SYNOPSIS: Kinsey is on the case of Elaine Boldt, a wealthy widow who has recently gone missing. The more she learns about Elaine's case, the more questions she has. Her hunt leads her to investigating several neighborhoods across a handful of U.S. states. To say Elaine had problematic neighbors would be an understatement, but which of these neighbor's was involved in her disappearance, and where is she?
WHAT I LOVED: When I picked up Sue Grafton's work, I expected to read "popcorn lit" or books with little substance and made up mostly of entertaining fluff. Grafton has surprised me with her wit and skill. It is full of witty and stimulating prose. I found myself laughing out loud several times at her witticisms. Characters in B is for Burglar had depth and history, even those in the supporting character roles. I adored Julia Ochsner and hope to someday meet someone like her. May we all strive for Mrs. Oschsner's longevity!
WHAT I LIKED: I liked that I didn't solve the mystery. I can usually solve the mystery in most mystery and thriller novels by about halfway through. With this book, the person that I thought was the murderer was actually innocent and I was nowhere close to being correct in figuring out who the real killer was. I liked being surprised in the end!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Kinsey Milhone has a moment of fat-phobia about 3/4 of the way through the novel that bothered me. Control disguised as care when thinking to herself "he really needed to lose weight." Yuck.
RECOMMEND FOR: Experienced mystery readers who need a hard-to-solve case.
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: People who don't like mysteries? I'm not sure--I think this book could appeal to a wide range of audiences.
3 darts out of 5.
Reviews of earlier books in the series
1. A is for Alibi
