Reviews

J Is For Judgment by Sue Grafton

rebelbelle13's review

3.0

All of Grafton's books are starting to blend together. This one didn't do much for me, and I will most likely forget most of the plot by tomorrow. The lull in the middle was rough to get through where she was grasping at straws trying to move forward in the case. I didn't like the cliffhanger at the end- but maybe she'll come back to it in a later novel? Or that person may come back? It seems to me that Kinsey's character was completely unnecessary in the story. Nothing that she did changed the outcome, and the outcome rendered her useless to begin with. This was better than H, but not as good as some of her previous works, B and E being my favorites to date. Was it smart for Grafton to introduce Kinsey's extended family? The jury's still out on that.

catie_cat's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

hannahleoni's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

holl3640's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

michael5000's review against another edition

4.0

One of the better entries in this likeable detective series. The ending is... well, not "subtle" exactly, but interesting.

stephshoff88's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

kdaedwards's review against another edition

4.0

Sometime in the last few books, the plots have become more complicated and twisty; I really enjoy that.

lakecake's review against another edition

4.0

Love Kinsey, love this series. This entry offers a personal twist, in that Kinsey is visited by some relatives. I love how it's not all wrapped up at the end--it's left to hang, Kinsey has some concerns and questions and she flip-flops through the entire book about what to do with the revelation that she's not actually alone in the world. You can wrap up mysteries in one book--after all, that's the point--but personal drama in a series should never finish cleanly. In real life, it never does.

orygunn's review against another edition

4.0

This was a pretty good one, although I can always use more Henry. Interesting that Grafton opened up more about Kinsey's history in this book, I think it will add an interesting dynamic as the books go forward.

kricketa's review against another edition

3.0

in which kinsey visits mexico on the lookout for wendell jaffe, a ponzi schemer who staged his own suicide before leaving the country.

the thing that struck me yet again is that, for a self-alleged misanthrope, kinsey is really good at getting people to talk to her and trust her. she's constantly showing up unannounced at people's homes demanding information and they all invite her in for coffee and a chat, and allow her to come back even after she pisses them off. i know that this stuff makes the investigations work in the plot (dialogue with people face to face is much more interesting that reading transcripts of phone calls), but it's not that realistic.

not that i'm reading these because they're realistic or anything.