Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Random House Audio Price-less (2004), Edition: Abridged
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:2 cassettes / 3 hours Read by Judy Kaye Once again, Kinsey Millhone, America's favorite female P.I., embroils herself in a complex and entertaining Alphabet Murder Mystery. When Wendell Jaffe, mastermind of a real-estate scam, disappeared at sea, nobody was found. Now, five years later, he's declared legally dead and California Fidelity has to pay up on his life insurance policy . . . to the tune of half a million dollars. Soon after, the tune slides off-key when Jaffe is spotted in Mexico - and Fidelity hires Kinsey Millhone to sort things out. Oddly enough, Kinsey's investigation of the con man's past triggers a surprising inquiry into her own family history,. And, as the two stories intertwine, our favorite P.I. finds herself facing dangerous consequences.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Missing person. Kinsey is tasked to track down a "dead" man who had defrauded the life insurance company and hundreds of investors in his business. A warning to everyone out there looking to get rich quick. Another good read.
Random Subplot: Kinsey finds she still has family in the area after all,
The books are getting thicker and this leads to more complicated plots and a better read. The only book (so far) which deliberately leaves loose ends to the story.
Random Subplot: Kinsey finds she still has family in the area after all,
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some cousins based in LompocThe books are getting thicker and this leads to more complicated plots and a better read. The only book (so far) which deliberately leaves loose ends to the story.
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LibraryThing member TerriBooks
Typical boilerplate Kinsey, but we're starting to learn something about her past and her family, That adds an interesting personal touch that brings this book a little above the previous few. A comfortable, familiar series that provides a story worth reading without having to work too hard at it.
LibraryThing member kaulsu
Interesting plot, but could have been further integrated (the dysfunctional family of the "bad guy" is supposed to somehow mirror her own dystunctional family). It stretched my imagination somehow to envision her in gunfights. And it was a bit of a surprise to find out near the end that she had
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once been a cop. Perhaps these themes are dealt with in other volumes. Show Less
LibraryThing member boomda181
I like Kinsey's dry humour. I wish the book had explored Kinsey's long lost family a bit more, but I guess that will happen in future novels.
LibraryThing member bakersfieldbarbara
A mad appears to have died, but the insurance company doesn't want to pay the claim. Just two months before the claim is to be paid, Wendell Jaffe is sighted in a resort bar. Kinsey Millhone is hired to find out the truth.
LibraryThing member fordbarbara
My least favorite of all the Kinsey Milhone - seemed depressed
LibraryThing member miyurose
Not bad. I wish she'd gone a little further into the family stuff, however. I was expecting a little more closure on that before the end of this book.
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Spoiler last paragraph. Good up to then.
This was my first Sue Grafton. It wasn’t bad although I didn’t realize that Kinsey Millhone is a serial sleuth. She was interesting in a detached sort of way. She went about her craft with a ‘this is what it takes’ attitude, even if she didn’t
I normally don’t start with ‘serial mysteries’ in the middle because I think I’ve lost continuity if I do that. I noticed that this writer didn’t fill in the details of the past that she may have gone over in previous books. I’m reading a Marcus Didius Falco mystery again and that writer is doing just that. It makes me, the serial reader feel somewhat exasperated having to listen to all that again.
I liked the ending when Kinsey figures out that it was Jaffe’s girlfriend Renata who actually did kill him. When Renata throws herself naked into the pacific and begins to swim out, Kinsey follows but only so far. Afterwards, Kinsey ruminates about the case and thinks that Renata may have done this before. No one witnessed her dead husband’s death in Spain and there are no records that his body ever was shipped here. She could make herself disappear and no one would be the wiser.
