"A" is for Alibi (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries, No 1) Mass Market Paperback – November 1, 2005

I was curious about her books, but kept forgetting to check them out. After Grafton died, I was reminded that I wanted to read this series. I loved this one so much that I am now checking them out of the library. I am up to "H", and I am getting the biggest kick out of them. Having been born and raised in Los Angeles and now living in MA, I get a bit nostalgic when Kinsey is off in Los Angeles or up in San Francisco, visiting locations I am familiar with. That aside, the heroine is fun, believable, and human. She makes mistakes. She has lousy taste in men, apparently. And the recurring characters become like old friends as you read book after book. Harry her landlord and Rosie the restaurant owner are not just add-ins. They have distinct personalities and are interesting to read about. Many of the characters are so quirky that I find myself laughing out loud.But best of all, Grafton's writing is beautiful. Her descriptions of nature are gorgeous. Her eye for detail in the various settings Kinsey finds herself in is excellent. You feel that you are right there. A lot of the fixes Kinsey finds herself in are ridiculous, but somehow you can go with them. I look forward to reading each one right up to Y, the last installment. So close!

While urged by several reading friends to give this series a try, I had never done it. I'm not a fan of Stephanie Plum (even though I have tried three separate time) and thought this would be similar to those novels. Fortunately, I finally succumbed and read this first installment and I'm so happy I did.While Kinsey Millhone is a young, tough, single PI living in Los Angeles, Sue Grafton doesn't fall into cliches but draws an interesting, multi-dimensioned character while weaving together a very interesting mystery. There are two supporting characters who are in small roles, but interesting and quirky without being charactures.Bottom line: Strong start to a series I will be continuing. While initially skeptical, I was pleasantly surprised and eagerly anticipating reading "B is for Burglar" in the near future.

Sue Grafton's first book of the alphabet series grabs you and takes you into the life of PI Kinsey Millhone and her investigation into an innocent woman's case. The woman was in jail for a murder she claims she did not commit. I enjoyed the twist and turns as Kinsey tries to find out the person that did the killing. I love the way Sue describes in detail each person she encounters during her investigation. Also, the descriptions of the locations and various houses and businesses she sees along the journey are told in such detail, you feel you are there with her. I have read all of her books and I am very sad that she has passed before completing the series ending with "Y" is for Yesterday. You will live on in our memory forever Sue and thank you for Kinsey.

noir detective mystery. It's all there, the damsel in distress, the accumulation of murders, the haunts of the rich and famous, the fancy expensive cars, the plot twists and romance, the seedy bars and cheap motels, the hard-boiled loner detective. But here's the biggest twist of all: the P. I. is female. It's noir times two. In addition to all the above details, we also have a wealth of details about clothes and food, fine wines and cheap booze, architecture, plants, city streets and freeways. Most of all, we learn about the thoughts and emotions of said detective; the fears and doubts, hopes and joys that render a fictional character truly human and real. Some might not enjoy those extra details. I really like them.

Since Sue Grafton was one of my favorite mystery writers and unfortunately only made it to Y, I thought that I would go back to the beginning "A". It's been years since this journey began with Kinsey Millhone and I had forgotten a lot about the original books, so I am enjoying them as much as the first time around. I love Santa Barbara so much, that I recognize many of the same places in Santa Theresa and it brings me back there like a homecoming. Sue Grafton' s characters are like family to me. I send condolences to her family, but Sue Grafton and her wonderful mysteries will always be in my heart. Thank you for leaving us all such a gift, Carol Aitchison January 16,2018

As a librarian, I knew about this series of books. I ordered them for the library and was happy when they were checked out. However, I had never read one myself. So where better to start than the beginning of the series?So I started "A" is for Alibi and read it through quickly. I wasn't ever bored with it, although I felt sort of guilty whenever Kinsey went jogging, and I was sitting around reading. Since Kinsey jogs at the drop of a hat, I felt vaguely guilty throughout the book.What I liked about the book is that it did feel like a slice of Kinsey's life. She is working on more than one case at a time. She does have to track down information (this is set before the ubiquitous smartphone or even laptop) to verify what is happening. What's more, she isn't perfect. She makes mistakes but tries to fix the problems they cause. Some of her choices are less than wise but don't we all make that sort of error?The mystery was a good one, although I guessed the murderer before it was officially announced. That's okay because it meant the author played fair with the readers.So it is onward with the next book in the series. At least they are easy to keep in order! I'd suggest this for anyone who likes PI novels. It only got four stars because it has the feel of a "first novel" with perhaps too much description.

I had hoped to love this book, because as an author, I'd be interested in seeing how a good series is build and how it develops over time. But I'm not sure I will pick up "B is for Burglar," because the book kind of feel flat for me. Ms. Grafton is a good writer, but there were so many characters in this story that I couldn't keep them apart. Kinsey Millhone also wasn't very convincing as a character, and the plot was meh. Yet another book I read where I just wait for it to end so I can start reading something better. I still give it 4 stars because it's not bad.

I have been reading Sue Grafton for about 20 years and I love these novels. This book kicks off the alphabet murders series, a set of novels by Sue Grafton each with a letter of the alphabet and introduces us to her private eye anti-heroine Kinsey Millhone.These books are not flashy nor is Kinsey a superhero. Kinsey, at times, is flawed, trusting few people, but this is more than made up by her tenacity. Best of all, Kinsey feels real and an authentic investigator. If you are looking for great crime novels with a strong female lead please do try this series especially if you a fan of VI Warshawski, Temperance Brennan or Kay Scarpetta. They are a great set of books.

I've read every book (paperbacks) in the series years ago but lost them all in a house move. I've bought A for my kindle but the rest of the series are expensive for what are quite short novels. Alas I won't be buying them.

If you look back through my book review history you'll see that I read quite a bit of crime fiction. Although I like pretty much anything with a bit of mystery, I really like those strong, female heroines like VI Warshawski and Temperance Brennan, so I don't quite know why it's taken me this long to discover Sue Grafton's detective Kinsey Millhone.I have seen the `Alphabet books' around before, but I think the fact that Grafton is already up to something like V or W has always put me off starting them, but after seeing the Kindle book of A is for Alibi for only 99p, I thought I'd try it.Kinsey Millhone lives in Santa Teresa, California and is a rebellious and independent detective who has no thrived as a police officer, so set up on her own. A is for Alibi joins her with two mysterious marriages behind her and as she is asked by a convicted murderess to investigate her husband's death - and find the real killer.So excellent so far - all the best ingredients of a mystery including a business partner, a bitter ex-wife, a pair of dysfunctional children and a blackmailing secretary. All have motive to kill, but what about the seemingly unconnected death of a Los Angeles paralegal? This is just one of the lines of enquiry Kinsey finds herself thrown down as she tries to prove that a woman has been wrongly convicted, and the closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she is in.As I said, I love the strong, female heroines of crime fiction and Kinsey Millhone has made my list. I know that I'll have to read over 20 books to get up to date with her but, based on this one, it will not be a chore. Grafton creates a believable world and an engaging heroine, with just the right amount of secrets to keep you reading the series, which I definitely will.

I’ve read most of this series over the years and really enjoyed them. I was a little wary of returning to the first one as, presumably, they had improved over time. However I thought it was excellent. Returning to ‘meet’ Kinsey again was a pleasure. She is totally different to me in every way but maybe that is part of their appeal.

I really like this series. Kinsey is an unusual private detective, not particularly cynical, but streetwise and likeable. This time, as I started reading these books mid-way, I decided to start at the beginning. It was a good page-turner, as usual. Recommended - you'll probably end up reading the others!