"G" is for Grafton: The World of Kinsey Millhone... Revised and Updated through "O" IS FOR OUTLAW

by Natalie Hevener Kaufman, Carol McGinnis Kay

Finally in paperback and now fully revised and updated through "O" Is for Outlaw, the reader's companion to the world of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone

With the cooperation of Sue Grafton, who provided unprecedented access to her working journals, authors Natalie Hevener Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay have created a fully dimensional biography of Kinsey Millhone that will answer every question readers have ever had. Here is a feast for Kinsey's fans, including such features as time lines, maps, floor plans, case logs, and photographs.

But this book is also a revealing journey into the mind and work habits of Kinsey's creator. You'll learn why Grafton chose to write detective fiction and how she responds to runaway plot lines and unruly characters. You will find out what titles she has discarded in the series, what she plans for Kinsey's future, and how she sees their evolving relationship. Ultimately, you'll understand why Grafton is so esteemed in the field of detective fiction and, from an analysis of her craft, why she has earned so prominent a place in American letters.

Genres: Mystery, Nonfiction, Biography, Mystery Thriller, Reference

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

started this right after it was published -05/11/1998, but had to make the effort to finally finish. a huge amount of research (and insight) went into this one. wow... it only goes to 'M is for malice', so 1/2 the alphabet is missing, but sheesh.
errors: p.102 - 'bar for a entire week' {uh, hello?? an entire week, perhaps?} and p.295 character is not Lonnie Kingman, but Lonnie KingMAN..

also-for the aficionados of said series 'a' was always alibi, 'b' could have been bum or burglar, 'c' was always corpse, 'd' could have been Dietz, danger, dagger, dynamite, or deadbeat, 'e' could have been ever {get it?!!!}, 'f' fugitive, Fahrenheit, felony or forgery, 'g' gumshoe, gun, gambler, gambit, gallows or gone {get that one, too?}, 'h' was always as is, 'i' was always innocent, 'j' could've been justice, jury, jealousy or jeopardy, 'k' was always killer, 'l' could've been lunatic, line-up or lock-up, 'm' -marathon, mission, murder or motive. at the time of publication, 'n' was in the works & may have been notary, negative, narcotics, or jokingly, 'none of the above'.. (just fyi)

[Gretchen]

Fun to have, I was reading a library copy and decided to buy. Not organized the way I would have, but great memory jogger and a nice way to spend some extra time with a character I enjoy.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book delves into how Sue Grafton developed the character of Kinsey Milhone. It discusses Grafton and her writing technique and does comparisons of Grafton and Milhone. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent companion to the Alphabet books - as far as it goes. Published in 1997, it only covers the books through "M is for Malice", but covers them very well and insightfully.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Million series and was so sad when she died before writing Z. I had picked this book over 10 years ago and finally got around to reading it. Not sure why it took me so long but I’m glad I read it after having visiting Santa Barbara, the basis for the fictional Santa Teresa.

This was a fun dive into the world of Kinsey and her cases, friends, family, and investigative style. There was quite a bit of repetition. Sadly this book was written after M - not sure if the plan was to do another book at the end or not. I couldn’t help but wish that it covered the whole series. Ultimately though I’ve been inspired to reread the series over the next few years.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Sue Grafton then you'll love this book. '"G" is for Grafton: The World of Kinsey Millhone' by Natalie Hevener Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay is a book that can be dipped into or read from cover to cover. The authors have trawled through the Alphabet mysteries as well as interviews with Sue Grafton to put together this really thorough guide to Kinsey's life. There are plans of her apartment, details about her beliefs, friendships and relationships, early life, interests and just about everything else, all referenced back to the novels. The only negative is that it only goes up to 'O'.

[Carolyn McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was pretty good. It re-ignited my admiration for the character and my love of the genre.
The only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5 was the format of the book. At times, the way the authors presented the various sections annoyed me. But that's no fault of theirs, just not my preference.
Overall...a great book!

[Bor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omdat ik naar Santa Barbara ging, waar de boeken van Grafton zich afspelen, een boek gekocht en gelezen over de wereld waarin de boeken van Grafton zich afspelen. Dat was leuk. Het is niet echt een supergoed geschreven boek helaas, maar het geeft wel leuke inzichten en achtergronden. Dus toch de moeite waard.

[Diane Busch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know about Kinsey Millhone and the book series by Sue Grafton (up through the first 14 books written at the time).
Like a biography of Sue Grafton's fictional character Kinsey Millhone. Very detailed.

