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Kinsey Millhone #14
N is for Noose
Kinsey Millhone should have turned the car back. In the direction of home. Instead, she was about to put herself in the gravest jeopardy of her career.
Tom Newquist had been a detective in the Nota Lake sheriff's office for years--a tough, honest cop respected by everyone. When he died suddenly, the townsfolk were saddened but not surprised. Just shy of sixty-five, Newquist worked too hard, smoked too much, and exercised too little. That plus an appetite for junk food made him a poster boy for an American Heart Association campaign.
Newquist's widow didn't doubt the coroner's report. But what Selma couldn't accept was not knowing what had bothered Tom in the last six weeks of his life. What was it that had made him prowl restlessly at night, that had him brooding constantly? Selma wanted to find out what it was that had so bedeviled her husband.
The case was vague and hopeless, like looking for a needle in a haystack. Kinsey set up shop in Nota Lake where she found that looking for that needle can draw blood. Very likely, her own. "N Is for Noose" is a novel in which Kinsey Millhone becomes the target and an entire town seems in for the kill.
Tom Newquist had been a detective in the Nota Lake sheriff's office for years--a tough, honest cop respected by everyone. When he died suddenly, the townsfolk were saddened but not surprised. Just shy of sixty-five, Newquist worked too hard, smoked too much, and exercised too little. That plus an appetite for junk food made him a poster boy for an American Heart Association campaign.
Newquist's widow didn't doubt the coroner's report. But what Selma couldn't accept was not knowing what had bothered Tom in the last six weeks of his life. What was it that had made him prowl restlessly at night, that had him brooding constantly? Selma wanted to find out what it was that had so bedeviled her husband.
The case was vague and hopeless, like looking for a needle in a haystack. Kinsey set up shop in Nota Lake where she found that looking for that needle can draw blood. Very likely, her own. "N Is for Noose" is a novel in which Kinsey Millhone becomes the target and an entire town seems in for the kill.
353 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 1998
About the author
Sue Grafton
249 books6,339 followersSue Grafton was a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She is best known for her “alphabet series” featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. Prior to success with this series, she wrote screenplays for television movies. Her earlier novels include Keziah Dane (1967) and The Lolly-Madonna War (1969), both out of print. In the book Kinsey and Me she gave us stories that revealed Kinsey's origins and Sue's past.
Grafton never wanted her novels to be turned into movies or TV shows. According to her family she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of these things, and out of respect for Sue’s wishes, the family announced the alphabet now ends at “Y”
Grafton was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, three Shamus Awards, and many other honors and awards.
Grafton had three children from previous marriages and several grandchildren, including a granddaughter named Kinsey. She and her husband lived in Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky.
Grafton never wanted her novels to be turned into movies or TV shows. According to her family she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of these things, and out of respect for Sue’s wishes, the family announced the alphabet now ends at “Y”
Grafton was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, three Shamus Awards, and many other honors and awards.
Grafton had three children from previous marriages and several grandchildren, including a granddaughter named Kinsey. She and her husband lived in Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 982 reviews
April 8, 2019
Well, we all know by now that Kinsey is an idiot. She pretty much catches every bad guy because she annoys them so much that they seek her out to try and kill her. They always end up telling her that, yes, they are the bad guy, and then they go into that long bad-guy monologue of hows and whys and it was their bad childhood's fault, the priest touched them in the no-no place... yada yada yada..... and they would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for her meddling...
It's too bad she hates dogs. Scooby Doo would be a nice addition to this series.
Also, Kinsey is a total twatter.
In this book, Kinsey takes a case that is as stupid as she is. A cop died of a (real) heart attack and the widow wants to know about what he was working on when he died. She thought he seemed worried before his death.
*sigh*
This is a case? Does the widow of a police officer have the right to this information? Because, it doesn't seem like she should. Just sayin'.
Kinsey is obviously willing torip this woman off help, because she takes the case.
*sigh again*
What's the point?
(Oh, I don't mean the point of the book. That is obviously to make money for a mediocre author. I meant, what's the point of my life. Why am I doing this to myself? I think I need a therapist.)
And, when the case the cop was working on before he died involved a couple of murders, Kinsey turned over all of the files to his best friend/partner on the police force and they handled it because it was an active murder investigation. The end....
Oh wait. This is Kinsey. She is going to do the stupid thing.
Yeah, so right away she gets attacked. Her first night there. She uses the amazing professional detective self-defense move of turning on the iron while she's being attacked, and then burning the guy's hand with the iron. Ah yes, I see that she has the skills of a 10 year old boy that was left home alone. Well played, Kinsey. Well played.
So, easy peasy, right? This was a man who was extremely strong and fit, and now he has a burned hand. She's in a tiny town, so there is a limited supply of suspects. Does she even once glance at the hands of any man she speaks to? No.
*another sigh*
Look. I knew who attacked her the very first night just by her description of the encounter. She wrestled with this guy, so she was really up close and personal. Also, how many people can get burned by an iron and still keep going? I would run away whimpering like a little bitch. Just stake out the aloe vera section of the drug store.
That's gonna leave a distinguishing mark...
Still, she wouldn't leave it to the cops. She just kept chasing her tail until the killer decided to simply kill her. That's how she solved it. Surviving a murder attempt. Again.
Am I going to read O?
Damn. Probably. Fuck me.
It's too bad she hates dogs. Scooby Doo would be a nice addition to this series.
Also, Kinsey is a total twatter.
In this book, Kinsey takes a case that is as stupid as she is. A cop died of a (real) heart attack and the widow wants to know about what he was working on when he died. She thought he seemed worried before his death.
*sigh*
This is a case? Does the widow of a police officer have the right to this information? Because, it doesn't seem like she should. Just sayin'.
Kinsey is obviously willing to
*sigh again*
What's the point?
(Oh, I don't mean the point of the book. That is obviously to make money for a mediocre author. I meant, what's the point of my life. Why am I doing this to myself? I think I need a therapist.)
And, when the case the cop was working on before he died involved a couple of murders, Kinsey turned over all of the files to his best friend/partner on the police force and they handled it because it was an active murder investigation. The end....
Oh wait. This is Kinsey. She is going to do the stupid thing.
Yeah, so right away she gets attacked. Her first night there. She uses the amazing professional detective self-defense move of turning on the iron while she's being attacked, and then burning the guy's hand with the iron. Ah yes, I see that she has the skills of a 10 year old boy that was left home alone. Well played, Kinsey. Well played.
So, easy peasy, right? This was a man who was extremely strong and fit, and now he has a burned hand. She's in a tiny town, so there is a limited supply of suspects. Does she even once glance at the hands of any man she speaks to? No.
*another sigh*
Look. I knew who attacked her the very first night just by her description of the encounter. She wrestled with this guy, so she was really up close and personal. Also, how many people can get burned by an iron and still keep going? I would run away whimpering like a little bitch. Just stake out the aloe vera section of the drug store.
That's gonna leave a distinguishing mark...
Still, she wouldn't leave it to the cops. She just kept chasing her tail until the killer decided to simply kill her. That's how she solved it. Surviving a murder attempt. Again.
Am I going to read O?
Damn. Probably. Fuck me.
