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B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone #2)
by
Sue Grafton
Elaine Boldt is missing, and her sister wants Kinsey Millhone to find her.
Seems like a routine job. Boldt was last seen lavishly draped in a $12,000 lynx coat heading for Boca Raton. She never got there. But someone else had, and was camping out illegally in Mrs. Boldt's abode. Now, things were beginning to seem a bit less routine - particularly when Kinsey is ordered to d...more
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published 1985)
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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 Kinsey & t...more
I like Kinsey & t...more
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...more
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 keep...more
2 likes · like · see review
50 Editions So Far...and here is another LOL.
For many, many years readers have enjoyed Ms. Grafton’s ‘Alphabet Series’ and have looked forward to every new letter with excitement. In fact, Ms. Grafton has just released V is for Vengeance, which will allow Kinsey Millhone, beloved P.I., to look forward to only four more adventures.
B is for Burglar arrived on the scene back in 1985, the second investigation for Kinsey who is an ex-policewoman and now runs her own private investigation firm. With...more
For many, many years readers have enjoyed Ms. Grafton’s ‘Alphabet Series’ and have looked forward to every new letter with excitement. In fact, Ms. Grafton has just released V is for Vengeance, which will allow Kinsey Millhone, beloved P.I., to look forward to only four more adventures.
B is for Burglar arrived on the scene back in 1985, the second investigation for Kinsey who is an ex-policewoman and now runs her own private investigation firm. With...more
After Kinsey's premier in A is for Alibi, Grafton sets her on her next apparently small case a mere 2 weeks after wrapping up the last mystery. Independent and strong minded, Kinsey tells it how it is. She will not play the fiddle for a criminal, and finds it difficult to choose safe allegiances. This powerful female PI has her weaknesses (dislike of small crawley things), adding back a touch of humanity, if not cliched femininity. But this almost seems unnecessary considering the baggage of chi...more
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. Elaine's...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. Elaine's...more
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...more
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 the fir...more
This is the second in the Kinsey Millhone P I series, following on from A is for Alibi: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries), but a totally stand alone story. It is June in Santa Teresa when Beverly Danziger walks into Kinsey's office. Her request seems straightforward - can she locate her sister Elaine Boldt as her signature is needed on some legal papers. The estate needs to be settled, but Beverly cannot get hold of her sister and they are not on good terms. Hoping to wrap th...more
I'm not entirely comfortable with the Goodreads star system. All through school I was judged on a 10 points scale, and a 6 was a very low grade, just a step above the barely passed examination (5). On that scale Sue Grafton is a comfortable 8 - intelligent, intriguing, elegant. But I have read better mysteries and I suspect in a year or two I will scratch my head and wonder what was this book about?
The one thing that will remain for sure is the main character - Kinsey Millhone - private investig...more
The one thing that will remain for sure is the main character - Kinsey Millhone - private investig...more
5 likes · like · see review
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 of a missing person,...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 of a missing person,...more
Nov 22, 2011
Sarah
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Sue Grafton fans
Shelves:
kindle
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 oblivious at...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 oblivious at...more
B is for Burglar is a good second installment in the Kinsey Millhone series. The author fixed a lot of the things that bugged me when I read A is for Alibi - though there were still some jarringly dumb lines in the book.
The good news is that we finally get Kinsey's back story, making it possible to connect with her character. She's still not entirely likeable, but she seems smarter in this book. The really dumb sentences have also thinned out, so I'm hoping that C is for Corpse will solve the pr...more
The good news is that we finally get Kinsey's back story, making it possible to connect with her character. She's still not entirely likeable, but she seems smarter in this book. The really dumb sentences have also thinned out, so I'm hoping that C is for Corpse will solve the pr...more
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! Sue Grafton h...more
I am hooked on this series! Sue Grafton h...more
In my continuing quest to read Sue Grafton's ABC/Kinsey Millhone series I finish off "B". My personal jury is still out on if I like Grafton and if I like Kinsey Millhone.
