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Summary: In search of a long-lost brother
Review: The Malek family has two problems--a long-lost brother and a missing will. When the patriarch of the family dies, it becomes imperative for three brothers to find their brother Guy, who was banished from the family many years ago. PI Kinsey Millhone looks for Guy and finds a much different man from the one who left the family many years ago. The remaining brothers seem determined to get Guy's share of the father's estate and will stop at nothing to accomplish this. When a murder occurs, Kinsey sees the Malek brothers as chief suspects. In this edition of the series, Dietz returns for another fling at romance with Kinsey and the murderer finds an interesting sort of justice.
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Summary: M is for masterful
Review: Sue Grafton has written a great piece of work with the mystery "M is for Malice." The title really defines the story, with a great ending. Once you begin reading the story she immediately captures her readers curiosity with her great depiction of every event that has taken place. I will not say what happens, you must read it for yourself to find out how great of a writer Sue Grafton is. Just like any other great mystery you will not be able to figure out who the suspect is until the very end, You may think you know but you have no idea! Do not worry about never having read any of her other stories, she will explain everything in each of her books.
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Summary: Not her best.
Review: This one is a bit disappointing. As a general rule, it is an enjoyable read, but the best scenes may well be the interaction between Millhone and Dietz. What really does this one in is the handling of the "ghost scenes", if you can really call them that. They read more like a badly performed seance. It this is the best Grafton has to offer on the subject of ghosts, we are indeed fortunate she is leaving the subject entirely alone in the rest of her novels.
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Summary: M is for Malice= A suspenseful novel
Review: M is for Malice was the first book that I read from the Sue Grafton alphabet series. The book was easy to follow and thoroughly understandable for those who have not yet read other books in the series. The plot was realistic, and I enjoyed the emotions brought about by the selfish Malek brothers and their disowned sibling who had long awaited reunion only to find nobody cares about him. This book was easy reading and suspenseful until the last page.
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Summary: M is for Monotonous
Review: In M for Malice, Kinsey has been hired to find the whereabouts of a Guy Malek. For the last 18 years, Guy has been missing after being ostracized by his family for his reckless lifestyle. When he returns home, his brothers' believe he has come to claim his portion of the inheritance their father left him, while Guy's true motive is to resolve their family differences. The family tension increases when anonymous letters sent to the newspaper publicizes Guy's return to claim his inheritance. Just when Guy's life couldn't get any worse, he's killed. In the end Millhone finds the clues that lead her to the killer and bam, it's done.
This was the first book I've read by Sue Grafton and it might be the last. I guess I grabbed the wrong "letter" off the shelf. I was excepting ingenious detective work, brutal integration of witnesses, and Kinsey always nearly escaping death. Instead, M for Malice provides a lengthy plot that has an ending that is far fetched and evolves more around Kinsey's love life with Robert Dietz. So if you're looking for the hardcore P.I. story, move on to another letter. However, if you're into the semi-sappy romance novel, this is the one.
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Summary: Mostly about Milhone
Review: I think this one appeals more to those who follow the series as the story of Kinsey Milhone rather than as a stand-alone. Milhone, who was born (as we know from L is for Lawless) in May, 1955 is now 35. Her cousin Tasha is strongly on the scene bringing more introspection about family bonds versus independence. Dietz is back - now 50 with a bad knee and regretting alienation from his sons. Jonah Robb is around and his wife is pregnant, though not by him. Kinsey has a problem sleeping and is not eating as much and gets transient hallucinations (maybe simple partial seizures - she should get an EEG. Prozac will be on the market by the end of the year)
She is hired to find the lost heir to a family fortune and falls in love with him. {He is a born-again Christian and only gets to brush her cheek with his lips). He returns to the family mansion, in which live his three brothers, a sister-in-law and sundry servants (no butler) and gets murdered. So then you have a classic country house mystery in good old Agatha Christie style.
We learn a lot about the gravel and asphalt business and there are some wonerful bits of prose such as " I could hear the clank of metal, the high whine of shifting gears as a wheel loader grumbled across flat ground as barren as a moonscape" (but sometimes she gets a bit too fancy. Cabbages are cruciferous not cruciform)
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Summary: M is for My thoughts
Review: So here goes. While some would say you should read Sue Grafton's alphabet series in order. My thoughts are M is for Malice can stand on it's on. It's the typical rich heir who thinks he has been disowned, then finds out through some mix up that he hasn't been disowned, he just hopes to be welcomed back into the family. Not much chance of that happening though because you have to throw in the typical murder victim with the female private eye, her lawyer friend & police trying to solve the case. Throw in a little suspense, a few twist & turns read by a good reader and you get a fair book. At least these are my thoughts on M for Malice
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Summary: What a mess!
Review: Kinsey meets a soap opera family in this book. Kinsey is hired to find one of four brothers so that the rest can inherit their precious fortune. When she finds him it is like opening up Pandora's box. What a mess! Afterwards Kinsey is sorry she found the brother and understands why he was "missing".(BTW: Dietz is back!)
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Summary: Don't Start This Series With this Book!
Review: I have to say that I am very disappointed in M. I have loved the series so far but I have picked up and put down this book at least 15 times. With the others, I barely stopped reading long enough to run to the bathroom!! The characters lack depth, the most interesting character gets murdered, and quite honestly, the other characters are so ..., I didn't even care who did it. Overall, great series, poor book.
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Summary: "KINSEY, YES----DIETZ, NO
Review: Give me Kinsey but without Dietz. I know the sex angle should not bother me if I read mysteries but it does. I really wish Grafton would not use it as much. But, who am I to say, I could not write anything. Just like to read. Kinsey was her usual wise acre self. She went though the Malek family pretty good. The killer was a surprise in the end. A good read if you like fast paced mysteries. Kinsey is a good PI. I wonder if Grafton sees herself in Kinsey's place?????
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