L is for Lawless: Intermediate (Macmillan Readers) Reviews

• "L" is for Lacking

  
  By A2VU7WW0V4X83G on 2001-01-14
  Other reviewers have compared this one to "H." They're right. This is an "on the road with the bad guys" adventure. No real mystery here, and other than a few interesting scenes, not much worthy of note.

  The supporting cast that has been weaved through the other novels is noticably absent from this book. Maybe they were working on other projects. The book suffers from this, mainly because the replacement players are not nearly as compelling or, frankly, fun.

  By the time Kinsey ends up in Kentucky, you will find yourself saying "Who cares? Get back to Santa Teresa."

  All in all, it was a disappointing read, annoying so because my prior experience with these books means that you cannot skip the bad ones.
  
  

• The funniest

  
  By A2W26AAU92CN70 on 2002-03-17
  This is the most light-hearted of the series. In fact there isn't a murder until - but I mustn't tell. Kinsey's long-lost cousin Tasha makes contact at the beginning and Kinsey chokes her off and says she has no need of family. but then at the end - well I mustn't tell that either.
  The mystery begins with a search for burial fund entitlement for a WW2 veterans whose records have disappeared. Kinsey gets involved with a family of criminals and finds herself half-wishing to be part of them.
  It's interesting to note how Grafton solves the problem of the voice of the first person character. Sometimes Kinnsey Milhone uses a very conversational tone with colloquial phrases and words like "nifty" and "wow." At other times she seamlessly steps back into narrative mode with wonderful descriptions such as:
  "The grass was still alive but all the deciduous trees had dropped their leaves. The barren branches created a gray haze as far as the eye could see," which is pretty fancy prose for a Santa Barbara High School dropout.
  
  

• "L" is for Look for another

  
  By A2NADKLMB5B6B9 on 2002-08-20
  Of the Sue Grafton's series, this one didn't have the same impact as her earlier books. I was disappointed! The plot developed slowly, and at times reminded me of a bad 'made for T.V. movie'and the characters (other than the familiar aquaintances) lacked "character". After I began reading "L", over a year ago, I put the book down and didn't have the desire to read it until recently. I enjoyed her first books and hope that "M" is a better read.
  
  

• A Bad Joke

  
  By A3P0CWH9BERLML on 2005-03-23
  It takes over half of the book to get to the plot, a criminal who passes away after telling his family that he was a war hero during WW II, and it turns out that he wasn't when the family tries for a military burial, the lead character Private Eye Kinsey Millhone is not the sharpest tack in the box, at least 60% of the writing is vivid descriptions of room decor, scenery and includes the foaming soap bubbles in a sink of dishwater, and if she mentions her underpants once she mentions them 40 times, the ending was too rushed and very unsatisfactory. This was my first Grafton book, I may go try one of the earlier ones as I can't believe an author this popular writes this style of trivial drivel. Skip L is for a Loser.
  
  

• Loved L Is For Lawless From Hardcore Grafton Fan

  
  By A2T0LI9JT45VA5 on 2000-06-08
  It is late and other reviewers have given superior synopses of the plot. All there is left to say is: Read This Book. You will not regret following Kinsey Millhone on the ultimate wild goose chase for her dear friend and landlord, Henry. For a tough girl detective, Kinsey sure has a big heart of gold. She ends up with another set of marginal characters (probably inspired by the first set of yahoos in H Is For Homicide) and is forced to endure their company and cause for days and untold miles with superhuman tolerance and sympathy.

  Sue Grafton keeps surprising us her with the depth of her talent as a writer with every letter of the alphabet. This is coming from an inveterate reader of the finest in British Murder Mysteries. So please, try to trust a complete stranger, and race right off for this installment of great American Mystery Writing by a master of the trade.
  
  

• Highly entertaining
  By A1EVKGF2TNSI4 on 1999-12-23
  Not your typical murder mystery, but when does Grafton ever write one of those? LAWLESS is not the best in the series, and the plot is a bit uneven, but it's a fun ride, and I'm happy to have been along for it.
  
