C is for Corpse

I started a re-read of this series early in 2018,after Grafton's death. In this 3rd installment, Kinsey Millhone saves her landlord from being swindled and takes a young man's death (was it murder?) personally. She also handles an encounter with an ex-lover she still finds dreadfully attractive without going all stupid or doing anything embarrassing for either of them. These books are even better than I remember; I think Kinsey is who I imagined myself growing up to be when I was 13 or so. It never occurred to me then that I couldn't be lady-like, sexy, smart and kickass all at once, despite the absence of females like that in the stuff I was reading at the time. Even when I met Kinsey in my 30's, I don't think I quite realized what a show more ground-breaker she was. Thirty-five years later, she is still worth emulating, and one of the most interesting characters in genre fiction.
December 2018 show less

I love Kinsey Millhone. But she's not everyone's cup of tea. I started reading the Alphabet series a few years ago - I think at the time it was up to O is for Outlaw. The idea of a mystery series each title beginning with a new letter amused me. I don't know why. I don't think it's particularly original. At least - I've seen a few others since. At the time though it was new to me and it just struck me as perfect. I flew through the series. Kinsey is riveting. She's brash and harsh and charming. She's fierce and flawed. She gets scared. She holds her own. She pushes herself to run often and tackles cases without judgement and with an open mind. Rosie and Henry are brilliant and I love the little family she builds around her.

But Kinsey show more Millhone isn't Jack Reacher - her speed is more Tracy Crosswhite. [book:My Sister's Grave|22341263] Her cases aren't full of action and high speed chases - they're slowly nitpicking away until something clicks into place. She writes down all her thoughts and places her facts and ideas on 3x5 index cards - which she often shuffles and rearranges to help her solve her case. And I love it. Kinsey Millhone is great - but she's not for everyone.

For some reason I've seen reviewers compare this to Stephanie Plum - I don't know why - this is absolutely NOTHING like that. Stephanie Plum is a very different character and an extremely different type of book. That's more fluff. Kinsey Millhone is more procedural mysteries. And this series isn't current - it was first published in the 80's - there's not really technology. Messages were relayed by calling the landlines. Paper files were still the main form of storage. Not everyone will enjoy reading this. But if you like your mysteries to be more like procedurals with a determined and fierce character - Kinsey Millhone is for you.


I really liked Bobby. And I laughed finding out who Blackman is. The location of the murder weapon sure was an interesting twist, but I loved how Kinsey was like yeah how hard can it be?


4.5 stars rounded up to five. show less

For me, Sue Grafton's books are a "palate cleanser." I know I will get an excellently written PI investigation with a challenging case. This third book doesn't disappoint! It had an interesting twist in that her client had amnesia and then died during the case, so Kinsey Millhone had an uphill run. Again, the author played fair with her readers, so I was happy I had a chance to solve the case, too. (I didn't actually solve it, but I could see how it happened.) I could see why this book won the Anthony Award for best novel.

The book is certainly a product of its time, the mid-1980s, so there is plenty of jogging and no cell phones. There's certainly no "googling" for answers!

If you like classic PI mysteries, you should like this book.

A nice, gentle, we'll sort of gentle ... not quite a cozy, read...Kinsey Millhone is an easy to like private eye. It's a hoot to read the time capsule descriptions of this tale published in 1986. Table top PCs lined up on the desk next to IBM Selectrics... May Ms. Grafton Rest In Peace. She has left a trail of the alphabet to sort through at your leisure. If your looking for a good suspense novel with no footing in noir this series is not a bad bet.

One of the things I love about the Kinsey Milhone series is that they are anything but formulaic. Every story is new and fresh.

The case Kinsey has taken on is brought to her by a young man who was nearly killed in a automobile accident. Everyone believes it was just an accident except the boy himself. He's sure he was being targeted by a murderer. And sure enough, a few days later he is dead. Kinsey is determined to find the killer she was hired to find, even if the client his dead. His family, which she become very involved with, is a cast of sad and needy characters.

The side story of Kinsey dealing with a new member of their neighborhood is a nice way of making Kinsey something more than just a private detective. She's a person in a show more neighborhood and a community with friends and connections. There is nice continuity with her lunch with a former love interest. The main mystery is interesting and different, the side stories have lots of complex characters and settings. This is one I'll read again. show less

What I appreciate most in Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series is her attention to realism. Kinsey Millhone is a professional private detective, licensed by the state, and operating in "the real world". The books stick to this idea, and present mysteries in an almost pedestrian manner; while in the middle of a case Kinsey stops by her office, sorts through her mail, drinks coffee, and goes grocery shopping. The little details of the day-to-day are all there, and while they may come off as a bit tedious at times (usually when you've read several books in a row, all with the same details), the overall effect is one of grounded reality. Kinsey is not a super hero; it is not unusual for her to encounter some extreme scenarios because it is in show more fact her job to pursue mysteries - or insurance fraud (after all, both pay the bills). 'C' is for Corpse is not an extraordinary book, but I can appreciate it for its consistency, and will continue to work my way back through the series. show less

The series is picking up! With a couple of plot lines, this novel maintains the reader's attention much better. While the ending is as outlandish as the second book, it is much more likely and clever. I enjoyed the subplot with Henry which deepens Kinsey's relationship with her neighbour, and the attachment that Kinsey develops for Bobby. The final pursuit is edgy and ends the novel with a bang. Character development, recurring characters (Jonah, Henry, Rosie) help boost the book. I had found the series fun with the first two books, but now I feel invested to reading the rest with Kinsey and her entourage becoming more solid.