T Is for Trespass

Un bien bon thriller des familles, avec du suspens qui monte comme il faut, une intrigue qui se noue, se dénoue, se renoue: je rentre facilement dans un livre, mais c'est rare que j'en sois à sauter de surprise ou d'excitation parce que j'ai compris un truc de ouf; et dans ce livre ça m'est arrivé plusieurs fois, surtout vers la fin, une fois que toute l'intrigue est bien posée, qu'on sait que ça va se dénouer à un moment ou à un autre, et BIM! comme prévu ou presque, ou bien nouveau rebondissement, nouvelle découverte, mais avec une cohérence globale parfaite (enfin aussi parfaite que possible).
Il reste un truc un peu étrange dans ce livre, c'est la cohabitation entre un ton à l'humour léger voire subtil mais bien show more présent, et une histoire de fond absolument glauquissime, de la vraie détresse humaine. Ça laisse comme un goût un peu amer dans la gorge... show less

Might be my favorite Kinsey Millhone story, with only U through Y left to compete. There are several notable changes in the formula. As with S is for Silence, there are chapters that are not Kinsey speaking in the first-person. Even bigger, unlike Silence, and all previous books, we learn who the murderer (to be) is early on. This is not a mystery, but a thriller, and it could either way: Kinsey discovers and prevents another murder, or the murder happens and Kinsey must bring the murderer to justice.

Fortunately, this is still a Kinsey Millhone novel. Most of the chapters are focused on her, there are multiple additional plotlines in play (a car accident lawsuit, some bad tenants to be evicted, and Henry the landlord's up and down love show more life), and the eye for details remains as strong as ever. As always, Kinsey faces death at the end -- twice! This is the part of the formula I've disliked, but here, in thriller mode, it makes sense.

This is definitely not suitable as an entry to the series. You need to read several other books first, to understanding Kinsey and what Grafton is going for, and to learn more about Henry, in order to appreciate what's happening here.

Recommended. show less

This one is personal. When Kinsey's elderly, crotchety neighbor falls and needs some in-home assistance, his only living relative unwittingly hires a woman who is adept at assuming false identities, making herself indispensable to the helpless, and systematically stripping them of everything of value that they own, including, eventually, their lives. Kinsey catches on quickly, but it's a battle of wits to overcome this wily predator's scheming. Fun reading, with a precautionary message built in.

Without a doubt, this is my favorite Kinsey Millhone read so far. The story starts out with a rather mundane shadowing of Kinsey as she engages in the more routine aspects of her day-to-day detective work – serving papers on a deadbeat dad, conducting a background check and working on a car accident insurance case. Even the neighbourly assistance of contacting Gus’ relative and convincing her to come out the California to see to Gus gives the impression of a bit of a ho-hum read. Nothing could be further from the truth. Grafton does a fantastic job mapping out a case of identity theft and a shocking tale of elder abuse. Unlike previous Kinsey Millhone stories, the focus is not on a mystery to solve, although the details regarding show more accounts of the insurance case could qualify as the mystery in this story. The reader is informed upfront about the identity theft. The story is more an escalating battle of wits as Kinsey finds herself up against an advisory who is devious, cunning and a master manipulator who knows just how to turn the tables when she thinks someone is on to her. The character profile of Solana is amazing in its detail. Following on the heels of [S is for Silence], Grafton makes use of two narrators, Kinsey and Solana, to enable Grafton to present to the reader the inner workings of Solana’s mind. let me tell you, that is one disturbing woman! The topic of a caregiver preying on the individual they have been hired to care for was a deeply disturbing topic for me and part of the reason why I found this to be such a “page-turning” audioread. The details of how Solana infiltrates a person life and sequesters them from any outside contact is very disturbing. As with the previous books in the series, Grafton’s skill at ratcheting up the tension/ suspense is evident. 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 hate this book. Not the writing - the writing is fine, mystery well plotted, etc - it's the content. Elder abuse particularly upsets me. I've known and been around many old people and it always angers me and saddens me when I see them taken advantage of by their children. Just because someone is old doesn't mean they shouldn't have the ability to make any decisions. Or that you shouldn't look after them to the best of your ability. People don't become worthless because they get old.

The abuse of Gus in this book horrifies me. The older I get, the more it horrifies me. Like Kinsey, I was deeply unsettled reading about Solana. The only redeeming part of this book is the fact that Tiny and Solana are dead by the end of it.



2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. And honestly I'm probably biased, most of the loss of stars are influenced by my sensitivity to the subject. show less

I'm a huge fan of Sue Grafton's alphabet series. This is the first time I read one out of order, but I've already read and reviewed U. Then I found T at the library.

T is for Trespass is different than most of her other novels. It concerns the man who lives next door to Kinsey Millhone and Henry, her landlord. Gus is the neighborhood crank, a man impossible to like and therefore frequently tormented by neighborhood teenagers. He doesn't like anybody, but he does tolerate 88 year old Henry and sometimes even Kinsey. Then one day Gus falls in his living room, dislocating his shoulder and bruising himself all over. Kinsey hears him yelling, Henry has a key to Gus' house, and they save him.

Then the hospital won't discharge him unless he has show more help at home. His only relative, a niece, reluctantly comes from New York and hires a caretaker. She has Kinsey do a quick background check and the woman seems qualified and nice enough so she's hired.

Solana Rojas is not who she seems to be though. She has assumed another woman's identity complete with better nursing qualifications. Her motive? Everything Gus owns. Throughout the story the reader knows what's going on but Kinsey doesn't for a while. Meanwhile Kinsey is investigating a traffic accident which doesn't seem to have happened the way the insurance company has been told, and searching for a witness who could tell her the truth.

By the end of the book both Kinsey and Henry are in terrible danger. One scene in fact had me literally on the edge of my seat I was so frightened for her. You can never go wrong with Sue Grafton. Her novels are always engrossing, well plotted, and full of superbly drawn characters. I highly recommend T is for Trespass. show less

Parts of this made me feel a bit vomity, you’ll know which if/when you read it. The dark places that are gone to in this book surpass the whole of the rest of the series, and it was riveting. The frustration of KM as she goes through the events in the book is palpable.