Wednesday, January 3, 2018

RIP - Sue Grafton

Alas, Sue Grafton passed at age 77 before completing her alphabet mystery series. A fun, decent writer gone too soon.

A Is For Alibi started it all in 1982. Kinsey Millhone, a young private detective, let us into her life in Southern California and led us through a lot of puzzles. She was dogged, intrepid, smart, wily, and also keenly perceptive about the human condition.

Ms.Grafton said, "I find it more interesting to see what the constant exposure to violence and death really does to a human being, how a person incorporates that into their psyche." (from The Times interview 1985)

Y is for Yesterday was published in August, 2017. That is her final book. According to her family, Sue Grafton never wanted the series turned into movies, TV shows, or allow a ghost writer to continue in any vein. Thus, the alphabet ends at Y. (from her DMN obituary).

Sue Grafton was a solid author with a unique character in Kinsey. She grew in confidence in front of our eyes. By keeping the series in the 1980s, Grafton avoided the ease of too much technology. Old fashioned,hardcore beat footwork was the name of the detective game.

I hoofed along with Kinsey and enjoyed the ride, cruising up and down the CA highways, stopping for a run at the beach, and trying to guess the outcome of the mystery. Sue Grafton's work lives on.

R.I.P.

21 comments:

  1. I love Sue Grafton and was so sad to hear of her death. I will so miss not getting to read more of her writing. Too bad her Z book can't come out because I read that she was working on it.

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    1. we'll see. In this day and age, nothing is impossible. But they should honor her wishes.

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  2. I didn't read any of Sue's books but I'm sure she will be missed by many. May she Rest In Peace.

    Yvonne.

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    1. Hey - you can start at A - they are a fun ride

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  3. She came so close. I hope they honor her wishes.

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  4. It's a shame she didn't get to finish the alphabet, but I, too, hope her family honors her wishes. I HATE that Michael Crichton's family allowed his publisher to put out some tripe with his name on it after he died. They said he's started it, and the other writer merely finished it. NOT! Sue Grafton's work is too good to have it bastardized by greed.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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  5. So enjoyed her books. She doesn't need the quote 'Finished Is Better Than Perfect'...what she did write was excellent! Hope her wishes are honored, although a made for TV movie series would be refreshing compared to what we have to watch these days.

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    1. thanks. I agree and for true fans, we have to let Kinsey carry on from A to Y

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  6. So close indeed. Hopefully her family doesn't sell out to the Hollywood machine.

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    1. should prove interesting. There's always one relative who's ready for a gravy train.

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  7. I have not read Sue Grafton, but she was on my "someday" list. She still is. Even though I haven't read her, I feel bereft. A writing talent lost...

    Joanne, thank you for your kind comment on my blog and all your support. It really matters.

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    1. Absolutely. I love your work, so it's sincere. And Ms.Grafton's books are a nice escape - easy breezy and fun

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  8. The fact that she finished with Y is messing with my OCD. lol That's too bad she passed away.

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    1. you'll just have to make up a Z book in your head.

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  9. Such a shame that just one more would have completed the alphabet. Always a sadness when a favourite author passes away.

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    1. indeed and she had battled cancer for quite a while. I'm sure getting to Z kept her going.

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  10. It's sad that Z didn't get written, but I agree that they should honor her wishes.

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  11. This is a sweet, honorable tribute, Joanne.
    It's frustrating that she was so, so close to the end of the alphabet when she passed. Thank you for sharing - it sounds like a fun series.

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