This latest install of Grafton’s alphabet series is the first I’ve read in real time. By that I mean I read it right after it came out. I pre-ordered it at Amazon and banged through it over Thanksgiving weekend. I’m all caught up with Grafton now… just waiting around for the next one.
This felt like the longest and most rambling of any of her books. I say rambling because Grafton uses the perspective of three related parties along with the normal first person account by Millhone. This all happens simultaneously, unlike the last book, which dredged up a murder from twenty years ago. I like this a lot better.
It was difficult to put this one down. Really difficult. Grafton went in some new directions this time around. It was the first time I recall a scene with Millhone that was not told in the first person. It was fun to get a different perspective of Millhone from someone else. It also had the longest and most involved non-Millhone romance storyline that I recall.
Great book.
I have to believe that most of Grafton’s fans are women, say 75% maybe. Actually, that may be low. If you read through her Facebook comments, her hardcore fans are probably 99% women. I may be one of very few males who has read A through V in order. That makes me feel special.
Well, not really. But I’ll tell you this, I feel like I’ve made some strides since noticing how few books I read by female authors. Fully eight of the 29 books I’ve read so far this year were by female authors. How about that? I’m all about expanding horizons, pushing through boundaries, and great pizza, to name a few things.
Hopefully she is full blast on W right now. I’d preorder it if I could. What’s she going to call it? I can’t think of any obvious crime-related words that start with W.
One thing is for sure, she isn’t selling the film rights any time soon. Check out this interview at the 5:10 point. She says:
I worked in Hollywood for fifteen years. I hate those people. Most of the ones I met were just as nice, they were educated, they were gracious. They would savage your work.
That’s beautiful. It’s a great interview. Among other things, she discusses the book previous to this one and lists some of her favorite authors. I wonder how long this video will be up because it’s from Border’s Media. Hopefully they don’t blow it up along with everything else because of their bankruptcy. Heck, if you go to Borders.com you get redirected to Barnes and Noble.
She’s been on a two year cycle for books so I guess I’ll have to wait until 2013. Too bad.