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A Is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1)
by
Sue Grafton
When Laurence Fife was murdered, few mourned his passing. A prominent divorce attorney with a reputation for single-minded ruthlessness on behalf of his clients, Fife was also rumored to be a dedicated philanderer. Plenty of people in the picturesque southern California town of Santa Teresa had a reason to want him dead. Including, thought the cops, his young and beautiful...more
ebook, 288 pages
Published
April 1st 2010
by Holt Paperbacks
(first published 1982)
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Community Reviews
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Dec 12, 2007
Jen
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
detective-fiction,
female-author
Kinsey Millhone is a single female working as a private investigator in Santa Theresa, California. She is hired by Nikki Fife, the convicted murdered of Lawrence Fife (her husband), to find out who really killed him. Her investigation leads her into a series of other murders that seem to be connected.
I don't know if I can even justify one star on this book. I was at no point able to "connect" with Kinsey. I love a strong female character, but she does not fit that bill. She is crass which makes...more
I don't know if I can even justify one star on this book. I was at no point able to "connect" with Kinsey. I love a strong female character, but she does not fit that bill. She is crass which makes...more
I read this book as part of an interdisciplinary course in law school entitled "Law in Literature." While the book was acceptable/average in terms of its overall plot, development, and color, my enjoyment of the novel came from the fact that until the last half of the book (when the protagonist - a female detective - sleeps with a man she is investigating) I hadn't realized that the main character was a woman. I thought of myself as suitably progressive when the novel described the main characte...more
21 likes · like · see review
Listened to this on book tape downloaded from the library because I wasn't feeling good and had to stay in bed. Not a very believable murder mystery that I will probably forget all about listening to, but it was entertaining while I was sick.
"Eight years after her release from prison, Nikki Fife hired California Private Investigator, Kinsey Millhone, to find out who killed her husband and framed her for the crime. As Kinsey investigates, she finds out that almost everyone wanted Mr. Fife dead, i...more
"Eight years after her release from prison, Nikki Fife hired California Private Investigator, Kinsey Millhone, to find out who killed her husband and framed her for the crime. As Kinsey investigates, she finds out that almost everyone wanted Mr. Fife dead, i...more
2 likes · like · see review
A good book, not great. I found the little details she added to the story, like getting a cheesburger at McDonalds, annoying and pointless. There was little action, little character development. But then, this was a very early book. Given Grafton's popularity now she has either improved in her story telling or the general reading public is more easily entertained than I thought.
Some day I will have to try out one of her more recent novels.
Some day I will have to try out one of her more recent novels.
5 likes · like · see review
Jan 02, 2011
Khaya
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
mysteriesthrillers
I think I've read a few too many books like this, something which is perhaps unfair to hold against this book. But I have to say that as I approached the final climactic scene, I was reminded of my husband and sister-in-law as they reminisced about watching old reruns of "The Lone Ranger" when they were kids. Every time the Lone Ranger said, "Tonto, go to town," it was an obvious cue that the plot was advancing because, every time Tonto went to town, he got into trouble. And sure enough, toward...more
2 likes · like · see review
A IS FOR ALIBI by Sue Grafton
My Thoughts:
I am very glad that my first mystery novel was A FOR ALIBI, because it was an awesome read. I love Sue Grafton's writing style, it flows nicely and makes it an easy novel to get zoned into. The mystery itself was amazing; being an addict of crime dramas and true crime TV shows (when I watch TV that is) I thought there was no way I'd get good suspense from a novel. I was wrong. I had myself guessing the killer, and thinking what would happen next; and whet...more
My Thoughts:
I am very glad that my first mystery novel was A FOR ALIBI, because it was an awesome read. I love Sue Grafton's writing style, it flows nicely and makes it an easy novel to get zoned into. The mystery itself was amazing; being an addict of crime dramas and true crime TV shows (when I watch TV that is) I thought there was no way I'd get good suspense from a novel. I was wrong. I had myself guessing the killer, and thinking what would happen next; and whet...more
2 likes · like · see review
Aug 07, 2007
Kelly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
trashy-fiction
I won't bother to review the whole A through S (so far) series, and I doubt I could remember my reaction to each individual book in any case. As a whole, though, I love this series. Sure, it's total pulp fiction, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. First, the series is based in Santa Teresa, CA, a very thinly disguised Santa Barbara, which makes it great fun for anyone who's lived in SB. (My *favorite* alteration is that Mission Street become Missile Street!) Second, Kinsey Millhone is your prototyp...more
I’ve only recently discovered Kinsey Millhone, and while I’m very late to do so, its true what they say - better late, than never. This is a series that I will continue to follow.
