A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
Genre: Crime Mystery
Age Group: Adults
Publisher: Pan
Year: 1993
Format: Paperback
Pages: 253
Source: Used bookshop
Buy It: $5 with free delivery
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she's got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes. A IS FOR ACCUSED That's why she draws desperate clients like Nikki Fife. Eight years ago, she was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she's out on parole and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer. But after all this time, clearing Nikki's bad name won't be easy. "A IS FOR ALIBI" If there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer--and sharper--than she imagined. - Book Depository

This is my second time reading a murder mystery (first time being a couple of Agatha Christie books) and I loved it! It was first published in 1985 so I wasn't sure how enjoyable Grafton's writing style would be but it was amazing. If it wasn't for the great writing I probably wouldn't have liked it as much as I did. There was quite a few curse words but nothing major, which I thought was good as it helped create an image for Kinsey Millhone and helped me, as a reader depict what kind of character she was.

The "mystery" for this book is who murdered Laurence Fife? Eight years previous, Nikki Fife (Laurence's wife) was put in jail for his murder. She is out on parole now and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer and get rid of her label as a murderer. I thought there was great suspense throughout and I never suspected one person out of all the people being interviewed in this book. Kinsey ends up being led to other connected murders whilst trying to solve this one. This added even for suspense. There was quite a big plot twist at the end which I loved! I did not see it coming--I didn't see anything coming in this book. It was not predictable in the slightest. I also loved how the it opened and ended with Kinsey confessing to a murder (the same murder).

The character development was great. I really loved Kinsey as a character. She was strong and witty which I loved. There was a great cast of other characters throughout this book too and they were not forgotten about--everyone in this book had very well developed characters and each had their own distinct personality. Trust me on this one, you will not forget the majority of characters in this book--especially not Kinsey.

If you're a fan of mystery/suspense/crime/thriller books, then read this. You won't be disappointed. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the Alphabet Series.

*Just to let you know, the copy I have of this book is not pictured here as I bought it in a used book shop and I can't find my copy online anywhere to get a picture. I think it's out of print.