Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An utterly charming mystery! I had not read any of Sue Grafton’s books, but when I heard she had died and so many fans were so bereft, I looked her up. Of all the alphabet, Q was the first available. Luckily for me, each book can be read entirely as a stand-alone.
The book is set in the 1980s, and it made it feel like a throwback. Oh, Kinsey, just wait a few years! Cell phones will make your life so much easier. Of course, the slow uncurling is part of what makes it pleasurable.
The interesting thing about this book is the PI is not hard boiled, and it has none of the threats to the main character I had come to expect after years of Law & Order episodes. It’s just a cold case, and PI Kinsey trying to tease together long-cold clues. I very much liked the two retired cops, each cranky and lonely, who become grumpy sidekicks. They seem like uncles you like to drop in on but don’t talk to much.
I think I’ll be reading more of the series. Despite centering on a murder, it is cozy and lovely.
M.E. Kinkade 