X

The latest in the Sue Grafton alphabet series. I have read and enjoyed (and own) "A" through "W" so was happy to dive into this. The brevity of the title gives an inkling of the serious nature of the story...usually the titles have a sub-title, e.g., W is for Wasted. Not only is there a worse than usual bad guy, but Kinsey must come to terms with her own prejudices and misjudgements of former acquaintance and work colleague Pete Wolinsky, who was recently murdered. Then there is the elderly couple who have moved in next door and seem to be taking advantage of Henry's good nature--they turn out to be practiced con artists. Kinsey sets out to catch them cheating in a way that will get them into jail. She takes on one of Pete's old cases to make amends to his memory and to his widow, and in the process crosses swords with a violent stalker of women. She also gets dragged into an enraged divorcee's efforts to get even with her philandering husband by stealing some art.
This felt like a rich and satisfying read. Grafton always has a bit more to offer than, for example, Janet Evanovich, in terms of moral quandries and complex characters. I would put her on the spectrum somewhere between Evanovich and Sara Paretsky--some quirky fun, but also serious issues.