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onecountrygal87's review against another edition
5.0
This book was very exciting to read in the sense that you got a real feel for the author Sue Grafton as well as the main character Kinsey Millhone. I very much enjoyed the short stories both of "Kinsey" & of "Me". I read this for my "A Book Of Short Stories" book for the Reading Challenge 2015! :)
cafo6's review against another edition
5.0
The first half was light reading, little tales of Kinsey Milhone whodunit and tremendous fun. I read the second half at the tale end of a trip to move my mother from my childhood home to independent living and found myself gasping out repressed grief as I read her words. My mother has a chance to redo her life, to start over, but the ruination of that home and the memories within hurts just the same. Thank you, Sue Grafton for your unflinching gaze into the backwards relationship that can occur between a mother and a daughter, when the daughter has always been stronger.
francica's review against another edition
1.0
This book was a short story collection. While the stories were written well they were in my opinion too predictable. This is certainly not a favorite of mine.
jcbmathcat's review against another edition
3.0
Our mystery book club read this last month. I stopped reading the Sue Grafton "alphabet series" somewhere near the letter "J" and thought the short stories would be interesting.
The first group of stories involve Kinsey Millhone and are clever. Grafton writes a preface to these stories that involves the difficulties of penning short stories around murders. That was a nice set up prior to reading the stories themselves.
Following these, Grafton writes about her childhood and growing up with alcoholic parents. She is open about her experience, and this leads into a series of stories about Kit Blue, a child/young woman and her thoughts on growing up. These stories were written about ten years after the death of Grafton's mother. Kit is a younger version of Grafton.
Even if you don't read the Kinsey Millhone series, this book is fine as a stand alone.
The first group of stories involve Kinsey Millhone and are clever. Grafton writes a preface to these stories that involves the difficulties of penning short stories around murders. That was a nice set up prior to reading the stories themselves.
Following these, Grafton writes about her childhood and growing up with alcoholic parents. She is open about her experience, and this leads into a series of stories about Kit Blue, a child/young woman and her thoughts on growing up. These stories were written about ten years after the death of Grafton's mother. Kit is a younger version of Grafton.
Even if you don't read the Kinsey Millhone series, this book is fine as a stand alone.
tracyt223's review against another edition
4.0
I have been missing Kinsey Milhone, and really enjoyed reconnecting with her in the short stories in the first part of this book. Part 2 was such a raw and personal looks into Ms. Grafton's own life. I was surprised to learn of her family dysfunction, and was amazed with her true telling of the events surrounding her Mother's death. I feel I have gotten to know her now, and this will give new light to the Kinsey stories. Thanks to Sue for sharing such personal stories and insights. I am looking forward to the next Alphabet installment, hopefully soon!!!
polywogg's review against another edition
3.0
BOTTOM-LINE:
Kinsey is okay, Kit works well as a collection.
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
The book is a collection of two sets of stories -- the first set are Kinsey Millhone series set throughout the Alphabet series in time; the second set are general shortstories.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
"The first part, with Kinsey Millhone, includes an introduction about how she created Kinsey (4/5), nine shortstories, and a conclusion about the history of the genre of the hard-boiled PI (3/5). The shortstories are fun to read, but there isn't much ""Kinsey"" in them. Too little time to dwell, mostly focused on ""wham bam, here's a clue, here's a solution"". One I rate at 4/5, five more at 3/5, and another three that aren't very good at all.
- Between the Sheets -- great opening where woman shows up to confess to murder she hasn't reported yet, and when she goes back, the body is gone (3/5);
- Long Gone -- missing wife, lots of kids, clues are pretty obvious (3/5);
- The Parker Shotgun -- cool premise, quick solution, fair with the clues (4/5);
- Non Sung Smoke -- Find a one-night stand, have him get killed, throw in some drugs (3/5);
- Full Circle -- Cute ending to a simple case of who killed a young woman in a horrific car accident that Kinsey witnessed (3/5); and,
- A Little Missionary Work -- Two celebrities ask for Kinsey's help with a fake kidnapping, but Kinsey reverses the con in the end (3/5).
.
The second part includes an introduction about Grafton's not-so-idyllic early life, and how ""Kit Blue"" is a younger version of herself (3/5). The remaining thirteen stories work quite well as a collection of slices of Kit's life, although individually I rate one as 5/5, five as 4/5, and three as 3/5, with another four below the line:
- That's Not An Easy Way To Go -- Kit realizing she's become the mother to her alcoholic mother (4/5);
- Lost People -- Kit reflecting on her alcoholic parents, displaced from their own lives (3/5);
- Clue -- Slice of life with mother visiting and Kit's relief when she leaves (3/5);
- Night Visit, Corridor A -- Kit visiting mother in hospital (4/5);
- April 24, 1960 -- Kit dealing with news of her mother's death on Kit's birthday, and being irritated by her husband trying to comfort her (4/5);
- The Closet -- Kit cleaning out her mother's closet after she's gone and trying to figure out what it represents, if anything (4/5);
- Maple Hill -- Kit walking through an empty house saying goodbye to all of it (5/5);
- Jessie -- a housewoman talking about Kit's mother (4/5); and,
- A Letter From My Father -- Kit reading a letter and sharing her own views of their life together (3/5)."