  
• I thought it was the best in the series I have read yet.
  By on 1999-06-20
  I've read all of Ms. Grafton's Kinsey Millhone books in order up to L Is For Lawless. I have not read her most recent few but so far this one was my favorite. I think she has done a splendid job at developing the main character a bit more with the release of each book. I stayed up 2-3 hours past my bedtime last night to finish L Is For Lawless. I love "roller coaster" plots and this book certainly fits that description. It kept me very entertained. Bravo!!!
  
  
• derivative and uninteresting
  By A3RTKL9KB8KLID on 1998-06-29
  I read this book because Sue Grafton is, apparently, all the rage in the mystery field. I wanted to find out why she's so highly regarded, and I still haven't found out. Her main character is so forgettable I still don't think I remember her name right (Kinsey Millhone, or something like that). She is indistinguishable from every other tough-guy private eye except that she uses the women's rest room. That difference isn't enough to carry a story! Furthermore there was nothing in the plot that surprised me or made me wonder what was going to happen next.

  I'm an avid mystery reader, and I don't think Grafton stacks up with the really accomplished mystery/suspense writers: Margaret Maron, Marcia Muller, P D James, Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Sharyn McCrumb, Anne Perry, Carolyn Hart, to name several.

  BO - RINNGGG.
  
  

• My daughter made me read it!
  By A3150FBN9DA9T on 1998-07-06
  When you get a book present for your birthday, you read it. If your daughter didn't give you this book for your birthday, don't read it. What a waste of good reading time. What does Grafton have against people who are overweight anyway? Kinsey is always eating herself, I guess her frantic behavior burns off the calories. What is interesting about some 80 year olds getting married on Thanksgiving? Oh, and was there some money missing?
  
  
• L is for Listless
  By A3CV3COZQK1595 on 1998-01-26
  Grafton lost momentum in this book, though she regains it in M is for Malice. This is the first Kinsey Millhone book that I didn't read straight through. I put it down for several weeks in mid-read, and finished it only out of loyalty. If you haven't read it yet, skip it and go on to M. Don't give up on the series, though!
  
  
• Kinsey's on the road again!
  By on 1996-12-09
  This book's a lot like "H is for Homocide" in that Kinsey finds herself unexpectedly on the road again, away from her apartment and creature comforts. The book takes her from sunny California to Texas to Louisville, Kentucky. As a Kentucky native who worked in Louisville and southern Indiana for nearly twelve years, I found the descriptions of Interstate 65 from Nashville through west central Kentucky and particularly the Portland neighborhood in Louisville made me homesick to be back down south! As usual, Kinsey's wry humor and knack for lying her way into crazy predicaments adds to the fun. Her long-lost extended family wasn't talked about much in this book--probably because they couldn't figure out where she was once she hit the road--but she gets a taste of what it would be like to be part of a family group, and we may very well see her heading to Lompoc for a visit with "Grand" and the clan in a future book. Fun reading
  
  
• "L" is for Lucky Kinsey!!!!
  By A1N01YOBWF8WDP on 2001-04-02
  Kinsey is lucky to come out alive in this one. I have read them all through "L". I thought this was one of the best ones. However, others seem to disagree. So be it. Kinsey is her usual bright, nosey self, asking questions and sticking her nose in other peoples business. I thought her impersonation of the hotel maid was great. I was nervous the whole time, afraid she would get caught, did she???? The other characters were good, to me. The granny with the shotgun was a good character. I could see in my mind the people as they traveled and as they tried to find the money. I would recommend reading "L".
  
  
• My favourite.
  By A1F38YS15PWMRQ on 2002-04-26
  I've read them all, and this is my favourite.

  The plot is great, and the book moves along at a really fast pace. For the first half of the book i just couldn't stop turning those pages. Kinsey is great as usual. The plotting is tight, the use of humour just right, and the recurring subsidiary characters (Henry, Rosie, etc) are all back in full force. They're really a wonderful cavalcade of characters.