This was my first Sue Grafton. It wasn’t bad although I didn’t realize that Kinsey Millhone is a serial sleuth. She was interesting in a detached sort of way. She went about her craft with a ‘this is what it takes’ attitude, even if she didn’t
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particularly like it or was forced into a situation because of her own stupidity. I normally don’t start with ‘serial mysteries’ in the middle because I think I’ve lost continuity if I do that. I noticed that this writer didn’t fill in the details of the past that she may have gone over in previous books. I’m reading a Marcus Didius Falco mystery again and that writer is doing just that. It makes me, the serial reader feel somewhat exasperated having to listen to all that again.
I liked the ending when Kinsey figures out that it was Jaffe’s girlfriend Renata who actually did kill him. When Renata throws herself naked into the pacific and begins to swim out, Kinsey follows but only so far. Afterwards, Kinsey ruminates about the case and thinks that Renata may have done this before. No one witnessed her dead husband’s death in Spain and there are no records that his body ever was shipped here. She could make herself disappear and no one would be the wiser.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
This is quite an interesting instalment in this series, Kinsey learns that rather than being alone in the world she has an extended family and learns more about her mother's rift with the family. This is unresolved at the end of the book, which is a little frustrating. The mystery is also quite
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interesting. Kinsey is rehired by California Fidelity to investigate the alleged sighting of a man whose recently been declared dead. As always things are not as simple or straightforward as expected. The theme of family runs through this book, and after ten books, I think I may be finally warming to Kinsey. Show Less
LibraryThing member ffortsa
Millhone is tangled up in parallel family dramas, each an example of abandonment. In one she is hunting a Madoff-like swindler who isn't as dead as he has been reported to be. The other hits closer to home. Kinsey's sympathies are sometimes in doubt. Grafton's characters continue to be nuanced and
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sometimes surprising. Show Less
LibraryThing member mochap
wasn't as engaged in this one for some reason. It was okay. Not giving up on Kinsey!
LibraryThing member bookworm12
Wendell Jaffe, died 5 years ago, but when he is spotted in Mexico, the insurance company that paid out on his death assumes they’ve been defrauded. He disappeared after a scheme he ran lost dozens of people’s savings. Kinsey is hired by California Fidelity to track him down. His wife and two
My favorite part of this one was finding out that Kinsey has a few long-lost relatives. The prickly P.I.’s parents died in a car wreck when she was only 5-years-old. She was raised by her aunt who has since passed away and she always thought she had no living relatives. I’m interested to see how this plays out in future books. She can be such a loner, I think the thought of having a big family is intimidating to her.
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troubled sons have finally received $500,000 from insurance money and are shocked to hear he might me alive. On top of all of that, Kinsey’s landlord and friend, Henry, is dealing with his elderly brother’s recent proposal to Rosie, a local restaurateur My favorite part of this one was finding out that Kinsey has a few long-lost relatives. The prickly P.I.’s parents died in a car wreck when she was only 5-years-old. She was raised by her aunt who has since passed away and she always thought she had no living relatives. I’m interested to see how this plays out in future books. She can be such a loner, I think the thought of having a big family is intimidating to her.
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LibraryThing member Mrsbaty
I always enjoy Kinsey Millhone stories, some better than others. This one was middle of the pack for me. There isn't much mystery involved since Kinsey is to find out if someone is alive or not and we know that answer to that in the first few pages. The rest of the story is the consequences of
Other reviews, mainly negative, mention that there is an excessive amount of detail and that is probably true but it doesn't change my enjoyment of the book. I find her turn-by-turn driving descriptions a little tedious at times but never enough to make me want to put the book down.
If you've just getting to know Kinsey, start with A is for Alibi. If you're already a fan, you'll enjoy this one.
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knowing that. Kinsey doesn't do as much of the day-to-day detective work that I enjoy reading about. She does do a lot of talking to the people involved in the whole affair and so our answers come mainly from those conversations. I enjoy this entry into Kinsey's world but it's not as gripping as some of the others.Other reviews, mainly negative, mention that there is an excessive amount of detail and that is probably true but it doesn't change my enjoyment of the book. I find her turn-by-turn driving descriptions a little tedious at times but never enough to make me want to put the book down.
