M Is for Malice (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) Reviews

• M is for My thoughts

  
  By AAMGXO886ZWEN on 2001-08-24
  So here goes. While some would say you should read Sue Grafton's alphabet series in order. My thoughts are M is for Malice can stand on it's on. It's the typical rich heir who thinks he has been disowned, then finds out through some mix up that he hasn't been disowned, he just hopes to be welcomed back into the family. Not much chance of that happening though because you have to throw in the typical murder victim with the female private eye, her lawyer friend & police trying to solve the case. Throw in a little suspense, a few twist & turns read by a good reader and you get a fair book. At least these are my thoughts on M for Malice
  
  

• Kinsey Millhone is utterly addictive

  
  By AGG9C66TOLJZB on 2001-02-01
  This book seems to be all about the possible pitfalls of catching up with relatives you haven't met before, or see for years. At the same time that Kinsey Millhone finally begins catching up with her long-lost Howard cousins, Robert Dietz drifts back into her life - and she is hired for case to find a family's long-lost brother.

  It is through her new found cousin, Tasha, a lawyer, that she is bought into a case to find a Guy Malek - tearaway, drug addict and all-round fraudster who has been missing for 18 years. He has to be traced as he is mentioned in his father's will and Kinsey is brought in to help the three remaining Malek brothers track him down to settle the will. Its a straight-forward case and it hardly takes her a chapter to do - but all is not well in the Malek household. There is bitterness there that dates back to well before Guy left - and it all seems to be centred on Guy .

  However Kinsey seems to think that Guy really is a changed person. So when a murder is committed in the Malek household only a few nights after his return Kinsey must return to find out what happened within those walls. There is unhappiness, malice and old crimes which must be solved before the perpetrator of this latest murder can be brought to justice. This is another story of Loyalty which reminds of C is for Corpse - where she is investigating for love as well as for money.

  Sue Grafton cleverly (I think) dovetails Kinsey's life and issues with those of her new cousins, and the case she is trying to address. The return of her Dietz into her life and the conflict of emotions she feels in herself for Guy Malek, the man she was hired to find, and also her relationship - or lack of it, with Jonah Robb who is now Lieutenant, made this quite sad for me. In each book we are given further tantalising flashes of Kinsey's personal life.

  I found the mystery quite complex, there were quite a number of leads to follow - some of which ended in dead ends. One thing I found a little hard to take was the supernatural aspect of it but it only intruded a little into the book. I think this is the best Kinsey Millhone mystery so far.
  
  

• Sibling Rivalry at it's Worst!

  
  By A2E9Q3T876TQ6C on 2005-04-15
  
  I've read several "professional" reviews written on this book and they basically hate this one. I couldn't disagree more. One reviewer went so far as to say that Kinsey Millhone was so depressed that she went back to Robert Dietz, which was a mistake. Huh? I sure didn't see that one in this book.
  
  It's another simple case that turns into something very different. Kinsey is hired to find a missing brother so he can collect his part of the father's estate. What the other Malek brothers conveniently don't tell her is that they also want him dead so they can get all of the money for themselves. The reason this brother has to be found: Bader Malek, the father, sent his son, Guy, away when Guy was a teenager and kept getting in trouble for marijuana, underage drinking, etc. Out of sight, out of mind - that is until he wrote his will.
  
  Finding Guy is not the hard part of Kinsey's job. She finds him working as a janitor in a church not far from home and learns he is nothing like the person he used to be. After hearing why Kinsey is there, Guy decides to try to reconcile with his long lost brothers. Not a good idea as he turns up dead a couple of days later. This only irritates Kinsey to the point of her becoming determined to find out who killed Guy and she again is placed in the middle of trouble. Seems to be her trademark!
  
  I'm not sure if the appeal of these books is the no-nonsense character of Kinsey Millhone, or the situations in which Kinsey often finds herself. Maybe it could be the very good "who dun it" type plot that usually keeps the reader on his/her toes all through the book. The exact fascination of these tales eludes me, I can only hope, along with millions of other Kinsey Millhone fans, which Sue Grafton keeps turning out great novels.
  
  Now that she's over halfway through the alphabet, it does make me wonder if she's going to stop at Z is for... or if she'll turn around and start with A is for... again. Hmmm, something to ponder...
  
