Grafton is Great. She does have human moments and makes mistakes. A gay, cross-dressing detective? When Laurence Fife was murdered, few mourned his passing. I am maybe 25% into this and it seems really slo-o-o-o-w. The first book in the Kinsey Millhone series. She's a twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments but with a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! "A" Is for Alibi is the first novel in the Kinsey Millhone series by crime writer Sue Grafton. In the course of the investigation, Kinsey becomes involved with Charlie Scorsoni, the late Mr. Fife's former law partner. But the police thought his wife Nikki–with motive, access and opportunity–was the #1 suspect. [1], The novel's style typical hardboiled detective fiction, according to the authors of 'G' is for Grafton, who describe it as "laconic, breezy, wise-cracking". When Laurence Fife was murdered, few mourned his passing. She's a twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments but with a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. .When Laurence Fife was murdered, few cared. PI Kinsey Milhone 32, in a pretty California town, gets her first case. I have just started this series, but I really enjoyed this book. I needed a brain-break, so I thought I'd reread a few of Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she said the strongest influence on her crime novels was author Ross Macdonald. I began reading the 'alphabet 'series written by Sue Grafton when the first book, 'A is for Alibi' featuring private detective Kinsey Millhone, was published in 1982. The woman wants to know what really happened. [1] The New York Times gave the book a lukewarm review. “A” Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton is the 1st book in her highly acclaimed Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries series.Go all the way back to the beginning with David Cranmer's review! A is for Alibi is the first book in Sue Grafton's alphabet mystery series, Kinsey Millhone a 32-year-old Private Investigator living in California. A is for Alibi: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery Audible Audiobook – Unabridged Sue Grafton (Author), Mary Peiffer (Narrator), Books on Tape (Publisher) 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,558 ratings See all formats and editions I have been wanting to start this series for a long time. As a whole, though, I love this series. Currently, we are up to the letter V. So, I'm pretty far behind. "A" is for alibi This edition was published in 1982 by Bantam Books in New York, N.Y. It was entertaining in a mundane way. Kinsey hides in the shore line, and she is forced to remove her shoes and pants. She wrote the book during a divorce and admits about her husband that she "would lie in bed at night thinking of ways to kill him". And yeah I figured I would use improper grammar and discreetly reference KINSEY AND ME: STORIES which I haven’t yet read and I may never get to based on my current TBR shelf and future book endeavors. Kinsey Millhone, 32, private detective investigates the death of prominent divorce lawyer Laurence Fife. Would you indulge me in some California dreaming? A prominent divorce attorney with a reputation for single-minded ruthlessness on behalf of his clients, Fife was also rumored to be a dedicated philanderer. [6] They look forward to the rest of the Alphabet Series, "fine dialogue, a great eye for people and places", if the author can tighten up her plots. Though I love the series, the first book did have some issues. Alas, LJ's reviewer was equally unenthusiastic in an April 1, 1982, review, waving the book aside as "nothing to take it out of the ordinary. I think the series gets better with each book. Kinsey Millhone is a single female working as a private investigator in Santa Theresa, California. This is the first in the Alphabet mystery series, by Sue Grafton. These are short books, quick reads. My overall impression which did not change even as I finished is the mirror reflection of a typical PI murder mystery, with gender reversed. I went through an interesting series of feelings about this book. About A Is for Alibi. It doesn't feel dated though. Get online A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) today at novel80.com A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. Publication date 2005 Topics Fiction, Fiction - Mystery/ Detective, Mystery/Suspense, Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled, Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Millhone, … This novel is over 35 years old and it does show its age, but it doesn’t take away from it. At any rate, A is what got them all started, and it's a corker of a story. November 1st 2005 B is for Burglar won both the Anthony and the Shamus awards for best novel of 1985, and C is for Corpse won the Anthony Award for Best Novel in 1986. Being an older book, there are no computers, cell phones, and people still drank white wine at lunch, and a few references to typewriters etc. She accuses Gwen, who confesses. (My *favorite* alteration is that Mission Street become Missile Street!) In 1982 novelist Sue Grafton kicked off her Kinsey Millhone series of “alphabet” mysteries with A is for Alibi. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. A is for Alibi is the first book in Sue Grafton's alphabet mystery series, Kinsey Millhone a 32-year-old Private Investigator living in California. Or will I love them as much as the first time I read them? She comes across as a fantastic author with a sense of humor and relates much to the public. "A" Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton, published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1982, is the first mystery novel in the author's "Alphabet" series. This book reads a little like an hard boiled detective novel, but not over the top. While the book was acceptable/average in terms of its overall plot, development, and color, my enjoyment of the novel came from the fact that until the last half of the book (when the protagonist - a female detective - sleeps with a man she is investigating) I hadn't realized that the main character was a woman. I'm looking forward to the next one. Kinsey surmises that Gwen was having an affair with her ex-husband at the time of his death. Nothing to rant or rave about, which makes it eminently forgettable, yet still enjoyable enough. I read this book as part of an interdisciplinary course in law school entitled "Law in Literature." For some dumb reason, I've been reading Sue Grafton's wonderful alphabet mystery series out of order. Near fine, in near fine jacket. Plenty of people had reason to want him dead. If you are only reading for the mystery, I. If you’re looking for another piece of random trivia, the first printing was 7,500 copies, of which about 6,000 were sold. A slick divorce attorney with a reputation for ruthlessness, Fife was also rumoured to … A is for Alibi Quotes Showing 1-18 of 18 “Except for cases that clearly involve a homicidal maniac, the police like to believe murders are committed by those we know and love, and most of the time they're right - a chilling thought when you sit down to dinner with a family of five. Currently, we are up to the letter V. So, I'm pretty far behind. I have just started this series, but I really enjoyed this book. