It’s April 1988, a month before Kinsey Millhone’s thirty-eighth birthday, and she’s alone in her office catching up on paperwork when a young man arrives unannounced. Michael Sutton is twenty-seven, an unemployed college dropout. More than two decades ago, a four-year-old girl disappeared, and a recent newspaper story about her kidnapping has triggered a flood of memories. Sutton now believes he stumbled on her lonely burial and could identify the killers if he saw them again. He wants Kinsey’s help in locating the grave and finding the men. It’s way more than a long shot, but he’s persistent and willing to pay cash up front. Reluctantly, Kinsey agrees to give him one day of her time.
But it isn’t long before she discovers Sutton has an uneasy relationship with the truth. In essence, he’s the boy who cried wolf. Is his story true, or simply one more in a long line of fabrications?
Moving effortlessly between the 1980s and the 1960s, and changing points of view as Kinsey pursues witnesses whose accounts often clash. Gradually, listeners come to see how everything connects in this twisting, complex, surprise-filled thriller. And as always, at the beating heart of her fiction is Kinsey Millhone, a sharp-tongued, observant loner who never forgets that under the thin veneer of civility is a roiling dark side to the soul.
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"As enjoyable as ever. Sue Grafton has used the flashback technique again and uses it well. She still manages to provide a gripping tale, but the whodunnit becomes apparent through the flashbacks rather than clues along the way. There is also an air that the series is winding down as there are only another 6 letters of the alphabet. There is more background provided on our heroine and it is undoubtedly satisfying. Only read this if you have read the first books in the series as it will spoil the previous books."
— Carol (4 out of 5 stars)
" If you want a good, fun read with a smart, spunky woman detective, Grafton is your author. You won't find much social commentary or political analysis, but she delivers a solid mystery, just enough personal life to make Kinsey interestingly human without detracting from the main event, and a really swell living space. (I found myself wanting to move as I read.) "
— L, 2/17/2014" Nice mode of storytelling in this one, bouncing back and forth between the past - when the crime was committed - and the present when Kinsey is on the case. I never fail to enjoy this series from Grafton, been reading them since C was the newest (and that's a long time ago!). "
— Marcia, 2/14/2014" Enjoyed it, as I always do enjoy spending a couple of days with Kinsey. But unless I missed something there are things in the plot that didn't get tied up at the end. "
— Deborah, 2/11/2014" Another in Sue Grafton's alphabet series. Just a nice mystery. My favorite character may be the next door neighbor/landlord of the PI main character. "
— Lynda, 2/7/2014" enjoyed this like all the others "
— Claire, 1/31/2014" just might be her best yet. Couldn't put it down, read it in a day! Hey, New Strawn Library, do you want this copy for your collection? Will be glad to donate it - "
— Patty, 1/26/2014" I have always enjoyed Sue Grafton's stories, even though I traditionally am not a huge mystery fan like many people are. I love her character of Kinsey Milhone, and the plots always offer unexpected twists and turns yet you don't get lost in them. "
— Franceyp, 1/17/2014" Another great read from Grafton. I love these books. I have a plan to re-read all of them if and when Z comes out. I do hope Grafton ties up some of the dangled plot lines! "
— Claire, 1/14/2014" I liked it. It's the good old Sue Grafton much better than T is for... "
— Leslie, 1/12/2014" Just as good as all the rest! This one was a little more complex, I wasn't sure what was going on with all the extra characters until the end. And the additional mystery about Kinsey's Grand was really interesting. "
— Suzanne, 1/6/2014" I've read all the books from A through U and I was a little disappointed by this one. It wasn't as good as her other books but was good enough to keep my interest. I would recommend her other books before this one. "
— Julia, 1/1/2014Sue Grafton (1940–2017) was a New York Times bestselling author published in twenty-eight countries and twenty-six languages. She began her alphabet series in 1982, and they have become international bestsellers, with readership in the millions. Like Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald, she earned new respect for the mystery form. Readers appreciate her writing’s buoyant style, eye for detail, deft hand with character, acute social observances, and abundant storytelling prowess. She has been named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and was a recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award.
Judy Kaye is a singer and actress best known for her long runs in Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime, and Mamma Mia! In 2012, she earned a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get it. She has also appeared in numerous plays and operas and has won three AudioFile Earphones Awards.