"A" is for Alibi (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries, No 1)

by Sue Grafton

Book Overview

A IS FOR AVENGERA tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312938993
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

It was OK

Pretty good mystery. Didn't figure out the killer until almost the end.

So much fun!

This was a quick read that kept me on my toes and kept laugh in my belly. I'm so excited to read the rest of the series! Highly recommend!

Too much narration

Could not get through it. Mostly narration. Very little dialog.

A To Y, The Mystery Z Will Forever Remain Unsolved

I've read all 25 lettered Kinsey Millhone mystery books and am forever left lamenting and sorrow filled that such a great and wonderful construction of detective novels will remain incomplete. At the very last letter, the real heroine of this prolific volume of individual alphabetized creations, would never pen the final Z. It will forever be the greatest mystery of all time.

Enjoyable and entertaining mystery!

This is the first of Sue Grafton's books which I have read. It is about a mystery Kinsey Millhone, an private investigator, must solve involving the widow who had just gotten out of prison for killing her husband. However, she claims she didn't do it and hires Kinsey to find out who did.I enjoyed the character development of Kinsey, and felt I got to understand her a little bit. Her interaction with the other characters allowed us to understand her personality more as well. Also, I liked the style in which Grafton portrayed Millhone through 1st person perspective. You "got into the shoes" of Kinsey Millhone and followed her through the mystery.My only problems (and these were minor) were that at times some of the action was not described in much detail. Although perhaps this was partly due to the fact that it was the story was told in the first person, it didn't help me "picture" the story. One scene in particular was striking in this particular aspect. However, it came at the end of the story and kind of gives it away, so I cannot explain it...but it gave me the feeling that Grafton got "tired" of writing so she kind of wrapped it up quicly.As I listened to the audio version, I wanted to comment on the actor's performance of the book. I thought it was excellent. Her change in inflection and pacing helped me to experience Kinsey's emotions as I went through the book.Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to mystery lovers.

A good, light read

I bought this book on an impulse since I had a long trip ahead of me and needed something to occupy my mind, but yet wasn't so deep I'd need total silence to drink it in. This was perfect, and I wound up enjoying the story so much I finished it in 24 hours. True, it was fairly predictable - I knew immediately who the "big baddie" was going to be, and the supporters - but I enjoyed the fact that I had guessed so soon that I actually didn't cheat and peek at the end, and instead highly enjoyed seeing how and if my suspicions fit into the plot!Don't buy it expecting deep genius, but don't expect a dime store novel either. It's right in between and I had a fun enough time that I think I'll pick up the next one in the series.

Wonderfully entertaining!!

Dear Sue Grafton,I first discovered your books when I read "J". I was hooked!! I went to a local bookstore and purchased A through I and read them all before "K" was released. I sent the books to my mother so she too could enjoy them. She passed them on to my sister. We eagerly await each new release. Imagine how pleased I was just now while browsing this site to find that "O" is about to be released. It sounds like another winner!! I teach school and discovered one day that another teacher at our school attended college with Sue Grafton. You two still keep in touch.Maybe one day you will come for a visit and Judy will call me over to meet you. Until then, Sue, keep writing!

A book that can't be put down and continually surprizes.

As an introduction to Sue Grafton's writing "A is for Alibi" has kept me coming back again and again. Kinsey Millhone (the heroine) is definitely a character on a very understandable level. Sue Grafton paints everything in such a way to give the reader enough info to make a good mental picture but not too much so that one feels bogged down. I found myself almost holding my breath during some of the climactic moments. The story had so many unexpected twists that I found the book hard to put down. This was definitely a book that put mysterys back on my list of books to read. It is also a much read for anyone who has never read a book with a female detective, a concept which brings a whole new perspective to crime