For anyone else who is unfamiliar with Sue Grafton’s alphabet series, these soft-boiled mysteries follow Kinsey Millhone, a 30-something, no-nonsense, one-time cop turned PI as she navigates herself through one case after another.
In the first installment, “A is for Alibi”, we get a feel for Kinsey as she investigates...more
For anyone else who is unfamiliar with Sue Grafton’s alphabet series, these soft-boiled mysteries follow Kinsey Millhone, a 30-something, no-nonsense, one-time cop turned PI as she navigates herself through one case after another.
In the first installment, “A is for Alibi”, we get a feel for Kinsey as she investigates...more
May 20, 2008
Tabby Kat
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kinsey-millhone-mysteries-by-sue-gr
'A' is for Alibi," by Sue Grafton, is narrated in the first-person by California private investigator Kinsey Millhone--a twice-divorced, childless 32-year old woman who lives in a one-room "bachelorette" apartment. Kinsey is hired by Nikki Fife, a woman who had been sent to prison after being convicted of murdering her husband. Nikki maintains her innocence and wants Kinsey to find the real killer--eight years after the murder. This assignment leads to deceit and danger for the sleuth.
This is a...more
This is a...more
I started reading Grafton's Kinsey Milhone books about eighteen years ago. These books transcend genre. Grafton also came up with the very clever idea of keeping the same timeframe for the entire series. The books start in the early eighties. It's probably 1987 as of T is for Trespass. I know I need to read more than genre fiction and memoirs, but this series will keep me from my giant backlog of "quality" books for a long, long time.
I have read Grafton's whole alphabet series. Yes, it's uneven, but totally fun and totally engaging. Kinsey Millhone rocks!
Sue Grafton writes the alphabetically titled Kinsey Millhone series. I have read them all, and really enjoy Kinsey. She is a private investigator in California with very eclectic friends and very strange food preferences. Kinsey's friendship with her kind elderly landlord is sweet and funny. The plots are creative, character-driven and most have a great ending twist. Grafton's books tend to be a quick read and incorporate many of the same characters again and again. This is another writer whose...more
This is another case where I've read the whole series so far (T is for Trespass most recently), but I don't want to take the time to review each one. I wouldn't be able to anyway, I like the whole series. They're all mystery books where Kinsey Millhone solves a case of some kind. They aren't too heavy on her personal life, but throught the course of the series I feel like I've really gotten to know and love her. She's the coolest. All independent and full of spunk, how could you resist her?
I'm a big Sue Grafton fan, possibly because I'm a lot like Kinsey myself (in attitude more than in situation). I've read all of her novels several times... they're my "go-to" books when I want some brain candy without having to put a lot of effort into unraveling plot or character.
At the risk of sounding prim and old-maidish, I really could have done without the sex scenes in this book... in my mind a good murder mystery should be able to stand on its own two feet without forcing us all into th...more
At the risk of sounding prim and old-maidish, I really could have done without the sex scenes in this book... in my mind a good murder mystery should be able to stand on its own two feet without forcing us all into th...more
2 likes · like · see review
I don't have a deep knowledge of mystery novels, just a few mainstream authors like Dick Francis and Dashiell Hammett, and within that limited experience I hadn't encountered a female lead. So when I finally responded to years of occasional recommendations from my mom and read "A is for Alibi", I was pleasantly surprised by the offbeat thinking of the protagonist, Kinsey Millhone. For instance, in one scene Kinsey is interrogating some punk at a construction site, and while listening to him blea...more
This author fascinates me. She has started a series of books that everyone knows will have to reach 26 before she is through. She first copyrighted the "A" book in 1988...cell phones?...PC's?...DNA? She is carrying this series into the 21st century but is frozen by necessity into the 20th. She somehow pulls it off. I keep trying to catch her in a slip (using something or referring to something that did not exist then). She may well have but I did not catch it.
I like her style and the characters...more
I like her style and the characters...more
Mar 25, 2013
Alexander Peck
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
women who want to feel bad about themselves while figuring out a murder plot
I like reading books where I know there will be a lot more books with the same people in it doing the same things and in similar situations. So when I saw this book at a fill-a-bag for a dollar sale. I said to myself oo serial mystery, there are probably going to be 26 of these awesome. But it wasn't.
The main character is named Kinsey. That's stupid or heavy handed.
Plotting: Benefit of the doubt that plot twist may have been clever in 1982.
I think female authors who write with female protagonis...more
The main character is named Kinsey. That's stupid or heavy handed.