In "B" Kinsey is coming off her brush with death in "A" and trying to ignore the fact that she killed another human. She takes on a missing person case that quickly gets tangled and become a murder investigation. She goes to and fro from California to Florida and finally whittles all the evidence down to "who done it". In her...more
In "B" Kinsey is coming off her brush with death in "A" and trying to ignore the fact that she killed another human. She takes on a missing person case that quickly gets tangled and become a murder investigation. She goes to and fro from California to Florida and finally whittles all the evidence down to "who done it". In her...more
Kinsey takes a case of a missing woman who has not signed some important papers and appears to not have arrived in Florida as she planned. The story has an interesting plot, several red herrings, and some unexpected twists. Grafton is very careful with physical details, noting clues and placement of articles out of which she will select something significant. She seems to feel no obligation to tie up loose ends of the lives of her lesser characters. This is interesting to me – some authors are v...more
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...more
Dec 06, 2009
Mika Stevens
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller
**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 just don't see in mystery n...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 just don't see in mystery n...more
Feb 17, 2013
Dani Noviandi
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
misteryreadingchallenge
Kinsey Millhone. Sebuah nama detektif baru bagi saya. Buku karangan Sue Grafton ini sebenarnya cukup menarik jika ditilik dari segi judul. Alphabetical Mistery. Ya, buku-buku Sue Grafton ini judul-judulnya diawali dari huruf-huruf alfabet. Contohnya: A is for Alibi. B is for Burglar, dan lain-lain. Info di Goodreads, buku ini telah mencapai seri ke duapuluh dua, luar biasa!
Kinsey Millhone ini seorang detektif swasta, mantan polisi dan masih tertarik dengan dunia-dunia kriminalitas, makanya ia me...more
Kinsey Millhone ini seorang detektif swasta, mantan polisi dan masih tertarik dengan dunia-dunia kriminalitas, makanya ia me...more
I hate to say it, I'm eating my words from my first review. Kinsey is not so relatable. She is not just a loner, but a judgmental, self-contradictory, depth-lacking character. She takes a negative tone to everyone she meets and calls them fat, old, too beautiful, anal or there is something wrong with everyone she meets, it's a skewed way to view life. She is terrified for getting in trouble with CFI, yet she was celebrating over that fact that she almost took a life. She has no depth because her...more
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 details whi...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 details whi...more
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 Elaine is elsewh...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 Elaine is elsewh...more
This is the second book in this *series* and I hope Ms. Grafton makes up her mind which way the series is going to go. There are several times when this book reiterates information from the first book, such as describing Kinsey or the town where she lives, thus allowing this to be a stand alone book. There are other times however, when she references the crime from book #1 (A is for Alibi) but doesn't give alot of details, assuming that the reader has started there and made the logical progressi...more
“B is For Burglar” is the second book in Grafton’s so-called “alphabet novels,” and it was written in 1985.
The first thing I’ll say is that it’s interesting to read an 80's novel that describes 80's culture and fashion. A character named ‘Mike’ is totally rigged out as a punk. He’s got a Mohawk haircut with the classic shaved sides. The “dry brush” “center divider” hair is dyed pink, and he wears parachute pants with combat boots.
Sounds like my old highschool. I still recall one student in my h...more
The first thing I’ll say is that it’s interesting to read an 80's novel that describes 80's culture and fashion. A character named ‘Mike’ is totally rigged out as a punk. He’s got a Mohawk haircut with the classic shaved sides. The “dry brush” “center divider” hair is dyed pink, and he wears parachute pants with combat boots.
Sounds like my old highschool. I still recall one student in my h...more
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 forgotten how different...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 forgotten how different...more
Apr 13, 2013
Daniel
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
dessert-reading
When I read a detective novel, it's more than just dessert reading. I try to use it as a brain puzzle. The process is pretty straightforward. A good detective novel will give you (the reader) everything you need to solve the mystery as soon or sooner than the detective in the novel. I simply take in the information and form a theory. That theory evolves over the course of the book as I gather more information and rule out possibilities. The rule of thumb is that if I reach the reveal before I ha...more
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...more
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.
St...more
St...more
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 contemporary...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 contemporary...more
The second installment in this series, B is for Burgler by Sue Grafton is a straight up mystery , who done it and why novel. Really good one. Kinsey hasn't dealt with the fall out from what happened in the first book, and she doesn't get a chance to while working this case. We visit a few old friends from the first novel and make a few new ones. This case starts off as a missing persons case that Kinsey hopes to wrap up in a few days. She realizes that something more is going on and it is someho...more
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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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“Personally, I'd rather grow old alone than in the company of anyone I've met so far. I don't experience myself as lonely, incomplete, or unfulfilled, but I don't talk about that much. It seems to piss people off--especially men. (Kinsey Millhone)”
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“He stared at me. His breathing made that wheezing sound that fat people sometimes make.”
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