by Marie-Luise Stromer

Created on: April 16, 2008

YOU'VE LET ME DOWN, SUE!

Busy as a bee, this Sue Grafton. >K< is the eleventh thriller of her alphabet series with the Californian Private Eye Kinsey Millhone.

Before we come to the text proper, we have to read eleven eulogies on the cover and the first pages by various critics, some of whom even go so far as to claim that >K< is the best thriller of the series so far.

Sorry, but I can't join that chorus and sing Sue Grafton's praise with them!

The success of a series is based on two elements. Firstly, the story of the book in hand must be good, in the case of a thriller: gripping, hair raising, a page turner! If I read in bed and start too late, the question must arise: Do I abandon the book (and accept nightmares because then I have to solve the case in my sleep) or do I go on reading and ring in sick the next morning (and maybe accept day'mares with my boss)?

Secondly the character of the main protagonist who we follow through the books must be so complex that we always want to know more about her or him and can't wait until the next book is out. We even find ourselves contemplating the purchase of a hardcover edition although we're dyed-in-the-wool paperback readers. But the idea of waiting another year!

The story: As is her habit, Kinsey Millhone works on a case which happened some years before and which wasn't solved. A high-class tart's mother engages her to solve the mysterious death of her daughter. Believe it or not, this high-class tart worked -to keep up the appearance of decency- as a substitute secretary in the local waterworks! (Oh, America!)

Kinsey asks around until someone feels annoyed, reacts and sets the story proper in motion. But this time Sue Grafton obviously doesn't feel like unravelling the threads she tied before, at the end of the book some questions remain unanswered. Kinsey doesn't even prove her suspect guilty, she simply gives his name to an ominous avenger' (By the way who is the guy in the big car? I want to know!) who immediately fetches the suspect and takes the law into his own hands.

She feels somewhat embarrassed (big surprise!), goes to the police and confesses the boob, but they don't put a stop to her doings once and for all as we can see, the series is still going strong.

Like all other single Private Eyes of the current thriller cosmos Kinsey, too, has an ersatz family of bizarre, but nice guys. Think only of her landlord, an 80 something (!) womaniser, California style, sportive , suntanned, a retired baker. When he

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