Plotting: Benefit of the doubt that plot twist may have been clever in 1982.
I think female authors who write with female protagonis...more
Let me say right up front that I kept changing my rating from 2 to 3 stars. I think what finally swayed me is that by the end of the book I really liked the character Kinsey Millhone and her feisty personality.
I understand that "A is for Alibi" by Sue Grafton is the first in the Kinsey Millhone series, which is pretty popular for mystery fans. And although I wasn't blown out of the water by the first installment, I can tell that Grafton was sort of experimenting and testing the water for a bit t...more
I understand that "A is for Alibi" by Sue Grafton is the first in the Kinsey Millhone series, which is pretty popular for mystery fans. And although I wasn't blown out of the water by the first installment, I can tell that Grafton was sort of experimenting and testing the water for a bit t...more
"A" is for Alibi, Sue Grafton, Mystery, This book is mainly a Mystery of a certain death that one women caused. Young adult Audience.
This story is about a women named Kinsey Millhone and this book has a lot of ups and downs. It basically gets straight to the point and talks about who she is and what she does for a living. She isn't shy at it and she's in her mid 30s. She has been married before but also has been divorced twice. She has no kids and she's from California. She's not your typical m...more
This story is about a women named Kinsey Millhone and this book has a lot of ups and downs. It basically gets straight to the point and talks about who she is and what she does for a living. She isn't shy at it and she's in her mid 30s. She has been married before but also has been divorced twice. She has no kids and she's from California. She's not your typical m...more
Read this at the suggestion of my Mother-in-Law who is a big fan of the Kinsey Millhone series and looks forward to the release of each one with great anticipation. Since it is a series, I thought I would start with number #1.
Keeping in mind that it's currently 2012 and this book was published 30 years ago - it did feel a bit dated. Too many mentions of formica, but I guess it did take you back to 1980s cali. Mind you, the writing style sort of felt from that era too and lacked a depth so to spe...more
Keeping in mind that it's currently 2012 and this book was published 30 years ago - it did feel a bit dated. Too many mentions of formica, but I guess it did take you back to 1980s cali. Mind you, the writing style sort of felt from that era too and lacked a depth so to spe...more
Been reading her books for about 20 years - I always pre-order the new ones. It's so great to revisit an old friend. If you don't know her, you should check her out. Her latest book, which I've read, is V. I've read straight through the alphabet. Saw her on a talk show once, and the interviewer asked her if she was concerned about getting to the end of the alphabet. She quipped "No, because Z is gonna be for Zero, then I start on numbers!" I hope she does, it would be a sad world without new Sue...more
This book begins the Grafton Kinsey Milhome franchise with a mystery including a wrongly convicted woman, a dead philandering husband, several suspicious characters.
Kinsey Milhome, former cop-turned-insurance-investigator is a no-nonsense gal. She lives an austere lifestyle, has two divorces under her belt, and isn't afraid to get in peoples' faces to work a case. This case involves a woman recently released from serving an 8 year sentence for murdering her husband. The woman, steadfast that she...more
Kinsey Milhome, former cop-turned-insurance-investigator is a no-nonsense gal. She lives an austere lifestyle, has two divorces under her belt, and isn't afraid to get in peoples' faces to work a case. This case involves a woman recently released from serving an 8 year sentence for murdering her husband. The woman, steadfast that she...more
This book started off a little slow for me, but after a while I realized that the slowness of the storyline actually really worked out in the book's favor. Kinsey Millhone, being a private detective, has a lot of moments where she's just running around in circles and spends most of her time staring at her notes, trying to get an idea of what is going on. I feel that Grafton's writing style accurately portrays the lifestyle of a private detective. I have also read a lot of reviews that refer to G...more
Feb 18, 2012
Lisa Seaman
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned,
favorite-author
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I think that I’m rather late getting on the Sue Grafton bandwagon! “‘A’ is For Alibi” is the very first of the Sue Grafton alphabet series. It introduces Kinsey Millhone, a great, strong female private eye.
For fun, I’ll look at this mystery through the lens of Ronald Knox’s “Ten Commandments” of mystery fiction. Ronald Knox was what was called in the 20's and 30's ‘a man of letters’. He was greatly interested in Sherlock Holmes, and wrote several mysteries himself.
Commandment #1: The criminal m...more
For fun, I’ll look at this mystery through the lens of Ronald Knox’s “Ten Commandments” of mystery fiction. Ronald Knox was what was called in the 20's and 30's ‘a man of letters’. He was greatly interested in Sherlock Holmes, and wrote several mysteries himself.