March 5, 2020
Book Review
3.5 out of 5 stars to N is for Noose, the 14th book in the "Kinsey Millhone" cozy mystery series, written in 1998 by Sue Grafton. When one of your own dies, it's hard enough. But when his widow begs for you to help solve the case, as she doesn't think her husband died of natural causes, you're in a tough spot. Especially when you have a feeling something dangerous is going on, your first instincts are always right. But Kinsey takes the case and soon finds herself embroiled in a very scary investigation. A noose is not a good way to die, and as much as she doesn't want to find out, she will come awfully close in this one. The series is still going strong. Kinsey learns a lot along this path, as well as how to hide from the rest of the town when you are trying to help them out... they don't seem to like her, even though she was on the same side as the poor detective who just bit the dust. But she always makes it thru, as we wouldn't have an "O" is for Outlaw if she didn't, right? Another good one to read in the series.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
3.5 out of 5 stars to N is for Noose, the 14th book in the "Kinsey Millhone" cozy mystery series, written in 1998 by Sue Grafton. When one of your own dies, it's hard enough. But when his widow begs for you to help solve the case, as she doesn't think her husband died of natural causes, you're in a tough spot. Especially when you have a feeling something dangerous is going on, your first instincts are always right. But Kinsey takes the case and soon finds herself embroiled in a very scary investigation. A noose is not a good way to die, and as much as she doesn't want to find out, she will come awfully close in this one. The series is still going strong. Kinsey learns a lot along this path, as well as how to hide from the rest of the town when you are trying to help them out... they don't seem to like her, even though she was on the same side as the poor detective who just bit the dust. But she always makes it thru, as we wouldn't have an "O" is for Outlaw if she didn't, right? Another good one to read in the series.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
July 31, 2020
I dislike it when a main character plays dumb. I loathe it when the main character acts dumb when she was so much smarter in previous books.
From the earliest chapters I figured out that the red herring was just that, or was the criminal. If the next book is all about Kinsey Millhone going about her day not eating anything suspect and keeping her goddamned gun with her, I'll die happy.
Therefore, 1 star it is. You know what's funny? Not realizing even after the end that the reason for Kinsey's case died a natural death. Respectfully submitted, gokillyourselfatnotalake.
From the earliest chapters I figured out that the red herring was just that, or was the criminal. If the next book is all about Kinsey Millhone going about her day not eating anything suspect and keeping her goddamned gun with her, I'll die happy.
Therefore, 1 star it is. You know what's funny? Not realizing even after the end that the reason for Kinsey's case died a natural death. Respectfully submitted, gokillyourselfatnotalake.
January 8, 2020
This was really not one of Grafton's best efforts. I often think it is a mistake when she takes Kinsey away from home. Somehow things never seem to work as effectively as they do when the familiar background is around her.
The story was weak and for some reason Kinsey was being pathetic. I was surprised by that. It started early in the book before the general situation got bad, and once she felt threatened she fell apart. This is not the Kinsey we are accustomed to!
Anyway I stuck with it and I was reading away and.....it ended. Just like that. That was not good and I turned my kindle off feeling cranky. Oh well, I suppose I can allow one less than great book in the fourteen I have read to date. But O is for.... had better be back up to standard.
The story was weak and for some reason Kinsey was being pathetic. I was surprised by that. It started early in the book before the general situation got bad, and once she felt threatened she fell apart. This is not the Kinsey we are accustomed to!
Anyway I stuck with it and I was reading away and.....it ended. Just like that. That was not good and I turned my kindle off feeling cranky. Oh well, I suppose I can allow one less than great book in the fourteen I have read to date. But O is for.... had better be back up to standard.
March 9, 2020
I have really been enjoying the Kinsey Millhone series. This is book 14 in the series, and it is a PI series.
February 7, 2017
2.5★s
On the referral of her good friend Dietz, PI Kinsey Millhone left Carson City where she’d been caring for him post-surgery, and headed to Nota Lake in California. Kinsey was going to interview a client about a prospective case, one which started off vague and confusing, and didn’t improve. Her initial instinct had been to head straight home - looking back, she would have been much better off if she’d trusted her instinct, ignored Dietz’s referral and kept on driving…
Kinsey’s investigation into the six weeks prior to Detective Tom Newquist’s death was instigated by his widow. Selma knew something had been bothering her husband, and now that she couldn’t ask him what it was, she expected Kinsey to get the answers for her. But Kinsey could find nothing. And there was definitely someone in the town who didn’t want her there! What would be the outcome to this seemingly innocuous case – one which was turning into something Kinsey feared?
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton was disappointing for me. It was way too wordy – I skimmed quite often over the many descriptions of rooms, buildings, what people were wearing, what their houses looked like – all in extreme detail. The mystery itself was intriguing though, and I quite enjoyed that.
On the referral of her good friend Dietz, PI Kinsey Millhone left Carson City where she’d been caring for him post-surgery, and headed to Nota Lake in California. Kinsey was going to interview a client about a prospective case, one which started off vague and confusing, and didn’t improve. Her initial instinct had been to head straight home - looking back, she would have been much better off if she’d trusted her instinct, ignored Dietz’s referral and kept on driving…
Kinsey’s investigation into the six weeks prior to Detective Tom Newquist’s death was instigated by his widow. Selma knew something had been bothering her husband, and now that she couldn’t ask him what it was, she expected Kinsey to get the answers for her. But Kinsey could find nothing. And there was definitely someone in the town who didn’t want her there! What would be the outcome to this seemingly innocuous case – one which was turning into something Kinsey feared?
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton was disappointing for me. It was way too wordy – I skimmed quite often over the many descriptions of rooms, buildings, what people were wearing, what their houses looked like – all in extreme detail. The mystery itself was intriguing though, and I quite enjoyed that.
July 25, 2023
Okay, so they can't all be winners. N is for Noose is pretty dumb from the onset. A cop widow feels that her husband was pretty upset before he died of what may or may not be natural causes, so she tries to hire Private Investigator Dietz (Kinsey's sometimes boyfriend), but he is undergoing physical therapy. He directs her to Kinsey, and Kinsey takes the case because the widow had a feeling that something was going on with her husband? Immediately, Kinsey gets attacked. You kind of get a sense as to who the culprit might be. If that is the case, then you would be right.
There is really not much to sink your teeth into here. I kept wondering when the N is for Noose would come into play. There are books where Kinsey Millhone does not look good, frenzied, clueless, and this book #14 of the Sue Grafton Alphabet series is one where she appears weak, incompetent, with more than a little PTSD. I am not sure what Grafton was thinking with this one. Kinsey is a woman in every sense of the word and usually, I love it. She can be a lion, or sometimes a mouse. I was very disappointed. This is one of the worst, because here, I don't know what she is. What's less than a mouse?
There is really not much to sink your teeth into here. I kept wondering when the N is for Noose would come into play. There are books where Kinsey Millhone does not look good, frenzied, clueless, and this book #14 of the Sue Grafton Alphabet series is one where she appears weak, incompetent, with more than a little PTSD. I am not sure what Grafton was thinking with this one. Kinsey is a woman in every sense of the word and usually, I love it. She can be a lion, or sometimes a mouse. I was very disappointed. This is one of the worst, because here, I don't know what she is. What's less than a mouse?
April 7, 2022
There is something strange about the books in this series. I really enjoy them, but then I completely forget them and am surprised that I have already read something by this author. It will probably be true this time as well.
I was really invested in this story. Especially in the second half, when there are more potential solutions to the mystery. Kinsey is hired by the wife of a deceased policeman and asked to find out what her husband was worried about before his death. This seemingly simple case quickly turns out to be very complex. Not only Tom had many reasons to worry about it, but Kinsey must also conduct this delicate investigation into a well-liked small-town police officer on behalf of his disliked wife. While, of course, small towns are not a natural habitat for Kinsey.
This is a really good and solid storyline. There are so many threads Kinsey can investigate, and she does. Was Tom having an affair? Did he suspect his partner of some dirty play? Was Tom really the perfect guy as everyone says? So many questions, so many potential answers. And Kinsey tries not to miss any.
But it is also quite a violent story, and Kinsey herself is attacked by a villain and severely mauled. So if you have a problem reading about violence against women, this is not the story for you.
If I remember correctly from previous books, I already liked the main character, Kinsey (although, as we have already established, I don't remember much about this series). She is a very strong and intelligent woman. Although at times I've been angry with Kinsey that she can't see when the situation is overwhelming her and when she needs help from somebody who can protect her. Not even a man necessarily. For example, I was hoping that maybe Coleen, the policewoman who worked with Tom, would help her.
Overall it was a very good story and I will definitely read another book in this series one day. Maybe I will finally remember reading it.
