Kinsey Millhone takes on a missing persons case that seems to be connected to a murder.
So far, these alphabet mysteries have been pretty average. Although it is an improvement from the previous book, it still proceeds from plot point to plot point without any particular flair or sense of urgency. Sue Grafton seems to be shooting for a hard-bitten PI vibe, but it reads as though it has been filtered through a cozy-mystery mentality. Many readers find Kinsey to be an engaging character, but I don’t find her particularly interesting. I happen to be reading one of Ross MacDonald’s Lew Archer books at the moment and the contrast is stark. Archer is no more distinctive a character, but his interactions are fascinating where Kinsey’s are rather pedestrian and the writing is vastly superior. I’ll tackle book C at some point; I never really abandon a series, though it may be years before I get around to the next installment. If Grafton continues to improve, we may really have something before we reach the end of the series.