Let me take this Crime Fiction Alphabetopportunity to remind you what a good writer Sue Grafton is.
Q is for QUARRY is #17 in Grafton's alphabet series. This year will see the publication of V is for VENGEANCE. For some years we talked about whether she would ever get to Z is for.. but I have high hopes that she will. Grafton is only 71.
My mini-review
Con Dolan and Stacey Oliphant are reaching the end of long careers in law enforcement and are keen to solve a case of a "Jane Doe" that has gone unsolved for 18 years. Stacey is fighting cancer and Con has a dodgy heart and both friends think the other needs something to focus on. They were the two men who found the body of a young girl, bound, stabbed and dumped. No-one ever claimed the body even after months of investigation. Con approaches Kinsey Millhone to work freelance with them on the investigation. Con belives the guilty party is one Frankie Miracle, already convicted for the murder of his girl friend. This is #17 Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series. This is quite a long book and I must confess that, towards the end, I was in danger of losing track of what the original investigation was about, especially after the murder of one of those Kinsey had interviewed. Sue Grafton based this on the real unsolved homicide case that happened in Santa Barbara in 1969. My rating: 4.2
The series
1. A is for Alibi (1982)
2. B Is for Burglar (1985)
3. C Is for Corpse (1986)
4. D Is for Deadbeat (1987)
5. E Is for Evidence (1988)
6. F Is for Fugitive (1989)
7. G Is for Gumshoe (1990)
8. H Is for Homicide (1991)
9. I Is for Innocent (1992)
10. J Is for Judgement (1993)
11. K Is for Killer (1994)
12. L Is for Lawless (1995)
13. M Is for Malice (1996)
14. N Is for Noose (1998)
15. O Is for Outlaw (1999)
16. P Is for Peril (2000)
17. Q Is For Quarry (2002)
18. R Is for Ricochet (2004)
19. S Is for Silence (2005)
20. T Is for Trespass (2007)
21. U Is for Undertow (2009)
22. V Is For Vengeance (2011)
Sue Grafton's website is worth a look.
Kerrie - Thanks for reminding me of this one. I'd heard about that real-life case and meant to read this, too, and somehow it slipped off my radar. That's one thing I love about this meme. I'm always learning about or being reminded of books I should read....
ReplyDeleteOh, well, the title says it all, Kerrie. I've never read these books, but I have a great friend who listens to them when when she travels and loves them. I'm going to have to take a look one of these days when I whittle my TBR mountain down a bit.
ReplyDeleteReading Sue Grafton while leading a busy, hectic life is a breath of fresh air, of relaxation and distraction into Kinsey Millhone's world.
ReplyDeleteA mention that I just finished "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter," which got an excellent review here. I concur. What a book!
It shows that there are "literary" mysteries, which talk about human relationships and put the readers in the locations. You think that you are there with the main characters.
I actually cried reading this book, a very infrequent occurrence while reading mysteries.
Hope Tom Franklin has a long, successful writing career. I could read books like this every day.