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F Is for Fugitive (Kinsey Millhone #6)
by
Sue Grafton,
Judy Kaye
Everyone knew the kind of girl Jean Timberlake was -- ask anybody in the sleepy surf town of Floral Beach and they'd say Jean was wild, looking for trouble. But she certainly wasn't looking for murder. She was found dead on the beach seventeen years ago, and a rowdy ex-boyfriend named Bailey Fowler was convicted of her murder and imprisoned -- and then Bailey escaped. Now...more
Audio, 0 pages
Published
October 25th 2005
by Random House Audio
(first published 1989)
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Top-notch entry in the series, for me. P.I. Kinsey investigates an old murder in a small CA town. I liked her eye for detail and toughness in this book. Good interaction with the minor characters.
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Apr 12, 2013
Anirban
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
private-investigators,
american-mystery
The sixth installment of the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton. I would start by saying that this is one of the best books in the series. The book is a whodunit, with the murder being something which happened 17 years ago. Jean Timberlake was strangled, her then boyfriend Bailey Fowler was convicted, but he escaped. Now 17 years later he has been captured again. Royce, Bailey’s dad, hires Kinsey to find out who is the real killer as he is convinced that it is not Bailey. Kinsey starts her wo...more
Another complex Kinsey Millhone mystery. Here's Amazon's description:
"When Kinsey Millhone first arrives in Floral Beach, California, it's hard for her to picture the idyllic coastal town as the setting of a brutal murder. Seventeen years ago, the body of Jean Timberlake--a troubled teen who had a reputation with the boys--was found on the beach. Her boyfriend Bailey Fowler was convicted of her murder and imprisoned, but he escaped.
After all this time, Bailey's finally been captured. Believing...more
"When Kinsey Millhone first arrives in Floral Beach, California, it's hard for her to picture the idyllic coastal town as the setting of a brutal murder. Seventeen years ago, the body of Jean Timberlake--a troubled teen who had a reputation with the boys--was found on the beach. Her boyfriend Bailey Fowler was convicted of her murder and imprisoned, but he escaped.
After all this time, Bailey's finally been captured. Believing...more
Well, yes, I'm ticking these off at an amazing rate, and for those of you following my reviews carefully…sigh…no, I didn’t abandon Kinsey as promised to tackle my beckoning to-do list. I did, however, take time out from reading today for our Friday couples golf on the par 3 course where Don and I have a 3 handicap for this weekly event. Today…we posted even par!!! Hope that doesn’t mean our handicap for next week is 2.
For me, this was the most compelling of the alphabet series since “A” and “B.”...more
For me, this was the most compelling of the alphabet series since “A” and “B.”...more
This is the most "out of formula" book so far in this series,and ironically there is more here about Kinsey's personal life then we have ever seen before. Like any good mystery tho, all that information comes with the solution. You have to read the whole story to get there.
Kinsey has no home. There was that little thing about a bomb remodeling her apartment while we learned that E is for Evidence. So taking a job that had her traveling to and living in a small town up the coast seemed like a goo...more
Kinsey has no home. There was that little thing about a bomb remodeling her apartment while we learned that E is for Evidence. So taking a job that had her traveling to and living in a small town up the coast seemed like a goo...more
Kinsey takes a case in the tiny beach town of Floral Beach, California using it as a break from living with landlord Henry while her apartment is being rebuilt. The mystery is a long-escaped convict is picked up for questioning because his current "secret identity" is implicated in a crime. Fingerprints pop, and voila - escaped felon is recaptured. His father wants Kinsey to prove he didn't do it. No, not that he didn't escape but that he didn't do the original crime he was convicted for, and oh...more
The 6th book in Grafton's series, Kinsey is hired by a family who's son was accused of murdering his girlfriend over 10 years previously. While he was initially in prison for her murder, he escaped and made a life for himself, most recently being picked up because the identity he stole happened to have a warrant issued on it.
I still struggle with wrapping my mind around what year it is. I'll be reading along and everything meshes with the present, until Kinsey does something that reminds me we'r...more
I still struggle with wrapping my mind around what year it is. I'll be reading along and everything meshes with the present, until Kinsey does something that reminds me we'r...more
Mar 02, 2013
Benjamin Thomas
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-detective-pi
This 6th book in the series is a nice step up from the last one. This time Kinsey takes on a client outside of her home town and getting to explore the sleepy surf town of Floral Beach is half the fun here. It's a good case for her, involving a man on the run from a murder he claims to be innocent of 17 years before. Some nice complexity in the red herrings and numerous potential suspects make this a well-rounded who-dunnit. I also appreciate Kinsey's character showing her toughness at the right...more
Grafton finally delivers some weird '80s style overindulgence in terms of plotting (the multiple secrets which only tangentially relate to the crimes) and action. I love the utter psychosis at work in the mind of the villain, which is properly hinted at along the way. But what really works is that it captures the notion (more than the reality) of the inter-connectedness of a small town where secrets are the only thing one can keep as their own.