  
  

• Loved it up till the very end and then was disappointed

  
  By A3UGMAAHRWDI4Z on 2000-02-21
  I've looked over the reviews and for the most part they are either of the "loved it" or "hated it" type. I fall somewhere inbetween. I've read all the books in order. Some are certainly better than others but I have to say that once I got into this one I kept thinking "Wow! This is the best one yet!" There were a couple of scenes in which Kinsey might have been encountering a ghost that genuinely creeped me out. Another reviewer complained about Ms. Grafton's thorough descriptions of surroundings but that's one of the reasons why I love her series so much. I feel as though I'm there or I'm watching a movie but I also get the psychological aspect too. Also, I was at a total loss as to who might have done it and I hate it when I read a mystery and figure out who the bad guy is before the author reveals them. However, typical of the Grafton novels, you don't find out until the last few pages who committed the crime. When that revelation came my praise of the book went out the window. I won't give it away but I'll just say that it was a total soap opera twist and VERY UNBELIEVABLE and silly. If the ending had just been more convincing I'd laud this book to high heaven but the climax was just straight from a Day's Of Our Lives episode.
  
  

• R for revenge

  
  By A2PWUIQG57O1AZ on 2005-10-29
  PI Kinsey Millhone is hired to locate a missing son who is named a a beneficiary in a will under probate. One of the four sons of multi millionaire, Bader Malek, Guy is now a middle aged man who walked out on his family as a teenager, when he was constantly in trouble with drugs, drink and theft. Upon the death of the old man, Guy must be located so that the assets may be distributed, even though his brothers insist that their father had made a later will disinheriting him. Kinsey finds him working as a janitor of a small church, where he claims to have found the Lord, dried out and generally cleaned up his act, and warms to him, believing that he genuinely has turned over a new leaf. She returns him to his family who are less than overjoyed, realising that the millions will now have to be divided four ways. A few days later, Guy is discovered with his skull caved in and the search begins for the murderer. The story has some neat twists and turns before the end, making it a not bad read.
  
  
• Slow Beginning but Great Ending
  By on 2001-02-03
  M is for Malice by Sue Grafton comes from a series of books for each letter of the alphabet, and this is the 13th book of the series. The book is adult fiction about a private eye named Kinsey Millhone, who was hired by a rich family to find the their brother. He was kicked out of the house 18 years earlier, and is now wanted back to discuss his fathers will. When the brother named Guy gets home he is murdered and everyone in the house is a suspect. I was shocked when I found out who was the murderer of Guy was. As a student I thought that is was easy to read, and I would recommend the book to teenagers and adults. If you enjoy reading books that will keep you in suspense and you like to guess what might happen next, you should read this book. M is for Malice is a book I never wanted to put down, and just wanted to keep reading. I think that this book is a great book to read, and you don't have to read the rest of the series to understand it, which I think, is great.
  
  
• Now I know that Grafton is a hack writer.
  By on 1999-09-05
  I just finished "M" -- my first Grafton novel. Grafton is a total hack, right down to the previously-undisclosed "surprise" ending.

  Kinsey Milhone is frumpy and thoroughly unbelievable as a detective. There was no suspense. I only finished reading because I hoped (unrequitedly) that _something_ interesting would happen plot-wise.

  Grafton has to describe the curtains in every room any character enters... The characters themselves are lifeless and cookie-cutter... What can I say? There are many better mystery writers out there; her fans would do well to spread their wings! I won't be wasting anymore $$ on this pulp.
  
  

• I have mixed feelings regarding this one!
  By on 2000-07-22
  I am having mixed feelings toward "M". It was hard to put down but I think why I read the first 130 pages so quick was becuase I was waiting for something to happen. Ms.Grafton took her time getting to the murder and then kindof rushed the conclusion. Not to say that the beginning of the book was boring. It wasn't by any means, I just think in a murder mystery the murder should be the central focus of the book, and it was but not until the middle of the book. I liked the prescence of Dietz, and I also liked seeing Kinsey become close to Guy. The epilouge of the book was sad and bittersweet. There was also a shocking twist at the end. This book should be read by hardcore Grafton fans and not by someone just starting out with her.
  