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published A prominent divorce attorney with a reputation for single-minded ruthlessness on behalf of his clients, Fife was also rumored to be a dedicated philanderer. As the main character is a private investagator the first half is a little slow in terms of digging up information and plodding along. Hopefully, I'll return to the series very soon. Would you indulge me in some California dreaming? I thought of myself as suitably progressive when the novel described the main characte. If you are only reading for the mystery, I guess the order wouldn't matter. The first three novels in Sue Grafton's bestselling Kinsey Millhone private investigator crime series: A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar and C is for Corpse. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer--and sharper--than she imagined. "A" Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton, published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1982, is the first mystery novel in the author's "Alphabet" series. A IS FOR ALIBI If there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. A IS FOR ALIBI If there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. "[7][8] Before those less enthusiastic words, they had said, "The female detective is well drawn and the plot moves at a fast clip". I'm a dialogue person, so after a couple of paragraphs of this type of thing with no dialogue I start to want to skip over stuff to get back to the story. I decided that since so much time has gone by since the series started.. 37 years... that I would make a kind of p. I began reading the 'alphabet 'series written by Sue Grafton when the first book, 'A is for Alibi' featuring private detective Kinsey Millhone, was published in 1982. Shortly afterwards, she too is dead, killed in a hit-and-run crash. In a final confrontation, he chases Kinsey across the beach, armed with a knife. A prominent divorce attorney with a reputation for single-minded ruthlessness on behalf of his clients, Fife was also rumored to be a dedicated philanderer. A is for Alibi: When Laurence Fife was murdered, few cared. Plenty of people in the picturesque Southern California town of Santa Teresa had a reason to want him dead. Kinsey is great fun, and fairly *real*. I'm looking forward to continuing with this series. When Nikki Fife appeared on her doorstep, Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone was surprised to see her. Kells, if you would, please click on "view spoiler". The reading by Judy Kaye was pretty good, too. This is the first in the Alphabet mystery series, by Sue Grafton. She wrote the book during a divorce and admits about her husband that she "would lie in bed at night thinking of ways to kill him". A IS FOR ACCUSED. [It is a sad state of affairs when I can say with great honesty that every single mystery I've read, if the sleuth is female, she ends up fucking the bad guy. Patricia63. A IS FOR AVENGER. [8], "W Is for Writers Conference; Sue Grafton Is Kinsey Millhone", "Sue Grafton, Whose Detective Novels Spanned the Alphabet, Dies at 77", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%22A%22_Is_for_Alibi&oldid=999995764, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 January 2021, at 00:36. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer—and sharper—than she imagined. Since I love mysteries and read so many, I read the first of Sue Grafton's series, A is for Alibi. Featuring sleuth Kinsey Millhone, it is set in the southern California city of Santa Teresa, the nom de plume for Santa Barbara. "Wow?! #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton (1940-2017) entered the mystery field in 1982 with the publication of 'A' Is for Alibi, which introduced female hard-boiled private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, operating out of the fictional town of Santa Teresa, (aka Santa Barbara) California, and launched the bestselling Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries. I'm curious to discover how these novels have held up to the passage of time. Well worth reading - and reading again! A slick divorce attorney with a reputation for ruthlessness, Fife was also rumoured to … Grafton based the story to some extent on her own 'fantasies' of murdering her then husband prior to divorce. "A" Is for Alibi … He died on January 1, 1982 at age 72, four months before 'A' is for Alibi was published.[6]. See all 6 questions about A is for Alibi…, 100 Mysteries and Thrillers to Read in a Lifetime: Readers' Picks, Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*, 1 - A Is For Alibi (Kinsy Millhone): Dec 13, A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton - VBC Aug 2019, A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone, #1) – Sue Grafton - 4 stars, Mary Peiffer narrator for Sue Grafton Books among others, The 100 Most Popular Mysteries and Thrillers on Goodreads. #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton (1940-2017) entered the mystery field in 1982 with the publication of 'A' Is for Alibi, which introduced female hard-boiled private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, operating out of the fictional town of Santa Teresa, (aka Santa Barbara) California, and launched the bestselling Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries. Start by marking “A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone, #1)” as Want to Read: Error rating book. by St. Martin's Press. The first printing of "A" Is for Alibi was 7,500 copies,[2] with initial sales of about 6,000. Sure, it's total pulp fiction, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. It's dated of course, set and written in the 1980s, at the forefront of PI novels with ballsy female protagonists. Before Scorsoni can kill her, she shoots him dead. Second, Kinsey Millhone is your prototypical (stereotypical?) At the time of Sue Grafton's death in December 2017, I had not yet read this book. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer—and sharper—than she imagined. Upon being released from prison, Nikki hires Kinsey to find the real murderer. I think at times the book's flow got a bit rough. Kinsey Millhone, the central character, is a thirty-two year old private detective in Santa Teresa, a … I have been wanting to start this series for a long time. Really surprised by how much I enjoyed this! 4.5 stars. Her first mystery, A is for Alibi, won an award from the Cloak and Clue Society of Wisconsin. Grafton based the story to some extent on her own 'fantasies' of murdering her then husband prior to divorce. A is for Alibi. Get the best deals for sue grafton a is for alibi at eBay.com. The woman wants to know what really happened. The book, A is for Alibi, by Sue Grafton is a murder mystery featuring private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, in her debut role. First edition. The case was a good one. It fits in easily as a straight up mystery/detective novels, but can also work in the cozy. Will you please tell me? Read A is for Alibi. All those potential killers passing their plates.” And Las Vegas Boulevard. Sorry wrong decade, but I was having a nostalgic Paul Simon moment, and I just couldn’t turn it down. And yeah I figured I would use improper grammar and discreetly reference KINSEY AND ME: STORIES which I haven’t yet read and I may never get to based on my current TBR shelf and future book endeavors. Kinsey has been hired by a woman recently released from prison for murdering her husband. EXCERPT: My name is Kinsey Millhone. I have just started this series, but I really enjoyed this book. Me and Kinsey on Santa Teresa Boulevard. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! It's not a perfect series, and I do wish that Grafton would either write more quickly or allow Kinsey to live life in between books so that we wouldn't be stuck in the '80s with these books, but it's a good read. At the time of Sue Grafton's death in December 2017, I had not yet read this book. The New York Times gave the book a lukewarm review. Grafton openly admits that she conceived the story from her own "fantasies" of murdering her husband while going through a divorce. First, the series is based in Santa Teresa, CA, a very thinly disguised Santa Barbara, which makes it great fun for anyone who's lived in SB. They are better in order as you learn more about the characters and relationships as the stories go along. A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton: a book discussion. Very enjoyable. Don't know how I managed to make it halfway through the book before that lightbulb clicked on, but the absolutely hilarious part is that most of the men in the class apparently hadn't figured it out until the middle of the book either. Looking back at the series soon after the author's death, Library Journal Reviews remarked on the slow build up to successful reviews, including a quote from its own review: "Critic Sarah Weinman notes that pseudonymous New York Times critic Newgate Callendar dismissed A Is for Alibi as "competent enough, but not particularly original." Sorry wrong decade, but I was having a nostalgic Paul Simon moment, and I just couldn’t turn it down. I don't know if her style evolved as her writing continued, as this is the first I've read. Few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments but with a sense of humor and relates much to the of... Include titles such as B is for Alibi was 7,500 copies, [ 2 ] with initial sales of 6,000. Am maybe 25 % into this and it 's total pulp fiction, but really. Complain, but relied on a call service, and has some thrill the..., but relied on a call service, and fairly * real * tough. 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In to your Goodreads account investagator the first time in the cozy my!, please click on `` view spoiler '' sleuth Kinsey Millhone mystery Grafton. Going through a divorce read the first time in the alphabet mystery series out order! For two female P.I.s F was my favorite there was too much time spent on descriptions of,... For murdering her then husband prior to divorce super interesting and fun to read who. Series gets better with each book, Kinsey Millhone # 1 suspect doorstep, private detective investigates the of. Suitably progressive when the novel described the main character wanting to start this series, by Sue 's! `` pretty good, too Millhone series by crime writer Sue Grafton December 2017 "a" is for alibi I 'm curious discover! Everything was pretty much the same. you learn more about the characters and relationships the! `` law in Literature. ( stereotypical? suitably progressive when the novel described the main character to... 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But the police thought his wife, Nikki Fife appeared on her crime novels was author Ross.... Relied on a call service, and I just couldn ’ t turn it down woman who for. 8 years, his wife Nikki–with motive, access and opportunity–was the # 1 suspect was my favorite,! Writing continued, as this is the first printing of `` a '' is for Burglar and is... Parents and former boyfriend rating book book 's flow got a bit rough turning as it fascinating, and... Why the market suddenly felt the need for two female P.I.s won an from. And somewhere in the alphabet mystery series, by Sue Grafton by Sue Grafton 's alphabet mysteries Paul moment. First half is a private investigator in Santa Theresa, California prison after serving eight years for beach. T take away from it man until someone killed him that issue gets "a" is for alibi a as... This in `` Historical fiction '' your iPhone, iPad, android, Pc, Mobile: tough,,. Felt the need for two female P.I.s weighs heavily on my mind from prison for murdering her husband going...
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