I was really invested in this story. Especially in the second half, when there are more potential solutions to the mystery. Kinsey is hired by the wife of a deceased policeman and asked to find out what her husband was worried about before his death. This seemingly simple case quickly turns out to be very complex. Not only Tom had many reasons to worry about it, but Kinsey must also conduct this delicate investigation into a well-liked small-town police officer on behalf of his disliked wife. While, of course, small towns are not a natural habitat for Kinsey.
This is a really good and solid storyline. There are so many threads Kinsey can investigate, and she does. Was Tom having an affair? Did he suspect his partner of some dirty play? Was Tom really the perfect guy as everyone says? So many questions, so many potential answers. And Kinsey tries not to miss any.
But it is also quite a violent story, and Kinsey herself is attacked by a villain and severely mauled. So if you have a problem reading about violence against women, this is not the story for you.
If I remember correctly from previous books, I already liked the main character, Kinsey (although, as we have already established, I don't remember much about this series). She is a very strong and intelligent woman. Although at times I've been angry with Kinsey that she can't see when the situation is overwhelming her and when she needs help from somebody who can protect her. Not even a man necessarily. For example, I was hoping that maybe Coleen, the policewoman who worked with Tom, would help her.
Overall it was a very good story and I will definitely read another book in this series one day. Maybe I will finally remember reading it.
April 12, 2021
This could be the third time I read this book. In 1986 a friend introduced me to the series. Going back is like visiting with an old friend. Henry Pitts is my favorite.
The plot is nicely constructed. The characters, while almost all in a town outside Santa Teresa, have a lot of traits in common.
While bougainvilleas were out of season, I skip over the descriptions of what Kinsey sees from the car window.
Still a good read.
Here I am running out of audio books since I have not returned to the library. Grafton writes depressing stories with humor. Sometimes she gets bogged down in the solution.
The plot is nicely constructed. The characters, while almost all in a town outside Santa Teresa, have a lot of traits in common.
While bougainvilleas were out of season, I skip over the descriptions of what Kinsey sees from the car window.
Still a good read.
Here I am running out of audio books since I have not returned to the library. Grafton writes depressing stories with humor. Sometimes she gets bogged down in the solution.
April 22, 2022
These books keep getting better!!! This might be my favorite so far.
Longer review coming.
****update****
This book has Kinsey taking a case out of town as a favor for Dietz, the PI/bodyguard/love interest who appears on and off again after G is for Gumshoe. Dietz is recovering from surgery, so Kinsey agrees to drive him home then swing by a former client of his in Nota Lake and hear her out. The client is Selma Newquist, widow of a Sheriff's deputy Tom Newquist. Tom recently died of a heart attack and Selma thinks he was worried about something before he died. It looks like Tom died of natural causes, but she says he was acting stressed and she wants to know what was bothering him. Kinsey almost walks away rather than taking Selma's money--like this woman needs a grief counselor not a PI--but Kinsey feels sorry for her and she thinks she can at least clean out his desk and put the wife's mind to rest.
Kinsey has a fairly charitable assessment of Selma that the townspeople don't share. Selma is widely disliked. She's insecure, but she's also a narcissistic snob. Her son from her first marriage, Brant, was a screw up Tom had to straighten out. Selma complains that everyone has dropped her since Tom died. Kinsey points out it's only been six weeks and maybe they're giving her a chance to grieve, but interactions with his coworkers and friends reveal that she was nosy and hard to tolerate. She had to know every little thing about Tom.
Kinsey has a initial bad reaction to the hostile way one of Tom's coworkers rebuffs her questions. Instead of dropping the case for lack of evidence at this point, she uses this interaction as justification for a gut feeling. She begins retracing Tom's steps and comparing stories. Although she doesn't find anything immediately, she ends up sticking with the case because someone tries to scare her off, first by making threatening gestures at her on the highway and then by attacking her at her hotel and dislocating her fingers. Kinsey manages to burn the attacker and escape but she is terrified because she doesn't see his face.
She fights through her fear and comes back after the attack, determined to find the guilty party rather than give in to the threat. While I find the sentiment admirable, this is where I decide Kinsey is kinda nuts. Like for real, not every circus needs you to step in and play ringmaster. You can walk away!
She learns that Tom always had field notes with him, but they're missing. She finds out that the other deputy on duty that night saw a woman walking away in the area where Tom's car was parked. Was he meeting someone on the highway at night? Was the deputy lying about seeing this mystery woman at all because he did something? Someone else must also be worried about the missing notes because someone breaks into Selma's home and searches for them.
Kinsey finds a female sheriff's investigator from Santa Teresa who was in contact with Tom. Tom was interested in a recent Santa Teresa case in which a witness of his, petty crook Alfie Toth, ended up dead. Tom knew Toth from a previous Nota Lake case in which Toth's former cellmate, the convicted rapist Pinkie Ritter, disappeared and turned up dead. Ritter's body was found shortly before Toth died. If Toth was murdered, was it because he knew something about Ritter's death?
The town of Nota Lake is so small it's virtually incestuous. Somehow Ritter's daughter is a sheriff's employee who managed to grab up Tom's missing field notes. Kinsey recovers them, but they are written in code. Kinsey thinks she figures it out. Selma tells Kinsey to forget about it, but by now, the case is bigger than Selma. Kinsey needs to face her fear and solve the case. She thinks that maybe one of the deputies took matters into his own hands and killed Ritter, eventually killing Toth and then Tom to keep the original crime quiet. A murderous LEO on the loose would certainly have been something that would bother Tom and would supply the motive for his murder and for the harassment Kinsey has encountered from the masked stranger. Kinsey suddenly starts feeling strange while explaining her theory to Brant, who agrees with her and tries to convince her that the suspected deputy is coming to kill her. Kinsey realizes she has been drugged, and she sees the burn she gave her attacker on Brant's arm. Kinsey fights through her drugged haze and Selma attacking her to help apprehend Selma and Brant.
In the wrap up, we learn that Brant had a reason to kill Ritter. Tom suspected Brant, and he knew that accusing his stepson would end his marriage but he was preparing to do it anyway. The increased stress probably contributed to the heart attack. The gun Selma holds on Kinsey misfires because of a poorly packed round, leading Kinsey to speculate that Brant might have been involved with another crime when a woman shot her husband "by accident" when she mistook him for a burglar.
I didn't like the setting of this book. There wasn't anything glaringly wrong with it, but I missed Henry and Rosie. This book has Kinsey succeeding more because she is stubborn and a little prickly, and due to some lucky breaks, not because of any particular cleverness. It was definitely a different side to Kinsey, but it didn't feel like a different character or even like she had an off day. It was just a different kind of case that started out a nebulous mess with no real case and absolutely no leads. The case would have likely ended if Brant had just left Kinsey alone but his stupidity, which was well within character from what we learn about him before he's revealed as the perp, gets the better of him and Brant can't resist the impulsive move. I did enjoy learning about how Selma sees herself versus how other people saw her. Grafton did a good job creating three dimensional characters with their own inner motivations, jealousies, and insecurities along with the facsimile of the character that others perceived and interacted with.
Longer review coming.
****update****
This book has Kinsey taking a case out of town as a favor for Dietz, the PI/bodyguard/love interest who appears on and off again after G is for Gumshoe. Dietz is recovering from surgery, so Kinsey agrees to drive him home then swing by a former client of his in Nota Lake and hear her out. The client is Selma Newquist, widow of a Sheriff's deputy Tom Newquist. Tom recently died of a heart attack and Selma thinks he was worried about something before he died. It looks like Tom died of natural causes, but she says he was acting stressed and she wants to know what was bothering him. Kinsey almost walks away rather than taking Selma's money--like this woman needs a grief counselor not a PI--but Kinsey feels sorry for her and she thinks she can at least clean out his desk and put the wife's mind to rest.