  
• Captivating and wonderful
  By A3EUCPZ1LFBKO6 on 2000-05-19
  'M' ranks up there with one of my favorite Kinsey stories. Grafton's depictions of the vicious, squabbling brothers and their estranged-now-saintly sibling are perfect. The twist at the end was predictable (or maybe I'm just onto Grafton's mindset now) but I loved it nonetheless. Couldn't put it down! Don't miss it.
  
  
• Close to Vintage Kinsey
  By on 1997-02-14
  I read A Is for Alibi when it first came out--and will continue to read each new Sue Grafton book as it come off the press--but let's be realistic: some are better than others. I number myself among the ranks of those addicted Sue Grafton readers who don't like a lot of change going on with their favorite character. And I have been disappointed a lot lately. There were actually 4-5 Kinsey books published receently that I truly did not enjoy because Kinsey was not Kinsey. But now she's finally back! The crisp wit (a la Sam Spade and the hard drinking, wise cracking PIs of the 30s and 40s) and acid tongue are still sadly muted, but some of the old characters are back and the mystery is at the center of the plot again. A good read--one that is close to being up there with the best of Sue Grafton
  
  
• I could not stand to put it down!
  By A30BLRW8IAB296 on 2001-01-02
  This book, just like all of Sue Graftons books, is great. I like the fact that Kinsey Millhone, the private investigator, gives some background on herself in each book. A person does not need to start with "A" and work their way through just to know what is going on, although I am doing that.

  As usual, the descriptions made me feel like I was there. I had trouble putting this book down. I was totally amazed with the ending. I did not even consider the actual murderer for even one moment. I you love mysteries, you should love this one.
  
  

• "KINSEY, YES----DIETZ, NO
  By A1N01YOBWF8WDP on 2001-04-26
  Give me Kinsey but without Dietz. I know the sex angle should not bother me if I read mysteries but it does. I really wish Grafton would not use it as much. But, who am I to say, I could not write anything. Just like to read. Kinsey was her usual wise acre self. She went though the Malek family pretty good. The killer was a surprise in the end. A good read if you like fast paced mysteries. Kinsey is a good PI. I wonder if Grafton sees herself in Kinsey's place?????
  
  
• Don't Start This Series With this Book!
  By A1NWAV8K24H17Z on 2001-08-03
  I have to say that I am very disappointed in M. I have loved the series so far but I have picked up and put down this book at least 15 times. With the others, I barely stopped reading long enough to run to the bathroom!! The characters lack depth, the most interesting character gets murdered, and quite honestly, the other characters are so ..., I didn't even care who did it. Overall, great series, poor book.
  
  
• Yet another page turner from Grafton...
  By on 1999-07-31
  Grafton has produced another interesting mystery to add to such a great series - I've read and enjoyed them all. As for M is for Malice, this plot kept me intrigued and the characters came to life with Grafton's vivid descriptions and (lead character) Kinsey's often humorous observations. There is a comfortable familiarity with the recurring characters of Henry and Rosie, who have been present throughout the series. However, M is for Malice stands independently of any of the series' previous books and provides enough character information to make the new Grafton reader feel familiar with past events that have caused Kinsey to evolve to her current self. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery peppered with liberal doses of humor.
  
  
• Ms. Grafton does it again!
  By on 1999-06-28
  Some say that this particular series is declining in substance and style. True, "L" wasn't my favorite too, but this book as well as "N" reestablishes my faith in Grafton's talent in storytelling.

  This is a perfect example of greed and hatred, an unwillingness to forgive. Grafton makes the Malek brothers so real and lifelike, even I wanted to strangle them for being s.o.b's! You feel for the deceased and know why Kinsey is going to find the man/woman who did this. The ending was great in that it was left open. I love it when writers don't tell the reader everything and leave the ending up to interpretation or just guess work. All in all, a great novel. I read it in two days during my final exams. I just couldn't put it down. I can't wait for "O!"
  
  

• Not Up To Par
  By A3AZ4O4I9S4668 on 1998-02-01
  I'm a big fan of Sue Grafton's, but I was disappointed in this installment in the Kinsey Millhone series. The first half of the book was tedious. Too much introspection by Kinsey. Detailed descriptions of every room she enters and the clothes worn by everyone she meets. Things improve when she finally has a murder to solve, but the mystery itself wasn't challenging. Maybe it's time to branch out and find some new characters, these are getting a little stale.
  
