by Sue Grafton
First published 2013
Kinsey Millhone sits in her office, case files spread across her desk. These nine stories trace the private investigator's early cases, from tracking down missing persons to investigating suspicious deaths. Each tale shows Kinsey's sharp instincts and no-nonsense approach already in place from her first appearances. The collection then shifts to thirteen autobiographical pieces featuring Kit Blue, a young woman navigating family dysfunction and personal loss. These stories follow Kit through moments of crisis and discovery as she processes her mother's death and confronts painful family memories. Grafton weaves together her fictional detective's world with her own personal journey from grief toward acceptance. The detective's clinical eye for detail mirrors the author's unflinching examination of her own past. Both women face difficult truths and find ways to move forward.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, mystery, autobiography
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century
286 pages · Hardcover · Marian Wood Books/Putnam