X

Private investigator Kinsey Millhone returns in the twenty-fourth installment of Sue Grafton's Alphabet series, set in 1980s California. After inheriting money from her father's side of the family, Millhone takes on multiple cases, including helping a woman locate her biological son and assisting a widow with an IRS audit. The narrative alternates between Millhone's first-person perspective and the story of Teddy Xanakis, a woman seeking revenge during her divorce. As Millhone investigates her various cases, she discovers disturbing information about a potential serial killer and must navigate threats to her own safety. The novel marks a departure from Grafton's previous titles in the series, using simply "X" rather than following the established pattern of "[Letter] is for [Word]." The book explores themes of revenge, deception, and the unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated events in a small California town.

Readers found "X" more formulaic and slower-paced compared to earlier Kinsey Millhone novels. Many noted it lacked the tight plotting of previous books in the series. Positives: - Maintains familiar characters and settings fans expect - Strong depiction of 1980s California - Complex weaving of multiple storylines Negatives: - Takes too long to get to main mystery - Too much focus on secondary characters - Several unresolved plot threads - Less action than typical Grafton books "The lengthy scenes about Kinsey's personal life detract from the central case" appears in multiple reviews. Longtime fans expressed disappointment at what they saw as a decline in the series' quality. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (37,284 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (2,951 ratings) Book Reporter: 3/5 The book holds a lower average rating than most entries in the series, with many readers describing it as "not Grafton's best work" and "for completists only."

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🔍 The "X" is the only book in Grafton's Alphabet series without a word following the letter in the title, breaking from her usual pattern (e.g., "A is for Alibi"). 📚 Sue Grafton's fictional town of Santa Teresa is based on Santa Barbara, California, where she lived for many years and carefully researched local police procedures. ⌛ The novel is set in 1989, maintaining the series' internal chronology where time moves slower than real-world time - allowing Kinsey to age only about 10 years across 25 books. 🖋️ Grafton passed away in 2017 before completing "Z is for Zero," making "Y is for Yesterday" the final installment in the series. Her family stated the alphabet ends with Y, honoring her wish that no ghostwriter continue the series. 🏆 "X" debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2015, marking Grafton's 12th consecutive novel to reach the top spot.