Book Around the StatesI'm not sure if this book is a great choice for the state of California. But as the 19th book in the Kinsey Milhone mystery series, all taking place there, it works. I think the series give the reader a flaver of California outside the beach, Hollywood, and San Francisco arena.
This novel doesn't give us a lot of background on Kinsey. Grafton probably figures we all know her heroine quite well. She's gritty, opinionated, and smart. All wonderful qualities for a P.I. In Silence, she is hired to investigate the 34-year-old disappearance of Violet Sullivan, her employer's mother. Kinsey knows she's on the right track when she finds her tires slashed; and, sure enough, the clues lead to a final conclusion. The reader gets to know all those involved in the mystery through the investigation and through flashbacks telling us what actually happened in 1953. I thought Grafton misled her readers through the flashbacks. We are led to believe certain people are responsible without any clues that may have made us look elsewhere. After 19 novels, I was impressed with this departure from Kinsey's usual investigations.
Rating: 3.75
My husband's read all of Grafton's mysteries. I, on the other hand, have only read (or listened to, rather) the first. I wasn't very impressed, but maybe I should reserve judgment until I've read a few more.
ReplyDeleteHave you read all 19 books in the series? I think I read a couple but it's been years and years ago. I don't even know if I was keeping a book journal then or not.
ReplyDeleteI've read all the books in this series and began reading them when she first started publishing them. My only gripe is that Grafton has slowed down - years ago she announced that she was slowing down to one Milhone book a year, but in the last decade she's gone to more like one every 2 to 3 years. I'm afraid I'll die before she gets to the end of the alphabet!
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving the comment about The World According to Bertie. I did read the Scotland Street series in the order that they were published and I think that helps. I hope you like 44 Scotland Street and the rest. Irene grew on me as a character, not because I find her admirable or attractive, but because her repellent arrogance and bossiness keep me trying to guess what ridiculous idea she'll act upon next, AND what will Stuart and Bertie do in response? I'm rooting for them!