Of the #1 New York Times bestselling Kinsey Millhone series, NPR said, “Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters.”
Two dead bodies changed the course of my life that fall. One of them I knew and the other I’d never laid eyes on until I saw him in the morgue.
The first was a local PI of suspect reputation. He’d been gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. It looked like a robbery gone bad. The other was on the beach six weeks later. He’d been sleeping rough. Probably homeless. No identification. A slip of paper with Millhone’s name and number was in his pants pocket. The coroner asked her to come to the morgue to see if she could ID him.
Two seemingly unrelated deaths, one a murder, the other apparently of natural causes.
But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange linkages begin to emerge. And before long at least one aspect is solved as Kinsey literally finds the key to his identity. “And just like that,” she says, “the lid to Pandora’s box flew open. It would take me another day before I understood how many imps had been freed, but for the moment, I was inordinately pleased with myself.”
In this multilayered tale, the surfaces seem clear, but the underpinnings are full of betrayals, misunderstandings, and outright murderous fraud. And Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised.
W is for . . . wanderer . . . worthless . . . wronged . . .
W is for wasted.
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“Grafton has lostnone of her ability to bring her character vividly to life: Kinsey is as wittyand engaging as ever, although somewhat more subdued and thoughtful owing tothe emotionally charged tasks she has to perform. As Grafton nears the end ofher long-running alphabet series, readers of mystery and suspense and Grafton’smany fans will delight in and savor this latest addition.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
“W is for Wasted is further proof—as if it were needed—of Grafton’s immense talent. And her ability to give equal weight to the story of the detective and the detective story sets her apart in the world of crime fiction.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch“Nearing the conclusion of this celebrated series, Grafton continues to shape Millhone’s character, toughened by circumstance but still both understanding and forgiving.”
— Booklist“Grafton is a writer of many strengths… Her work is layered, textural, sensate—ingenious and satisfying in any genre…Lesser authors churn books out; Grafton continues to knock them out of the park.”
— Louisville Courier-Journal, praise for the authorSue 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.