Thursday, August 20, 2009

G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton ** 1/2

In G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton, private investigator Kinsey Millhone finds herself on a hired killer's short list and puzzling over the mystery of a crazy old lady's ravings of murders decades in the past. Eventually, after traveling across the Southern California deserts and through caches of old documents and microfilm at the Santa Teresa library, newspaper, and city hall, the persistent Kinsey Millhone unravels this mystery. The romantic interest is Robert Dietz, a soon-to-be-retired PI, brought in to protect Kinsey from the killer. Together, the two PIs defend themselves from a psychopathic killer who has his 5-year-old son accompany him on hits. They also take advantage of the communal quarters required by his bodyguard assignment.

On the positive side, G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton delivers two stories (murder mystery with the old lady, romance with a hired killer thrown in for free) for the price of one. On the other hand, neither of these stories benefits from the distraction of the other. If you're a Sue Grafton fan, you've already read this 1990 offering. If not, I'd recommend starting the series some place closer to the end of the alphabet when the series matured, such as: A Book for Today: T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

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