[Carrie Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. I have never read a book quite like this, which dissected fiction books in a nonfiction way. It did get a little repetitive at times, but not enough to ruin it.

[J.J. Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of information! I found the book when I was giving a presentation to a Mystery Lover’s Group. It was a little academic.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this would be a biography of Grafton, but was about Kinsey Millhone. After reading her books, one would already know about her life. Didn't read this.

[Janet Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her writing

[Renee Paulson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is filled to the gills with information. It's definitely a compendium of everything Kinsey. Unfortunately, it reads like a textbook, which makes it dry and rather boring. Maybe it would be okay if you read it over the course of several months and took it in chunks. But I just couldn't do it.

[K1d2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting analysis of Kinsey Millhone, her cases and the other characters involved in the Sue Grafton series. The author's attention to detail shows soe inconsistencies in the series, but mostly serves as a great review of the stories, people, places involved in A through M. I started reading this book when I was on J and realized it would be wiser and more enjoyable to read through M then come back to this book, so that is what I did. I am glad, because details a out whodunit in those stories would have been revealed. My advice to anyone considering reading the book would be to complete the series through M as well before starting this book. Recommended for any fans of the series.

[Peter Herrmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize there was an updated version (through 'O') when I read this earlier published version. The best part was the final two chapters: one re Grafton's writing style and the other re her place in the genre of mystery writing. Both chapters were excellent; quite insightful and quite informative. Everything prior to those two chapters was about the minutiae of Kinsey Milhone's life ... and although meticulously researched and documented (as it appeared to me), turned out quite boring ... so that I started skimming.

Presumably the revised version contains all the good material that is in this version, with some additions.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a fun read, after being a big follower of not only Sue Grafton, but of Kinsey Milhone. I hated that they were tearing apart all the inconsistencies in the stories, but at the same time it was fascinating and I was riveted. This is a great book to read if you are big Grafton fan. But understand before you read it, she's human - mistakes are made and Natalie Kaufman points them all out.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun biography of Sue Grafton's fictional character Kinsey Millhone, written at the time "M is for Malice" was published. Rather than a birth-to-present narrative of Kinsey's life, it's organized by categories, such as locations, relationships, family. Explores how Kinsey's character develops from A to M. Explains how streets and landmarks in Santa Barbara correspond to "Santa Teresa". A nice reminder of early books in the series.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sue Grafton is one of my favorite authors. This book was written by two women about Grafton's character Kinsey Millhone. It ended up to be a 466 page book report and it was really tough to get through. I will even admit I skipped the last 20 pages because I just couldn't hang in there any longer. However, some of it was very interesting, but the rest of it was boring as hell! Would not recommend unless you are a very big fan!

[Susan Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an earlier edition of this book that went up to M is for Malice. While well-written, the minutia about Kinsey didn't keep my interest. However, the last three chapters covering some of Grafton's biography, her writing style, and her contribution to the detective genre, was absolutely fascinating. I found myself wishing the entire book had been more like the last three chapters.

But some Kinsey Milhone fans might like the chapters covering minutia.

[Ruth Soz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful guide to the Alphabet Series by Sue Grafton. If you've had trouble keeping things straight, or have taken a break from the series and want to get back into, this will help you to get back on track. It was published in 2000, however, so only goes up to a certain point.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great look at Kinsey Millhone and how she came to be. It is dated however and only deals with the series through M. I assume the authors of this book will update it after Grafton finishes the next three books.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting background on Kinsey. I will always remember she was born on May 5, 1950 and her parents died when she was 5.
This was not written by Sue Grafton by she did give her cooperation to the authors.

[Kg4jbj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a demographic of Kinsey Millhone, the detective of Sue Grafton's mysteries, based on the writings. Find the layout of her apartment, the foods she likes, her neighborhood, and more.

[Linda]

A nice companion book to read more about the world of Kinsey Millhone and to get a better idea of the timeline of the books.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information about the series and author.

[Shirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inside look at Kinsey Millhone and what makes her tick. If you want to know more about Kinsey then this is a definite read.

[Cathy Hannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

LIKED it - added more insight to Kinsey, since i was fixin' ta re-read & read for the first time - TOO BAD, it stopped at "M" is for Malice

[Bayneeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read several chapters carefully and then skimmed the rest. In depth look at many of the books. Useful comments on Grafton's writing style and place among detective writers.

[Jane Gunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

a "fun" read for Grafton fans