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X
(Kinsey Millhone #24)
by
When a glamorous red head wishes to locate the son she put up for adoption thirty-two years ago, it seems like an easy two hundred bucks for P. I. Kinsey Millhone. But when a cop tells her she was paid with marked bills, and Kinsey's client is nowhere to be found, it becomes apparent this mystery woman has something to hide. Riled, Kinsey won't stop until she's found out w
...more
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Hardcover, 403 pages
Published
August 25th 2015
by Marian Wood Books/Putnam
(first published August 2015)
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Start your review of X (Kinsey Millhone, #24)
Sue Grafton has over the years created in Kinsey Milhone one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time. Grafton is a writer who gets better and more nuanced with each offering. And I love the fact that the books are all set in the 1980s. I get a kick each time Kinsey frantically searches for a payphone to make a call. With X Sue Grafton has written another wonderfully compelling story that brings out all of the things we love about Kinsey, but also delivers one of her most chillingly sini
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I am still trying to wrap my head around a couple of things this morning. I felt like maybe I was missing pages of information and went back and re-read a couple of passages and then realized that I wasn't missing anything. That the whole book had the weirdest and most unsatisfying endings that I have read in one of the Alphabet books.
Please don't read the following if you haven't read as far as W is for Wasted since it spoils events from all preceding books.
This book starts off with a prolog ...more
Please don't read the following if you haven't read as far as W is for Wasted since it spoils events from all preceding books.
This book starts off with a prolog ...more
The first entry in this series, A is for Alibi, appeared in 1982. It's a taut 192 pages long, written close to the bone. The suspense builds from the first page to the last and pays off with a great climax. It was a fantastic introduction to the Kinsey Millhone series. By comparison, X is 498 pages long and feels more like 698. It wanders all over the landscape; it's filled with boring minutia, and it's about as suspenseful as watching paint dry.
As the book opens, Kinsey is hired by a woman to f ...more
As the book opens, Kinsey is hired by a woman to f ...more
After a ~4 year hiatus from reading the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series, I got back to focusing on it late last year just before the author, Sue Grafton, passed away. In the second to last installment, X, Kinsey and the series become a bit more relaxed, but it also reminded me there's only 1 book left as the final one (Z, 26) won't be completed by a ghost writer.
There are three primary story lines in this novel, not the usual focus or style for Grafton: (1) Henry and Kinsey's personal problems w ...more
There are three primary story lines in this novel, not the usual focus or style for Grafton: (1) Henry and Kinsey's personal problems w ...more
Why are these books getting worse???
I thought maybe Grafton got her groove a few books back when she started putting in multiple POV's, but then this clusterfuck hits the shelves?
Holy hot mess, Batman.
I mean, sure we got the exciting things we have begun to expect from the series, such as filling out forms, the population and details on every town that she drives through, jogging, using the bathroom, clean underpants, every background story on every character that shows up in the book - although ...more
I thought maybe Grafton got her groove a few books back when she started putting in multiple POV's, but then this clusterfuck hits the shelves?
Holy hot mess, Batman.
I mean, sure we got the exciting things we have begun to expect from the series, such as filling out forms, the population and details on every town that she drives through, jogging, using the bathroom, clean underpants, every background story on every character that shows up in the book - although ...more
Meandering Filler
After waiting for years for the 24th installment of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone Mysteries, I eagerly forked over my $20 and settled in for the evening to read. When I finished, I was in awe--not because of the finesse of another finely-tuned novel, but of the mess that the publisher allowed in bookstores. If this were a first novel for a beginning author, I would say, good effort and mention something about getting their stride after a few books under their belt. But seeing th ...more
After waiting for years for the 24th installment of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone Mysteries, I eagerly forked over my $20 and settled in for the evening to read. When I finished, I was in awe--not because of the finesse of another finely-tuned novel, but of the mess that the publisher allowed in bookstores. If this were a first novel for a beginning author, I would say, good effort and mention something about getting their stride after a few books under their belt. But seeing th ...more
Sue Grafton is one of the longest literary relationships of my life. I'm pretty sure she's the third longest author (first two are Stephen King and Sara Paretsky, respectively) whose new books I still read at the first available chance. I started reading her books in high school, and each new mystery is still welcomed with much excitement.