Kinsey has a fairly charitable assessment of Selma that the townspeople don't share. Selma is widely disliked. She's insecure, but she's also a narcissistic snob. Her son from her first marriage, Brant, was a screw up Tom had to straighten out. Selma complains that everyone has dropped her since Tom died. Kinsey points out it's only been six weeks and maybe they're giving her a chance to grieve, but interactions with his coworkers and friends reveal that she was nosy and hard to tolerate. She had to know every little thing about Tom.
Kinsey has a initial bad reaction to the hostile way one of Tom's coworkers rebuffs her questions. Instead of dropping the case for lack of evidence at this point, she uses this interaction as justification for a gut feeling. She begins retracing Tom's steps and comparing stories. Although she doesn't find anything immediately, she ends up sticking with the case because someone tries to scare her off, first by making threatening gestures at her on the highway and then by attacking her at her hotel and dislocating her fingers. Kinsey manages to burn the attacker and escape but she is terrified because she doesn't see his face.
She fights through her fear and comes back after the attack, determined to find the guilty party rather than give in to the threat. While I find the sentiment admirable, this is where I decide Kinsey is kinda nuts. Like for real, not every circus needs you to step in and play ringmaster. You can walk away!
She learns that Tom always had field notes with him, but they're missing. She finds out that the other deputy on duty that night saw a woman walking away in the area where Tom's car was parked. Was he meeting someone on the highway at night? Was the deputy lying about seeing this mystery woman at all because he did something? Someone else must also be worried about the missing notes because someone breaks into Selma's home and searches for them.
Kinsey finds a female sheriff's investigator from Santa Teresa who was in contact with Tom. Tom was interested in a recent Santa Teresa case in which a witness of his, petty crook Alfie Toth, ended up dead. Tom knew Toth from a previous Nota Lake case in which Toth's former cellmate, the convicted rapist Pinkie Ritter, disappeared and turned up dead. Ritter's body was found shortly before Toth died. If Toth was murdered, was it because he knew something about Ritter's death?
The town of Nota Lake is so small it's virtually incestuous. Somehow Ritter's daughter is a sheriff's employee who managed to grab up Tom's missing field notes. Kinsey recovers them, but they are written in code. Kinsey thinks she figures it out. Selma tells Kinsey to forget about it, but by now, the case is bigger than Selma. Kinsey needs to face her fear and solve the case. She thinks that maybe one of the deputies took matters into his own hands and killed Ritter, eventually killing Toth and then Tom to keep the original crime quiet. A murderous LEO on the loose would certainly have been something that would bother Tom and would supply the motive for his murder and for the harassment Kinsey has encountered from the masked stranger. Kinsey suddenly starts feeling strange while explaining her theory to Brant, who agrees with her and tries to convince her that the suspected deputy is coming to kill her. Kinsey realizes she has been drugged, and she sees the burn she gave her attacker on Brant's arm. Kinsey fights through her drugged haze and Selma attacking her to help apprehend Selma and Brant.
In the wrap up, we learn that Brant had a reason to kill Ritter. Tom suspected Brant, and he knew that accusing his stepson would end his marriage but he was preparing to do it anyway. The increased stress probably contributed to the heart attack. The gun Selma holds on Kinsey misfires because of a poorly packed round, leading Kinsey to speculate that Brant might have been involved with another crime when a woman shot her husband "by accident" when she mistook him for a burglar.
I didn't like the setting of this book. There wasn't anything glaringly wrong with it, but I missed Henry and Rosie. This book has Kinsey succeeding more because she is stubborn and a little prickly, and due to some lucky breaks, not because of any particular cleverness. It was definitely a different side to Kinsey, but it didn't feel like a different character or even like she had an off day. It was just a different kind of case that started out a nebulous mess with no real case and absolutely no leads. The case would have likely ended if Brant had just left Kinsey alone but his stupidity, which was well within character from what we learn about him before he's revealed as the perp, gets the better of him and Brant can't resist the impulsive move. I did enjoy learning about how Selma sees herself versus how other people saw her. Grafton did a good job creating three dimensional characters with their own inner motivations, jealousies, and insecurities along with the facsimile of the character that others perceived and interacted with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2024
I read this during a bad period of my life when my mom was dying, but I didn’t like it and I’ve loved every other book…….
May 14, 2023
The weird thing about this series is how inconsistent it is. The last book was so bad that I almost gave up on the series while this was my favorite book in the series. Also, this was the first book where Kinsey actually made a difference. More like this, please.
November 4, 2019
Not a bad look at Kinsey, just not that interesting I have to say. When Kinsey tends to leave Santa Teresa the story-line often suffers. This one just fell flat to me. I think that is because it's a lot of Kinsey not putting a lot of stuff together and the ending leaving things up in the air about what happens to someone. I don't like unresolved story-lines, and this one wasn't resolved to me.
"N is for Noose" has Kinsey agreeing to go and work for a client that is referred to her by Dietz. Kinsey drives to Carson City to take care of Dietz after he has surgery and quickly realizes she's aching for some alone time. When Dietz tells her about a case she can quickly look into she decides to take it. Kinsey arrives in the town of Nota Lake to meet with the widow of the former sheriff, Tom Newquist. Tom was found in his patrol car dead after suffering a heart attack. It does not appear to be foul play, but Tom's widow, Selma believes that something was weighing on his mind and wants to know if that could have caused him stress and could have led to his heart attack. Kinsey thinks the whole thing is just Selma throwing away good money, but she quickly starts to figure out that something is not quite right in Nota Lake, and that maybe someone out there knows what was causing Tom stress.
So Kinsey was just alright in this one. She keeps doing dumb things after dumb things which makes you wonder how she even survived as long as she has as an investigator. I think at one point when I read this for the first time through years ago, wondered if Grafton was setting up Kinsey to be murdered. Kinsey gets attacked in this one and wonders why someone is out there trying to hurt her since she can't figure out what if anything Tom's job had to do with what was troubling him.
The characters we meet in this one don't really matter cause they are never referred to again in other books. One of the reasons why I loathe when Kinsey leaves Santa Teresa, we don't get a look at the usual suspects. I didn't care for Selma (the widow) at all and thought her son (Brant) was a jerk. The townspeople and people he worked with were secretive and definitely seemed hostile towards Selma and her attempts to figure out what was troubling her husband before his death.
The writing was not really working for me much in this one. Still pretty solid, but I think the whole plot-line about what was troubling Tom was weak as hell. When we get the reveal my whole head hurt and honestly just decided to go with it. The flow was pretty good throughout, but after a while though it felt like Grafton was throwing stuff out there to keep the story going as long as she did.
The setting of Nota Lake reads like a town about to die out. The people there all seemed so off-putting and hostile I got why Kinsey didn't care for it either. After Kinsey is beaten, she returns to Santa Teresa and would not have blamed her for not returning.
The ending as I said leaves things hanging about the culprit who tried to killed Kinsey.
"N is for Noose" has Kinsey agreeing to go and work for a client that is referred to her by Dietz. Kinsey drives to Carson City to take care of Dietz after he has surgery and quickly realizes she's aching for some alone time. When Dietz tells her about a case she can quickly look into she decides to take it. Kinsey arrives in the town of Nota Lake to meet with the widow of the former sheriff, Tom Newquist. Tom was found in his patrol car dead after suffering a heart attack. It does not appear to be foul play, but Tom's widow, Selma believes that something was weighing on his mind and wants to know if that could have caused him stress and could have led to his heart attack. Kinsey thinks the whole thing is just Selma throwing away good money, but she quickly starts to figure out that something is not quite right in Nota Lake, and that maybe someone out there knows what was causing Tom stress.
So Kinsey was just alright in this one. She keeps doing dumb things after dumb things which makes you wonder how she even survived as long as she has as an investigator. I think at one point when I read this for the first time through years ago, wondered if Grafton was setting up Kinsey to be murdered. Kinsey gets attacked in this one and wonders why someone is out there trying to hurt her since she can't figure out what if anything Tom's job had to do with what was troubling him.
