Rating: 
Summary: Decent Mystery...
Review: Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator, lives in Southern California in a town called Saint Teresa (obvious a renamed version of Santa Barbara). Kinsey is hired out by the 2nd wife of a wealthy lawyer to find out who murdered her husband. The twist is that the 2nd wife has already served her prison sentence for his murder and the trail has been cold for over 7 years.Kinsey travels around Southern California interviewing everyone that was connected to the murder. She interviews the lawyer's family, his mistresses, his secretaries. While on the trail, it is obvious the real murderer still wants the secret kept, as one of her witnesses is mysteriously murdered. Also, on an attempt to find evidence, she finds that it has been recently tampered with. This novel is a definite page-turner. My main gripe is that there were too many characters in the book. I know that Grafton wanted to make the mystery as complicated as possible (just about everyone had a potential motive), but it made it difficult to keep track of them. I found the love affair between Kinsey and the dead lawyer's partner a little shallow. While the mystery worked, I didn't feel like the reader was given too much of an opportunity to solve it with Kinsey - it just sort of unfolded. The ending, while tense, seemed a little bit of a let down... I didn't feel justice was served. I might be tempted to read other books in the series, as the writing was solid and the story was interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe good in 1982 - don't bother starting in 2000
Review: I am sad that I missed out on this series when it started. I have read that Sue Grafton's Kinsey series is a "must-read" and has revolutionized the genre. However, trying to start this series in 2000 just didn't work for me. I am an avid mystery reader and I found this to be completly predictable, tiresome and downright boring. Maybe it was wonderful and different and surprising when it was written, but I just can't bear to read the other 16 or so to get to where the genre is today.
Rating: 
Summary: Middle school student loves this book!
Review: This book is the best! It is about this private investigator, Kinsey, who is hired by a woman named Nikki. Nikki was sent to jail eight years ago for killing her husband. Kinsey is hired to find out who it was that killed him. If you like murder mysteries this is the book for you!
Rating:
Summary: A good book!
Review: As a 7th grader in a advanced English class, we had to do a book report on mystery book. The book had to be this length (about 200 pages). My dad actually recommended it because I am not really into mystery. Wow was it a good choice as my first really "adult" book!!!! I would recommend it to kids like me with a high reading level, and want or need to read mystery. But if you are an adult and have read other mystery books, this could be another story. You might think that there are not enough "twists." But I would recommend that you would give it a try...what do you have to lose?
Rating:
Summary: A great intorduction into Kinsey
Review: "A" is a good introduction into the world of kinsey millhone. IMO this is a classic Grafton novel and just a classic mystery. Kinsey is as foul-mouthed and stubborn as ever. It was also interesting because she let someone get close to her for once but broke it off. It was an interesting introduction in Kinsey's psyche. While, I will admit that Grafton somewhat pulled the wool over my eyes. I was correct on one-half but I was totally wrong on the other half. I will admit that despite the prescence of Kinsey, a good old fashioned mystery and an interesting cast of characters some parts of the book were alittle slow and I wished something would happen. But, still a great place to start for mystery fans or Kinsey fans.
Rating:
Summary: 'A' Is For Alibi
Review: Until 'O' is For Outlaw hit the stands last fall, I had never given Sue Grafton much consideration. The hype that followed the release of her latest hard cover book made me curious to see what it was about. Kinsey Millhone is a modern day Nancy Drew with a twist. Her character is not fleshed out very well in this book, but you do catch on that she is an independent, intelligent woman who would rather cut to the chase than make polite small talk. She lives alone in her small apartment and makes a living as a private investigator. The book starts with her admission that she has just killed for the first time in her life. The book is then a recollection of the events that led to her having to kill someone. Nikki Fife has just gotten out of jail after having served eight years for a murder that she says she did not commit. She hires Kinsey to find out who did. With the passage of over eight years since the crime, the investigation seems daunting to say the least. Yet Kinsey leads the reader through her thought processes in such a way that it makes us (as readers) feel capable of solving this crime ourselves. Grafton's style of writing reminds me somewhat of John Grisham's prose in that you are given a first hand education on what it is like to be in the main character's profession. It made me (as a reader) for more as a participant than as a casual observer. What kept me from loving this book was the fact that I felt little connection to the main character on an emotional level. Ironically in keeping with Kinsey's character, I felt as if I, too was being kept at arm's length. Kinsey's speech and thoughts seem to be written in a staccato, no nonsense approach as if she was purposefully downplaying her own personality. Yet I really did like this book and I certainly will go on to read Grafton's next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great summer read!
Review: I started reading this book the day after I finished 9th grdade, since I didn't have any school books to read. I have read Lillian Braun before, but I had never read Grafton, so I decided to try her. I just finished 'A is for Alibi' last night and its one of the best mysteries I have ever read. It is easy to read, I only got stuck on 1 or 2 words in the entire book. I liked how Grafton moves the story around so you are not bored. I especially liked Sharon Wylie's review descriping Kinsey Milhone. I would recommend this book to any high schooler, or any adult. It was a great read!
Rating:
Summary: Kinsey is the first female hard-boiled P.I.
Review: I love all these recent reviews calling "A" trite and typical--Grafton wrote this in 1982, and if it seems trite now it's because Grafton revolutionized the genre, and everyone has been copying her plots and style ever since! Kinsey Millhone is a hard-boiled, gun-toting, loner--a private investigator who keeps to herself and does whatever it takes to solve her case. I first read this book as a teenager, and Kinsey's toughness and un-sentimentality turned me off (young romantic that I was). Coming back to this series as an adult has given me an appreciation for the character and the genre that I lacked before. What you see is what you get with Kinsey Millhone, and that simplicity is her strength. This book is not only truly groundbreaking, it is also a plain ol' great mystery. Grafton keeps Kinsey busy interviewing suspects, following leads, and stirring up trouble. Kinsey's work is pretty much her life, and except for the occasional evening with a handsome stranger, you can expect her to stay focused on the case. Unless you prefer your mysteries soft and cozy, you'll enjoy Kinsey Millhone and her straight-forward approach to crime. Best of all, if you enjoy this one, there are 14 more (so far) to keep you busy.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant book
Review: I loved this book and I am only 13 years old. I read it in 3 hours because it was so good. It has loads of interesting twists so anyone who likes crime and has not read this book should read it
Rating:
Summary: "A" is for allibi
Review: "A" IS FOR ALIBI IS A AWESOME BOOK . IT HAS ALL THE RIGHT COMBINATIONS. IF YOU ENJOY SUSPENSE AND ROMANCE I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THE SUE GRAFTON BOOKS. THEY GO ALL THE WAY UP TO "O" "P" IS COMING IN 2001.
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