Although business has been slow lately for P.I. Kinsey Millhone, she's reluctant to take on the case of locating Beverly Danziger's sister Elaine ...
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Feb 11, 2012
Jim
rated it: 
Another interesting mystery solved by Kinsey. It's a shame she's turned into such a damn fool by Grafton at the end. Just like the first one, I really liked everything up until she winds up confronting the bad guy. Then Grafton feeds her an idiot pill & ties one hand behind her back just to make sure there is a big suspenseful ending. Is this a trademark of the series? With only 2 books listened to, it seems unfair to pass judgement yet, but a third might just finish me.
I like K More...
I like K More...
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Jan 08, 2012
Steve
rated it: 
Kinsey Millhone returns for her second book and this time she s been given what she thinks is a relatively simple case. Just find her clients sister so she can sign some legal documents. No problem there, she thinks, but the woman has just disappeared off the face of the earth...[return][return]I quite like these books. They re very easy to read, and while for me it isn t quite a suspenseful page turner, I do want to know what happens, who committed the crime etc. and so I read on. It s also
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Dec 30, 2008
June
rated it: 
I've enjoyed Sue Grafton's series of Kinsey Millhone, female sleuth, for many years. Some of the mysteries are easier to read, staying with the one main theme while others can be confusing with too many stories going on at one time. Dead bodies do occur although usually not as brutally as in other contemporary novels and this is a fun treat compared the very graphic reads (not that I'm overly squeamish when it comes to blood & guts.) Grafton has a fun, quick moving style of writing that keeps
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Jan 22, 2012
Alvi
rated it:
I've never read A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton, but I could not envision a better mystery novel than her B is for Burglar. Grafton has spun a web of deceit, murder and hidden identity into her book, and once you start reading, you're stuck.
The plot revolves around Kinsey Hillhone, private detective. Kinsey is hired by Beverly Danziger to find Beverly's missing sister, Elaine Boldt. As Kinsey embarks on this routine investigation, she begins to uncover some rather disturbing information. More...
The plot revolves around Kinsey Hillhone, private detective. Kinsey is hired by Beverly Danziger to find Beverly's missing sister, Elaine Boldt. As Kinsey embarks on this routine investigation, she begins to uncover some rather disturbing information. More...
Jul 29, 2010
Stephanie M.
rated it:
I'm not entirely sure what happened with 'B' is for Burglar, but I found it very hard to get into the story. The characters were still there, quirky and interesting as ever, and Grafton's narrative descriptions still struck me as unique and engrossing, but I just couldn't find myself caring about the plot. It wasn't a murder mystery I could sit around guessing at, thereby provoking my interest as the pieces were revealed. Instead, the ending came from left field and accusations that were previou
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Jul 26, 2010
Mardel
rated it:
Sue Grafton's B is for Burglar is the second of the Kinsey Milhone detective series. I read the most recent first, and have gone back to the beginning. I was seriously disappointed with the first book, A is for Alibi, and if I hadn't read anything else in the series I would not have continued. As for this one, I can see, while reading it, why I am attracted to Kinsey as a character, and am picking up on the beginnings of her character development. Although this book was much better than th
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Jan 20, 2012
Susan
rated it: 
Yes, I’m loving the award-winning alphabet series!!! Would be curious to meet Kinsey Millhone in person. Newsweek calls her “a tough cookie with a soft center, a gregarious loner.” That oxymoron holds up here.
One curious note: Although it took Grafton three years to write and publish her second alphabet novel (1985), “B” picks up only two weeks after the end of “A.” So, Kinsey is still 32 and barely recovered from the resolution to her case in “A.”
Here, she takes on the case More...
One curious note: Although it took Grafton three years to write and publish her second alphabet novel (1985), “B” picks up only two weeks after the end of “A.” So, Kinsey is still 32 and barely recovered from the resolution to her case in “A.”
Here, she takes on the case More...
Nov 22, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I hope that these books get better. I may just have to give up on them. This book wasn't so much bad as it was pointless and boring, at least to me. I didn't care about anyone in this book, at all. No one grabbed my attention, and the mystery was just so-so.
Kinsey (the main character) is really weird to me. I feel like we are supposed to think she is this cool,quirky, bad ass but she comes across to me pretty much the opposite. She is unnecessarily rude to people, she seems weirdly ob More...
