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3.73 of 5 stars
How do you go about solving an attempted murder when the victim has lost a good part of his memory? It's one of Kinsey's toughest cases yet, but s... read full description

reviews

Jan 02, 2009
Antof9 rated it: 3 of 5 stars
OK, so it only took me three books to be sure, but I don't think this author is an American. I had hints in the first two, but two things convinced me in this book. 1. the word "anorectic" (also sometimes mispelled as "anoretic"), and 2. at some point, two characters grabbed lunch, and it was beans and bread! Who does she think she's kidding?! I don't like when authors try to pretend they're something they're not. I'm just not sure why she's trying to make us think thi More...
Dec 21, 2011
Mary Ronan rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Sue Grafton's books get a little better with each letter. Here's what Amazon says about this one:

"How do you go about solving an attempted murder when the victim has lost a good part of his memory? It's one of Kinsey's toughest cases yet, but she never backs down from a challenge. Twenty-three-year-old Bobby Callahan is lucky to be alive after a car forced his Porsche over a bridge and into a canyon. The crash left Bobby with a clouded memory. But he can't shake the feeling it w More...
Dec 21, 2010
Jenn rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This book was great. It was a fast, funny read full of just enough twists that I really had no idea who the final killer was going to be -- but I should have known all along. Along the way, there were some striking lines, some fast dialogue, and not too much guns-blazing action (which is a relief). The author moves from witty little snips of flirtatious dialogue to observations of the surrounding town that cross the border into literature. There's more than a trace of Chandler and even a litt More...
Sep 07, 2009
Sherrie rated it: 5 of 5 stars
"C is for Corpse" by Sue Grafton
(from the back cover)
Kensey meets him in the local gym. Bobby Callahan is a scarred young man struggling back to life after a car forced his Porsche over the edge of a canyon, battering his body and muddling his memory. All he remembers is that someone, for some reason, tried to kill him. Desperate for clues about his own past life and certain he is being stalked, he asks Kinsey to protect him. Kinsey can't resist the brave kid--and neither More...
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Mar 23, 2009
Claire rated it: 5 of 5 stars
This was the first of the "alphabet" books that I read, and I remember vividly staying up until 3 am reading it, and then being unable to sleep! Kinsey's voice and personality really resonated with me, which is pretty disheartening since so many reviewers seem to find her unlikeable. I love Grafton's use of words. I love pretty much everything about her writing style. Her characters are 3-dimensional and quirky. She doesn't "cheat" and pull a killer out of the hat on the seco More...
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Jan 13, 2012
Sara rated it: 2 of 5 stars
I have now read the first three books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton. I enjoyed them and will probably find time to continue reading them. I think of them as fluff reading and once in awhile I enjoy those books. I am sure that we all have those, quick, easy, no thought books that are almost a guilty pleasure but we don't actually care if people know we read them. So far I am enjoying them more then the "One For the Money"/Stephanie Plum series. I barely got throu More...
May 29, 2009
Triscut rated it: 4 of 5 stars
An independent thirty-something woman, Kinsey Millhone is a P.I. She lives and works in a smallish town in southern California.

This is the third book in the series, which is written from a first person perspective. Each book relates the details of one of her cases. In this book, she meets a young man who is recovering from a serious - almost fatal - car wreck; his car was deliberately forced off the road. Among other injuries, he suffered some brain injury and has difficulty remembe More...
Oct 01, 2010
Angela rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This series is starting to grow on me. Once you get past the time period it's based on, you're fine. I guess I'm going into these feeling they should be more current than they are. The book was written in the 1980's, so it's kind of flashback fun!

I enjoyed this one because Grafton took into account issues that were prevalent at that time and wove them into a story that really worked well for me.

Bobby hires Kinsey Millhone to figure out who tried to kill him, only he More...
Nov 27, 2011
Sarah rated it: 2 of 5 stars
This is the third book in the "Alphabet Mystery" series. I have been pretty hard on the last two books. They were weirdly written, poorly characterized (in my opinion), and not well plotted. Does this book change those thoughts?

