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Who would have thought that after almost twenty years, Sue Graftonís Alphabet series would still be going strong? The main character is Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator working in Santa Teresa, California, who has gone through a lot in the series run. What is her secret? Only four years have passed since the events from A is for Alibi. The character stays fresh and takes her time in absorbing new developments. Kinsey does not fall under a time trap like other writers and that is a good thing. The premise of this latest mystery is inspired by a real case in Santa Barbara, California. In this latest entry, it is close to Easter in 1987. Con Dolan and Stacey Oliphant, two retired Santa Teresa Police Detectives who want a final crack on a cold case approach Kinsey. In August 1969 they had discovered the murdered body of an unknown Jane Doe at Graysonís Quarry. They both had worked the case but there were few leads and as time went by the case was forgotten. No one had reported her missing and no one seemed to care for this girl. Con and Stacey want to be able to close this one case before their health deteriorates permanently. They want Kinseyís help in order to get a new perspective and so that she can go where they cannot. She happily agrees to take the case giving her something different to break her routine. Graftonís meticulous research is evident throughout the book. Each element of the case is carefully explained and gives sight to several credible leads as the story moves along. The people responsible for the death of Jane Doe had grown to be complacent and it is not till the relentless investigation of this trio do they start to commit mistakes. These errors will lead them to the real culprit finally giving closure after fifteen years. Unfortunately, it has not happened yet with the Santa Barbara case but one never knows. For all Millhone fans, Kinsey is still Kinsey. She is still involved in a feud with her surviving family and still enjoys the time she spends with her friends at Rosieís. This book is a good starting point for anyone unfamiliar with Kinsey since it provides enough information for people to catch up without giving too much away from previous novels. This latest novel is a major improvement to the disappointing P is for Peril and since Kinseyís birthday is close by the end of this book it will be interesting to see what R will bring. A family reconciliation? Probably not.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, November 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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