Sue Grafton is not only
one of my top three favorite authors, but she is my top favorite mystery
author. The contemporary female private eye is my favorite sub-genre within the
mystery field, and Grafton’s famous investigator, Kinsey Millhone, is easily my
favorite mystery protagonist. I just simply identified with Millhone. Millhone
was forward. She also had a loner-type personality, independence, and the
matter-of-factness that I identified with from the first book, A is for Alibi.
Nevertheless, as well all know, Grafton died four years ago as of my writing this. And
with Grafton’s death went the last book in her Kinsey Millhone series, which
would have been titled “Z is for…” presumably “Zero” (actually I think Grafton
confirmed that “Zero” in an interview). Grafton’s death was a blow in all
matters of mystery and literature in general. But, especially, to her fans.
But I am going to stop here, as after her death I decided to
concentrate seriously on reading her peers. 2018 saw me smash through Marcia
Muller’s Sharon McCone series. 2019 saw me do the same with Sara Paretsky’s V.
I. Warshawski series. Earlier this year I nailed Maxine O’Callaghan’s Deliah
West series and finally finished P. D. James' second (and final) Cordelia Grey
mystery. 2022 I have plans for reading another British author, Liza Cody. Cody's British private eye, Anna Lee, was making waves overseas during the beginning
of Grafton, Warshawski, and O'Callaghan's stories. Nevertheless, there is one
other Western author I had on my list to at least start in 2022. That
is Linda Barnes and her Carlotta Carlyle female investigator (Barnes has an
earlier series featuring a male investigator).
Thus, my journey to take on these ladies and their stories
continue. Happily.
