F is For Fugitive by Sue Grafton (thoughts)

This is one of my absolute favorite mystery series!  It is also a series that constantly makes me wonder why I don't read more books like this when I enjoy them so much.  I don't quite have the answer to that but it is probably something that I should explore.  In other words, I need to find more mysteries just like this! 

In this book, Kinsey is hired to investigate a seventeen year old murder.  With the odds stacked against her from almost the very beginning, Kinsey begins to ask questions trying to figure out the details of what happened that night.  The convicted murderer is still proclaiming his innocence and things aren't all as clean cut as they seem.  But with all of the questions that Kinsey is asking, it isn't long before she finds herself in danger.  Can she really unearth evidence to find the truth behind a murder that happened so long ago?  And will she be able to make it out alive if she does?

I'm positive that in every review that I've written about books in this series I've talked about my love of Kinsey's character.  I can't not mention it because it plays such an important role in my enjoyment of these books.  Kinsey is so easy to relate to but the author has really taken the time to flesh her out into something so much more.  I like her plain and simple.  She doesn't hesitate to tell a little white lie (for the good of her investigation of course), she likes simple things, isn't high maintenance, and is the most persistent type of character I've ever come across in a book.  She never gives up or stops asking questions even when it feels like her investigation is going nowhere or just running in circles.  I like that about her!  I really appreciate how easy it is for me to find myself lost in these books trying to find the answer to the mystery along with Kinsey.  I never seem to be able to figure it out but the fun is in the trying!

This is one of those series that I will never hesitate to recommend.  I've got my Mom reading them and I'm constantly handing off my copies to my sister with the hope that she will enjoy them as much as I have.  Kinsey is a throwback to a time before computers and electronics played such an important role in our every day life.  It is fun to see her solve mysteries without using high tech gadgets and laboratory findings; instead she figures everything out just using her inquisitiveness and some good old common sense.  This book was another great addition to this series and exactly what I have come to expect from this author!

Overall, another amazing book in this series.  Yes some are better than others, but I have yet to find a book by Grafton that I haven't enjoyed.  Now I just need to get my hands on a copy of G is for Gumshoe!  I've been buying my copies of these books from my local used bookstore, and I LOVE the old covers that I've found.  But the last two times that I was there I couldn't find a copy to take home with me so I'm probably going to have to hit the library until I come across one.  Because eventually this is a series that I would like to own in its' entirety.  The books are just that good!

Bottom Line:  A series that is a must-read in my opinion!  But you most definitely should start with the first book!

Disclosure:  I purchased a copy of this book from my local used bookstore.  It was worth every penny!