Mystery/Crime

Background

Published in August 2019, “The Turn of the Key” is a suspense novel about a nanny’s new job and how it went so very wrong.

My Thoughts

Really, suspense isn’t my genre of books but I enjoyed it none-the-less. It was well written and kept my attention. I felt like the subject matter was forced at times and the ending didn’t make any sense at all. In fairness, it didn’t see it coming… I had a hard time identifying with the characters though there is always something about being set in Scotland which makes me happy.

Recommendation

I won’t be reading it again but it wasn’t bad.

Background

Published in October of 2019. “A Minute to Midnight” is book 2 of the Atlee Pine series written by David Baldacci that follows Atlee Pine as she investigates a gruesome crime in her hometown of Andersonville, Georgia. Atlee’s twin sister was abducted from Andersonville over 30 years ago, and the investigation into her disappearance was mishandled by the local police. Now, Atlee returns to the town to confront her demons and find out the truth about her sister’s disappearance. As she delves deeper into the investigation, she discovers that the crime she is investigating is just the tip of the iceberg and that her own life may be in danger.

My Thoughts

While I enjoyed David Baldacci’s other characters, I don’t really like Atlee Pine. She is all about herself. Rude, whiney, and self-centered, yet somehow everyone loves her. The only possible reason is she is tall and pretty. Not the best role model.

Recommendation

I’d skip this series.

Background

Published in 2019, John Grisham tells this story about a young lawyer killed at his desk in Florida. There is no likely killer but the public looks to a young black man.

My Thoughts

I’m writing this 2 years after the fact and I remember it being well written and a gripping story.

Recommendation

They are making a movie now so you should read it before seeing the movie.

Background

Published in 2013, W is for Wasted is the 23rd book of the Kinsey Millhone series. Kinsey’s name shows up on a piece of paper found in the hand of a homeless man found dead on the beach. Was he looking for a private investigator or was he her long lost cousin who was accidentally killed by a rouge experiment and left hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kinsey because he was ticked off at his kids? You’ll have to read to decide…

My thoughts

It took me a while to get into this one. I actually read the next book “X” before this one so I knew how a couple of things turned out but it was still enjoyable.

Recommendation

Not the best but I’ve certainly read worse.

Background

X” is the twenty-fourth novel in the “Alphabet” series of mystery novels by Sue Grafton. It features Kinsey Millhone, a private detective based in the fictional “Santa Teresa” California. The story takes place in the late 1980s and starts by Kinsey being hired for a simple job. One thing after another happen and soon she is hot on the heels of a rapidly expanding mystery.

My Thoughts

This book had a subplot going about Kinsey’s next door neighbors who weren’t so neighborly. Yet again Sue Grafton reminds us to keep our eyes out for folks who don’t have our best interests at heart.

I enjoyed the book though. It brought to mind a number of things about living out in the West. For example, it talked about water conservation which I hadn’t had to deal with for some time now that I live on the East coast. I was talking to my wife about it and it’s hard to understand if you haven’t lived it.

Recommendation

It was ok. Not thrilling but ok.

Background

Published in 2008, “V” Is for Vengeance is the 22nd novel in Sue Grafton’s “Alphabet” series of mystery novels. Private eye Millhone is out shopping and notices someone stealing. Little did she know that action would bring her into advising the local mob boss and ending his career.

My Thoughts

This book went a little bit out of the scope of the norm for Ms. Grafton. I think she did a great job.

Recommendation

I really enjoyed this one. I doubt it ranks up there in the likely catagory but I enjoyed it as a story.

Background

“U” Is for Undertow is the 21st novel in the “Alphabet” series of mystery novels by Sue Grafton. Kinsey Millhone is a female private eye who is hired by a young man who no one believes to investigate something he can only barely remember. However, it starts her down a path with some interested twists and turns.

My Thoughts

Much like the others, the reader has to suspend some disbelief to enjoy the book. The bad guys weren’t that bad. They went over the top on a few details and then missed the obvious.

Recommendation

Not a bad read but not really a good one either.

Background

Published in 2018, the Atlee Pine book of “Long Road to Mercy” spins the tale of an ex-olympic hopeful turned FBI agent in a small town in the West. She is goaded forth by the trauma of her sister “Mercy” being killed in front of her as a child. The story takes a turn when she stumbles on to something much bigger than her usual small town problems.

My Thoughts

I listened to this in audio format so the memory I have was the terrible pronunciation of the city of Tuscon. I don’t know if the reader thought it was French or what but it was pretty epic.

I really enjoy a David Baldacci novel. However, I didn’t like this one so much. The female Rambo was a little too over the top this time. (Odd as I only have a slight issue with his male characters.) It likely says more about me than anything else.

Recommendation

I would skip this one.

Background

The 20th novel in the Kinsey Minhone Series, T is for Trespass was published in 2007 but is still set in the 1980s. This time Kinsey’s grouchy neighbor becomes the victim of a sociopathic nurse who isn’t use to a nosy neighbor.

My Thoughts

This was a little darker than the traditional Sue Grafton novel. She exposes just how easy it is to take advantage of trusting folks and makes the reader think a little bit about the people around them.

Recommendation

If you liked the others, you’ll like this one

Background

Published in 2005, S is for Silence is all about our now favorite female gumshoe, Kinsey Millhone. This time around the story jumps back and forth from the present to the past and works it’s way to the resolution of the mystery.

My Thoughts

I don’t know how accurate the depictions were but I found the comparisons of our people treated a “loose” woman in both the 50s and the 80s to be pretty interesting. It’s even more so to look back with the historical revisionism of today.

Recommendation

It wasn’t a bad story and kept me entertained.