The characters we meet in this one don't really matter cause they are never referred to again in other books. One of the reasons why I loathe when Kinsey leaves Santa Teresa, we don't get a look at the usual suspects. I didn't care for Selma (the widow) at all and thought her son (Brant) was a jerk. The townspeople and people he worked with were secretive and definitely seemed hostile towards Selma and her attempts to figure out what was troubling her husband before his death.
The writing was not really working for me much in this one. Still pretty solid, but I think the whole plot-line about what was troubling Tom was weak as hell. When we get the reveal my whole head hurt and honestly just decided to go with it. The flow was pretty good throughout, but after a while though it felt like Grafton was throwing stuff out there to keep the story going as long as she did.
The setting of Nota Lake reads like a town about to die out. The people there all seemed so off-putting and hostile I got why Kinsey didn't care for it either. After Kinsey is beaten, she returns to Santa Teresa and would not have blamed her for not returning.
The ending as I said leaves things hanging about the culprit who tried to killed Kinsey.
June 11, 2023
3 Stars. Kinsey Millhone was frustrated. Me too. Our private eye couldn't make heads or tails of her latest case, was even reluctant to take it, and her client was most unlikeable! Sue Grafton is such a great writer, I felt the same as Kinsey. But my desire was to quit reading. Then it turned around. In some unknown fashion Kinsey had stirred up a hornet's nest and the novel became exciting. What had she done? Who was anxious about her presence in Nota Lake, California? We open with Kinsey at her boyfriend's house in Carson City, Nevada for a few weeks. FYI - that's Robert Dietz, a P.I. as well. She's holding his hand while he gets a knee replacement, and then aiding in his recovery. While there, one of his previous clients, Selma Newquist, calls asking for help. Laid up, he refers her to Kinsey. Selma's husband Tom, recently deceased, had been a well-respected, local police detective. Everyone believes his death was natural, but he had been very anxious about something just prior. Can Kinsey get answers? The retainer's a nice one and, as usual, she could use the money. But her client is so demanding. The situation seems hopeless. Kinsey, why did you take this case? (January 2023)
April 12, 2020
Kinsey Millhone mystery No.14 : The sudden death of a small town cop, sees his widow hire Kinsey to investigate whatever was on his mind in the last few months of his life. It seems sort of a random case, but Kinsey investigates, which opens up a can of worms, that sees an entire town turn against her! Another OK read in the series.
May 4, 2021
This is a good'un. It's got clever dialogue, interesting locales, back story, front story, characters which are unforgettable - Selma and Henry, looking at ya! - and a complex and tangled-up plot. Everything you want in a Kinsey Millhone story.
Kinsey, a somewhat reclusive PI, with a boyfriend who just had surgery, and is on her way home after tending to him for a few days, is asked to stop in the high mountains near Santa Teresa to 'look into' a maybe-case in which a woman wants to know what was bugging her husband, a police detective in a small town, just before he died of a heart attack. (Wow, long sentence.) It'd be a worth a few bucks to look through the man's notes, records, and other things he left to figure out what was 'worrying' him, and for Kinsey it seems a quick and pretty straightforward situation. Unfortunately, it ends up tying poor Kinsey in knots. She's attacked, fights back, loses, makes friends, loses some, meets a woman who's what my mother would have called a 'pill' and all to find out why this particular deceased husband was 'worried.'
There's a noose here, too, and deaths which happened both years ago and recently. How does it all tie together? I particularly liked the scenes where Kinsey meticulously goes through the dead man's mail, papers and important documents and everything else a deceased person leaves in their - often messy -wake. It read so true!
(Did Ms. Grafton have to do this in real life? With a parent or other close relative? I think maybe she did, the sorting, the boredom, the 'ahah' moments when you think you've found stocks or bonds, or maybe a life insurance policy no one knew about! Hah! Seldom happens. I've seen my family go through this multiple times.)
At any rate, I'm right at home with Kinsey, who loves to run, especially along the beach, but otherwise hates exercise. She loves junk food but gets upset when other people eat it. She sees no point to the outdoors - okay, I differ from her there - but she is one independently-minded creation, IMO, and deserves a REALLY well-done TV series. Oh, I know! She left orders for this to never be done. Too bad.
But back to the story. I do have one complaint. Toward the middle of the book multiple male characters are introduced and I got them all mixed-up. Ms. Grafton does keep their names all separate, there's no 'Matt, Mitch and Mike,' for example, but if I had to read a similar book I'd go back to my old habit of writing down names and who's who. (I've found just by doing this, you then don't get them mixed-up.) Anyhow, a lot happens here; people lie to Kinsey, or keep things to themselves - like in real life! She goes through hell in a crummy, cold, rented cabin; has continual car trouble; and talks to more disagreeable people than I'd meet on Parent's Night when I was a teacher. (Haha, I'm retired now!) But Kinsey Millhone has become one of my fav. literary characters.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Five stars.
Kinsey, a somewhat reclusive PI, with a boyfriend who just had surgery, and is on her way home after tending to him for a few days, is asked to stop in the high mountains near Santa Teresa to 'look into' a maybe-case in which a woman wants to know what was bugging her husband, a police detective in a small town, just before he died of a heart attack. (Wow, long sentence.) It'd be a worth a few bucks to look through the man's notes, records, and other things he left to figure out what was 'worrying' him, and for Kinsey it seems a quick and pretty straightforward situation. Unfortunately, it ends up tying poor Kinsey in knots. She's attacked, fights back, loses, makes friends, loses some, meets a woman who's what my mother would have called a 'pill' and all to find out why this particular deceased husband was 'worried.'
There's a noose here, too, and deaths which happened both years ago and recently. How does it all tie together? I particularly liked the scenes where Kinsey meticulously goes through the dead man's mail, papers and important documents and everything else a deceased person leaves in their - often messy -wake. It read so true!
(Did Ms. Grafton have to do this in real life? With a parent or other close relative? I think maybe she did, the sorting, the boredom, the 'ahah' moments when you think you've found stocks or bonds, or maybe a life insurance policy no one knew about! Hah! Seldom happens. I've seen my family go through this multiple times.)
At any rate, I'm right at home with Kinsey, who loves to run, especially along the beach, but otherwise hates exercise. She loves junk food but gets upset when other people eat it. She sees no point to the outdoors - okay, I differ from her there - but she is one independently-minded creation, IMO, and deserves a REALLY well-done TV series. Oh, I know! She left orders for this to never be done. Too bad.
But back to the story. I do have one complaint. Toward the middle of the book multiple male characters are introduced and I got them all mixed-up. Ms. Grafton does keep their names all separate, there's no 'Matt, Mitch and Mike,' for example, but if I had to read a similar book I'd go back to my old habit of writing down names and who's who. (I've found just by doing this, you then don't get them mixed-up.) Anyhow, a lot happens here; people lie to Kinsey, or keep things to themselves - like in real life! She goes through hell in a crummy, cold, rented cabin; has continual car trouble; and talks to more disagreeable people than I'd meet on Parent's Night when I was a teacher. (Haha, I'm retired now!) But Kinsey Millhone has become one of my fav. literary characters.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Five stars.
June 6, 2016
Ok, so my enjoyment for this series has dropped progressively through the past few books and I think I've finally dawned on the reason why: I hate Kinsey.
Kinsey is a rude, judgmental bitch who's greatest pleasure in life is lying to people. Every time she offers up some snarky remark (which is basically constantly) I find myself rolling my eyes and grinding my teeth. She's just a horrible person. And because I'm still irritated with her, I'll offer you several reasons why.
-We're reminded in every single book that Kinsey is one of those women who doesn't understand makeup and hair fixin', to the point of "cutting her own hair with nail scissors." She owns one "All Purpose Dress" and if something in her life requires more than this, she's out of her element and has to ask for help. But then she is constantly criticizing the clothes/stylings of other women she meets. In this one she throws shade on some grieving widow who had bleached her hair so extensively that it "looked like doll's hair" and she wondered if she took a closer look if she'd be able to see the plugs. It just doesn't make sense that she's so critical of others while not giving a shit about herself in that regard.