  The only thing which lets this book down only slightly is the fact that the fast pace lets up around the halfway mark, and isn't reached again. It's not quite as exciting as the first half, and returns to the normal Sue Grafton pace. (Not in itself a bad thing) it's just that after such an exciting first half, the second half seems a bit too slow.

  Nonetheless, great book. Exciting, intriguing, perfect plot. Best in the series. Wonderful fun.
  
  

• This is the best ever.
  By on 2002-11-10
  This novel is by far the best of the Millhone series. Grafton out did herself. It will be interesting to see if she keeps up the pace to the very end (Z and beyond).
  
  
• "L" is for LACK---of good sense
  By A2P5W0UKBA7PZS on 2003-02-07
  This book centers around a private "dick" who is a female named Kinsey Millholm. She is beckoned into service by a 90-year-old neighbor whoes request she cannot resist.

  From there, the story rumbles along dealing with a group of clearly low I. Q. Kentucky residents in search of lost or misplaced loot of 40 years old. It truly is a very funny tale of how "country" people respond to trying to find out what happen to what they considered a lot of money, in the sum of about $8000. People come and go (some die) in this quest. In the end, they luck-up and find a little more valuables and decide that they will split whatever is available. This is truly a very, very, light read.
  
  

• Too linear and derivative
  By on 2003-03-28
  I'm a Millhone fan but the plot in this installment was too linear. It went straight from the beginning to the end with each twist neatly foreshadowed by some previous detail. A careful reader could tell exactly what was going to happen at every step without any real surprises - won't spoil it with a list.
  Secondly, the plot seemed derivative of Donald Westlake's Drowned Hopes (a great read BTW). At one point Kinsey and Ray even contemplate that the loot might be flooded when a dam was built - the exact premise of Drowned Hopes. I hope this was a deliberate nod on Grafton's part.
  In summary, it seemed to be a tribute piece written according to a simple formula.
  
  
• Maybe a 2.5
  By A30ZPSYOGFJXR6 on 2004-02-07
  This is my first Sue Grafton book. She is a good writer, very detailed-oriented. On the one hand, i found the minutia a bit tedious. On the other hand, i liked having everything spelled out. Mysteries are sometimes so convoluted i get lost after a couple of turns.
  That said, the book was alright, perfect light reading. I do have some problems as to the resolution of the whole story: why Kinsey held on to the end, why Gilbert came back unarmed, and so forth. Still, an OK read.
  
  
• L is for Lovin' It!
  By A2E9Q3T876TQ6C on 2005-04-14
  This is another good story in the line of alphabet mysteries by Sue Grafton. Her few "detours" from great writing in previous "letters" seem to have been a minor bump in the road and she now returns to a good plot and strong characters.
  
  I have to admit that one of my favorite characters in this series is Henry Pitt, Kinsey Millhone's landlord and friend. I enjoyed the Henry who wrote crossword puzzles and tried them out on Kinsey before he sent them in for publication. I enjoyed the Henry who always had something baking in his kitchen. And many times I have wondered why some sexy senior citizen hasn't snagged this wonderful catch of a man!
  
  This story gives us a little more insight into Henry than we've seen in the past. Henry convinces Kinsey to help a friend of his on a simple matter - she needs to show that Henry's friend served in the military during World War II so he can be buried as a veteran. Such a simple request and it should have a simple solution, but as we've seen with Kinsey in the past, nothing is an easy task, so the plot thickens...
  
  The family of the deceased is too busy fighting among themselves to be much help to Kinsey. Then an old friend shows up and gets attacked at the dead guy's apartment. Once again we're on a race to see what's around the next corner for Kinsey and to find out why the government has no record of this veteran serving his country.
  
  There's a little bit of mystery, but more suspense in this book. And more laughs than we've seen in the past with Grafton's other books. I'd recommend this easy read to anyone wanting a few hours of enjoyment as it's definitely one of Sue Grafton's better books in this series. I only hope she will continue with this quality and not hit any more bumps that throw her off to only mediocre writing!
  
  
  
• L is for Low
  By A13D1H1B9U479K on 2000-07-18
  An example of modern pulp fiction at its low point. A book well worth missing.
  
