by Sue Grafton
Part of Kinsey Millhone, book 7
First published 1990
Kinsey Millhone turns thirty-three and moves back into her renovated apartment. She takes a case to locate an elderly woman living alone in the Mojave Desert. Then she discovers that ex-convict Tyrone Patty wants her dead. A professional killer is coming for her. Kinsey knows she cannot handle this threat alone. She hires Robert Dietz, a private investigator who drives a Porsche and takes his bodyguard duties seriously. Dietz watches Kinsey constantly, alert for any sign of her typical reckless behavior. Despite the danger, Kinsey pushes forward with her missing person case. The investigation leads her deeper into a web of secrets. She uncovers a brutal betrayal that someone buried years ago. The truth threatens to destroy lives. As Kinsey closes in on answers, she must confront the reality that she might not survive this case.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: bodyguard-romance, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Mojave Desert
Period: 1980s
261 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt and Co.
Content warnings: violence