Friday Reads: A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

One year for Christmas I asked everyone to give me a copy of their favorite book; just one book and hopefully an explanation of why it held that honor. This was well over 20 years ago and my college roommate gave me a copy of A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. One of the many librarian stereotypes is that we love mysteries so I’d avoided this genre but I read it and I liked it. Sue’s books saved me on a dreadful flight when I was sick and a horrible vacation and the fictional character Kinsey Millhone became a good friend. She’s a low-maintenance, hard-driving, common sense kind of woman whose luck in love has sometimes been similar to my own. If you are a series reader and have yet to read Sue’s books, the book club collection may be just the ticket. The order could not be any easier to understand: A is for Alibi; B is for Burglar; C is for Corpse and on and on through the most recent release X. In the series, Henry Pitts plays Kinsey’s friend and landlord and is a favorite character of mine with the runner up being Rosie who runs the local restaurant and bar where Kinsey often has dinner or meets clients. You may want to know that Sue has adamantly said no to ever selling her rights to turn this series into a movie which actually pleases me because the characters will always stay in my mind, tidy as you please with no alterations from Hollywood. Here is a list of the titles so you can make your reservation.