Kinsey (the main character) is really weird to me. I feel like we are supposed to think she is this cool,quirky, bad ass but she comes across to me pretty much the opposite. She is unnecessarily rude to people, she seems weirdly ob More...
Feb 22, 2011
Samantha
rated it:
In B is for Burglar, Kinsey Millhone is back and in search of a missing woman. At first the case seems to be a simple matter that can be solved within a couple of days, but as Kinsey begins to dig it becomes apparent that everything isn't what it seems. And the more that Kinsey searches for the missing Elaine, the more questions arise as everything begins to not add up. Can Kinsey figure out what has happened to Elaine before she finds herself in danger??
I am hooked on this series! S More...
I am hooked on this series! S More...
Dec 23, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Though slightly dated (when did a cheeseburger, fries and a coke cost only $1.69??) this book was quite enjoyable. Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone is a quirky yet tough lead character that I have come to love. She is honest with herself about her feelings about children (she doesn't care for them), her octogenarian landlord (a hunk she admires from across the fifty year gap in their ages) and herself. She's not the stereotypical hero and I love her all the more because I can see traces of m
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Dec 06, 2009
Mika
rated it:
**Truthfully, this should be 4 1/2 stars**
Kinsey Millhone is back at it, putting her wits and skill on the line to solve her latest case. I think that B is for Burglar is a stronger story than A is for Alibis was, however, both are good, solid stories with a wonderful private investigator at the lead.
I have mixed emotions about coming into this series so late. Having been originally published in 1985, when I was a whole 11 years old, there are a lot of things that you j More...
Kinsey Millhone is back at it, putting her wits and skill on the line to solve her latest case. I think that B is for Burglar is a stronger story than A is for Alibis was, however, both are good, solid stories with a wonderful private investigator at the lead.
I have mixed emotions about coming into this series so late. Having been originally published in 1985, when I was a whole 11 years old, there are a lot of things that you j More...
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Feb 15, 2010
Thom
rated it:
Having just finished Demian, I'm reading this for pure fun. I love the descriptive metaphors in the book. And Columbus, Ohio was mentioned once.
I finished this finally. It was a crazy ride through a book, because the library CDs were so scratched, that I had to fast forward through many sections. So I also borrowed the actual book, and would read what I missed at night. So I actually covered the material more than once. It was interesting doing both listening and reading. I miss some More...
I finished this finally. It was a crazy ride through a book, because the library CDs were so scratched, that I had to fast forward through many sections. So I also borrowed the actual book, and would read what I missed at night. So I actually covered the material more than once. It was interesting doing both listening and reading. I miss some More...
Jan 01, 2009
Dana
rated it:
Kinsey Millhone, private detective, takes on a case to find wealthy Elaine Boldt for her sister. This should be easy and take only a day or two. Wrong!!
The widow was seen leaving her condo in California in a lynx fur coat to go to her condo in Florida. But she never got there. Kinsey follows the path but somewhere along the way it starts turning very sinister. The house next door in California was torched just before Elaine left. Is this just an unrelated event? A woman claiming Elai More...
The widow was seen leaving her condo in California in a lynx fur coat to go to her condo in Florida. But she never got there. Kinsey follows the path but somewhere along the way it starts turning very sinister. The house next door in California was torched just before Elaine left. Is this just an unrelated event? A woman claiming Elai More...
Jun 12, 2011
Darlene
rated it:
This is the second book in the Kinsey Millhone, aka Alphabet Mystery, series.
Kinsey Millhone, Private Investigator, is hired by a woman to find her sister, who appears to have gone missing, in order to settle a relative’s estate.
When I started this book, I forgot it was written back in 1985 when parachute pants and Mohawks were in style and people didn’t email and use the internet or cell phones! How archaic to have to use the typewriter instead of the computer ;) I have More...
Kinsey Millhone, Private Investigator, is hired by a woman to find her sister, who appears to have gone missing, in order to settle a relative’s estate.
When I started this book, I forgot it was written back in 1985 when parachute pants and Mohawks were in style and people didn’t email and use the internet or cell phones! How archaic to have to use the typewriter instead of the computer ;) I have More...