I feel like her books are getting darker and this one is no exception. We learn who the villain is pretty early on but the novel is still incredibly interestin ...more
I feel like her books are getting darker and this one is no exception. We learn who the villain is pretty early on but the novel is still incredibly interestin ...more
I'm just realising (I'm a little slow on the uptake) what a great marketing ploy this whole series has been. A series planned on the letters of the alphabet, so at Z that is it! Finito. I have invested so much time in this series (& enjoyed many of the books) that I was sure I was going to be there right at the end. But W was a bloated hodgepodge & in X Ms Grafton threw so many plots & sub plots at this reader that I was totally confused. The two main stories received less attention than the (vi
...more
Four stars because it's Kinsey Millhone and I'm always happy to return to her world. I like her, she's like an old friend that I can't wait to catch up with. I'm going to be sad when this series ends. I've spent a lot of time with these characters and I'm still not ready to say goodbye:(
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We’re ardent Sue Grafton fans, and like most, have read the 23 prior “alphabet” books starring laid-back private eye Kinsey Millhone. We are quite stunned at the flurry of 5-star reviews being accorded “X”, which we felt was one of the most boring in the set. Aside from the normal trivia we’re used to, like her almost GPS-like description of her driving details (wow – stopped for a red light!), there was almost nothing in the three plots to care about – and by the end, we were nearly as exaspera
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In this 24th book in the 'Kinsey Milhone' series, the private detective investigates two complex cases. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Private detective Kinsey Milhone has money in the bank (for a change) and time on her hands. So when Ruthie Wolinksy - widow of Kinsey's deceased colleague Pete Wolinksy - is preparing for a tax audit, Kinsey agrees to look through Pete's old files for pertinent documents.
Instead, Kinsey finds two surprising things. One is a coded document that turns o ...more
May 01, 2015
Julie Ehlers
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries-and-thrillers
I tried reading X over a year ago and thought it took forever to get going. I actually gave up at page 86 and honestly wasn't sure if I'd go back, but for some reason this holiday week I was inspired to go back and start over. Happily, it went much better this time, and I was enjoying the book immensely when I learned that Sue Grafton had died of cancer. I hadn't even known it she was ailing. I'd spent the first half of X looking at her picture on the back cover—where she appears to be in radian
...more
X was my introduction to Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator, who attempts to uncover secrets in an age when things were, well, much more secret. There were no cell phones, few internet servers, and only the wealthy housed home computers.
Despite these handicaps, once hired by a distraught mother to find a son she gave up at birth, Kinsey does locate her man but soon discovers not only was the story false but the deceptive client paid her with two marked one-hundred dollar bills, previously ...more
Despite these handicaps, once hired by a distraught mother to find a son she gave up at birth, Kinsey does locate her man but soon discovers not only was the story false but the deceptive client paid her with two marked one-hundred dollar bills, previously ...more
Aug 26, 2015
Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio
Quick review:
Cover: Fitting
Rating: PG-13
Thumbs Up: 3.5
Overall: Slightly disappointed.
Characters: Well Written
Plot: Kinsey wrapped up in several messes
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Henry
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
I think this is one of a few or only book in the serious that was meh for me. The writing was fine, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others. Much of the story was predictable and this is mystery. I hope for some surprise.
For a full review and y ...more
Cover: Fitting
Rating: PG-13
Thumbs Up: 3.5
Overall: Slightly disappointed.
Characters: Well Written
Plot: Kinsey wrapped up in several messes
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Henry
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
I think this is one of a few or only book in the serious that was meh for me. The writing was fine, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others. Much of the story was predictable and this is mystery. I hope for some surprise.
For a full review and y ...more
I have anticipated and loved every one of these books. This one seemed different. Kinsey seemed different. I always liked her because she was gutsy and didn't really need a man. In this book, I felt that there was a lot of fluff, too much description, too much reference to bodily waste, and too much attention to how men looked. None was necessary to the story. It started out great and captured my attention, but then lost it in too many stories happening at once and none were given the attention
...more
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
----Joe Klaas
Sue Grafton, an American bestselling author, returns with her popular alphabetical mystery series of Kinsey Millhone and this time it's the 24th letter, X that welcomes the infamous and odd female detective, Kinsey and her sarcasm about herself when she uses a marked bill at a grocery store that was paid by one of her recent clients, thereby leading her to dig up dirt about that mysterious client's background, also her ...more
----Joe Klaas
Sue Grafton, an American bestselling author, returns with her popular alphabetical mystery series of Kinsey Millhone and this time it's the 24th letter, X that welcomes the infamous and odd female detective, Kinsey and her sarcasm about herself when she uses a marked bill at a grocery store that was paid by one of her recent clients, thereby leading her to dig up dirt about that mysterious client's background, also her ...more
Honestly, this is a confusing hot-mess of a book...I don't know what to say except I've loved Sue Grafton and her girl-detective Kinsey Millhone forever, this is Book No. 24 in the series, and we are limping into the finish line.
Chapters end abruptly, three different plots run amok, Kinsey herself is just going through the motions with the people in her life. This is the thing that bewilders me the most. The special aspect of Sue's writing is the extreme level of DETAILS in every scene that make ...more
Chapters end abruptly, three different plots run amok, Kinsey herself is just going through the motions with the people in her life. This is the thing that bewilders me the most. The special aspect of Sue's writing is the extreme level of DETAILS in every scene that make ...more
The good items first, Henry Pitts is prominent in this book. She used a wider vocabulary, I had to look up a few words. The bad, the descriptions seem forced. Did someone add them on to make the book longer? There were typos, do other readers notice them?
Here Kinsey almost becomes a mediator instead of an investigator.
Here Kinsey almost becomes a mediator instead of an investigator.
