K Is for Killer (Grafton, Sue. Kinsey Millhone Mysteries.) Reviews

• Nothing outrageously bad but nothing great either

  
  By A2OS2NZOH7L3N9 on 2001-08-13
  I have read one or two books in the Kinsey Millone series previously and have found them to be enjoyable, easy reads that, generally, provide interesting plots, etc. This book was, however, a disappointment.

  Kinsey is hired by a grieving mother to investigate the death of her daughter some months previously. In the eyes of the police, the case has turned cold, yet Kinsey begins to discover that the dead girl led a rather complex life which may well have resulted in her death. Without revealing too much about the plot, the premise is interesting enough and Kinsey's investigations lead to a lengthy list of suspects. However, the ending of the book is a complete anti-climax - the killer is discovered almost by fluke and there is no consideration of motive, method or anything else which a crime fiction reader expects to see.

  Grafton spends page after page developing a rather interesting plot only to let it fall apart completely at the end. Sadly, given the ending, the reader is left thinking "So what?" and disappointed at the effort expended in reading all of the preliminaries with no result.

  Readers of this series may find the book enjoyable enough. I have to confess that I do not read these in order and therefore, cannot comment on the development of Kinsey Millone as a character. Newcomers to the series may just want to leave this one on the shelf. Overall, a disappointment.
  
  

• Disapointing ending - not up to Grafton's standards

  
  By A3OK8YFLC60R1Q on 2001-08-24
  I love Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone - and I enjoyed this book right up to the end - but the end left lots of unanswered questions and loose ends. The killer of the first murder victim was identified (and the fate of the killer was indicated), but what was the motive? There were two distinct different possibilities. Also, the reader might reasonably think that this killer was also responsible for the second murder (although that was never revealed), but what about the third attack and resulting death? There was no explanation, or motive given - and no indication that the same killer was responsible. Grafton is a great writer - if she had just written 4 or 5 more pages to resolve the unanswered questions, it could have been a good book instead of a very disapointing one.
  
  

• A Guilty Delight

  
  By AAIL33CYCT47J on 2007-03-13
  Ahh, Sue Grafton. My guilty pleasure of choice, because with her (usually) firm grip on characterization and plotting she crafts the best mystery series out there with her alphabet mysteries -- and one could scarcely call them a 'guilty' pleasure at all. Having just read three heavy, depressing novels in a row I found that I needed an escape. So what did I do? I picked up the next installment of P.I. Kinsey Millhone's adventures and found solace in her hometown of Santa Teresa, California in the 1980s. "K is for Killer" is a step up from the clunking "J is for Judgment", but unfortunately suffers from some problems of its own. While I am imminently satisfied with "K", I am a little nervous. "H" was a flat-out stinker, "J" was pretty flawed, and now "K" shows visible signs of strain in Grafton's usually tight grip on pacing and plotting -- with only the sterling "I is for Innocent" remaining on par with the earlier books in the series. You see, while Grafton's style usually has the plot delving right into the mystery at hand (she is not an author who likes to waste time -- which is one of the things I love about her), in "K" it feels forced and unrealistic. Kinsey is approached by a client, Janice Kepler, who wants her to investigate her daughter Lorna's mysterious death ten months earlier, late on a Sunday evening. By Monday morning Kinsey has not only plowed through the background information that Janice supplied her with, but spoken to not one but TWO of the people involved in the case. Kinsey's investigation moves at such a rapid clip that it becomes completely implausible. And in all of her questioning, only one potential suspect in the entire book seems reluctant to talk to her. One suspect is even willing to squeeze her in at a moment's notice even though he has an important annual meeting in a mere fifteen minutes. Now come on -- guilty or innocent, wouldn't he rather prep for the meeting than re-hash the details of a case he's been talking to the police about for ten months?
  