On the downside, Kinsey again spends too much time n...more
On the downside, Kinsey again spends too much time n...more
I liked much of this book but I did not like the last few pages. Kinsey again is cold and detached, I guess I can live with that, it’s almost like she is the narrator of the story and not fully part of it. In this book Kinsey is hired to prove a man innocent of a murder for which he confessed. I liked that Kinsey has to work to get any information and that most of the information is not helpful. Based on the information that Kinsey had I had someone else pegged as the killer.
I hate it when all t...more
I hate it when all t...more
I enjoyed this book as much as its predecessor. Rough P.I. Kinsey Millhone continues to keep the reader in suspense.
With no home at present, Kinsey travels to the small town of Floral Beach to investigate a 17 year-old crime, hired by the father of the man accused of the murder of a teenaged girl there. Bailey Fowler had been convicted of the murder on very little evidence and had escaped jail soon after. He had been on the run for 17 years but had been recently caught. It's Kinsey's job to fin...more
With no home at present, Kinsey travels to the small town of Floral Beach to investigate a 17 year-old crime, hired by the father of the man accused of the murder of a teenaged girl there. Bailey Fowler had been convicted of the murder on very little evidence and had escaped jail soon after. He had been on the run for 17 years but had been recently caught. It's Kinsey's job to fin...more
Jun 18, 2013
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
author-sue-grafton,
mystery
This is the best entry of the series yet. Private Detective Kinsey Millhone is hired to help clear a man of a murder committed seventeen years ago. She moves into the tiny coastal town of Floral Beach, a small town filled with gossip, suspects, and misdeeds.
Sue Grafton fills the town with an interesting cast of interconnected characters and puts Kinsey at odds with nearly all of them. Sorting through the town's dirty laundry is prurient fun, like overhearing gossip at a church potluck. Grafton a...more
Sue Grafton fills the town with an interesting cast of interconnected characters and puts Kinsey at odds with nearly all of them. Sorting through the town's dirty laundry is prurient fun, like overhearing gossip at a church potluck. Grafton a...more
Feb 12, 2013
Wise Cat
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Murder mystery fans
Recommended to Wise Cat by:
Online friends
I picked up this book from the library's "withdrawn" pile back in 2011. I had never read this author before, but I know people who really like her. I flipped through it, and it looked good. I'm always up for a good murder mystery.
It was good, though there were a couple of "loose ends" regarding a couple of people in my opinion. I wasn't sure how they fit into the overall picture, how they connected with Jean Timberlake's murder.
I will say that Jean's murder is not the only one Kinsey ends up dea...more
It was good, though there were a couple of "loose ends" regarding a couple of people in my opinion. I wasn't sure how they fit into the overall picture, how they connected with Jean Timberlake's murder.
I will say that Jean's murder is not the only one Kinsey ends up dea...more
This book is weaker than the ones that came before it in the series, all of which I gave three stars. It's still too good to only get two stars, so maybe I should bump the other books up to four.
1 like · like · see review
Grafton seems to have fallen into a pattern with these mystery novels: Kinsey runs, eats little, gets absorbed into the world of the person she's investigating, finds out things very slowly, things come right together in the end, and she almost gets killed. Without fail, these themes constantly recur. This novel is certainly no different, except Kinsey is not in her home of Santa Teresa, she's out of her element in a small town called Floral Beach. I've read that Grafton's favorite death is in t...more
1 like · like · see review
Kinsey accepts a job in another town partly because it gives her something to do while her apartment is restored. She's in the small town of Floral Beach looking into a murder investigation from 17 years ago. Bailey Fowler confessed at the time to the murder and did some time but escaped and lived free for years. Now he's been recaptured and has changed his tune about the murder. Bailey's father believes he's innocent and hires Kinsey to find the real killer. Problem is...in a small town, peopl...more
Floral Beach wasn't much of a town: six streets long and three deep, its only notable feature a strip of sand fronting the Pacific. It was on that sandy beach seventeen years ago that the strangled body of Jean Timberlake had been found.
The people of floral Beach didn't pay a whole lot of mind to past history, especially when Bailey Fowler, the self-confessed killer, had been properly processed and convicted. They weren't even unduly concerned when, a year after the murder, Fowler walked away fr...more
The people of floral Beach didn't pay a whole lot of mind to past history, especially when Bailey Fowler, the self-confessed killer, had been properly processed and convicted. They weren't even unduly concerned when, a year after the murder, Fowler walked away fr...more
A Kinsey Millhone I had't read before. The action takes place north of Santa Teresa (Kinsey's usual hangout). Seventeen years ago, a young man accused of murder pleaded guilty for a reduced sentence. Later he escaped and disappeared but he's now resurfaced and his family (namely his father) wants to clear him. Kinsey becomes involved with the family because she stays at their motel: the dying father who is abrasive and at times brutal, the whiny diabetic mother, and the put-upon older sister who...more
This book moved a little slow for me compared to Grafton's previous books in the Kinsey Millhone series. Whether that was because of a plot I just couldn't get interested in or because I just wasn't in the mood to read it is hard to tell. It seemed like the first 80% of the book was a bit rambling and boring, with only the last 20% really important in terms of wrapping up the mystery.