  
• Turn on the radio!!
  By on 1999-02-13
  I don't ususally trash an audiobook but this one left me wanting to listen to fingernails on a blackboard instead. The reader does not do hillbilly accents well, the plot was ridiculous and the quality was bad (I had to continually change the volume). Please stop. This one hurt.
  
  
• Probably her weakest so far.
  By on 1999-04-27
  I have now read all of Sue Grafton's books and am anxiously awaiting her "O". I totally disagree with one of the reviewers who mentioned (among others) Mary Higgins Clark as being a better mystery writer. I give Clark's novels to my son-in-law (who is French and who's English is good but not strong) because they are easy reading. It is too bad if anyone happens to pick this one up as their first example of Kinsey Millhone. Miss Grafton left too many loose ends in "Lawless". None the less, Grafton's wit, storylines, character presentation, and knowledge of her subject matter win point after point after point with me.
  
  
• the worst thriller I have ever read.
  By ATF34N19CQIQD on 1998-04-15
  Too much made-up. The people are either too cruel or too naive. It is understandable, that book has been written in very short time.
  
  
• Not one of the best in the series!
  By on 1998-08-08
  I must say I was a little disappointed in this book. It just wasn't as interesting as the others, which I have really enjoyed. I really like the main characters in the series, especially Kinsey and Henry, so I dutifully read on. However, I hope Sue Grafton returns to her usually more interesting story lines in the next books.

  I hope Sue isn't losing interest in this series, like Patricia Cornwall seems to be doing in her series. Take your time Sue, even if I have to wait longer between books in order to get a better story, it would be worth it.
  
  

• Part of Grafton's downhill trend
  By on 1997-02-27
  I thought perhaps the dissatisfying conclusion of K is for Killer was a fluke, but L is for Lawless leads me to believe that Grafton is tired of the series and is anxious to fulfill her contract. I suspect she's secretly writing on another project that she really cares about. Lawless was completely uninteresting to me. The ending was rushed and didn't answer all the questions it brought up. I really feel like Grafton's heart isn't in this anymore, and I must admit, she's losing me. I won't buy another of her hardbacks.
  
  
• another page turner from grafton
  By on 2001-03-11
  i've read all the alphabet books thru "M". Each one seems to get better than the previous. I love the little twists in the storyline. Easy and fast to read. Good clean entertainment.
  
  
• One of my favorites
  By A200XNOWFDZ38R on 2001-08-09
  What Kinsey thinks will be an easy case turns into a cross country chase, impersonation and hiding out from a nutball.

  In Kinsey's words: "Never have I taken on such a load of grief."

  Gotta love that Kinsey! Thanks Susan for bringing us such a great character to follow!
  
  

• My favourite.
  By A1F38YS15PWMRQ on 2002-04-27
  I've read them all, and this is my favourite.

  The plot is great, and the book moves along at a really fast pace. For the first half of the book i just couldn't stop turning those pages. Kinsey is great as usual. The plotting is tight, the use of humour just right, and the recurring subsidiary characters (Henry, Rosie, etc) are all back in full force. They're really a wonderful cavalcade of characters.

  The only thing which lets this book down only slightly is the fact that the fast pace lets up around the halfway mark, and isn't reached again. It's not quite as exciting as the first half, and returns to the normal Sue Grafton pace. (Not in itself a bad thing) it's just that after such an exciting first half, the second half seems a bit too slow.

  Nonetheless, great book. Exciting, intriguing, perfect plot. Best in the series. Wonderful fun.
  
  

• Working vacation
  By A1IOJE0W1NXOSE on 2003-04-09
  Kinsey is going to be in the wedding of her elderly landlord, Henry Pitts, so she decides to take a few days off from her job as a private investigator to help with wedding plans. Instead, Henry asks her to look into the case of one of his old friends, recently deceased, whose son tries to get help from the military to bury him. The family is told that there is no record of the man serving in the military, so they want Kinsey to find out the truth. She figures that this will be a simple matter, but of course, it's not. Her investigation leads her across the country following a woman with a mysterious duffle bag, which she feels may contain important evidence. Nothing is as it seems and Kinsey is soon embroiled with a couple of ex-cons, a young girl, and an eighty-five-year-old woman who is studying self-defense. This is a wild Kinsey Milhonne escapade with the usual interesting cast of characters.
  
