A is for Alibi - Sue Grafton

Description - Author Sue Grafton - Genre Crime/Thriller


I have read quite a lit of the alphabet books (the series starts with "A is for Alibi", then moves on to "B is for Burglary" etc) by Sue Grafton now and must admit that I find them easy to read, well paced and fun. They are not the most gruesome, or the cleverest crime/thriller available, but in a way, I quite like this as it makes them light reading which is sure to entertain every time.

You would be forgiven for thinking that any series with 26 books in it would struggle to hold the readers interest, but in fact, I have not found this to be the case at all. The books follow the main character over periods of time instead of remaining stuck in the same moment so each one feels like a logical follow on from the last.

This book introduces us to Kinsey Millhone, a female private detective. Kinsey is stubborn, willfull and imaginative, and a lead character that endears and amuses the reader.

The plot centres around the killing of a divorce attorney who was murdered, the police believe that his wife Nikki was responsible and she serves 8 years in prison for the offence. Upon her release on parole, she hires Kinsey to set about proving her innocence.

As Kinsey begins to investigate, more facts become evident, and suddenly, things do not seem as clear cut as they had 8 years ago.

The story is well paced and interesting, with several twists and turns to confuse the reader. The conclusion is believable and the characters likeable. The book wasn't the most intriguing crime fiction that you can select, but if you are looking for a relatively light read which is packed full of humour then you can do a lot worse than buy this novel.

Of course, it makes sense to begin the series at the beginning, but don't worry if you can't, it is easy to pick things up whichever letter you start with! You might find that reading one book leaves yo uhooked and wanting more though, so in that case, this one is definitely worth reading!