Commandment #1: The criminal m...more
Bought on Audible
What I Loved: Kinsey is one tough cookie! She is very much someone I would want on my side in an investigation. I like that she is PI and not a cop that gives her a little bit more room to work things out in the Kinsey way. She is whip smart, tough, and yet flawed in the "independent, opinionated, little bit defensive" kind of way. I really liked all her personality quirks. The case itself was pretty good too. I had part of it figured out early but there were a couple of twists...more
What I Loved: Kinsey is one tough cookie! She is very much someone I would want on my side in an investigation. I like that she is PI and not a cop that gives her a little bit more room to work things out in the Kinsey way. She is whip smart, tough, and yet flawed in the "independent, opinionated, little bit defensive" kind of way. I really liked all her personality quirks. The case itself was pretty good too. I had part of it figured out early but there were a couple of twists...more
It’s always risky to re-read something you really enjoyed and thought was first rate when you first read it 25 years before. My sister suggested it would be fun to re-read Sue Grafton’s alphabetical mysteries together and so I got a copy for my Kindle and spent a few hours reacquainting myself with Santa Teresa, CA. It was a good move.
I had not remembered how well Grafton’s books are written and I had forgotten how slowly and carefully she builds Kinsey Millhone’s character and that of her landl...more
I had not remembered how well Grafton’s books are written and I had forgotten how slowly and carefully she builds Kinsey Millhone’s character and that of her landl...more
What can you say about Grafton? She's one of my favorites. I adore female mystery writers - Sue, Agatha, MC Beaton. I have, of course, read all of Sue's alphabet mysteries up to "U" (the current one), but I have just listed "A" here because I recommend anyone start here (rather that jump around in the series) and also, it's one of the best ones. That ending just blew me away.
I got into the character of Kinsey from the very first book. And I love the way Grafton takes her through different relati...more
I got into the character of Kinsey from the very first book. And I love the way Grafton takes her through different relati...more
I have been wanting to read Sue Grafton for awhile but I kept putting it off because my father didn't care for her books. I didn't love the book yet I didn't hate the book either. A is for Alibi was an enjoyable read. I will try her books again.
This story is about a PI, Kinsey Millhone, who is hired by a woman, Nikki Fife, who was found guilty of murdering her husband. Nikki hires Kinsey to prove that she was innocent. As Kinsey starts looking at everyone that knew Nikki's husband back then I ha...more
This story is about a PI, Kinsey Millhone, who is hired by a woman, Nikki Fife, who was found guilty of murdering her husband. Nikki hires Kinsey to prove that she was innocent. As Kinsey starts looking at everyone that knew Nikki's husband back then I ha...more
I like mysteries in general. The last time I read this book I was in high school. I wasn't so far removed from the time period then, but now I had to laugh at the absence of technology. I couldn't even remember the story so it was like reading it for the first time.
The rest of my thoughts maybe a little bit spoilerish.....
Kinsey Millhone, female private investigator, is hired by her client in this first book of the series to find the real killer of her husband. The client has served time for the...more
The rest of my thoughts maybe a little bit spoilerish.....
Kinsey Millhone, female private investigator, is hired by her client in this first book of the series to find the real killer of her husband. The client has served time for the...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ask | 12 | 136 | Apr 26, 2013 03:55pm | |
| The Best In The Series | 19 | 35 | Apr 18, 2013 06:50pm | |
| The Women's Myste...: A is for Alibi | 22 | 79 | Mar 16, 2013 02:04am | |
| Basically Books!: Kinsey Millhone (A-Z) | 22 | 52 | Jun 09, 2012 05:48pm |
Connect with Sue herself on Facebook! www.facebook.com/suegrafton
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2003.
Family History:
Father: C.W. Grafton, born 1909, third son of Presbyterian Missionaries, born and raised in China, educated Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina; practicing attorney in Louisville, Kentucky with a 40-year specialty in municipal bonds. Au...more
More about Sue Grafton...
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2003.
Family History:
Father: C.W. Grafton, born 1909, third son of Presbyterian Missionaries, born and raised in China, educated Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina; practicing attorney in Louisville, Kentucky with a 40-year specialty in municipal bonds. Au...more
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“Except for cases that clearly involve a homicidal maniac, the police like to believe murders are committed by those we know and love, and most of the time they're right - a chilling thought when you sit down to dinner with a family of five. All those potential killers passing their plates.”
—
40 people liked it
“You try to keep life simple but it never works, and in the end all you have left is yourself.”
—
10 people liked it
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