F Is for Fugitive

F IS FOR FUGITIVE is one of my favorites! Bad girl Jean Tiberlake was killed and her ex-boyfriend, Bailey Fowler, convicted of her murder. After seventeen years in prison, he escapes. Kinsey Millhone is hired to find the killer. The catch: Is the killer Fowler or someone else? Typical Grafton style in this book, you won't know who the real killer is until the end. Sue Grafton not only keeps you on the edge of your seat, but has you second-guessing yourself when you think you've figured it all out. Surprises abound in this book, from the unknown dangers, to the love and caring shown to Kinsey by her buddy Henry! Everyone should have a friend like Henry! I can't say enough good things about F IS FOR FUGITIVE without giving away all of the little curves Grafton throws at you in this book. Suffice it to say, it's absolutely wonderful!! If you want to read a book that will make your heart race, make you take the book everywhere with you until you're finished - this is the one for you!

"F is for Fugitive" is one of the better Kinsey mysteries: engrossing from the first chapter, it reads quickly and consistently. Although the book is 300 pages long - longer than most of Grafton's novels - there is no mid-story lull. It bypasses much of Kinsey's usual backdrop: the action takes place in a small town ninety miles away from Santa Teresa, so Henry Pitts, Rosie, the California Fidelity crew, and Kinsey's bachelorette life in her small apartment are peripheral or entirely absent from the story. The book focuses entirely on the mystery of an twenty-year-old murder in a small town and a cast of characters who all seem to have something to hide. It's quintessential Sue Grafton: suspenseful and well-written, a pleasure to read from beginning to end.

Seventeen years ago, Jean Timberlake (a promiscuous, six-weeks-pregnant high schooler) was murdered on the shore of Floral Beach, California, apparently by her ex-boyfriend, Bailey Fowler, who was consequently sent to prison. However, after repeated escapes--and spending much of his time out of the picture in this book--Kinsey Millhone, the 32-year-old no-nonsense private investigator, is hired by his father to investigate Jean's death and hopefully prove Bailey's innocence."'F' is for Fugitive" is yet another enjoyable Kinsey Millhone mystery with lots of quirky characters, particularly Bailey Fowler's family, who own the motel near where Jean was killed. It's also Kinsey's temporary residence while her apartment is being rebuilt after the happenings in the previous book ("'E' is for Evidence"). "'F' is for Fugitive" is relatively fast paced and has a more rounded ending than in some of Grafton's other books. And, as usual, I enjoyed Kinsey's sarcastic humor and refreshing first person narrative. Worth reading if you're into this alphabet mystery series.

I've read at least 25 books over the past 12 months, and this is easily the best. I've enjoyed Millhone's A-E mysteries, but F took her detective skills to a new level. What a pleasure it was to take a vacation with Kinsey, in Floral Beach. I thought Santa Teresa was interesting, but this town made Peyton Place look like Leave it to Beaver. There were so many interesting and inter-related characters, that in order to keep up (and not miss out), I had to keep a notepad, jotting down the relationship each character had with others. Several times I thought I was onto the murderer, but this one kept me in the dark until the thrilling end. I could just feel my heart beating faster as Kinsey was on the run. I was pleased that all the loose ends got tied up in the end, with good explanations for all the bizarre behavior. Sue Grafton, you hit the top with this one!

It is probably pretty easy to write a book where a one-dimensional, uninteresting protagonist solves an easy mystery. It would be harder to write one where that same character solves an intriguing mystery, or where an interesting, multi-faceted protagonist solves a boring mystery. It is perhaps easiest of all to baffle the readers throughout, then pull a rabbit of the the hat at the end, trying to be clever. Sue Grafton does not take any of these easy routes. Kinsey Millhone is a very interesting, believable, just plain human, character. The mystery in this 6th installment plays fair. Until the very end, you have several choices of who the culprit might be. The actual killer was not a total surprise, but wasn't one of the ones I was thinking were most likely. I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it highly. By the time I get a chance to read the rest of the current books, "O is for Outlaw" should be out, then I guess I will have to eagerly await each future book, just like those who have been reading this series all along.