Um, kind-of? I guess. I found this book to be better at hiding the mystery. By that I mean I didn't guess the bad guy five seconds after starting the book. I even liked Kinsey more. She came across better in this book. He internal monologs are still ki More...
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Jan 20, 2011
Huma rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here
Jan 13, 2012
Jennifer rated it: 4 of 5 stars
For a novel that begins by telling the reader that Kinsey's client will be murdered within the week, "C is for Corpse" provides a twisty mystery with plenty of surprises. Bobby Callaghan hires P.I. Kinsey Millhone to find out who tried to murder him. The failed attempt on his life has left him broken and scarred with huge gaps in his memory. As Kinsey tries to help him untangle the few impressions he does remember, she is drawn into Santa Teresa's high society. As it turns out, Bobby' More...
Apr 11, 2010
Lindsay rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I decided to read all of the Sue Grafton mysteries from A-Z, but the library didn't have the first two, so I had to start with C, which I was pretty sure that I had read before, and now reading it again, I know that I had, oh well. I couldn't remember who the killer was, but figured it out pretty quickly this time. Something is starting to bother me with all these mysteries that I'm reading. I know that they are all fiction and for entertainment, but what if there actually were this many killers More...
Feb 01, 2011
Denise rated it: 3 of 5 stars
for some reason i am just not loving this one...it's decent just not as good as the first two. Kinsey's client Bobby ends up dead. She felt so connected to him she continues to work the case and i know she will figure out who is responsible...is it the step dad who took out a million dollar life insurance policy, the drugged out step sister whose boyfriend was killed in a car accicent he and Bobby were involved in...the one that should have killed Bobby but didn't...is it his mother's best frien More...
Aug 26, 2010
Stephanie M. rated it: 4 of 5 stars
(No Spoilers) Book 3 in Sue Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries series starring P.I. Kinsey Millhone is a fantastic romp through the city of Santa Teresa, the fictional setting in California where Kinsey lives. We learn more about the area, beautifully described by Grafton, and its denizens. Though Kinsey is full of voice and attitude as always, each character in this book stood out to me with their eccentricities and style. I loved Bobby, our "blond dame" substitute who hires the P.I. as in More...
May 05, 2008
Kat rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Actually, this was slightly predictable, and the way these have ended, so far (its only the third book, so I can't really say) is essentially the same. That being said, these are generally pretty entertaining.
0 comments like (2 people liked it)
Jan 06, 2009
Dana rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Bobby Callahan knows someone is trying to murder him. But he does not know why or at least does not remember. After his car is rammed over a canyon, Bobby is struggling to overcome his disabilities let alone figure out who was in the car behind.

Enter Kinsey Millhone, private detective. Kinsey tries to follow every lead Bobby comes up with but he is killed in 3 days. Kinsey really liked Bobby and vows to follow this to the end. Bobby is from a wealthy family. A family full of problems More...
Sep 09, 2010
Vina rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Trus terang aq ga bgt suka dengan tema pembunuhan ala detektive2 gni.. Lbh interest ke cerita dg tema romance atau stdk ny mendekati la. Tapi..karna uda terlanjur beli, maka ya di bc. Syg uda trlanjur tanam saham.. Beli ny jg waktu diskon..Hehe..

Crt ny lumayan bgs. Ttg detektive swasta Kinsey Millhone, yang punya klien Bobby Callahan. Crt ny si Bobby ini lupa ingatan. . Gr2 kecelakaan yg nyaris bunuh dy. Tpi dy cukup yakin ada org yg mau bunuh dy, tpi ya lg2, dy ga ingat apa alasan More...
Feb 09, 2012
Benjamin rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Each book so far in the "alphabet series" has been better than the last and it seems that now, with this third book, Sue Grafton has hit her stride. This had a bit of an unusual plot, as Kinsey Malone, the protagonist sleuth works for a deceased client.

It's interesting to read a traditional sort of mystery that was written in the '80's as compared to today's typically more adreneline-charged novels. There are no cell phones/internet, etc to get instant information so the p More...
Jun 12, 2011
Ape rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Read this one on my travels and it was pretty good. I do like these murder mystery thrillers for long boring waits in airports and on trains as it makes the time pass so much quicker. This is the second of her alphabet murders I've read, the other one being B, and I think I preferred this one. Interesting enough story - although nothing ground breaking! - about a 20 something who is recovering from a very bad car accident and is severly handicapped; convinced someone is trying to kill him becaus More...
Feb 28, 2010
Bill rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I'm still wondering why it is that this series of novels gets all of the accolades and sales. I will admit this was better than 'A is for Alibi'. At least this time, Kinsey did not have an affair with a main suspect (and the guilty party).

