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tesseahogan's review against another edition
3.0
I was super excited to read this book due to the amazing things I had heard about Grafton's Alphabet series. However, I was left disappointed by both the plot and the writing. I felt the ending was expected and found myself skimming over the last few chapters. A good mystery but nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat.
mpeace95's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
applegnreads's review against another edition
3.0
I actually read these a long time ago. I can't believe I remembered who the bad guy was going to be from the beginning of the book. Hmm.
pam2375's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to this while I was on a drive to visit my mom on Friday. It was a very nice distraction and I will definitely continue with the series when I need some light entertainment.
spiringvenus's review against another edition
2.0
Read this for my annual book challenge. I liked it, but I don’t think I’ll continue the series.
Things I liked:
Things I liked:
- Listening to the old technology in the book made me chuckle. Who has an answering service anymore?
- Kinsey exercises, but doesn’t overly enjoy it. I can relate to that.
- The pace picked up in the last 25% and it was more enjoyable.
Things I didn’t like:
- I was not ok with her leaving a dead body.
- I was annoyed by all the driving back and forth. It was difficult to keep track of who was where.
- I got bogged down by the details of what wine people were drinking and who ordered the chef salad.
- The first 75% was pretty boring.
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I kept comparing this book to Janet Evanovich's books and it just didn't come close to measuring up. It kind of reminded me of Dragnet. I thought it was pretty good though, with a surprising ending.
sereneaxios's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. It was an okay read but I wish we had heard the killer's motives directly from them instead of through what Kinsey assumed/discovered. This book spent a lot of time describing houses and bars and neighborhoods. Some of that time could have been spent putting more into the actual story. Also there are MANY typos
poirot0606's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
nm_young's review against another edition
3.0
⭐⭐⭐
This book is good and worth reading. I enjoyed it but it felt a little lacking. I may recommend it to a certain audience. It gave me mixed feelings, possibly with potential it didn’t quite live up to. It’s a good experience, not amazing, but not bad.
This book is good and worth reading. I enjoyed it but it felt a little lacking. I may recommend it to a certain audience. It gave me mixed feelings, possibly with potential it didn’t quite live up to. It’s a good experience, not amazing, but not bad.
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook performed by Mary Peiffer
Book #1 in the Kinsey Millhone series. Kinsey is a private investigator who is asked to look into an old murder case – by the woman convicted of poisoning her unfaithful husband. Nikki Fife has served her time but she swears she was innocent and wants to know who DID kill her husband. As Kinsey begins looking into the old case she discovers that a young accountant who did the law firm’s books also died shortly after Nikki’s husband – and of the same poison. The more details she uncovers, the less they seem to fit together, and possible witnesses begin to die.
This is a fast-paced mystery thriller with plenty of twists and turns and multiple suspects to keep the reader busy. Kinsey is a wonderful lead character – something of a loner, twice divorced no kids, no pets, working hard and working smart. She’s resourceful, tenacious, and intelligent and can take care of herself. I like that the book is set in an era before wide-spread use of computers, and without cell phones. This requires Kinsey to investigate the old-fashioned way (does anyone else remember using a reverse directory?).
The book is very atmospheric. Grafton describes the Southern California landscape clearly and succinctly, giving the reader a good sense of the terrain. I also like the way she describes the various characters; I got a very clear picture of each of them.
Mary Peiffer performs the audiobook at a good pace. She does not use many different voices for the various characters, but that wasn’t too problematic. Grafton’s dialogue makes it clear who is speaking and I was never confused.
I’ve read this book before – decades ago. I didn’t remember anything about it other than that I liked the central character. I think I’ll have to continue reading the series again.
Book #1 in the Kinsey Millhone series. Kinsey is a private investigator who is asked to look into an old murder case – by the woman convicted of poisoning her unfaithful husband. Nikki Fife has served her time but she swears she was innocent and wants to know who DID kill her husband. As Kinsey begins looking into the old case she discovers that a young accountant who did the law firm’s books also died shortly after Nikki’s husband – and of the same poison. The more details she uncovers, the less they seem to fit together, and possible witnesses begin to die.
This is a fast-paced mystery thriller with plenty of twists and turns and multiple suspects to keep the reader busy. Kinsey is a wonderful lead character – something of a loner, twice divorced no kids, no pets, working hard and working smart. She’s resourceful, tenacious, and intelligent and can take care of herself. I like that the book is set in an era before wide-spread use of computers, and without cell phones. This requires Kinsey to investigate the old-fashioned way (does anyone else remember using a reverse directory?).
The book is very atmospheric. Grafton describes the Southern California landscape clearly and succinctly, giving the reader a good sense of the terrain. I also like the way she describes the various characters; I got a very clear picture of each of them.
Mary Peiffer performs the audiobook at a good pace. She does not use many different voices for the various characters, but that wasn’t too problematic. Grafton’s dialogue makes it clear who is speaking and I was never confused.
I’ve read this book before – decades ago. I didn’t remember anything about it other than that I liked the central character. I think I’ll have to continue reading the series again.