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
"Three of the Kinsey stories aren't great:
- Falling Off The Roof -- A mystery book club with murder on its mind (1/5);
- A Poison That Leaves No Trace -- Quick case of a dead sister looking to know if her niece killed her mother (2/5); and,
- The Lying Game -- old trope about a liar and a truthteller, you can only ask one question (1/5).
.
Four of the Kit Blue slices don't stand alone very well:
- A Woman Capable of Anything -- Kit Blue watching a sleeping alcoholic mother (1/5);
- A Portable Life -- Kit coming to terms with the past being destroyed (1/5);
- The Quarrel -- Kit listening to her father explain his new wife's behaviour (2/5); and,
- Death Review -- Kit's working in a hospital as a medical secretary, spotting glimpses of her mom in the other patients (2/5)."
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
Kinsey is okay, Kit works well as a collection.
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
The book is a collection of two sets of stories -- the first set are Kinsey Millhone series set throughout the Alphabet series in time; the second set are general shortstories.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
"The first part, with Kinsey Millhone, includes an introduction about how she created Kinsey (4/5), nine shortstories, and a conclusion about the history of the genre of the hard-boiled PI (3/5). The shortstories are fun to read, but there isn't much ""Kinsey"" in them. Too little time to dwell, mostly focused on ""wham bam, here's a clue, here's a solution"". One I rate at 4/5, five more at 3/5, and another three that aren't very good at all.
- Between the Sheets -- great opening where woman shows up to confess to murder she hasn't reported yet, and when she goes back, the body is gone (3/5);
- Long Gone -- missing wife, lots of kids, clues are pretty obvious (3/5);
- The Parker Shotgun -- cool premise, quick solution, fair with the clues (4/5);
- Non Sung Smoke -- Find a one-night stand, have him get killed, throw in some drugs (3/5);
- Full Circle -- Cute ending to a simple case of who killed a young woman in a horrific car accident that Kinsey witnessed (3/5); and,
- A Little Missionary Work -- Two celebrities ask for Kinsey's help with a fake kidnapping, but Kinsey reverses the con in the end (3/5).
.
The second part includes an introduction about Grafton's not-so-idyllic early life, and how ""Kit Blue"" is a younger version of herself (3/5). The remaining thirteen stories work quite well as a collection of slices of Kit's life, although individually I rate one as 5/5, five as 4/5, and three as 3/5, with another four below the line:
- That's Not An Easy Way To Go -- Kit realizing she's become the mother to her alcoholic mother (4/5);
- Lost People -- Kit reflecting on her alcoholic parents, displaced from their own lives (3/5);
- Clue -- Slice of life with mother visiting and Kit's relief when she leaves (3/5);
- Night Visit, Corridor A -- Kit visiting mother in hospital (4/5);
- April 24, 1960 -- Kit dealing with news of her mother's death on Kit's birthday, and being irritated by her husband trying to comfort her (4/5);
- The Closet -- Kit cleaning out her mother's closet after she's gone and trying to figure out what it represents, if anything (4/5);
- Maple Hill -- Kit walking through an empty house saying goodbye to all of it (5/5);
- Jessie -- a housewoman talking about Kit's mother (4/5); and,
- A Letter From My Father -- Kit reading a letter and sharing her own views of their life together (3/5)."
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
"Three of the Kinsey stories aren't great:
- Falling Off The Roof -- A mystery book club with murder on its mind (1/5);
- A Poison That Leaves No Trace -- Quick case of a dead sister looking to know if her niece killed her mother (2/5); and,
- The Lying Game -- old trope about a liar and a truthteller, you can only ask one question (1/5).
.
Four of the Kit Blue slices don't stand alone very well:
- A Woman Capable of Anything -- Kit Blue watching a sleeping alcoholic mother (1/5);
- A Portable Life -- Kit coming to terms with the past being destroyed (1/5);
- The Quarrel -- Kit listening to her father explain his new wife's behaviour (2/5); and,
- Death Review -- Kit's working in a hospital as a medical secretary, spotting glimpses of her mom in the other patients (2/5)."
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
astuenkel's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed some of the Kinsey short stories in the beginning. Some were a little too much like Hercule Poirot for my taste. The short stories based on her life were very good. Haunting.