Maybe I'm just not used to genuine mystery novels, but I did not find myself drawn into the mystery of this one. The first half of the book just felt flat. There were characters, but they all seemed to run together and none of them presented as su More...
Jun 04, 2011
AnEyeSpy rated it: 4 of 5 stars
(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 More...
Mar 06, 2011
Darcy rated it: 2 of 5 stars
This is my favorite of the series to date. A big reason why is Bobby. I can only imagine how hard it would be to survive an accident like that. I think the worse part of it is that Bobby knows just is missing from his life. It makes you wonder, would you like to survive and know what is missing or would you rather not to have made it through the accident. Either way is a no win situation.

I loved the friendship that Bobby and Kinsey cultivated. I thought Bobby's honest question More...
Mar 07, 2010
Patty rated it: 5 of 5 stars
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 More...
Sep 15, 2010
Katie rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Our mom really likes this series, and this is the only one I've read, but I didn't care for the main character. Anyone who goes alone into a dangerous, isolated place, unarmed and with a predictably dead cell phone, in order to capture a crazed murderer, without letting anyone know where they are or what they're doing, deserves to be slapped upside the head. I have no patience for women characters who do stupid, irrational, reckless things - they are not brave, admirable and intelligent, but s More...
May 03, 2010
Amy rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoy reading these novels as I was just a kid in the 80's. It brings back some memories and makes me laugh in a lot of ways as well. I find myself thinking, "Why doesn't she just..." and realize that she doesn't have to the tools to 'just...'. LOL Kinsey is a very likable character and I love learning more and more about her with every book. The mysteries also get better as you go along. This third book was more involved than the previous two with an additional side-sto More...
Jan 21, 2012
Susan rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Of course, Kinsey it at is again – solving mysteries and, ultimately, crimes. Published a year after “B,” the action here takes place just four months after “B” so Kinsey is still 32. She’s working out in the gym to rehab her injuries in “B” and that’s where she meets Bobby Callahan, her client in this installment.

While the story definitely kept me engaged and turning pages, the final pages are not as pell-mell for me as they were in “A” and “B.” That’s my reason for the lesser ratin More...
Nov 18, 2011
Samantha rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Kinsey is back and investigating one of her most difficult cases yet. Her client, Bobby, has lost a good portion of his memory in a car accident that he is still working on recovering from. Unfortunately, he believes that the crash he was involved in wasn't just an "accident", and he has hired Kinsey to find out what happened with the hope that she can possibly help him to recover some of his memories. Kinsey has her work cut out for her as everyone in his family is convinced that he's More...
Oct 16, 2010
Debra rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Someone tried to kill Bobby Callahan nine months ago by running him off the road. He survived but lost most of his memory of who and why. Now he wants Kinsey to find out, only a few days later he is dead. Dead or alive, a client is a client and Kinsey continues her investigation until she spooks the killer out of hiding. During this time she also discovers the women chasing her landlord, Henry, is a con women after his retirement money. It's all in a days work and fortunately she survives to wri More...
Feb 15, 2011
Shelley rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Plot Summary/Synopsis: He was young -- maybe twenty or so -- and he must once have been a good-looking kid. Kinsey could see that. But now his body was covered in scars, his face half-collapsed. It saddened Kinsey and made her curious. She could see he was in a lot of pain. But for three weeks, as Kinsey'd watched him doggedly working out at the local gym, putting himself through a grueling exercise routine, he never spoke.

Then one Monday morning when there was no one else in the gy More...
Mar 25, 2011
Carol rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Have read the whole series up to now. My mother and I have read them together, and we both have enjoyed them very much. I really like Kinsey Millhone. I was quite a bit older when I got married for the first time, so I can appreciate her "singleness." I liked my "singleness" too. I realize that the character has been married a couple times, but she is good at picking up her pieces and moving on. I like the new characters she introduces, and I especially like Henry and R More...