Private investigator Kinsey Millhone finds shocking connections between two seemingly unrelated deaths in this #1 New York Times bestselling mystery in the Alphabet series.The first victim is a local PI of suspect reputation, gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. The second is a John Doe found on the beach six weeks later with a slip of paper with private detective Kinsey Millhone’s name … Kinsey Millhone’s name and number in his pocket.
Two seemingly unrelated deaths: one man murdered, the other apparently dead of natural causes.
But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange links begin to emerge. Not just between the two victims, but also to Kinsey’s past. And before long Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised…
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I’ve been reading Sue Grafton novels since her 1st “A is for Alibi” and am sorry she’s so close to the end of the alphabet. He main character Kinsey Milhone has gone through personal growth and several boyfriends, she’s had her cars wrecked and stolen, apartment broken into and blown up, and has remained a close friend and companion to her aging landlord. I look forward to making it all the way through Z with Kinsey!
When Sue Grafton passed away about 3 months ago, and her family said they wouldn’t be publishing the final 26th book of the Alphabet series, I was very disappointed. The world lost a fantastic writer, creator and author, not to mention human being and literary supporter. Grafton’s books kept me sane for a decade… I immersed myself in the world of Kinsey Millhone and Santa Teresa, California. It’s one of the most vividly drawn series of books I have ever found. I hadn’t finished the last few books in the previous five years, so I bought the remaining three and started W is for Wasted last week. It was like coming home again… I really missed the characters and found the book quite good. It wasn’t her best, certainly not the worst, but somewhere in that middle comfort zone. I can’t wait to read X and Y, but I know they’ll be the end. All good things have to embrace it sometimes…
In this story, we see the perspective of the dead investigator for whom Kinsey needs to re-trace some steps. How did he get himself killed? We also meet more of Kinsey’s family — always an exciting adventure. Throw in a great plot (and sense of humanity) in talking about the life of the homeless in a balanced way (not just throwing shade at them)… Grafton provides keen insight into the minds and thoughts of people stuck in a situation with nowhere to turn. I enjoyed this style, found myself with eyes opening wider, and laughed out loud way too many times.
It’s a strong book in the series, and I think it shows a lot of the early reasons why I feel in love with the stories and characters. The only thing that pushed my buttons a little bit was an excessive amount of sideline backstories that really had nothing to do with the main stories… meaning 3 or 4 pages would be devoted to the history of some building that had little to do with the plot. Solid writing, interesting, but not connected. Not enough to be painful, but it crossed the line a few times where I found myself taking breaks at times I would normally just plow right through the story.
Kudos to another solid plot and re-introduction of past characters we hadn’t seen in a long time. Thx!
As always, Sue Grafton delivers – not a wasted word, characters that stay consistent and action that moves at a brisk pace, while still taking time for character development. Bravo.
Sue Grafton
Kenzie Millhouse is and has always been one of my favorite characters. All of these books are easy reading and extremely entertaining. Love Sue Grafton
As with all Sue Grafton books I finish them in one or maybe two sitting. I’ve kept them all in hardbacks. So very sad she didn’t get to Z before she passed away.
Sure miss Not having any more stories with “Kinsey”; she is (was?) Super PI.
I will admit, I approached this one with some trepidation after briefly skimming the reviews. This series has a history of capsizing at inopportune moments. I didn’t need to worry, though, and once again, I gave too much credence to what others think.
What I liked about “W is for Wasted”:
The handling of homelessness – No soapboxes. No rhetoric. No preaching at me. Quite refreshing, actually. The topic fit in seamlessly. And while it wasn’t free of emotion by any stretch, none of it forced me into a particular corner. It just was what it was.
Henry – He is a dear. I look forward to every single appearance.
Ed – What an unexpected joy. There is little levity in this dark, gritty, somewhat bitter-tinged series. I don’t ever recall laughing this much during a Kinsey visit. What a delightful surprise.
More of Kinsey’s personal life – I love the dimension we get when Kinsey’s personal life and familial associations surface. She is such a loner and the vulnerabilities are nearly tangible.
What I didn’t care for:
Burke Benjamin – What on *earth* was that all about?
The Daces – A dangling thread if ever there was one. Will they resurface? Is that it? There wasn’t so much as an inkling.
The sudden use of language – I don’t necessarily have a problem with encountering it as a rule (though I know some people do, so beware that it is there). But while it is actually believable for the personality and lifestyle of Kinsey’s character, it felt incongruous to have it pop up after so much time spent with her.
And so here we are. Two more Kinsey Millhone books left…
Have read all her books and Sue Grafton never fails to pull you into her story and you live it. I wish there were more letters to the alphabet!
Great series!
A bit hard to follow
I found it jumped around a lot
It caught my attention in the beginning but then wandered and I lost interest. No real character development, except at the beginning which is what made it interesting.
I’m determined to read to the end because I hope all of these pieces will come together.
Just like the rest of the series. Never a disappointment.
I have all of Grafton!
All of Sue Grafton’s books are always a pleasure to read. Great stories.
Always a great, interesting story. I haven’t read any of her stories that I didn’t like.
We t on too long.
I really miss this author.
For years, I had not read the alphabetical Grafton series. At W, I had to give in ; sad to say, I was disappointed. I felt the plot was draggy and weighted down with superfluous description: for example, the nail shop scene went on and on, adding nothing to the plot. Murder, mayhem, and gang wars seemed mere window dressing to what was actually an inherently good story. I’ll not read X, Y or Z.
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Didn’t like it as was too simple a story line