The Alphabet Ends at Y

Nothing tastes better than a raspberry zinger after a day of work. Aside from chatting, I love to curl up with a good book while I enjoy my tea. I've been thinking about books lately because my favorite author died a little over a week ago. Sue Grafton wrote an engaging alphabet series that I can reread over and over again. Her characters came to life through her words.

Since my days of visiting the local bookmobile in Springfield, I've been attracted to mystery books. I would tear through the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series when I was in elementary school. As I got older, I read every Perry Mason book I could find. One cold, freezing day in the winter of 2007 I found a Sue Grafton paperback novel at Walmart. I remember it vividly because it was during the big ice storm. We'd been out of electricity for several days and I was starting to go stir crazy. I thought if I had something to read, I might be able to survive. The book was S is for Silence and it was good!

I didn't realize at the time, but I had a treasure in my hand. Sue started writing this series in 1982. And these books are based in that decade. Her main character, Kinsey Millhone is a kick-ass private investigator in the fictional town of Santa Teresa, California. She's in her thirties, twice divorced and orphaned since she was five. She's as sharp as a tack, knows how to shoot a gun and hates to see the bad guys get away. She's a perfect character. Notice I didn't say she's perfect. Her landlord and neighbor, Henry Pitts is an 80 something year old retired baker who knows how to cook. He's the perfect contrast to Kinsey's can't cook lifestyle. She regularly visits a Hungarian restaurant/lounge a half a block away to get bossed around by the owner. To round it out we've got all the clients and the shenanigans they bring to Kinsey's life.

Here's the majority of my Sue Grafton collection; A-U. The V, W and X are on the shelf below. Y is for Yesterday was a Christmas gift and hasn't made it to the shelf yet. As you can see, my books get a lot of use. I like it better that way. Obviously, I got hooked. Sometimes I'm reading one of these books and I can't put it down. Other times, the plot is so mind bending that I have to stop and ponder the implications before continuing.

I'm now on my second reading of the final book, Y is for Yesterday. And it makes me a bit melancholy. Her final book was going to be Z is for Zero. But alas, that will not happen. Sue never wanted a ghost writer for her work. So the alphabet truly does end with Y. Thanks for all the great reads, Sue. Rest in peace!