X

“Hi… How are you”. I never get tired of Kinsey Millhone! If you are reading this review and you have not read the first 23 books in this series, STOP! If you are all caught up, then you will most likely agree with me! Sue Grafton is the true master of mystery and suspense. The characters that she has given us are just truly amazing. “X” does not let you down. A gritty, nail biter with turns and twists that keep the reader intrigued right up to the last word. My only concern is that there are only two letters left in the alphabet. Where will Grafton take us next? Another amazing read. Loved it, and I hope you will too!

Kinsey Milhone has another adventure in Santa Teresa. Kinsey is a more serious private investigator than Stephanie Plum. I never miss a Sue Grafton book because I want to know how Kinsey is. I never miss a Stephanie Plum book because I want to know what antics Grandma gets in. Kinsey is a serious business woman who takes thoughtful action and analysis. She is a well-written character who cares about her neighbors and her clients more than herself, yet in the course of solving mysteries she learns something about herself and/or her past. In this book she investigates what a former unpopular (now dead) colleague was working on. His widow asked her for help going through his papers for an IRS audit and Kinsey was off on another adventure.

In true Kinsey fashion, this one starts out slowly and innocently enough. Just about the time you start to wonder if you’re going to be bored to death by the tedium of Kinsey’s daily routine and the play-by-play of things like tying her shoes, you need to remind yourself to pay attention, because “it” is coming, as “it” always does.

What I liked about “X”:
The play on the title – I was seriously impressed with how the author managed to work the letter X into so many aspects of the story. Some were more obvious, as the X appeared in names of people and businesses. Others were a bit more subtle: marked on a box and (my personal favorite) X as the unknown variable. Because this book was packed with unknowns, loose ends that appeared unconnected to anything that ended up being the key to everything.
True to character but not like all the others before it – Let me explain. The core of the Kinsey series was alive and well. The tone is gritty and leads Kinsey into some less-than-savory circumstances at times. She is all about following the rules…until she sees one that requires bending in order to uncover answers to the questions that plague her. She’s a horrible friend when it comes to making an effort, but she’s not afraid to be honest (oftentimes to a fault), which is something to be valued in friendship, and she is fiercely loyal to Henry, which I always find admirable. I also like that, as the series progresses, Kinsey starts to evolve and question her judgments and motives. She is admittedly selfish (hence the enduring single status) but when she is challenged in a belief, after some stubborn clinging to being right (as we do), she won’t ignore evidence to the contrary when it continually steps into the spotlight. I also love when Kinsey’s connections, tenuous though they be, resurface in surprising places, such as the real estate office.
The amount of activity – This was not a dull installment. There was plenty going on. It just wasn’t all up in your face with high drama. This was more about paying attention to the small mannerisms, to what *isn’t* being said as much as what *is*. With three separate points of interest swirling around Kinsey throughout X, I had to pay attention. It wasn’t difficult to keep track but, as life works, we often deal with multiple situations simultaneously and we never know which will rise up to demand attention at any given time. So it was with the neighbors and Hallie Bettancourt and the mailing pouch. In the end, this was less about Kinsey-for-hire and more about Kinsey-on-the-scent.
A little bit creepy – This one almost had a hint of Mary Higgins Clark creep-factor to it. Those moments gave me a bit of a chill. I wasn’t expecting that!
Henry and Ed – Need a moment of levity and charm? These two fellows never disappoint.

What I didn’t care for:
small unrelated cases – What? Didn’t this make the “like” list? Yes. But the flip side to that coin is that I kept expecting something different. ***SPOILER through the end of the bracket*** [I anticipate a bunch of smaller cases to somehow tie together in some convoluted way by the end, and while that would have felt disingenuous and forced, I still expected it, so it threw me off that they all remained mini standalones in a single story. ] That is on me, though, and my own misplaced assumptions.
Certain things left dangling – I suppose this is setting up for rolling into the next book and I don’t mind the actual cliffhanger, but there were some minor threads left unresolved that are bothering me: ***SPOILER through the end of the bracket***[Ruthie, for one. I feel like Kinsey needs to make some amends with her friend, especially in light of their spat over Pete. Celeste, for another. We met her under duress and she feels imminently in peril. Surely he wasn’t going to just let her go, knowing she has the goods on him? And what of Lenore? Evidence points to homicide rather than suicide, but will that re-open the case? And Taryn: will she play a role in what looks to be a chase after Lowe? And finally, what about Henry’s yard project? It is so unlike him not to see a job through meticulously. ] Nothing that was especially critical. Just… I. Need. Answers.

I can see why book twenty-four received such polarizing reviews. If you weren’t open to the ways this one would unravel somewhat differently from the others, or if you were expecting Kinsey to suddenly become charismatic after all this time, or if Grafton’s writing style has irked you in the past two dozen books of this series, these were all potential stumbling blocks to enjoying this book for what it was. I didn’t suffer any of these particular expectations or self-delusions, so for me, I found it enjoyable. I can’t believe there is only one left…

I’ve read all of sue grafting a-z books and sadly she passed away. I recommend you make a commitment to read this charming detective series a-z and enjoy her well written characters. They will become family

I have enjoyed all of Sue Graftons books and am sorry to know that her death ends her wonderful career.

I didn’t realize how much I was waiting for this installment – Grafton has woven Kinsey into my life…….she’s just like a long time friend, and it was so comfy and comfortable to curl up and catch up with the main character. I’m really going to be sorry to come to the end of the alphabet.

I’ve read the whole alphabet series. This definitely isn’t as good as the first few, but Kinsey is still a great and interesting character. I would have preferred that the multiple mysteries connect in the end. Kinsey is like a friend at this point. Even when her stories aren’t great, I love to listen. I’ll be sticking with the series to the end.

While it helps to have read A through W, newcomers need not be afraid to start with X. This book, like the preceding ones, is outstanding. The author includes enough relevant information from previous books so that newcomers are not left befuddled, without having to refer to pesky things like footnotes referring to previous titles, a happy occurrence for us all. Having read most of this series, I can only say that I’m both dreading the end of this series and looking forward to the new project to come after Z.

Det. Milhone is interesting to follow and including her neighbor and landlord brings variety to the story line.

Great series, waiting patiently for the last two books in this series.