May 05, 2010
Lindsey
rated it:
This one was better than 'A' is for Alibi, but I didn't quite feel it merited another star. I was *slightly* more interested in the beginning and middle of this book than the last one. But I found that I had to drag myself through both. It was like I didn't care what was happening, I just wanted to see how the mystery was solved. I like mysteries that reveal more and more throughout the book and really keep you on the edge of your seat with suspense. This book and the last are anything but suspe
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Jan 28, 2012
Lara
rated it:
Beverly Danziger looked like an expensive, carefully wrapped package from a good but conservative shop. Only her compulsive chatter hinted at the nervousness beneath her cool surface. It was a nervousness out of all proportion to the problem she placed before Kinsey Millhone. There was an absent sister. A will to be settled--a matter of only a few thousand dollars. Mrs. Danziger did not look as if she needed a few thousand dollars. And she didn't seem like someone longing for a family reunion.
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Feb 18, 2010
Natalia
rated it:
I knew how the whole thing would wrap up about half way through the book... But what I didn't know was how the killer went about it. The wrap up was pretty good, if a little fuzzy on some of the details. :)
It's a fluffy mystery, but within the universe of fluffy mysteries, it's a very enjoyable one. Kinsey is funny and smart - and I enjoy the 80's setting. I love that she gets to run around doing her PI thing the old fashioned way, it's a nice break from the whole internet thing in c More...
It's a fluffy mystery, but within the universe of fluffy mysteries, it's a very enjoyable one. Kinsey is funny and smart - and I enjoy the 80's setting. I love that she gets to run around doing her PI thing the old fashioned way, it's a nice break from the whole internet thing in c More...
May 06, 2011
Desert Rose
rated it:
The second book in the alphabet series featuring the private investigator Kinsey Millhone.
She is approached by a Beverly Danziger who is looking for her sister Elaine Boldt to sign some formal papers, so Kinsey is hired to find her. She thought it would be easy, only to find herself in a missing persons case upgraded to solving a mystery of the death of the missing lady's neighbor.
Fast paced interesting twists and turns. Very enjoyable fast read!
"B" More...
She is approached by a Beverly Danziger who is looking for her sister Elaine Boldt to sign some formal papers, so Kinsey is hired to find her. She thought it would be easy, only to find herself in a missing persons case upgraded to solving a mystery of the death of the missing lady's neighbor.
Fast paced interesting twists and turns. Very enjoyable fast read!
"B" More...
Dec 04, 2008
Emily
rated it:
This one was better than the first. I would recommend reading them in order, if you choose to read this series.
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Jun 18, 2009
Tamara
rated it: 
Maybe it was just me, but I found it difficult to keep track of the storylineand numerous characters of this book. I put it down for a day and when I tried to pick up where I left off, I was thoroughly confused. This book didn't hold my attention at all and I had no problem putting it down and forgetting about it. Although I finished, about halfway through the book I really wanted to go against my principles and just flip to the end to discover who committed the crime so I could end my misery. I
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Aug 06, 2011
Incredibly, I hadn't read any of Sue Grafton's alphabet series before - had the chance to read A is for Alibi first but it just didn't appeal to me. B for Burglar sounded better & although it didn't really make me a Sue Grafton fan, it wasn't bad. I guess I will judge each "letter" book on a case by case basis as to whether I would read them or not. I thought the Kinsey Millhone character was a little stereotypical of a private detective. I also would have liked more "closure"
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Sep 17, 2010
Angela
rated it:
Book 2 in the alphabet series has Kinsey hunting down a client's sister, which leads her into an ever expanding plot of mystery and intrigue, taking her to Florida and back to California a couple times.
I had my hunches as I went through this book, some of which were right on, but with a twist. I really enjoyed this and could easily imagine all the characters and the roles they were playing. I felt a real connection with everyone who helped Kinsey discover her mystery. In many ways More...
I had my hunches as I went through this book, some of which were right on, but with a twist. I really enjoyed this and could easily imagine all the characters and the roles they were playing. I felt a real connection with everyone who helped Kinsey discover her mystery. In many ways More...