  A lot of criticism has been lobbed at this book in recent reviews that Kinsey gets too unrealistically involved in the life of a young prostitute character, and I think this is only half true. She doesn't seem to get any more involved with this character than she does with other characters in other books, but her crazed devotion to the case is startlingly out of place, and makes it appear that way. And here lies the defining flaw of "K is for Killer": its plot is remarkably contrived for a Grafton novel. Kinsey even develops a curious -- and unexplained -- case of insomnia that allows her to keep working on the case at all hours and keep the plot moving (and how lucky for her that most of the suspects also work nights, so they are always available no matter how ridiculous the hour). Another all-too-convenient set-up has her randomly showing up at a suspect's house in the middle of the night for no apparent reason other than to stumble upon someone beating them half to death with a pipe. It might have been shocking if it hadn't been so predictable -- and there's a word I NEVER thought that I would associate with Grafton. The ending is also, frankly, ridiculous, and not because of who the killer turns out to be but because of how the final confrontation plays out and where it takes place. Ludicrous -- ANOTHER word I never thought I would associate with Grafton.
  
  So, with all of that griping why am I giving "K" four stars instead of three? Perhaps a degree of it is loyalty to Grafton, but not much. Truth is that as flawed as "K" is it's still an enjoyable ride, and it was just what the doctor ordered. I wanted a guilty pleasure and I got one, and the only troubling factor here is that "H", "J", and "K" have amplified the 'guilty' half of that equation a little too much. I look forward to continuing through the series with "L is for Lawless", but I hope that Grafton manages to bring the pleasurable aspect of her books back to the forefront.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Grafton's classy writing saves the day.

  
  By on 1999-06-28
  Sue Grafton knows how to put words together beautifully. Her trouble is that her complicated plots are often implausable and confusing to follow. Worse, is the number of characters that populate her books. In this one I counted 22 characters (and there were many more to come) by page 63. I kept turning back pages to sort out identities. .She needs a tougher editor.
  
  

• A seedy underworld and sheer greed

  
  By AGG9C66TOLJZB on 2001-02-01
  Lorna Kepler was found dead in cottage - probably murdered, but this cannot be easily established as it was weeks before her body was discovered and most evidence had been destroyed by then, decomposed. Janice, Lorna's mother comes to Kinsey Millhone looking for answers.

  At first glance Lorna seems to be an ordinary sort of girl, early 20's, had a job at the Water Treatment plant - but then Janice pulls out a tape which she has been sent - it seems Lorna led a darker life for the tape is a pornographic and there is Lorna in it, large as life. Not only that, it seems that for someone who worked just 20 hours a week in a clerical job she had amassed quite a fortune, half a million dollars no less. Janice is convinced her daughter didn't die of natural causes, and now she wants to find out. And who sent her the video? and why?

  It seems Lorna liked living on the edge - she was a high-priced call-girl and Kinsey must start her investigations in the seamy world of adult movies, and with Lorna's friend Danielle, another prostitute.

  Kinsey has to sift through the evidence, the two older sisters who clearly didn't like Lorna much; there is Lorna's landlord and his jealous wife; perhaps someone who made the pornographic film; or even one of Lorna's clients. The evidence constantly conflicts and Kinsey must sift through the evidence and alibis to find out just what happened to Lorna and why. Behind all this is there seems to be a darker element lurking, the hint of something underworld.

  Kinsey is definitely my favourite female detective, she makes addictive reading.
  
  

• A decent read - but what happened to the ending???
  By A1EC9OS7PUKEO on 2001-04-13
  This is my first Grafton book in her series - It was an entertaining and easy read (although a few too many characters to keep straight) but it ended with me wondering if I had missed something! After following the entire story I wanted to know more. I thought there were a lot of loose ends......
  
  
• No one is perfect.
  By on 2002-10-03
  This may prove to be one of the better entries in the Millhone series. Any self respecting, competent P.I. in real life will probably tell you that they probably won't always find all the answers in every case they take. Though they probably find out most of the answers most of the time. Millhone didn't find all the answers she needed on this case. And it isn't necessarily clear how she figured out who the killer was. It isn't even clear how she figured out who he was in cahots with. But she thought enough of herself to do something about it. Not everyone will like that but there it is.

  Enjoy the book, then go on to the next one.
  