If you've just getting to know Kinsey, start with A is for Alibi. If you're already a fan, you'll enjoy this one.
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LibraryThing member readafew
J is for Judgment is the 10 book in the Kinsey Millhone series. This is where Kinsey learns of and meets some of her long lost relatives. It came about by chance while Kinsey was working on a case for her old firm Fidelity. She was asked to look for a man who disappeared 5 years previously and
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presumed dead, and had possibly shown up in Mexico. It turns out Fidelity has just paid the widow the insurance for the mans death and would like the money back if hes still alive.I think this was one of the better ones in the series and its a fun read. These books are never very taxing and usually go pretty quick. Worth the time. Show Less
LibraryThing member NicolefromCarmel
Sue Grafton is my go to author for vacation reads. The dry humor and the 1980's setting with big macs and walkmans just makes me grin. Not to mention phone books and answering machines. well thought out, IGrafton gives you clues along the way but doesn't shout out "here's the bad guy". a+reading
LibraryThing member ecw0647
In "J" is for Judgment, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone is hired to find a man who supposedly committed suicide several years earlier. She locates the scoundrel in Mexico in the company of a woman whose husband had died several years previously, and her subject is using the dead man's name. Millhone
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manages to dig up plenty of dirt in her search for the truth behind the obvious. It's a good story for a long trip, although being abridged, much of Grafton's caustic writing has been lost. Interestingly, this is the first mystery I remember reading (with the exception perhaps of some of George Simenon's Maigret mysteries) in which there is no murder. I'm also curious to find out what Grafton is going to do when she arrives at the end of the alphabet. Show Less
LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Seriously dysfunctional family, missing person, missing money -- good story.
LibraryThing member lkernagh
I usually enjoy my visits with Kinsey and the trips back in time courtesy of Grafton's attention to detail. This story was no exception, although it did have its slow bits where my mind would wander. Even the introduction of previously unknown family members into Kinsey's life had a bit of a
Overall, I am looking forward to the next book in the series as they are always a fun way to escape from reality. I am also curious to see if the new characters introduced in this story will reappear and be built upon in future stories.
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"ho-hum" effect on me. As far as the mystery goes, this one was okay. Enough missing pieces, questions and suspicious characters to give the plot some depth, but still, not one of my favorite Kinsey reads so far. The last hour of the audiobook did grab my attention, as did the the rather surprising reveal of the guilty party at the end. Overall, I am looking forward to the next book in the series as they are always a fun way to escape from reality. I am also curious to see if the new characters introduced in this story will reappear and be built upon in future stories.
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LibraryThing member jguidry
This episode in the Kinsey Millhone series was somewhat lackluster in comparison to the rest of the series. I enjoyed the story, but it just wasn't as exciting as I've come to expect from Sue Grafton. The mystery held promise (a man who faked his own death), but the ending was rather plain.
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Grafton tried to save the ending in the epilogue, but the ploy was very contrived. I did like learning about Kinsey's family story and that saved the book from a 2 star rating. Plus, since I read out of order, I know the series does improve! Show Less
LibraryThing member lamotamant
I think the thing I liked most about this book was that we see Millhone struggle with the intro of her family. It wasn't "enter long lost cousin, stage left, *happy happy joy joy*." Instead she feels the lash of it but ends up working on it in her terms. She's honest with her cousin and she wants
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to be taken as she is, that's her standard for dealing with the sudden arrival of family and all that it infers. I think there's a lot of people out there that would like to be taken "as is" by family members; I believe that it was one of the most relatable moments in the books so far. The mystery itself had me a little disappointed. It just seemed to drag and fall flat in some areas. I found myself wishing there was more to work with concerning Dana and the boys. It seems like the mysteries in the books where Millhone is confronted by personal issues fall to the background when they could end up having much more punch to them in areas. So, as a whole, it was adequate; on the personal front, it was wonderful. Show Less
LibraryThing member DocWalt10
As always, a great read. Never a dull moment. Her books could be read in one seating if one had the time. I never tire of Kinsey Millhone, the main character in Sue Grafton's books. She is an independent young woman, self-employed, doing what she loves to do and is good at it. As a private
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investigator, she is a minority in her field. If you enjoy suspense, this is book and series for you Show Less
LibraryThing member lamour
Kinsey is called back to California Fidelity to go to Mexico to prove that Wendell Jaffe is really alive and they can apply to have money they just paid to his widow returned. While she thinks she did see him there, when she returns home she sets out to get more proof. She contacts his widow and a
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son. Her sleuthing uncovers his mistress and a number of people who would like to harm Wendall. Then there is his son who has broke out of prison and when recaptured, is accidentally released when someone hacks the police database. Show Less
LibraryThing member polywogg
BOTTOM-LINE:
Is it fraud? Is it murder? Is it suicide?