-Kinsey loves shitty food. Her favorite food of all time is McDonald's and the only food she can manage to fix for herself are peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. In this book, she's staying with Dietz for awhile and almost every meal they eat is canned soup. Then later on, she looks through someone's cupboard and criticizes all of the "processed food." She then gets invited over for dinner and is appalled that she was served powdered mashed potatoes and bottled salad dressing. And further bitches about a brownie tasting like chemicals because it was from a mix. Pick a side or STFU already.
-And the biggest thing that has irritated me throughout this entire series is Kinsey's assertion that she isn't a people person and loves her life of solitude. And yet in EVERY book, she is somehow immediately fast friends with whoever she entangles with during the course of the investigation. Apparently she can only be friends with strangers and then dislikes everyone else.
Ugh. I had hopes that I could stick with this series and see it to the end, but from where I'm at right now, I'm thinking not so much.
Kinsey is a rude, judgmental bitch who's greatest pleasure in life is lying to people. Every time she offers up some snarky remark (which is basically constantly) I find myself rolling my eyes and grinding my teeth. She's just a horrible person. And because I'm still irritated with her, I'll offer you several reasons why.
-We're reminded in every single book that Kinsey is one of those women who doesn't understand makeup and hair fixin', to the point of "cutting her own hair with nail scissors." She owns one "All Purpose Dress" and if something in her life requires more than this, she's out of her element and has to ask for help. But then she is constantly criticizing the clothes/stylings of other women she meets. In this one she throws shade on some grieving widow who had bleached her hair so extensively that it "looked like doll's hair" and she wondered if she took a closer look if she'd be able to see the plugs. It just doesn't make sense that she's so critical of others while not giving a shit about herself in that regard.
-Kinsey loves shitty food. Her favorite food of all time is McDonald's and the only food she can manage to fix for herself are peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. In this book, she's staying with Dietz for awhile and almost every meal they eat is canned soup. Then later on, she looks through someone's cupboard and criticizes all of the "processed food." She then gets invited over for dinner and is appalled that she was served powdered mashed potatoes and bottled salad dressing. And further bitches about a brownie tasting like chemicals because it was from a mix. Pick a side or STFU already.
-And the biggest thing that has irritated me throughout this entire series is Kinsey's assertion that she isn't a people person and loves her life of solitude. And yet in EVERY book, she is somehow immediately fast friends with whoever she entangles with during the course of the investigation. Apparently she can only be friends with strangers and then dislikes everyone else.
Ugh. I had hopes that I could stick with this series and see it to the end, but from where I'm at right now, I'm thinking not so much.
August 2, 2010
Sorry, I'm a nit picker!
First let me say I love the Alphabet Series. Kinsey Millhone is one of my all time favorite characters. As in many similar series, I picture the the main character as the author. (Think Michael Connelly/Harry Bosch. Or Patricia Cornwell/Kay Scarpetta.) I really dig Sue/Kinsey! I think of her as Nancy Drew for big girls.
HOWEVER....I have this bad habit, I guess, of noticing errors in books and it drives me nuts. I often wonder how books make it to the publisher with mistakes that are so obvious. There is one in this book and reading it (again) last night it jumped out at me again.
On page 124 - in the paperback - Kinsey goes to the Rainbow to talk to Nancy at Alice's suggestion: "I ate a BLT on wheat toast and then
chatted idly with Nancy while she rang up my bill. I already knew what she had to say, but I quizzed her nonetheless, making sure Alice had reported accurately".
Then on page 150, Kinsey goes into the restaurant with Rafer and when Nancy waits on them he says, "You met Kinsey?" And she says, "Not formally, but I know who she is. I'm Nancy. You talked to Alice about me". Kinsey answers, "How are you, I'd shake hands if I could".
Maybe its not such a big deal, but it does bring me out of the story when I come across a mistake like that!
First let me say I love the Alphabet Series. Kinsey Millhone is one of my all time favorite characters. As in many similar series, I picture the the main character as the author. (Think Michael Connelly/Harry Bosch. Or Patricia Cornwell/Kay Scarpetta.) I really dig Sue/Kinsey! I think of her as Nancy Drew for big girls.
HOWEVER....I have this bad habit, I guess, of noticing errors in books and it drives me nuts. I often wonder how books make it to the publisher with mistakes that are so obvious. There is one in this book and reading it (again) last night it jumped out at me again.
On page 124 - in the paperback - Kinsey goes to the Rainbow to talk to Nancy at Alice's suggestion: "I ate a BLT on wheat toast and then
chatted idly with Nancy while she rang up my bill. I already knew what she had to say, but I quizzed her nonetheless, making sure Alice had reported accurately".
Then on page 150, Kinsey goes into the restaurant with Rafer and when Nancy waits on them he says, "You met Kinsey?" And she says, "Not formally, but I know who she is. I'm Nancy. You talked to Alice about me". Kinsey answers, "How are you, I'd shake hands if I could".
Maybe its not such a big deal, but it does bring me out of the story when I come across a mistake like that!
June 28, 2011
My least favorite of the half-dozen Grafton's I've read. Though it had a compelling enough mystery, the ending was terrible. I know, going into a Grafton that the protagonist will be in grave danger at the end of the story... it's just a trope Grafton follows.
However, the danger she is in usually makes some kind of logical sense within the confines of the story. This time, Kinsey was just an idiot and I had little sympathy for her. Also, at the end of the book I didn't really understand what the killer's motive was. It was kind of explained, but there was never a clear wrap-up, so it was unclear if that was what had actually happened or if it was just what Kinsey thought happened. Basically the nonsensical ending ruined an otherwise decent mystery.
However, the danger she is in usually makes some kind of logical sense within the confines of the story. This time, Kinsey was just an idiot and I had little sympathy for her. Also, at the end of the book I didn't really understand what the killer's motive was. It was kind of explained, but there was never a clear wrap-up, so it was unclear if that was what had actually happened or if it was just what Kinsey thought happened. Basically the nonsensical ending ruined an otherwise decent mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2019
Ending was unsatisfactory. Kinsey should be getting more savvy in her profession as she gets older and more experienced not sloppier. And why the heck doesn't she at least carry pepper spray on her?
May 11, 2015
Different structure, certainly an amusing ending. I like this Kinsey adventure but I was also glad when it was over. Had me reaching for the next one (almost every one does) but I was happy this particular cast of characters I wouldn't have to read about any more.
May 28, 2024
Have been reading the series on a slow burn since 2012, with 12 more books to go. it is light, focusing mainly on Kinsey Millhone and a handful of permanent characters, each book is a separate detective story with some side events building up the recurring characters and shedding more light on Kinsey's persona, and the plot is usually simple..
MiM
MiM
December 23, 2021
This is not the Kinsey that I know. I am not sure what happened with this book but it is no where near as good as the others in this series.
October 6, 2018
Plenty of people have written plenty of witty, informative reviews of this book. My own short take is: if you like this series, you'll like this book. If you want to start this series, don't start here. Go back to the beginning of the alphabet.
My longer take is that I enjoy this series but I don't understand what I did wrong to deserve to read this title exactly when I did.
I'm typing this review with a splint on my "s" finger. (That sounds disgusting. Sorry. I just mean the finger I touch-type the letter "s" with. Specifically, the ring finger of my left hand. If your mind was in the gutter, please pull it out.)
I have never broken a bone in my life, possibly because I spent most of my childhood sick in bed and continued to suffer from bad lungs as an adult. My major athletic activity for my first three decades or so was cake-baking.
When I turned 30, I started jogging. I'm not sure why. I didn't have a weight problem, but I'd just had a baby and I guess I wanted to set a good example. ("See, honey? Physical activity!") Or maybe I was just desperate to get out of the house and we couldn't afford gym membership.
At any rate, I started jogging. I like jogging because it's straightforward. It's like walking, only faster and louder. You do it until you can't anymore. Then you get up the next day and do it again.
I used to like to say that I liked running because it didn't require any fancy equipment or coordination, but I had to stop because I'm one of those runners who trips and falls.