  

• A real page-turner!
  By on 2000-07-20
  " K" was a real page-turner. I found myself having trouble putting it down. I figured out who the killer was put that didn't spoil the enjoyment of this book for me. It's true that this book was a darker turn for Kinset and Grafton but I liked it. It was a time for a change and IMO it gave Kinsey more depth. I don't think it was a sign that Grafton is bored I think she wanted to try something new. I agree though that it seemed to end too abruptly but I thought the ending was poetic.
  
  
• I felt grimy just reading this. . .
  By A3N0HBW8IP8CZQ on 2000-10-18
  . . .much as I did when I first read "The Chamber" by John Grisham (my least favorite in his series of books, as this one is in the Grafton books). If you're reading this one as your intro to the series, you should know that it it not at all like the other books. There's very little humor in this outing--Kinsey is depressed here, dealing with issues of an extended family split and relatives who want to know her after all these years, and the case she's taken on is sadder and seamier than her previous ones--which definitely doesn't help her disposition here. Most of the characters in this book, like the ones in "H", were so slimy and snaky that my skin crawled and I wanted to take a shower when I finally finished the book. "L" was better, but let's hope Kinsey gets her groove back soon. She's too likeable a character to stay this depressed forever. . .
  
  
• A little different from the others
  By A200XNOWFDZ38R on 2001-08-09
  Kinsey is off on a 10 month old murder case. Sue Grafton just keeps getting better and better each book she writes. Kinsey is investigating the dark side of life this time and it has a real affect on her.
  
  
• K is for Keep 'em Coming Sue
  By A11M98R135HMSY on 2001-08-11
  A slightly subpar, but solid entry in the alphabet series. Kinsey digs into the past of an unsolved murder victim, to discover ties to organized crime, prostitution, and local government corruption. Along the way, Kinsey gets help from a new police character, a single man known as Cheney. Several suspects emerge, including some of the victim's family members, who don't seem to appreciate Kinsey's nosing around. When we finally find the killer at the end, I was expecting the standard Sue Grafton crafted dramatic shoot-out, but this one ended differently. If the ending at been less of a yawner, I would have bumped the book up to 4 stars.
  
  
• Interesting but open-ended
  By A229YE722ATA6U on 2000-07-03
  This is my first time reading a book by this author. I enjoyed the book and will read another book by this author but I was disapointed in the ending. I felt that the ending was left with some loose ends and didn't give me a satisfactory understanding of the story or bring everything together. The basis of the story was a private investigator hired by the victim's mother to help track down the killer almost one year after the murder. The PI comes across a wealth of clues and there are multiple ties to other characters. It was a book that was easy to read but too open-ended.
  
  
• Uncharacteristically boring plot ... slow reading
  By on 2000-08-02
  I've enjoyed all the books in Grafton's series up until reading this book. The plot was slow and it took quite an effort to get past the first few chapters. There were too many characters and the ending didn't really make much sense. It was almost as if Grafton was in a rush to come up with a killer. It was quite a disappointment.
  
  
• Gee, I loved it...
  By A3EUCPZ1LFBKO6 on 2000-05-05
  ... Personally, 'K' is right up there with my other favoriteKinsey novels like 'A', 'C', and 'G' (for example). Yes, maybe theending did come out of a hole in the wall (though I didn't consider it to have), but I nontheless found it enthralling. Kinsey's all-too-human reaction to a certain occurrence toward this end struck me as chilling and realistic. This one's a real page-turner, I found - I couldn't put it down.
  
  
• I liked this Grafton book quite a bit...
  By on 2000-02-28
  I liked this Grafton book quite a bit. I have only been reading her books for a year or two, because I'm only 12, but this is easyly one of my favories, because the story was so interesting, and, for once, her case gets her to feel something for some of the other people. And the charactures she creates are really interesting also. I would definetly recomend this book to ANYONE who likes mysterys, with a twist.
  
  
• Say what?
  By on 1999-05-21
  It was enjoyable up to the point where out of the blue, Kinsey figured out who the killer was. I still don't understand what the killer's motivation was, or how Kinsey came to the conclusion. Like another reader, I thought maybe I had missed a chapter, but no.
  
