Crime

Too many story lines. It took a while to get it read. KIRKUS REVIEWWhat does X stand for? Xanakis, XLNT, maybe even Father Xavier, all features of Kinsey Millhone?s dense, meaty 24th case.The drought of 1989 is causing anxiety all over Santa Teresa, but money seems to have rained down on Kinsey?s latest client, Hallie Bettancourt, who?s seeking the current whereabouts of just-released robber Christian Satterfield, the son she had when she was only 15. Kinsey makes a few calls, rings a few bells, tracks down the address, and sends it on to the client, only to discover that everything Hallie told her, from her name to her relationship with Satterfield, was false. To add insult to injury, one of the $100 bills Hallie, or whoever she was, insisted on paying Kinsey is one of the same bills wealthy Ari Xanakis used two years ago to ransom a Turner painting back for $25,000 from his ex-wife, Teddy, who?d taken it upon herself to add it to the divorce settlement. Meanwhile, Kinsey?s gotten involved in another equally messy case, driven by her unwelcome suspicion that her late colleague Pete Wolinsky¥hired years ago by salesman Ned Lowe?s attorney, Arnold Ruffner, to dig up dirt that would impeach the testimony of Taryn Sizemore, who?d accused him of harassment and stalkingÂ¥had cast his net further and decided to blackmail either Lowe or someone else connected with the case. Showing as much initiative as Hallie or Pete and a lot more rectitude, Kinsey resolves to close the book on Pete?s shadowy game and to return a pair of sentimental religious keepsakes she?d found hidden in Pete?s files to their rightful owner. A droll drought-driven subplot revolving around Henry Pitts, Kinsey?s ancient landlord, is the icing on the cake.Grafton?s endless resourcefulness in varying her pitches in this landmark series (W Is for Wasted, 2013, etc.), graced by her trademark self-deprecating humor, is one of the seven wonders of the genre.

(2015) The only thread of this book that I truly enjoyed was Kinsey? landlord Henry's battle with his neighbors who have been stealing his water during the drought. They discover that they are criminals who have been squatting and refuse to leave. Kinsey does discover that there are outstanding warrants and they had skipped bail on an earlier arrest. Problem solved. KIRKUS REVIEWWhat does X stand for? Xanakis, XLNT, maybe even Father Xavier, all features of Kinsey Millhone's dense, meaty 24th case.The drought of 1989 is causing anxiety all over Santa Teresa, but money seems to have rained down on Kinsey's latest client, Hallie Bettancourt, who's seeking the current whereabouts of just-released robber Christian Satterfield, the son she had when she was only 15. Kinsey makes a few calls, rings a few bells, tracks down the address, and sends it on to the client, only to discover that everything Hallie told her, from her name to her relationship with Satterfield, was false. To add insult to injury, one of the $100 bills Hallie, or whoever she was, insisted on paying Kinsey is one of the same bills wealthy Ari Xanakis used two years ago to ransom a Turner painting back for $25,000 from his ex-wife, Teddy, who'd taken it upon herself to add it to the divorce settlement. Meanwhile, Kinsey's gotten involved in another equally messy case, driven by her unwelcome suspicion that her late colleague Pete Wolinsky¥hired years ago by salesman Ned Lowe's attorney, Arnold Ruffner, to dig up dirt that would impeach the testimony of Taryn Sizemore, who'd accused him of harassment and stalkingÂ¥had cast his net further and decided to blackmail either Lowe or someone else connected with the case. Showing as much initiative as Hallie or Pete and a lot more rectitude, Kinsey resolves to close the book on Pete's shadowy game and to return a pair of sentimental religious keepsakes she'd found hidden in Pete's files to their rightful owner. A droll drought-driven subplot revolving around Henry Pitts, Kinsey's ancient landlord, is the icing on the cake.Grafton's endless resourcefulness in varying her pitches in this landmark series (W Is for Wasted, 2013, etc.), graced by her trademark self-deprecating humor, is one of the seven wonders of the genre.Pub Date: Aug. 25th, 2015ISBN: 978-0-399-16384-5Page count: 416ppPublisher: Marian Wood/PutnamReview Posted Online: June 3rd, 2015Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15th, 2015

Other than a minor issue with the ending this was very, very satisfying. ( )

Man I love this series and this entry did not disappoint. Picking up the next Sue Grafton and settling in while Kinsey tells her tale is like visiting an old friend. I'll be sad if/when the author ends the series. ( )