Yes, this is one of the better books in this series It is true that Ms. Grafton writes very well and that Kinsey is, in general, an interesting and very likeable character. My problem with many of the books in this series is that Kinsey performs so poorly whenever someone decides that she has lived long enough - perhaps even a little too long! A prime example of this is "G is for Gumshoe," when Kinsey should not have survived to the mid-point of the book.
In this installment, Kinsey actually acquits herself fairly well when it becomes obvious that someone has decided that she needs to be eliminated. She should have taken even more precautions than she did, but at least she took some. I suppose that if Kinsey acted completely sensible in these situations, we would not get the "shoot-m-up" endings that Ms. Grafton likes to give us.
It is the "bad guy/gal" in this book whose actions do not make any sense to me. After effectively luring Kinsey into the trap that has been set for her, the killer (who Kinsey is on the verge of identifying) inexplicably takes no action for several minutes, thus allowing Kinsey to live to tell us about "J is for Judgment." I just do not understand why authors do this when it would be so simple to alter the story slightly to avoid such glaring errors in the storyline. On the other hand, I seem to be one of the few people who are bothered by such matters.
Overall, I agree with the other reviewers that this is one of Ms. Grafton's better efforts.
Another great who-dunnit Sue Grafton has to be the most reliable mystery writer out there. Even a sub-par offering from her is leaps and bounds better than the best of other mystery series out there. Part of what is great about her is the way she shakes everything up just a bit in each book so that you never feel like you're reading the same thing twice. Case in point: in this installment we find our beloved Kinsey Millhone rebounding from being fired by the California Fidelity Insurance company that had been her base of operations in the previous novels. Humbled by the experience of being canned, Kinsey is trying to make ends meet working out of a law office. When her new boss' PI dies suddenly he asks for her help tying up the loose ends of a case that is coming to trial in three weeks. Working under a time crunch and eager to get back on top of her life again, Kinsey attacks the job with renewed vigor and her usual gutsy style. Grafton also showcases her adept plotting skills with perhaps the most intricately plotted installment yet. Kinsey's case takes on many thrilling twists and turns that are honest-to-goodness surprises to the reader -- and predicting who the culprit is becomes virtually impossible, making for a fun ride. It had been a while since I last visited Santa Teresa with Kinsey's last adventure, "H is for Homicide", but with "I is for Innocence" Grafton has ensured that this loyal fan will not stray so far again.Kinsey is Anything But Innocent! As Sue Grafton continues her alphabet series, we've seen many changes in the main character, Kinsey Millhone. If you've been with Grafton since A IS FOR ALIBI like I have, you'll notice a more subdued Kinsey in this book. Since Kinsey no longer works for California Fidelity doing all of their investigative work, and her future is uncertain, her usual "edge" seems to have been dulled. This is a disappointment - I enjoy the feisty Kinsey!
Sue Grafton introduces a new support cast to liven things up a bit as her detective series continues along its journey. Kinsey is hired to take over a seemingly boring case when a local private investigator dies of a heart attack and she must find the facts quickly before the statute of limitations runs out! She stumbles into a "whodunit" involving a dead artist, a husband tried and acquitted, and an ex-husband screaming "foul". It's up to Kinsey to figure it all out in the few weeks allowed by the court, and in the process to keep herself safe. This proves to be easier said than done in the writing style that we've come to enjoy and expect from Sue Grafton.
One of the things that I enjoy about Grafton is that she not only tells a great story, but at the same time she lays the foundation for future books. After becoming familiar with her writing style, you'll start to pick up on the tidbits of information that she brings out in the open only to read about those same facts in more detail in a future episode. It's almost as if her alphabet series is one very long novel with each letter of the alphabet being a chapter instead of a separate book - these read almost like Kinsey Millhone's diary. But then again, I can see why she's done it this way -- who would buy a book of 8,000 pages or so? It would be a little difficult to carry it to the beach, park or on an airplane!
Grafton has created yet another fantastic masterpiece with this tale. She's definitely on a hot streak with this book and it keeps you on the edge of your seat with a few twists along the way until the end!