  
• Save your Money
  By on 1999-11-25
  The negative comments here are all valid. I just finished reading this book and feel really let down, especially by the ending. Grafton knows her alphabet, and that's about all she knows. Be warned, it's not worth the effort.
  
  
• A good story and worth reading, but has many flaws
  By on 1999-09-10
  The stregnth of this particular story was the level of realism Grafton displayed. None of the characters were typecasts. Even the toughie, teen prostitute, Danielle was better written than most characters of this type. In the first scene she was introduced, she spoke in a jabbing, staccato, almost Bronx like manner -- I kept thinking, this in Southern California? In later scenes her dialog was clean and the street language was obviously an act, and likely a survival trait. Also, what I find admirable in Grafton's narrative voice, coming in the first person of Grafton's detective character Kinsey is the character's sense of detachment from the people she investigates. Kinsey characterizes them with near objective precision. When the novel becomes unraveled is when Grafton throws in thriller elements into the story that do not belong in it. Kinsey is briefly kidnapped by Mafiasos. Unnecessary. Kinsey becomes emotionally unglued by the gratutious murder of someone close to her near the end. There is a revenge element at the end that is inexplicable from what has gone before, and the act of revenge is weird and out of character. All of these formula elements distract from an otherwise elegantly crafted story. Except for two complaints, the writing is wonderful to read -- very fluid and professional. There is a tendency to dwell on insignificant details in describing homes, roads, yards and teeth, and there is an excessive use of the word 'foyer'. This later tendency was especially distracting because I always knew when the word was coming, and it instead of it's synonyms, 'lobby' or 'entrance' came many, many times.
  
  
• Not one of Grafton's better efforts.
  By on 1999-01-18
  I couldn't get through this. Stopped halfway through. Grafton's laundry-list style of description wherein she lists every item in a room when it has little to do with moving the story along is off-putting. Grafton's earlier efforts with this series were fresh and strong. Lately, she seems bored with Kinsey and it shows.
  
  
• A dissapointed Fan
  By on 1998-01-09
  I have been one of Grafton's biggest fans, but K is for Killer is an embarrassment. It's bad enough that every plot twist is brought about by Kinsey making a lucky discovery, but the resolution is as ameturish and just plain ridiculous as any I have ever read in a book. You read 300 pages and then in 2 lines the book ends and nothing in the preceding pages is explained. In fact if you go back in the book after seeing who the killer is, you see incredible holes in the plot that make the ending incomprehensible. It really appears that Grafton ended this book 50 pages too soon. Probably cares more about deadlines that her fan's hard earned money which went to buy this trash. An complete waste of time and this is from someone who loves everything else she has written. Shame on you Sue!!
  
  
• a little help please
  By A33R5H8RE15MU on 1998-12-01
  I have methodically made my way from A through J and am just getting ready to order K,L, M and N=, but before I do, could I make a request of Ms Grafton for the next book. Please print a map of Santa Teresa. I keep getting twisted around and forget whether I am heading north, south ,east or west. She has given me enough directions to last a lifetime, but I still can;t find my way from her office to her cozy little remodeled garage apartment.
  
  
• My book is about a mystery.
  By on 1998-12-09
  The book I read, K is for Killer, is written by Sue Grafton. This book is a mystery and is very descriptive. Sue Grafton is great about details and good about getting her point across to the reader. This book discusses homicide and malice. K is for Killer is about two co-workers that have differences between each other. One character tries to kill the other, but he lives and is seeking revenge. This is a very good book and I would refer it to anyone who likes mysteries and enjoys a lot of discription.
  
  
• k is for killer : opinion by Troy Marcial
  By on 1998-01-30
  Sue Grafton is a great author that has an experienced career in writing best-selling novels. I enjoyed her book, K is for Killer, in many different ways. All of her books are about the same character and settings which makes he books enjoyable. The suspence in her books never lets me put the book down. I enjoyed her book so much, I did a book review of it in my Literature class at Coachman Middle School in Clearwater, Florida. I am currently attending 8th grade in which the class I did the report in, almost everone wanted to read it. I plan to read other books by Sue Grafton alot more.
  
