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Title: O is for Outlaw
Author: Sue Grafton
Genre: Mystery (PI)
Thingummies: 3
Synopsis: Kinsey Millhone spends her time solving other people's mysteries and trying to avoid entanglements. But when she discovers that her ex-husband is in trouble--and that the end of their relationship may have been more complicated than she had thought--she finds herself pulled into trying to solve a cold case from her own past.
Thoughts: Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries are a pretty solid, entertaining series. The titles have long ceased to have anything to do with the story and merely serve as a way to keep the order straight and remember if this is before or after Kinsey's house blew up. (Although you can usually tell that a minor character is going to turn out to be important when their name begins with the letter of the title. It's like spotting the famous person in a Law and Order episode.) Kinsey herself is so very different from me that I sometimes find being embedded in her viewpoint a little disorienting--she's rather antisocial, really uncomfortable with keeping up physical appearances, and flees from any contact with her extended family. But she's likeable, and her voice is engaging if strange to me.
This particular book is rather more Kinsey-backstory heavy than most. Given that she often tries to avoid thinking much about her past, it's a risky decision that pleases those who are interested in more info on Kinsey herself but risks alienating those who are more looking for a standalone story (which the majority of these books function as).
As always, the workmanship here is solid. Good pacing, some interesting characters (although not as hysterical--and I mean that in both senses--as those in, say, the Stephanie Plum novels). There turn out to be a couple different mysteries, which lead to some interesting red herrings that turn out to merely be clues to a different mystery entirely.
My big complaint is about one of those red herrings. A lot of time is spent developing Kinsey's relationship with some people who seem to have some clues, but don't go anywhere. Of course mysteries should have some misdirection. But given how much time we spend with these people, I was really expecting more of a pay off. They're just dropped and forgotten about entirely.
I'm also less than satisfied with the resolution (or lack thereof) of Kinsey and her ex's relationship. It's realistic, I suppose, but disappointing.
And I'm afraid that's always been my complaint with Grafton--she tends to write two page denouements at the end of the story that quickly wrap up all the loose ends, but in a really unsatisfactory way. I still really like her writing overall, but there's always that hint of disappointment at the very end.
Author: Sue Grafton
Genre: Mystery (PI)
Thingummies: 3
Synopsis: Kinsey Millhone spends her time solving other people's mysteries and trying to avoid entanglements. But when she discovers that her ex-husband is in trouble--and that the end of their relationship may have been more complicated than she had thought--she finds herself pulled into trying to solve a cold case from her own past.
Thoughts: Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries are a pretty solid, entertaining series. The titles have long ceased to have anything to do with the story and merely serve as a way to keep the order straight and remember if this is before or after Kinsey's house blew up. (Although you can usually tell that a minor character is going to turn out to be important when their name begins with the letter of the title. It's like spotting the famous person in a Law and Order episode.) Kinsey herself is so very different from me that I sometimes find being embedded in her viewpoint a little disorienting--she's rather antisocial, really uncomfortable with keeping up physical appearances, and flees from any contact with her extended family. But she's likeable, and her voice is engaging if strange to me.
This particular book is rather more Kinsey-backstory heavy than most. Given that she often tries to avoid thinking much about her past, it's a risky decision that pleases those who are interested in more info on Kinsey herself but risks alienating those who are more looking for a standalone story (which the majority of these books function as).
As always, the workmanship here is solid. Good pacing, some interesting characters (although not as hysterical--and I mean that in both senses--as those in, say, the Stephanie Plum novels). There turn out to be a couple different mysteries, which lead to some interesting red herrings that turn out to merely be clues to a different mystery entirely.
My big complaint is about one of those red herrings. A lot of time is spent developing Kinsey's relationship with some people who seem to have some clues, but don't go anywhere. Of course mysteries should have some misdirection. But given how much time we spend with these people, I was really expecting more of a pay off. They're just dropped and forgotten about entirely.
I'm also less than satisfied with the resolution (or lack thereof) of Kinsey and her ex's relationship. It's realistic, I suppose, but disappointing.
And I'm afraid that's always been my complaint with Grafton--she tends to write two page denouements at the end of the story that quickly wrap up all the loose ends, but in a really unsatisfactory way. I still really like her writing overall, but there's always that hint of disappointment at the very end.