  
• I for inferior
  By on 1996-11-25
  Sorry to disagree with other readers, but I found this step in Grafton's alphabet to be rather disappointing. I've read them all, and I may be blaming Grafton for not staying the same for all these novels. But the hallmarks of great Grafton are gone: no great jogs, no interesting sandwiches, no outings with the badly wrinkled black dress. There is a disspiritedness about the whole work that culminates in a really odd ending. Perhaps Grafton has grown beyond Kinsey. For the sake of my dumb-salve quotient, I want the old KM back
  
  
• Not The Best Entry In The Series
  By A3Q330VXNDI9K3 on 2000-10-11
  Sue Grafton's alphabet series featuring Kinsey Millhone can usually be relied upon to provide an entertaining read. However, some of the most recent installments in the series have proven to be somewhat weak efforts. M is for Malice is an example of these weaker efforts. The mystery just never hooks you and if you have never read Grafton before you will find little to catch your interest. Some of the earliest books in the series were among the best mysteries I have ever read. The last couple of books have fallen way short of that. Let's hope this trend ends soon or Z may be for Zero Interest.
  
  
• M is for Malice
  By AG3X9ZHC6AJIU on 2000-12-11
  Sue Grafton does it again continuing on with the alphabetical, mysterious novels. A father of four sons and an owner of a multi-million dollar business, Malek Construction, has passed away. In order for the brothers to gain their fortune of millions, the fourth brother has to be found. Kinsey Milhone, a private investigator, is hired to find the lost brother, Guy, after eighteen years. Guy has had a bad past as a teenager, from the lines of drugs to fraud. Guy is found and bad things start to happen when the public finds out he's back into town. When you put a lot of money together and four sons, you get greediness, which is equal to murder. Could it be from Guy's past or one of his greedy brothers? The book started off slow in the first chapter and yanked you into it as a character, and you cannot put the book down. It's an interesting book to me because I love mysteries and suspense. So I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and suspense.
  
  
• M is for Monotonous
  By on 2002-09-21
  In M for Malice, Kinsey has been hired to find the whereabouts of a Guy Malek. For the last 18 years, Guy has been missing after being ostracized by his family for his reckless lifestyle. When he returns home, his brothers' believe he has come to claim his portion of the inheritance their father left him, while Guy's true motive is to resolve their family differences. The family tension increases when anonymous letters sent to the newspaper publicizes Guy's return to claim his inheritance. Just when Guy's life couldn't get any worse, he's killed. In the end Millhone finds the clues that lead her to the killer and bam, it's done.
  This was the first book I've read by Sue Grafton and it might be the last. I guess I grabbed the wrong "letter" off the shelf. I was excepting ingenious detective work, brutal integration of witnesses, and Kinsey always nearly escaping death. Instead, M for Malice provides a lengthy plot that has an ending that is far fetched and evolves more around Kinsey's love life with Robert Dietz. So if you're looking for the hardcore P.I. story, move on to another letter. However, if you're into the semi-sappy romance novel, this is the one.
  
  
• I think Sue Grafton is losing some steam with this series.
  By A25773EBHHXMXF on 2000-07-07
  As always, Kinsey Millhone is getting into her usual trouble and scuffles. However, at this point in the series, much of the storyline seems to be the same old stuff. I'm hoping that things pick up, because I have really looked forward to the publication of each book in this series.
  
  
• Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful!
  By A2RZ2HFXJOPNX4 on 2000-01-12
  M is for Malice is the first Kinsey mystery I read. I *loved* it! Total suspense and a shocking ending. I have since read almost all of the others in the alphabet, and none have been as good as this one. This is an absolute must read. I love books that are quick reads, and this one fit the bill, for sure. I picked it up and when I put it down, I was done!
  
  
• A long run for a short slide...
  By on 1999-03-16
  150 pages of soap opera and 150 pages of murder mystery. If I had read all 12 previous Letters, I guess the characters in Santa Teresa might seem alive, but not with "M" as my starting point. Now you might say, "You've got to read all the other ones to understand." Perhaps that is true, but the novel should be complete in itself, giving enough characterization to satisfy in its own right. After reading "M", I really could care less about Dietz, Henry, old bartenders, steroid pumped lawyers, or pickle and peanut butter sandwiches. But, wink, wink, I would care if I would only read 12 more novels. Give me a break. I found Kinsey Millhone whiny and shallow based on this reading and knew who the killer was as soon as the first heavy handed clue was presented (no, I won't give it away). I didn't know why the murderer did it until later, but the clue was just too clumsy.