It's been a while since I visited Kinsey Millhone, so it was fun to be back in her familiar world but I also felt sad that she is still stuck in the 80s in this second last book of the series. Kinsey is still unattached, still living in the apartment over Henry's garage, still renting her office downtown and hanging out at Rosie's. And still reliant on newspapers and phone books for finding information - and no mobile phones either. But despite this it was good to be back in familiar territory w
...more
Remember in the last couple of sookie stackhouse books, sookie has chapters and chapters where she sits on the porch, brushes her hair, makes sweet tea (and tells us every step), then puts on her underwear, then her pants, one leg at a time, then her bra, then her shirt, then her left sneaker, then her right sneaker, then brushes on some bronzer, then a little mascara, then some quick lip gloss, then puts her blonde hair into a smooth high pony tail, then talks about her boobs, then walks to her
...more
After reading Sue Grafton’s W is for Wasted, I couldn’t wait to see what she would come up with for the 24th book in her Kinsey Millhone detective series. What would "X" be? Two years later, I found out. X, it turns out, is for – well, X. Was Ms. Grafton having a bit of fun with us, or was she simply stumped? Maybe a bit of both. I counted at least a dozen words, names, and other references containing the letter x in this book, including Teddy Xanakis, who is one of the central characters, and h
...more
The first Kinsey Milhone book I read was D is for Deadbeat back in 1987. I quickly went back and read the first three and have been reading them for almost 30 years now. I am despondent that there are only 2 let to go, "Y" and "Z" although Sue Grafton is probably relieved. I liked this one very much.
One of the things Grafton has done right, in my humble opinion, is to keep the series in the 1980's. It's only a couple of months between cases and I love that. I can't tell you how lovely it is to ...more
3.5 Stas. PI Kinsey Milhone and I have been buds for many years now. I'm going to hate to see the end of this series, if it indeed ends at Z. If you are looking for nonstop action and suspense, this series is not for you. The series is a look into the daily ins and outs of a female PI in the mid 1970's - late 1980's (Pre PC and cell phones), and her varied and intriguing cases.
Not to say the storyline and separate cases weren't interesting, they were. Some made me laugh, some made me mad, and on ...more
Not to say the storyline and separate cases weren't interesting, they were. Some made me laugh, some made me mad, and on ...more
Sue Grafton, in her newest novel "X", combines both her linguistic intelligence and her logical-mathematical intelligence.
Grafton weaves both the processing of verbal skills and the ways in which sounds, meanings and rhythms of words communicate information in combination with her ability to think analytically in order to discern patterns, and to create hypotheses to get us into the mind of her main character, Kinsey Millhone, private detective.
"X' is like a fine old pocket watch. The author pl ...more
Grafton weaves both the processing of verbal skills and the ways in which sounds, meanings and rhythms of words communicate information in combination with her ability to think analytically in order to discern patterns, and to create hypotheses to get us into the mind of her main character, Kinsey Millhone, private detective.
"X' is like a fine old pocket watch. The author pl ...more
I've loved this series since I read A for Alibi oh so many years ago. I think what I enjoy most is that it is set in the late 80's and is before all the technology we take for granted today. I like learning about how they had to do PI work and what resources were available at the time. Even though the book is set 20+ years ago, many issues are the same we see today.
This is a great series and I am bummed that there are only 2 books left - Y and Z. ...more
This is a great series and I am bummed that there are only 2 books left - Y and Z. ...more
I enjoyed reading this book and give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Kinsey Millhone is scammed into locating a man under false pretenses and sets out to find out why. She is also on the trail of a man who may have murdered his wife and dealing with some very unpleasant neighbors.
I tried, and failed, 6 times to win this book. I ended up borrowing it from the library and, as is true of previous books in their series and many other book, I had to wait quite a while after publication date for it to be ready for pick up.
I’m fervently hoping I make it and will be able to read Y and Z – not as crucial as making it and being able to read the entire Harry Potter series, but it’s still important to me. I’ve heard 6 more years until Z is expected.
X was a particularly good book in ...more
I’m fervently hoping I make it and will be able to read Y and Z – not as crucial as making it and being able to read the entire Harry Potter series, but it’s still important to me. I’ve heard 6 more years until Z is expected.
X was a particularly good book in ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
First, I turned on my tablet. Then I started up the app and opened the book. I read the first page. Turned the page to the second by tapping my right index finger on the right side of the screen. I was on the second page now. Finished the first chapter. I then went on to the second. Then.... blah blah
*sigh*
The writing style is just ... so boring. Grafton probably needed a minimum of words to have it published.
Every.single.thing. gets described. I wouldn't call it setting the scene. It was basica ...more
*sigh*
The writing style is just ... so boring. Grafton probably needed a minimum of words to have it published.
Every.single.thing. gets described. I wouldn't call it setting the scene. It was basica ...more
Very puzzled by this book. Poor writing, not interesting. Awkward sentence structure.
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Sue Grafton was a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She is best known for her “alphabet series” featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. Prior to success with this series, she wrote screenplays for television movies. Her earlier novels include Keziah Dane (1967) and The Lolly-Madonna War (1969), both out of print. In the book Kinsey and
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