Book #6

V is for Vengeance, by Sue Grafton. Unabridged audio.

I started reading these novels about the time that "H" was published, and consider myself a very big fan. Kinsey Millhone is a terrific character, combining traits of toughness, intelligence, vulnerability, confidence, and doubt. This novel brings us into the worlds of small-city mobsters, corrupt cops, loan sharks, and organized shoplifting rackets.

Through 22 novels, Kinsey's life and personality have both changed, and maybe she has even become a bit more mature. This is not always the case in long series of novels, but these ones don't fall back on to formulas.

Some time around "O," (if my memory serves) Grafton began to move away from standard first-person POV into multiple POV format. This allows Grafton to expand the scope of these novels, allowing us to see events that Millhone doesn't, and for us to know more about what is going on than the protagonist does. This allows for suspense, as we worry about Kinsey getting into situations that we know may be dangerous.

I don't know if it was a conscious effort on Grafton's part, but it was nice to see one long-term subplot wrap up (or seem to) with only four novels left in the alphabet (and the series). I have high hopes that when I finsih "Z," I will be satisfied that a 26-book arc will have ended well. Ending series is not easy, but I trust that Grafton will be able to pull it off.

As always, the quality of the audio program and the narration are terrific.