I read this series once before and had stopped because I felt it was getting boring. Seems like this is right ar...more
I read this series once before and had stopped because I felt it was getting boring. Seems like this is right ar...more
Really this should be three and a half stars as a slightly weaker book in the series so far. A little slower in getting going with a little too much scenery and a fraction too little action in the first half of the book means that this wouldn't be the best introduction to the series, although it would probably serve you right for starting your alphabet at 'F'. That said, it's still a comfortable read, and it does finish up at the standard that by now you've come to expect. It certainly won't det...more
Ok this might be the most boring book of this series so far. I know that I should just stop reading them but me and a friend are having a great time picking out the most ridiculous lines or plot points together. What makes me sad is I really do like mysteries, a lot in fact. That's why these books are so disappointing to me, I really wanted them to be better. Everyone said they were great, and yet I am only being let down.
These books are slow, uninteresting (to me obv.), and most egregious boooo...more
These books are slow, uninteresting (to me obv.), and most egregious boooo...more
There's not a lot of flash or cleverness to Grafton's Millhone mysteries, but they get the job done in a most satisfying way. This time out, Millhone travels up the coast (or maybe down, my California geography is spotty) to help a dying father clear the name of his son who took a dumb plea bargain years ago to keep himself from a murder conviction.
Kinsey's sharp eye for detail is well-displayed here, as is her razor sharp wit (still not utilized as often as Spenser's or early-Elvis Cole's). Th...more
Kinsey's sharp eye for detail is well-displayed here, as is her razor sharp wit (still not utilized as often as Spenser's or early-Elvis Cole's). Th...more
(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
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 every way. I would...more
I'm a big fan of Kinsey Millhone but this is my least favorite book of the series so far. The mystery is interesting and it took a while to figure out but Kinsey's attitude through the whole book was disturbing. She seems very contemptuous of anyone with physical disabilities, a family, any religious feelings or anyone that's out of shape. Her rude comments about people in these categories really distract from the story and I'm guessing that a lot of her readers fall in at least one of these cat...more
"Floral Beach wasn't much of a town: six streets long and three deep, its only notable feature a strip of sand fronting the Pacific. It was on that sandy beach seventeen years ago that the strangled body of Jean Timberlake had been found.
The people of floral Beach didn't pay a whole lot of mind to past history, especially when Bailey Fowler, the self-confessed killer, had been properly processed and convicted. They weren't even unduly concerned when, a year after the murder, Fowler walked away f...more
The people of floral Beach didn't pay a whole lot of mind to past history, especially when Bailey Fowler, the self-confessed killer, had been properly processed and convicted. They weren't even unduly concerned when, a year after the murder, Fowler walked away f...more
Sep 28, 2011
Christy Buhr
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
alphabet-series
I love Sue Grafton's short bursts of stories. I read this one in a day. It kept me turning the pages and surprised, but there were a couple characters that don't necessarily tie in with the ending but seem to exist purely as distractions to the "whodunnit." It left me wondering what happened to them if anything.
I'm learning to enjoy Kinsey's personality more, but man...she goes through a LOT of experiences that the typical PI doesn't ever experience. Put that fact aside, and I enjoy reading thi...more
I'm learning to enjoy Kinsey's personality more, but man...she goes through a LOT of experiences that the typical PI doesn't ever experience. Put that fact aside, and I enjoy reading thi...more
Jul 31, 2011
Kerri
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
long-commute-audio-book
Another great audiobook for my commute. Grafton made me laugh out loud at least three times with this one, and giggle many more. Milhone is a character I'd like as a friend in real life, so it's fun to go on these adventures with her. F was a good story all the way through, too, and there were several plausible culprits. I like a story that ties up all the loose ends for me (I'm simple-minded like that), and Grafton is always good for that. Moving on to the next letter the library has on the she...more
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 Rosie. They are great.
Another solid offering from Grafton, though not as good as some of the previous ones.
The premise is promising enough - 17 years ago, a 17-year-old girl, Jean Timberlake, was murdered. Bailey Fowler was imprisoned for the crime after pleading guilty, and then skipped from jail shortly after. Now, after all that time, Bailey has been caught, and his father wants Kinsey to clear his son's name.
Whilst the storyline was interesting and I enjoyed reading it, but I think for the majority of the book,...more
The premise is promising enough - 17 years ago, a 17-year-old girl, Jean Timberlake, was murdered. Bailey Fowler was imprisoned for the crime after pleading guilty, and then skipped from jail shortly after. Now, after all that time, Bailey has been caught, and his father wants Kinsey to clear his son's name.
Whilst the storyline was interesting and I enjoyed reading it, but I think for the majority of the book,...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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“I hate nature. I really do. Nature is composed entirely of sticks, dirt, fall-down places, biting and stinging things, and savageries too numerous to list. And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Man has been building cities since the year oughty-ought, just to get away from this stuff.”
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