Not ALL the time. Not even most of the time. Maybe once every few months or so. Just often enough to be humiliating and of course painful.
I started feeling so embarrassed about this tendency that my husband had to go online and show me an entire Reddit thread about people who fall down go boom when they run.
Here's a taste of how that conversation went:
Husband: ...and here's a guy who swears he trips and falls about once every twenty runs.
Me: Are you trying to scare me out of my Reeboks?
Husband: I'm just trying to show you that you're not the only one.
Me: Is there a cure?
Husband: Let me check another thread.
We had this conversation after my last "have a nice trip, see you next fall!" incident. The one that landed me in this stupid splint. THAT'S been fun to explain, let me tell you.
Friend: Omigosh! What happened to your hand?
Me: You should see the other five guys.
Friend: REALLY?
Me: No. I was running and I tripped and fell.
Friend: ...oh.
(pause)
(then:)
Friend: Were you running in the mountains? That can be dangerous!
Me: No. I was just taking a jog around the neighborhood.
Friend: Oh. Well, was there a crack in the sidewalk? Or one of those big tree-root bumps?
Me: No.
Friend: Rabid dog?
Me: I JUST TRIPPED AND FELL OKAY GEEZ
Specifically, I tripped and fell and got up feeling pretty much okay. Embarrassed, of course, because three separate people (including another jogger) saw me fall and wanted to be sure I was okay. Which meant that I had to get up and act like I meant to do that, when what I really wanted to do was lie there and see if you really CAN die of embarrassment, and if so exactly how long it takes.
But I got up like a nice person and set their minds at ease and trotted off, and it wasn't until I looked at my hand that I realized there was something wrong.
True fact: bones don't have nerves, but it hurts when you break a bone.
Other, creepier true fact: you can tear a ligament and it doesn't hurt at all.
I only knew anything bad had happened because my left ring finger was bent just a little bit forward from the top knuckle, and it wouldn't straighten up even when the rest of the fingers on that hand stood at attention.
Husband (after I got home): Can you make it straighten out by holding it?
Me (trying): Sure.
Husband: Okay. I'll get you a splint and help you make an appointment with the doctor.
Me: I don't need to go to the doctor!
Husband: Um, you actually really do.
Me: If it doesn't hurt, it can't be bad! That's science!
Husband: That's incredibly not how science works.
So why am I telling you this?
Because to cheer myself up after hearing that I'll have to have this splint on for at least six weeks, I decided to dump my usual research and treat myself to a junk-read. So I picked up "N is for Noose."
I've read this book before, but it's been years and I don't remember a thing about it. It just happened to be the next letter in the alphabet from the last time I picked up a Kinsey Millhone novel.
I like these books because, like me, Kinsey jogs and then comes home and eats junk food. Oh, and there's a mystery to solve. That's fun, too.
Except when the mystery just happens to involve Kinsey getting attacked by some creepy guy and having HER FINGERS BROKEN.
Why???
Why, of all the Kinsey Millhone novels, did I have to read the one with THAT scene while I was recovering from my first (and please Lord only) major hand injury?
The guy did it on PURPOSE. He wanted to inflict pain and scariness on our daring heroine.
SO creepy.
Other than that, the book's great and you should read it.
And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a dictionary and try to find the word that means the exact opposite of "serendipity."
My longer take is that I enjoy this series but I don't understand what I did wrong to deserve to read this title exactly when I did.
I'm typing this review with a splint on my "s" finger. (That sounds disgusting. Sorry. I just mean the finger I touch-type the letter "s" with. Specifically, the ring finger of my left hand. If your mind was in the gutter, please pull it out.)
I have never broken a bone in my life, possibly because I spent most of my childhood sick in bed and continued to suffer from bad lungs as an adult. My major athletic activity for my first three decades or so was cake-baking.
When I turned 30, I started jogging. I'm not sure why. I didn't have a weight problem, but I'd just had a baby and I guess I wanted to set a good example. ("See, honey? Physical activity!") Or maybe I was just desperate to get out of the house and we couldn't afford gym membership.
At any rate, I started jogging. I like jogging because it's straightforward. It's like walking, only faster and louder. You do it until you can't anymore. Then you get up the next day and do it again.
I used to like to say that I liked running because it didn't require any fancy equipment or coordination, but I had to stop because I'm one of those runners who trips and falls.
Not ALL the time. Not even most of the time. Maybe once every few months or so. Just often enough to be humiliating and of course painful.
I started feeling so embarrassed about this tendency that my husband had to go online and show me an entire Reddit thread about people who fall down go boom when they run.
Here's a taste of how that conversation went:
Husband: ...and here's a guy who swears he trips and falls about once every twenty runs.
Me: Are you trying to scare me out of my Reeboks?
Husband: I'm just trying to show you that you're not the only one.
Me: Is there a cure?
Husband: Let me check another thread.
We had this conversation after my last "have a nice trip, see you next fall!" incident. The one that landed me in this stupid splint. THAT'S been fun to explain, let me tell you.
Friend: Omigosh! What happened to your hand?
Me: You should see the other five guys.
Friend: REALLY?
Me: No. I was running and I tripped and fell.
Friend: ...oh.
(pause)
(then:)
Friend: Were you running in the mountains? That can be dangerous!
Me: No. I was just taking a jog around the neighborhood.
Friend: Oh. Well, was there a crack in the sidewalk? Or one of those big tree-root bumps?
Me: No.
Friend: Rabid dog?
Me: I JUST TRIPPED AND FELL OKAY GEEZ
Specifically, I tripped and fell and got up feeling pretty much okay. Embarrassed, of course, because three separate people (including another jogger) saw me fall and wanted to be sure I was okay. Which meant that I had to get up and act like I meant to do that, when what I really wanted to do was lie there and see if you really CAN die of embarrassment, and if so exactly how long it takes.
But I got up like a nice person and set their minds at ease and trotted off, and it wasn't until I looked at my hand that I realized there was something wrong.
True fact: bones don't have nerves, but it hurts when you break a bone.
Other, creepier true fact: you can tear a ligament and it doesn't hurt at all.
I only knew anything bad had happened because my left ring finger was bent just a little bit forward from the top knuckle, and it wouldn't straighten up even when the rest of the fingers on that hand stood at attention.
Husband (after I got home): Can you make it straighten out by holding it?
Me (trying): Sure.
Husband: Okay. I'll get you a splint and help you make an appointment with the doctor.
Me: I don't need to go to the doctor!
Husband: Um, you actually really do.
Me: If it doesn't hurt, it can't be bad! That's science!
Husband: That's incredibly not how science works.
So why am I telling you this?
Because to cheer myself up after hearing that I'll have to have this splint on for at least six weeks, I decided to dump my usual research and treat myself to a junk-read. So I picked up "N is for Noose."
I've read this book before, but it's been years and I don't remember a thing about it. It just happened to be the next letter in the alphabet from the last time I picked up a Kinsey Millhone novel.
I like these books because, like me, Kinsey jogs and then comes home and eats junk food. Oh, and there's a mystery to solve. That's fun, too.
Except when the mystery just happens to involve Kinsey getting attacked by some creepy guy and having HER FINGERS BROKEN.
Why???
Why, of all the Kinsey Millhone novels, did I have to read the one with THAT scene while I was recovering from my first (and please Lord only) major hand injury?
The guy did it on PURPOSE. He wanted to inflict pain and scariness on our daring heroine.
SO creepy.
Other than that, the book's great and you should read it.
And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a dictionary and try to find the word that means the exact opposite of "serendipity."