  Now don't think I don't like series sleuths, because I do. Kay Scarpetta (Patricia Cornwell), Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn (Tony Hillerman), Dave Robicheaux (James Lee Burke) and Harry Bosch (Michael Connelly) are much more fully realized in each novel. I started reading each of those well along in their respective series and came away with a good sense about them, caring about them, wanting to go back and read more. Kinsey Millhone can stay in Santa Teresa, whine about her (lack of) love life, run on the beach, and drive her VW into the hills. I doubt she will ever show up on my bookshelf again.
  
  

• M is for Meandering
  By AS86WMO8YTOFC on 1998-03-24
  I thought that after diving head first into the mystery and thriller genre, that I should read some of the great alphabet series. Someone convince me that I should read more, because this book did not make a good case for the author.

  Is this what happens when lengthy contracts are written, or when we expect "M" to follow "L"? It was painful to wait for the obvious to happen, and the payoff was not worth it.
  
  

• Slow and Boring
  By A1MRR73A4SRH74 on 1998-01-20
  This is the first and probably the last of Sue Grafton's alphabet books I will read. The storyline is slow to develop and I didn't find any of the characters very interesting. It was only half way through the book that anything interseting developed. M Is for Maybe Her Next Book Will be Better.
  
  
• Better than some, not as good as others....
  By AF7S53U1QH5VS on 1998-05-28
  I have read all of the Grafton alphabet series through "M is for Malice", which I just finished recently. I find Kinsey to be a believable and compelling character, and I enjoy her "loner on the fringes of polite society" point of view about things.

  I was a little disappointed with "M is for Malice" -- I felt that after all of the background and sleuthing around, the ending felt a little rushed, a little thrown-together-at-the-last-minute. And call me a purist, but I prefer the endings where Kinsey is in mortal danger at the end, like when she has to fight her way out of a dark basement where the killer thinks s/he has trapped her....

  I'm also kind of disinterested in Kinsey's newfound family members. Kinsey herself is not that interested in them, so why should I be?
  
  

• Hooray for Kinsey Millhone
  By on 1998-08-19
  After reading some of the other comments, I have to disagree with some. I too liked the "spunkier" Kinsey Millhone, but at age 35, single, etc. I think the fact that she's going through a "black" period is actually very realistic. I think what Sue Grafton is trying to do is develop Kinsey's character enough that she is able to continue on with the rest of the alphabet. Come on, we all go through changes and if Kinsey didn't, I'd find her hard to believe as a character. As far as the story line goes, I too like it better when Kinsey's in mortal danger at the end, but then, if that happened in all the stories, it would get repetitious. And I have liked some of the other episodes better, but that's the way it goes with any series (take Patricia Cornwell, for instance). So ease up guys!! And if this is the first alphabet series book you read, then shame on you. You need to start this series at the beginning to really understand the character.

  I for one, am looking forward to the next letter!!
  
  

• Not as engrossing as the previous books.
  By A25773EBHHXMXF on 1998-06-05
  Having followed the alphabet adventures of Sue Grafton's female heroine, Kinsey Millhone, I think the author is losing steam. 'Malice' had a couple of good twists and turns in the storyline, and although I still find them enjoyable, her later books have failed to hold my attention the way her earlier books did. The author needs to pack a few punches if she is planning to continue with the other half of the alphabet.
  
  
• Depressing and disappointing
  By on 1998-01-06
  I've loved most of Sue Grafton's books, but this and her last have been downbeat and slow. Kinsey isn't as much fun as she used to be!
  
  
• A Weak, Unfocused Effort
  By on 1998-01-06
  This series is running out of steam. I could not find myself either engaged or enraged by any of the characters, and the mystery itself strains credibility.

  Grafton is attempting to carry on a soap opera (Kinsey's relationships with her cousins and Dietz) within a "politically correct" mystery and just can't bring off either. Sara Paretsky covers the same ground much better, IMHO.
  
  

• N Is for Noose
• L Is for Lawless (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• O Is for Outlaw
• K Is for Killer (Grafton, Sue. Kinsey Millhone Mysteries.)
• J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)