you in close quarters...and you don't know how many rounds they have left.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally seen on my book blog!

I started this book last month but then forgot it at home while I spent a few weeks at my boyfriend’s house. Once I got back home and started the book again, it was a little confusing because I’d read so many books in between that I forgot what the book was about. Luckily it was easy to jump back into and it turned out to be a really good book with an interesting story.

When someone dedicated a character to 26 books (one for each letter of the alphabet) there are going to be some that are just kinda meh or just aren’t as good. Some book series’ get boring and redundant. This book was not either of those. Kinsey lost her job after her last case and is now working for someone else at the moment. A colleague recently died of a heart attack so she took his workload for him and is working on a case for a lawyer. Kinsey hasn’t done this before and it was interesting seeing her in this type of setting.

Five years ago someone killed Isabelle and the number one suspect was her husband David Barney. The jury didn’t think he did it and he was acquitted of the charges. Ken Voight, Isabelle’s ex-husband is not so sure Barney is innocent and is suing Barney for the estate. Kinsey is going through all of her former colleague’s information that he had before he died and is finding interesting information or lack thereof.

I love Kinsey as a character. She’s funny, independent, kinda risky, and isn’t afraid to break laws if she needs to. This book series is set in the 80s and through 23 books, 5 years or so have passed. Kinsey is hardly any older now than she was in the first book. She hasn’t changed much either and I’m glad about that. She’s one of those characters that could stay the same for 26 books and still be an awesome character. Grafton is great at writers characters.

There is something that I’ve picked up on that I find interesting: Grafton always, always, always describes new characters. If Kinsey is meeting up with someone, she will describe their meeting place:

“The place was so small, I could tour without moving far. The furnishings were antique: a crude pine table, two cane-bottom chairs, a corner cabinet with wavy, blue-tinted glass panes, a brass bed with a patchwork quilt, white on white. The bathroom was small, the only portion of the house that was fully enclosed.”

While I read this, I could picture where they were. She also describes who she is interacting with:

“I judged her to be in her late thirties or very early forties. She was slightly shorter than I with wide shoulders and a stocky build, which she managed to minimize by the clothes she wore. Her hair was a reddish blond, a fine flyaway shade much darker at the roots, cut shoulder length and crinkled from a perm. Her face was square, her mouth wide.”

“The outfit she wore was black and white geometric print, a washable silk jacket over a long black tunic top, her long loose skirt brushing the tops of her black suede boots.”

I can now picture what the house looks like and who she is talking to. I know that some people find this annoying, but I like to imagine things while I’m reading and if she just mentioned “I’m in a small house with a lady” I would probably picture this lady in a blue dress and looking like Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

Grafton does a good job of describing Kinsey’s surroundings but not in a way where it’s all descriptive things because that just gets annoying. No one needs thirteen adjectives in one sentence. (Someone tell that to E.L. James)

The things I liked most from this book was that it was different than what Kinsey usually does. She’s still doing PI work, but this time she wasn’t hired by someone on the street and she’s working something that someone else already worked. If someone got bored with her doing regular PI work, they should read this book and get a break from what Kinsey usually does.

This whole book I was going back and forth on if David Barney really killed Isabelle or if someone else did it. Even though there was a 50/50 chance that I knew the answer, I was still very surprised and I think it was a good ending. Grafton has a few books that end with such action that it’s nearly impossibly to put the book down until the end. The last 10 pages or so were filled with so much action that I did not look away from my book until I was done, and that’s how you know it’s a great ending.

At times, the book was a tad bit boring and it seemed that it veered away from the plot until all the pieces came together and it all made more sense. I love this series and am exciting to see if she ever gets her job back at California Fidelity. Another thing that I’m not a huge fan of is how many characters she puts in the book. I’ve learned to write down names and relationships to other people so I don’t look track of people. Other than that, Grafton’s books would all get 5 stars from me.

Things I got out of this book: Kinsey could definitely be a PI for a lawyer. I wish I had a house like Kinsey’s. A lot of people kill for money which is a scary thought.

[Alison Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read one of these books, I just want to travel back in time and rescue Kinsey from her index cards and microfiche and bring her to the present where she'll have Google and an iPhone.

A lot of things sucked before modern technology. Being an investigator was definitely one of them.

I quite enjoyed this entry in the series, and especially the twist, which I had considered as a possibility but had mostly dismissed because it felt too obvious. But it was because it seemed obvious that it ended up being not obvious at all. Uh, or something. It was clever how Grafton led us along a bunch of different paths while the right one was light up like a baseball stadium during a night game, all the while being like "'Oh that? Oh no no, don't let's be silly, come along this way." A couple of the red herrings were very plausible, and a couple that I came up with in my head were probably not plausible at all but I still had fun doing so, which is why I am not a detective or PI. (There's also the fact that I am intensely squeamish and cannot leave my apartment. You know, minor details.)

We do get the requisite-for-Grafton overuse of full names and absurdly long descriptions of every single building Kinsey enters, and of course the couple of fatphobic, or at least "fat-unfriendly" comments, because Grafton seemed to hate fat people as much as murderers or something. But there was less of that in this one, thankfully. And overall the story came together quite well and kept me entertained, which is what I come to this series for, after all.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinsey Millhone takes over the case of a recently deceased PI. The case involves a guy that was charged with his wife's murder, but he was acquitted. Now the case is being taken to civil court. At first, Kinsey wants to work the case, but she soon learns the other PIs records were a mess, and she's not sure what he was doing with the case. As she continues to follow the leads, she learns the case is more complicated than it first appeared.

The 9th book in Grafton's alphabet mystery series. These are entertaining mysteries involving the Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone.

I enjoyed solving the case along with Kinsey. This case was involved and took some works before Kinsey was able to piece it all together. Kinsey is still sarcastic, independent, and smart.

I listened to an audio version of this book.