S is for Silence (by Sue Grafton)
As much as certain people (I is for Ian) might laugh at me, I always look forward to the next Sue Grafton mystery. (Many have speculated that once she's made it to Z, she's going to move on to the Greek alphabet. I personally can't wait to read Pi is for Pirates.)
In this one, Kinsey's been hired to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Violet Sullivan, now thirty-five years in the past. I think Grafton is getting a little bored with the series and bored with Kinsey's life, because there are a lot of third-person flashbacks to 1953, and not a lot of talk about Kinsey's life. (She's dating someone in this book, but he is relegated to a cameo appearance, as is Henry.)
I didn't really mind the change of pace, though, because the storyline is so engrossing, and the flashbacks are interesting once the story gets going. By the end, I really did care what was going to happen to many of the characters, for good or ill. It kept me interested enough to read the book in one sitting.
I do think there are some unrealistic factors, though, starting with so many of the principals being conveniently alive and well and still living in the same small town. Or if not, they're remarkably easy to locate. And the whole concept in the first place; there's no compelling reason why most of these questions haven't been asked or answered for thirty-five years.
On the whole, though, if you're a fan of the series, I think you'll enjoy this one. Or at least I did!
[ETA: My horoscope for today says "Mysteries emerge today. You figure things out and may enjoy puzzles, riddles, novels, crime stories, or thrillers." Eerie.]
In this one, Kinsey's been hired to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Violet Sullivan, now thirty-five years in the past. I think Grafton is getting a little bored with the series and bored with Kinsey's life, because there are a lot of third-person flashbacks to 1953, and not a lot of talk about Kinsey's life. (She's dating someone in this book, but he is relegated to a cameo appearance, as is Henry.)
I didn't really mind the change of pace, though, because the storyline is so engrossing, and the flashbacks are interesting once the story gets going. By the end, I really did care what was going to happen to many of the characters, for good or ill. It kept me interested enough to read the book in one sitting.
I do think there are some unrealistic factors, though, starting with so many of the principals being conveniently alive and well and still living in the same small town. Or if not, they're remarkably easy to locate. And the whole concept in the first place; there's no compelling reason why most of these questions haven't been asked or answered for thirty-five years.
On the whole, though, if you're a fan of the series, I think you'll enjoy this one. Or at least I did!
[ETA: My horoscope for today says "Mysteries emerge today. You figure things out and may enjoy puzzles, riddles, novels, crime stories, or thrillers." Eerie.]
posted by mo pie at 6:27 PM
2 Comments:
Can you tell me what happened to Violet? I started to read the book but gave up (I found it that bad). Don't worry about "spoiling the ending," as I've no desire to waste the time digging through the rest of the book to find the answer. Thanks!
I don't want to post the spoiler, but e-mail me and I'll totally fill you in!
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