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R IS FOR RICOCHET
by Sue Grafton
Macmillan, October 2004
300 pages
16.99GBP
ISBN: 033390656X


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

It's very good. And that's probably all the encouragement needed, if indeed any were, for the legions of Sue Grafton fans to spring for a copy of R IS FOR RICOCHET, the latest in the Kinsey Millhone series set in fictional Santa Teresa California in 1987.

Sue Grafton's series is what attracted many readers back to the mystery genre and whilst most have kept the faith, there have been rumblings of discontent with a couple of lacklustre mid-alphabet books, and the datedness of the series, with Kinsey apparently trapped in a time without cell phones. Happily, these are not criticisms that hold up for this instalment.

R IS FOR RICOCHET reminds us just how well Grafton can ply her craft. The page-turning quality of the book is a testament to that writing especially when one considers this isn't a normal PI tale; it is more of a crime caper. Indeed as Kinsey respectfully submits: "In the passing drama of life, I'm usually the heroine, but occasionally I'm simply a minor character in someone else's play."

That someone is Reba Lafferty whose wealthy but ailing father hires Kinsey to collect her from the California Institute for Women -- the jail -- and help settle her in to normal life again for her first couple of days on parole. Reba is a spirited and fun character but she has trouble written all over her and it doesn't take long before Kinsey discovers there was more to Reba's conviction for embezzlement than met the eye.

Kinsey is in the throes of a new romance with FBI man Cheney Phillips and he provides some of the explanation but needs Kinsey to intercede with Reba to cut a deal. Meanwhile, Kinsey relishes having a girlfriend for a change, and before long she is caught up in Reba's dangerous games, tagging along whilst trying to persuade her to help the police, the FBI, and the IRS with a major investigation. But Reba is a master game player and she has her own plans. She also has a lot of charm, and is one of the most memorable and likeable characters Grafton has ever created.

R IS FOR RICOCHET is not only an excellent instalment in this long running series, but it would also work well as a standalone and readers who have skipped a few books will not have any trouble picking the series back up here. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Bridget Bolton, October 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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