  
• One of Grafton's Best! Kinsey Solves Another Puzzle Yet
  By A1IIX764GG3WNZ on 2004-04-16
  I enjoyed this book very much and thought that it was one of Grafton's best.

  As a favor to her friend and landlord Henry, Kinsey agrees to solve a case involving Henry's buddy Johnny Lee who was deceased.
  The agreement was that Kinsey would solve it pro bono, being that it would be the most simple case to solve. Wrong! Instead, the case is much deeper than Kinsey ever thought possible, and curiosity getting the better of her, Kinsey goes all the way with it. Especially when she sees the house getting broken into, and two people escaping with a duffle bag, headed for the airport. Was it a duffle bag of stolen money? It had to be. Kinsey follows the crazy couple to the airport, and flys with them way across the US to see what they're up to.

  In the process, Kinsey gets herself into trouble and danger is ahead all the way. If she gets out of this one alive, it'll be a miracle!
  
  

• Flimsy, disappointing characters and plot -- a chase and travelogue, not a detective story
  By A2BDQQ39DJ826Y on 2007-07-11
  As soon as I read her earliest books, Sue Grafton became one of my favorite writers of light, straight, credible detective fiction. She can be a terrific storyteller. Unfortunately, after rallying from the skimpy, disorganized "G" and "H" stories with stronger efforts in "I," "J," and "K," the "Lawless" book dropped right back to the bottom of the barrel.
  
  "Lawless" worried me from the start, because it recalled not only the light-weight "action" or "chase" approaches of the "G" and "H" books but also a trait of the weakest of Marcia Muller's work: a small-potatoes, penny-ante case, here an investigation into getting VA burial benefits for a neighbor's friend. Unlike Muller, Grafton usually manages to build something bigger out of such mundane beginnings of a story. Not so here.
  
  "Lawless" is merely a fast-paced legwork/chase story about a supposed hidden treasure. It involves a small circle of characters (65-year-old Ray Rawson, his estranged daughter Laura, his aged mom Helen, and his nemesis, Gilbert Hays; Rawson, in jail for the last 45 years, and Hays, who snitched and got out early, along with a now-dead Asian named Johnny and three others robbed a bank in Louisville decades before).
  
  There are no suspects and no suspense about what is going on or who is doing it, no serious legwork or detection. The story simply involves running away from Gilbert and for the money, with Millhone whining all along the way (as constant and tedious as Roderick Alleyn about his lack of official authority in "Death And Dancing Footman") that she's not getting paid for anything. The only thing that kept any interest going at all was what sort of treasure it would be and where it would be, with two keys conveniently turning up along the way to help provide the answer.
  
  A double meaning of "Lawless" and a reference to the rag-tag 65-year-old, his raggedy daughter, and his old mother as being something like a "family" to Millhone is a mildly interesting intersection of the case and the personal, but that is about all there is to recommend this book other than its breezy readability. It is hard to believe how relatively complicated and consequential the "K" book is compared to this one.
  
  "Lawless" is nothing more than a ride-along buddy tale. And because the whole story pretty much takes place on the road, there is nothing interesting to be learned about Millhone or her environs, just a travelogue about flights from Santa Theresa to Dallas and drives from Dallas, through Arkansas, to Louisville, in tow with some not-very-interesting marginal types. Contrary to simplistic, happy-talk reviews that seem unable to come to grips with the weaknesses as well as the strengths of Grafton's work, the book cannot be given a pass simply because of its supposed "humor" or any other strained, contrived excuse. The book is a very flimsy, disappointing effort that ranks with "G" and "H" as Grafton's worst.
  
  

• K Is for Killer (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• M Is for Malice (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• N Is for Noose (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• "O" Is for Outlaw