A is for Alibi book review

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
Series: Kinsey Millhone #1
Published by St. Martin's Press on November 1, 2005
Pages: 308
Goodreads

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 personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she's got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes.
A IS FOR ACCUSEDThat's why she draws desperate clients like Nikki Fife. Eight years ago, she was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she's out on parole and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer. But after all this time, clearing Nikki's bad name won't be easy.

A IS FOR ALIBI
If there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer--and sharper--than she imagined.
"A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X" “Y” Is for YesterdayThe letter Z was unfinished at the time of her death 12/28/2017

I have heard wonderful things about this series so I thought I would pick up A is for Alibi and see whether it was for me or not. I have to say the writing for me was a little jarring and I thought that the dialogue felt a little stilted. Sometimes it disconnected me from the story and it was hard for me to stay interested in the character’s story and keep a track of the mystery and try and work out who did it. It was an odd read for me, and it wasn’t necessarily one that was bad it just didn’t hit all the right notes for me.

The main character is Kinsey Millhone, a private detective who is hired by a convicted murderer to clear her name. I really loved her as a character and I thought she was meticulous in her investigating but I did struggle with her relationships and how they came about and how open they all were with her. I thought that was a little unrealistic and it tainted my enjoyment of A is for Alibi. I really wanted there to be a little more trouble and concern surrounding the investigation and the people included. But I am excited to see where Kinsey’s character will end up in future books.

The best bits of A is for Alibi would have to be how meticulous the investigation was and how well it was documented. I loved learning about each of the characters and finding out what they were like and how they were motivated in their individual lives. I really wasn’t sure who had done it and I loved that part of the book, I enjoyed reading about the investigation and trying to figure it out alongside Kinsey. It felt like I was more involved in the plot with the way that it plays out.

I think the worst bit of A is for Alibi would have to be the ending and the relationship that kinda happens out of the blue. I feel like the ending of this book was a little rushed and seemed a little under-developed in parts. I thought that it could have been a little bit more drawn out and have a little more of a dramatic look at the climax. I think it all happened really quickly and it was as though all of the other information had no real impact on the ending.

I would recommend A is for Alibi even though I wasn’t a huge fan, I’m really excited to read more and find out where Kinsey ends up and what other cases she ends up taking. I think it’s going to be a really good series and one that will become an easy read and offer a little bit of ease in between the other books I read.

Another mixed bag read, what books have you been loving recently? Let me know!