Jun 04, 2011
AnEyeSpy
rated it:
(one review for series) ***** for the first book because I like the series enough to last till about R, now want more to find new authors, and finish another year. The rest get 3-4* because I cannot remember my favorites. I like strong, brave females who make choices and deal with consequences successfully. I like mysteries. I like funny eccentric, her odd sandwich and cute old landlord choices. Southern California feels warm and dry on a long cold Canadian winter. She always seems to go alone i
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Mar 07, 2010
Patty
rated it:
These "alphabet novels" are nothing short of perfect mystery. Grafton's cleverly crafted characters will stay with you long after you are finished reading the books. Kinsey Milhone, her landord/best friend, Henry and all the others seem so much like real people it is hard to imagine a world without them. I was on the edge of my seat with all the twists and turns, never forseeing what was coming next. I felt that each novel, as Grafton advanced through the alphabet, improved in ever
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Apr 06, 2010
Marilyn
rated it:
Finding wealthy Elaine Boldt seems like a quickie case to Kinsey Milhone. The flashy widow was last seen wearing a $12,000 lynx coat, leaving her condo in Santa Teresa for her condo in Boca Raton. But somewhere in between, she vanished. Kinsey's case goes from puzzling to sinister when a house is torched, an aparftment is burgled of worthless papaers, the lynx coat comes back without Elaine, and her bridge partner is found dead. Soon Kinsey's clues begin to form a capital "M" - not for
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Dec 13, 2011
wrench
rated it:
Ok, so I really liked A is for Alibi, and I really like Kinsey Millhone and am looking forward to reading more of this series.
Having said that there were some things in this that actually just kinda ruined it even though I really liked the plot and the writing etc. (Plus I love lady detectives because they are awesome and mostly are not arseholes like Sherlock Holmes [who I love, but who is still an arsehole])
So, I really enjoyed the plot and think this is a well put together d More...
Having said that there were some things in this that actually just kinda ruined it even though I really liked the plot and the writing etc. (Plus I love lady detectives because they are awesome and mostly are not arseholes like Sherlock Holmes [who I love, but who is still an arsehole])
So, I really enjoyed the plot and think this is a well put together d More...
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Mar 21, 2011
Katie
rated it:
I read this book for several reasons: 1)I own all of this woman's works up through "T" and feel I must "get to it already." 2)It's for a challenge (three different challenges, actually!). 3)I'm on vacation and I'm frustrated by how few books I've finished and this one was a shortie.
While I am getting to like the character of Kinsey Millhone better in this second installment, I was pretty pissed by the way Ms. Grafton ended the thing. I had this one nailed from abo More...
While I am getting to like the character of Kinsey Millhone better in this second installment, I was pretty pissed by the way Ms. Grafton ended the thing. I had this one nailed from abo More...
Feb 15, 2011
Shelley
rated it:
Synopsis: Beverly Danziger looked like an expensive, carefully wrapped package from a good but conservative shop. Only her compulsive chatter hinted at the nervousness beneath her cool surface. It was a nervousness out of all proportion to the problem she placed before Kinsey Millhone. There was an absent sister. A will to be settled -- a matter of only a few thousand dollars. Mrs. Danziger did not look as if she needed a few thousand dollars. And she didn't seem like someone longing for a famil
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Sep 07, 2009
Sherrie
rated it:
"B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
(from the back cover)
Finding wealthy Elaine Boldt seems like a quickie case to Kinsey Millhone. The flashy widow was last seen wearing a $12,000 lynx coat, leaving her condo in Santa Teresa for her condo in Boca Raton. But somewhere in between, she vanished. Kinsey's case goes from puzzling to sinister when a house ie torched, an apartment is burgled or worthless papers, the lynx coat comes back without Elaine, and her bridge partne More...
(from the back cover)
Finding wealthy Elaine Boldt seems like a quickie case to Kinsey Millhone. The flashy widow was last seen wearing a $12,000 lynx coat, leaving her condo in Santa Teresa for her condo in Boca Raton. But somewhere in between, she vanished. Kinsey's case goes from puzzling to sinister when a house ie torched, an apartment is burgled or worthless papers, the lynx coat comes back without Elaine, and her bridge partne More...
Aug 15, 2011
Julia
rated it:
Maybe it's because I read this book so quickly, but I didn't figure out who dunnit until close to the end. Again, I didn't particularly connect with the main character, but I did enjoy the realism of the investigation. The one thing that was a little weird was that this book was written twenty-six years ago when cell phones weren't around, which definitely effects the way the plot is shaped: the heroine can't call for backup as she drives out to head of the bad guys, instead she goes in alone, e
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