"V IS FOR VENGEANCE," by Sue Grafton, G.P. Putnam's Sons, $27.95, 437 pages (f)
Kinsey Milhone lovers, take heart. This book brings back our heroine while still daring to head off in another direction.
Pulling four storylines together makes for a compelling, interesting read even if it takes a while to see how an "innocent" shoplifter, a compulsive down-on-his-luck gambler, a heartless loan shark and a cheating movie star all have anything to do with Kinsey's current case.
Sue Grafton has taken a chance with this one, asking her readers to cut her some slack while she pulls this together.
It's fresh, daring and very readable even though it can be disconcerting to have a storyline break off just when it's getting good. (It's permissable to cheat a bit by flipping ahead to see what happens next for Nora.)
Those who follow Milhone know she's sturdy, stubborn and not inclined to take the easy way out. She also has a certain knack for figuring it all out.
She hasn't changed though she's reconciled herself to a few truths about herself, like she's dependent on her landlord Henry for comfort and advice and she won't take no for an answer, even if she's been fired from her case and told to stop.
She's willing to look at the facts on her notecards and rearrange them as often as necessary to get at the truth. But she's not willing to stop looking when it gets dangerous.
The stories are well crafted. The characters live. The plot plunges steadily ahead as Grafton shapes the events to create a story that illuminates a crime against society that many still believe is harmless.
Despite a number of real perils, Milhone never seems the hapless or down-on-her-luck heroine.
She's upbeat, curious, philosophical and funny.
"V for Vengeance" is the 22nd in the series. If you haven't become hooked on this series, there's still time and few letters left in the alphabet.
Sharon Haddock is a professional writer with 35 years experience, 17 at the Deseret News. Her personal blog is at sharonhaddock.blogspot.com.
Email: haddoc@desnews.com