Thursday, August 27, 2009

'N' is for Noose, by Sue Grafton

(pb; 1998: fourteenth book in the Kinsey Millhone mysteries)

From the inside flap:

"Tom Newquist had been a detective in the Nota Lake sheriff's office -- a tough, honest cop respected by everyone. When he died suddenly, the townsfolk were sad but not surprised. Just shy of sixty-five, Newquist worked too hard, drank too much, and exercised too little.

"Newquist's widow, Selma, didn't doubt the coroner's report. But still, she couldn't help wondering what had so bothered Tom in the last six weeks of his life. What was it that had made him prowl restlessly at night and brood constantly? Determined to help Selma find the answer, Kinsey Millhone sets up shop in Nota Lake, where she finds that looking for a needle in a haystack can draw blood -- very likely, her own."

Review:

The description from the inside flap amply describes the story.

It's the usual Kinsey tale, with its level-headed/first-person-POV build-up, mixed with a few moments of humor, terror and violence. I spotted the villain/s of the tale right away, but it was more of a lucky guess on my part, not a deficiency on the part of the author.

Solid entry in the Kinsey Millhone series.

Followed by 'O' is for Outlaw.

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