A is for Alibi is the first book in Sue Grafton's alphabet mystery series,
Kinsey Millhone a 32-year-old Private Investigator living in California. I have just started this series, but I really enjoyed this book. The mystery keeps pages turning as it fascinating, suspenseful and a real fast read. The character Kinsey is very independent, you feel as you now know her, and she is portrayed as somebody you do know. Nikki Fife has just been released from prison after doing 8 years for the murdering her husband, Laurence. Nikki wants Kinsey to find the person who really killed Laurence Kinsey begins to investigate and finds out about another murder committed only days after Laurence's that is extremely similar. The victim was the accountant for Laurence's law firm, Libby Glass, and she was killed using an identical method of poisoning. This trail is 8-years-old, and Kinsey knows it won't be easy to find the truth. Kinsey begins to put together a picture of the people involved and the circumstances that led up to Laurence's murder. But somebody is not too pleased with Kinsey investigating and unveiling facts that could lead to the true murderer. Kinsey gets herself into danger, and as she struggles to put the pieces together, someone is trying to stop ( )

Fast-paced private investigator story set in California. Full of humanity and action. ( )

mystery fiction (orig. published 1982), 1st in series starring private investigator (employed just frequently enough in insurance fraud cases to pay her bills), Kinsey Millhone in Santa Teresa, "a Southern California town of eighty thousand, artfully arranged between the Sierra Madres and the Pacific Ocean--a haven for the abject rich." The investigation of an 8-years cold double homicide leads her to Las Vegas and Claremont, among other places.

award-winning series with sharp, likeable protagonist (though she doesn't like dogs and for some reason enjoys jogging). The slightly judgy views on fat people and favorable opinions on pantyhose make it somewhat dated, but otherwise seems like a decent mystery series to satisfy fans of the genre. ( )

I've been eying down the Kinsey Millhone books for years. I've always wanted to read them, but I could never find this first book! I always found the books near the middle or the end of the alphabet. It was so frustrating, but my luck turned a few weeks back - I found A is for Alibi. I truly want to read all of these books, solely because the titles are fun. Sure, don't judge a book by it's cover, but why not judge for a cool title?

This book was slow for a thriller, but it was a real good read. We follow Kinsey, a private investigator who's recent job is for Nikki. She's been released from prison after a stint due to the murder of her husband. But, Nikki is insistent she didn't murder him and there's definitely others out there who had a reason to kill him. Kinsey is down for the challenge, and she starts looking into his ex wives, ex business partners, and even his kids...

There's a lot of filler in this book that could have been left out and the story would have been the same. I did enjoy it, but I also started getting drained by just how MUCH filler there was. The story itself wasn't obvious either. Sure, the odd clue was left behind, but I couldn't piece the mystery together myself which is my preferred kind of mystery/thriller book. If we get all of those details... Can they at least be important?

I'll still work on continuing this series. The first books aren't always the best, so here's hoping the books go up.

Two out of five stars. Just too darn slow and too much fluff for my personal tastes. ( )

it kept me guessing, but wasn't my favorite...going to try a few more in the series.
( )