  
• Exciting, Scary, Excellent
  By on 1997-05-14
  The book is really interesting. It's exciting and scary. The author has a way of making it an interesting book to the reader. She wants the reader to keep on reading with a lot of suspense. I would recommend this book to a reader who likes mystery books
  
  
• No Good No Good
  By on 2001-06-30
  While I thoroughly enjoy the Kinsey Millhone series I was extremely disappointed with this book. The mystery was slow and low on suspense. I found myself skimming pages just to get to the end. The plot was thin and the wrap up was very, very weak with no explanation of the killer's motives. All around it was a big disappointment in an otherwise excellent series.
  
  
• What was that?
  By on 2001-11-27
  It took a lot of talk and time to finally get the plot of this story going only to end with no answers. I wish I hadn't wasted my time on this one. Skip it, if you can. Hopefully, L has a good ending and we want Dietz back!!!
  
  
• A wonderful book
  By A2D6OFJ9A5PCSA on 2001-12-07
  In the town of Santa Teresa, California, homicides are not a rare occurrence. However, this one involves a young woman, Lorna Kepler, who has been dead for 10 months. Janice, Lorna's mother, called on the services of a private investigator, Kinsey Millhone. Kinsey is hired to look into Lorna's death. Lorna was found two weeks after she died, in her isolated cabin. Janice believes it was murder. There were no signs of any violence or indication that there was a murder, so the police concluded the Lorna died of natural causes. (...) This book ends with the exposure of Lorna's killer, but it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Sue Grafton is a wonderful writer, but this book could have been better if she had resolved the unanswered questions.
  
  
• Dark but good
  By A2W26AAU92CN70 on 2002-02-06
  This is one of the darkest in the series, although that is a relative term because Kinsey Milhone's sharp wit adds a spice of humor to almost anything. It begins with an unsparing description of a mother's grief over a murdered daughter and then Kinsey uncovers some apalling things about the dead girl's life and family. The clues to the killer's identity come abruptly at the end and the killer's motives are not completely convincing. The most compelling part of the book is the psychological study of Lorna's family. We learn a lot about water treatment plants.
  Those who want an intriguing traditional puzzle plot with "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" clues planted early on should try B is for Burglar.
  
  
• Unanswered Questions
  By AWW6PEPCE4DED on 2002-09-15
  The story begins with Lorna's mother seeking professional help in the investigation of her daughter's death. Throughout the novel, Lorna is depicted as a beautiful loner who couldn't resist flirting with danger. Maybe a possible cause of her death. As the plot progresses more and more questions are raised in regards to her death. While the cops suspected homicide, they could find neither motive nor suspect. Worse yet, was the circumstances in which the body was found: so badly decomposed that it couldn't be certain she hadn't died of natural causes.

  Overall, this novel offers a dark and complex story in respect to the matters that it involves. I must say that the book misleads the reader into believing answers will be provided at the end. Grafton, not only leaves unanswered questions that surfaced as the novel progressed, but she leaves new questions floating around in the last couple of pages. So if anyone is interested in reading and providing their own conclusions then this may be the perfect book for you!
  
  

• Re-opening a murder case
  By A1IOJE0W1NXOSE on 2003-02-12
  Lorna Kepler has been dead for 10 months and the police have not come up with any answers as to why that will satisfy her mother Janice. There is no proof of murder, but also there's no other evidence as to how she died. Janice goes to Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone to find out what really happened to her daughter. As Kinsey probes into Lorna's past, she finds out that she was involved in a lot of unsavory activities. She also suffered from some health problems that might have contributed to her death. Kinsey places all of Lorna's associates and friends on her list of suspects and her investigation takes her into some pretty seedy places and situations. The reader remains as puzzled as Kinsey as to who the actual perpetrator is. When the killer's identity is revealed there are a few interesting plot twists and Kinsey begins to wonder what true justice is. Also all of the loose ends are not tied up neatly as in most of the Kinsey Millhone books, and some questions remain, even after the last page. This is an interesting addition to Sue Grafton's widely-read series.
  
  

• J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• L Is for Lawless (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• M Is for Malice (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• N Is for Noose (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)
• I is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)