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Kinsey's old insurance partners hire her to find a guy who faked his suicide five years before to get out from under a Ponzi scheme indictment.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
Kinsey heads off to Mexico to find the guy, spots him, comes back, and
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There is an almost ridiculous story about one of the sub-characters -- he's introduced initially as a buffoon, and then later as an almost master-criminal, and in neither instance is he either. While Kinsey's new family interactions are a bit of a distraction, the real challenge is with the banal ugliness of the ex-suicider's family interactions, particularly a young pregnant girl with a baby.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
Is it fraud? Is it murder? Is it suicide?
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Kinsey's old insurance partners hire her to find a guy who faked his suicide five years before to get out from under a Ponzi scheme indictment.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
Kinsey heads off to Mexico to find the guy, spots him, comes back, and
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starts inserting herself over ten days into the life of his ex-family, all of whom thought he was dead. Add in a current girlfriend, an ex-cop, and an old business partner, and there are lots of things happening at the same time. And just for fun, Kinsey finds out she has family up around Lompoc..
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There is an almost ridiculous story about one of the sub-characters -- he's introduced initially as a buffoon, and then later as an almost master-criminal, and in neither instance is he either. While Kinsey's new family interactions are a bit of a distraction, the real challenge is with the banal ugliness of the ex-suicider's family interactions, particularly a young pregnant girl with a baby.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
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LibraryThing member TVNerd95
Another one of those where I didn’t really like any of the characters, they weren’t as bad as the characters in “D is for Deadbeat” but still kind of unlikable. Given that most of them have some past experience with Wendell Jaffe the reasons for the actions a little more understandable.
The
The one big moment this book gave us and it gave it to us big time was the information on Kinsey’s family. It is hard to review this portion of the book without spoiling it for readers who have not read the series. I will just say that if the book had spent more time on that I would have probably rated it higher. What a revelation and an added aspect to her personality.
The
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best part of this book was all the insight we gained into how Kinsey thinks and her moral code. I really admire her drive for the truth and the value she places on human life – any human life. She really wanted to know the truth about Wendell Jaffe and couldn’t understand why everyone else was happy with accepting what appeared on the surface. The one big moment this book gave us and it gave it to us big time was the information on Kinsey’s family. It is hard to review this portion of the book without spoiling it for readers who have not read the series. I will just say that if the book had spent more time on that I would have probably rated it higher. What a revelation and an added aspect to her personality.
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LibraryThing member booklover3258
I made it to page 122 and had to stop. I can't read anymore of this book. A through I were great books but this one missed the mark for me. It was very boring, all the financial mumbo jumbo. I get it you want to be very detailed about how he swindled the money in a Ponzi scheme. I just didn't care
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about the case at all. And she kept persisting on talking to the widow over and over and over again. It was just getting tiring. Of course I read the epilogue to see what happened (so when I start reading K I'm not too lost). Hopefully the rest of the alphabet series is better. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993-05-15
Physical description
5.66 inches
ISBN
073931419X / 9780739314197