August 10, 2013
I love the Sue Grafton Kinsey Milhone books and the alphabet series. WHY? N for Noose is a fun easy read. As other reviewers noted:
1) Grafton's books are not "memorable". 2) Many were written before cell phones, etc. 3) They may contain bad words and have mistakes. 4) Not a ton of romance. That is ok with me. If I forget them ten minutes later? So what. The important thing is I had a great time reading them. I like books that are entertaining and upbeat. Sue Grafton's Alphabet series fills the bill perfectly. And the books in the series are all different. I've never noticed any mistakes. I find the books well written to my [low?] standards. I look forward to reading them. I could never get enough of the alphabet series fast enough for my amount of reading (or listening). I don't remember details from N is for Noose. I know I enjoyed it and look forward to reading another book in the series. Hope this helps. The series is a fun easy read, mixed with some mystery, and Kinsey Milhone is likeable. Not perfect. I won't spoil it for you describing her. Grafton is one of my favorite authors. I wish she had written more books. I look forward to the next one. THANKS Sue Grafton for such an entertaining character.
1) Grafton's books are not "memorable". 2) Many were written before cell phones, etc. 3) They may contain bad words and have mistakes. 4) Not a ton of romance. That is ok with me. If I forget them ten minutes later? So what. The important thing is I had a great time reading them. I like books that are entertaining and upbeat. Sue Grafton's Alphabet series fills the bill perfectly. And the books in the series are all different. I've never noticed any mistakes. I find the books well written to my [low?] standards. I look forward to reading them. I could never get enough of the alphabet series fast enough for my amount of reading (or listening). I don't remember details from N is for Noose. I know I enjoyed it and look forward to reading another book in the series. Hope this helps. The series is a fun easy read, mixed with some mystery, and Kinsey Milhone is likeable. Not perfect. I won't spoil it for you describing her. Grafton is one of my favorite authors. I wish she had written more books. I look forward to the next one. THANKS Sue Grafton for such an entertaining character.
June 7, 2021
I am reading this series out of order and have read all of the books after this as well as a few before this. It was fine, but not one of my favourites--a bit of a chore at times, but overall I liked it.
There is a blurb written to entice prospective readers. Suffice it to say that Kinsey is hired by a recently widowed woman to find out what was bothering her late husband who was a police detective, and the people in this small mountain town are not too pleased that she is working on this. And it becomes obvious it's not just because no one seems to like the widow. IMO not nearly enough scenes with Henry in it since most of it is set in this other town, and there are a few other things that made it not as good for me as a few of the others in this series.
There is a blurb written to entice prospective readers. Suffice it to say that Kinsey is hired by a recently widowed woman to find out what was bothering her late husband who was a police detective, and the people in this small mountain town are not too pleased that she is working on this. And it becomes obvious it's not just because no one seems to like the widow. IMO not nearly enough scenes with Henry in it since most of it is set in this other town, and there are a few other things that made it not as good for me as a few of the others in this series.
February 9, 2019
Not my favorite in the series but as always the writing and mystery were top notch.
June 29, 2019
P.I. Kinsey Millhone has been hired to ease the mind of a widow. No one is questioning that Tom Newquist died of a heart attack, something brought on by his poor health habits. However, his widow, Selma, is convinced that something was bothering her husband in the last few weeks of his life, and she needs to know what that was. The problem is, she has no clue where Kinsey might begin to look, and none of Tom’s friends or co-workers in the Nota Lake Sheriff’s office are willing to speak ill of the man or have any clue what might have been bothering him. So Kinsey digs into his life, hoping to find some thread she can unravel. Was Tom hiding something? Can Kinsey figure out what it was?
Since this is a mystery, you know that Kinsey will eventually uncover something. The key word here in eventually. The first part of the book is very slow, and we are over a quarter of the way in before we begin to see evidence that there is something for Kinsey to uncover. However, the further it goes along, the more we get drawn in to another great mystery, and by the climax I was glad I had stuck with the book. We do get a little time in Kinsey’s native Santa Teresa, and it is nice to see the series regulars however briefly. Not that this book is lacking strong characters. The new cast are outstanding and help pull us into the story even before the plot takes off. While I don’t recommend this book as an introduction to the series, I think series fans will be thankful they stuck with the book until the end.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Since this is a mystery, you know that Kinsey will eventually uncover something. The key word here in eventually. The first part of the book is very slow, and we are over a quarter of the way in before we begin to see evidence that there is something for Kinsey to uncover. However, the further it goes along, the more we get drawn in to another great mystery, and by the climax I was glad I had stuck with the book. We do get a little time in Kinsey’s native Santa Teresa, and it is nice to see the series regulars however briefly. Not that this book is lacking strong characters. The new cast are outstanding and help pull us into the story even before the plot takes off. While I don’t recommend this book as an introduction to the series, I think series fans will be thankful they stuck with the book until the end.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 1, 2015
I am not surprised that Sue Grafton received the Ross Macdonald Literary Award in 2004, which is given to "a California writer whose work raises the standard of literary excellence."
4* A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone, #1)
4* B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone, #2)
4* C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone, #3)
4* D is for Deadbeat (Kinsey Millhone, #4)
4* E is for Evidence (Kinsey Millhone, #5)
4* F is for Fugitive (Kinsey Millhone, #6)
4* G is for Gumshoe (Kinsey Millhone, #7)
4* H is for Homicide (Kinsey Millhone, #8)
4* I is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone, #9)
4* J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone, #10)
4* K is for Killer (Kinsey Millhone, #11)
4* L is for Lawless (Kinsey Millhone, #12)
4* N is for Noose (Kinsey Millhone, #14)
4* S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, #19)
TR M is for Malice (Kinsey Millhone, #13)
TR O is for Outlaw (Kinsey Millhone, #15)
TR P is for Peril (Kinsey Millhone, #16)
TR Q is for Quarry (Kinsey Millhone, #17)
TR R is for Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone, #18)
TR T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone, #20)
TR U is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21)
TR V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone #22)
TR W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone #23)
TR X is for... (Kinsey Millhone, #24) - to be released in 2015
4* A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone, #1)
4* B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone, #2)
4* C is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone, #3)
4* D is for Deadbeat (Kinsey Millhone, #4)
4* E is for Evidence (Kinsey Millhone, #5)
4* F is for Fugitive (Kinsey Millhone, #6)
4* G is for Gumshoe (Kinsey Millhone, #7)
4* H is for Homicide (Kinsey Millhone, #8)
4* I is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone, #9)
4* J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone, #10)
4* K is for Killer (Kinsey Millhone, #11)
4* L is for Lawless (Kinsey Millhone, #12)
4* N is for Noose (Kinsey Millhone, #14)
4* S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, #19)
TR M is for Malice (Kinsey Millhone, #13)
TR O is for Outlaw (Kinsey Millhone, #15)
TR P is for Peril (Kinsey Millhone, #16)
TR Q is for Quarry (Kinsey Millhone, #17)
TR R is for Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone, #18)
TR T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone, #20)
TR U is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21)
TR V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone #22)
TR W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone #23)
TR X is for... (Kinsey Millhone, #24) - to be released in 2015
September 9, 2021
I've read and/or listened to all the Kinsey books over the years and will occasionally pick up a random letter of the alphabet to relisten - usually as a comfort read and if my memory has faded enough to not recall plot points. All I remembered about this one was Kinsey defending herself with a heated iron (on the linen setting) when someone breaks into her motel cabin.
I mostly liked this one until the end, when Kinsey turns stupid. By this point in the story she suspects crooked law enforcement and she's getting the cut-direct from the small town residents and gossip mill is in overdrive. She doesn't know who she can trust. So what does she do? Start blabbing details - to someone on the police force (like, really?!) and then a local EMT (whose mother hired her). So, you know, gossip is spreading, everybody in town is treating you like dirt, and you think you have a crooked cop involved. Being sparse with the details seems like it would have been prudent. Sigh.
I mostly liked this one until the end, when Kinsey turns stupid. By this point in the story she suspects crooked law enforcement and she's getting the cut-direct from the small town residents and gossip mill is in overdrive. She doesn't know who she can trust. So what does she do? Start blabbing details - to someone on the police force (like, really?!) and then a local EMT (whose mother hired her). So, you know, gossip is spreading, everybody in town is treating you like dirt, and you think you have a crooked cop involved. Being sparse with the details seems like it would have been prudent. Sigh.
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