Rating: Summary: Hooray for Kinsey Millhone Review: After reading some of the other comments, I have to disagree with some. I too liked the "spunkier" Kinsey Millhone, but at age 35, single, etc. I think the fact that she's going through a "black" period is actually very realistic. I think what Sue Grafton is trying to do is develop Kinsey's character enough that she is able to continue on with the rest of the alphabet. Come on, we all go through changes and if Kinsey didn't, I'd find her hard to believe as a character. As far as the story line goes, I too like it better when Kinsey's in mortal danger at the end, but then, if that happened in all the stories, it would get repetitious. And I have liked some of the other episodes better, but that's the way it goes with any series (take Patricia Cornwell, for instance). So ease up guys!! And if this is the first alphabet series book you read, then shame on you. You need to start this series at the beginning to really understand the character.I for one, am looking forward to the next letter!!
Rating: Summary: Close to Vintage Kinsey Review: I read A Is for Alibi when it first came out--and will continue to read each new Sue Grafton book as it come off the press--but let's be realistic: some are better than others. I number myself among the ranks of those addicted Sue Grafton readers who don't like a lot of change going on with their favorite character. And I have been disappointed a lot lately. There were actually 4-5 Kinsey books published receently that I truly did not enjoy because Kinsey was not Kinsey. But now she's finally back! The crisp wit (a la Sam Spade and the hard drinking, wise cracking PIs of the 30s and 40s) and acid tongue are still sadly muted, but some of the old characters are back and the mystery is at the center of the plot again. A good read--one that is close to being up there with the best of Sue Grafton
Rating: Summary: Who Did Kill Guy Anyway? Kinsey Gets Tangled Up! Review: This book was pretty good to read. I didn't find it that hard to get into as many people said on here-but the ending could have been better. Kinsey was assigned a job to try and find the missing member of the Malek family-Guy. He has a share coming from his father's will of 5-million dollars, but the family is holding a lot of hatred against Guy for their own reasons. Therefore, when Kinsey does find Guy almost right away in the story, there is another reason the Malek's wanted him back-for malice, and evenmore so for Murder. And this is what happens when Guy chooses to try and make amends. Kinsey sort of liked the man, and is feeling guilty for leading him back to his malicious siblings. One of them had the nerve to kill-but whom? Was it Donovan, Jack, or Bennett? Or maybe it was Kristie or Myrna? Kinsey is watching everything with a very close eye to see exactly who the guilty one is.
Rating: Summary: M is for Malice Review: Sue Grafton does it again continuing on with the alphabetical, mysterious novels. A father of four sons and an owner of a multi-million dollar business, Malek Construction, has passed away. In order for the brothers to gain their fortune of millions, the fourth brother has to be found. Kinsey Milhone, a private investigator, is hired to find the lost brother, Guy, after eighteen years. Guy has had a bad past as a teenager, from the lines of drugs to fraud. Guy is found and bad things start to happen when the public finds out he's back into town. When you put a lot of money together and four sons, you get greediness, which is equal to murder. Could it be from Guy's past or one of his greedy brothers? The book started off slow in the first chapter and yanked you into it as a character, and you cannot put the book down. It's an interesting book to me because I love mysteries and suspense. So I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and suspense.
Rating: Summary: Loved it up till the very end and then was disappointed Review: I've looked over the reviews and for the most part they are either of the "loved it" or "hated it" type. I fall somewhere inbetween. I've read all the books in order. Some are certainly better than others but I have to say that once I got into this one I kept thinking "Wow! This is the best one yet!" There were a couple of scenes in which Kinsey might have been encountering a ghost that genuinely creeped me out. Another reviewer complained about Ms. Grafton's thorough descriptions of surroundings but that's one of the reasons why I love her series so much. I feel as though I'm there or I'm watching a movie but I also get the psychological aspect too. Also, I was at a total loss as to who might have done it and I hate it when I read a mystery and figure out who the bad guy is before the author reveals them. However, typical of the Grafton novels, you don't find out until the last few pages who committed the crime. When that revelation came my praise of the book went out the window. I won't give it away but I'll just say that it was a total soap opera twist and VERY UNBELIEVABLE and silly. If the ending had just been more convincing I'd laud this book to high heaven but the climax was just straight from a Day's Of Our Lives episode.
Rating: Summary: Entertaining Listen Review: Duly chided for not reading anything else in this series, I compounded the chastisement (of another reviewer, see below) by not reading, but only listening to this one, on a Thanksgiving drive to Arkansas. I wasn't expecting all that much but I was pleasantly surprised; it kept me awake and interested, and the character of the female private investigator, as well as her love interests, was deftly handled. The murderer at the end seemed somewhat pulled out of a hat, but I guess that is an occupational hazard of formulaic fiction. It served its mysterious purpose.
Rating: Summary: Hard to get into, but GREAT twist around Ch 13! Review: This was a difficult book to get involved with, that is until Grafton began developing relationships between the characters. GREAT plot twist between ch. 12 & 13, worth reading through to the end.
Rating: Summary: EXTREMELY HARD TO "GET INTO" Review: I've read many-a-mystery and this particular writing style was a challenge for me to "get lost in". I gave up at chapter 6. Good luck!
Rating: Summary: A fun read but less satisfying than some of the others Review: Compared to some of the others in this dependably engrossing series, 'M is for Malice' ranks a bit lower due to an unsatisfying ending. I found myself wondering about the characters' reactions when they learned what really happened, since the story ended somewhat abruptly. Also the interactions between Kinsey and her friends and other regular supporting characters could have been better developed. Despite these criticisms, 'M' was a fun read and it's a strong series.
Rating: Summary: Another Pleasing Read Review: I have listened to many ABC audio tapes while driving on trips or doing errands. I always have a Sue Grafton ABC mystery tape available. She never fails to entertain and Kinsey Milhone is "my good friend." She lives nearby, and she is all woman! I admire her spunky character and her "worldly-wise" wisdom, but she falters now and then..and which woman doesn't? A very real character no matter what the problem is that needs to be solved, and a truly delightful woman. I will always be a Sue Grafton fan through to the end of the series! Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl Books One - Three
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