"A" Is for Alibi by: Sue Grafton 2001 Women Detectives and More Ethnic Sleuths

This mystery follows the female private detective Kinsey Millhone. I enjoyed reading a mystery with a female main character (even though I figured out who the killer was pretty early on). Kinsey is a straight talking, no frills character. When trying to get information from one detective he said, “I thought you would be more of a flirt.” I liked that Kinsey did not use the fact that she was a female to get what she wants.

Kinsey is hired by Nikki Fife after she is released from prison. Nikki was incarcerated for the murder of her husband. Her adulterating husband, Lawrence, was poisoned when some of his medication was tainted with oleander. The trial portrayed Nikki as a scorned wife and proved she had motive. Now free, she was determined to clear her name.

Kinsey begins to visit the assortment of women who were involved with Lawrence at some point in time. She soon realizes that Lawrence is a cruel man that a number of women would want to kill. Someone planted a letter to make it seem like Lawrence was involved in a girl who handled his law firm’s accounts. In the end this girl was killed just a matter of days after Lawrence because she knew too much.

Kinsey met with Lawrence’s partner at the law firm, Charlie Scorsoni to learn more about the case. Kinsey and Scorsoni soon became romantically involved. Kinsey breaks the cardinal rule and this is when I became suspicious. Lawrence was killed by his ex-wife, who was extremely angry when he left her for the younger Nikki. But Scorsoni saw Lawrence’s death as an opportunity to get rid of his accountant lover who knew too much. He poisons her in the same way Lawrence was killed. Scorsoni also killed the ex-wife by hitting her with a car while she was on her morning run in an effort to keep her from talking. Kinsey tries to see if there was any damage to Scorsoni’s car and finds herself in a dangerous position. Kinsey begins running along the edge of the beach and trying to get away from the murderer. She eventually hides in a trash can but he discovered her hiding place. Scorsoni tries to attack Kinsey with a knife but she shoots him before he has the chance.