I Is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (Prebound)) [Hardcover]

Sue Grafton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997 | Series: Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (Prebound)

I feel compelled to report that at the moment of death, my entire life did not pass before my eyes in a flash . . . What I experienced was a little voice piping up in an outraged tone: “Oh come on. You’re not serious. This is really it?” It was a Monday early in December when Kinsey Millhone first got involved in the Isabelle Barney murder case. She was out of work. Attorney Lonnie Klingman’s usual private investigator had just dropped dead of a heart attack. Kinsey was more than happy to oblige. The trouble started on the very first day of the investigation. Either Kinsey’s predecessor was incompetent – or someone had been getting away with murder. And next time it might turn out to be hers . . . ‘Terrific build-up to a satisfyingly shocking climax. This edges Kinsey to the top of my personal American private-eye hit parade’ The Times ‘It’s a joy to open I is for Innocent and know within a couple of pages that this is a book you’re going to enjoy to the end’ Sunday Telegraph

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After the pace and invention of "H" Is for Homicide, Grafton sets Kinsey Milhone on a quieter, more cerebral path in the ever-appealing PI's newest abecedarian adventure, again set in Santa Teresa, Calif. When fellow PI Morley Shine dies of a heart attack, Kinsey takes over the task of gathering evidence for a local lawyer who is prosecuting architect David Barney. Six years earlier, Barney was acquitted of murder charges in the still-unsolved death of his wealthy estranged wife Isabel, killed by a bullet fired through the peephole of her front door. Now Isabel's first husband, Ken Voigt, hoping to strip the architect of the fortune he inherited, is charging Barney with Isabel's wrongful death in a civil court, where less stringent evidence is required for conviction. Quickly finding holes in Shine's investigation, Kinsey uncovers a slew of suspects in Isabel's murder, including Voigt's second wife, Barney's first wife, Isabel's less attractive twin sister and even her best friend. Kinsey determines that Shine's death was not straightforward, solves the mystery of another years-old death and comes under direct fire herself before she finally, nearly too late, figures out who is the threat. There's much to enjoy here as Kinsey's octogenarian landlord Henry endures a visit from his fastidious older brother and romance blooms for neighborhood tavern owner Rose. But Kinsey may be voicing fans' hopes for "J" when she reflects midway through this case: "I wanted to feel like the old Kinsey again . . . talkin' trash and kickin' butt." 300,000 first printing; Literary Guild and Mystery Guild main selections.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

California's formidable p.i. Kinsey Millhone (``A'' Is for Alibi, etc.), fired from her comfortable berth with Fidelity Insurance, now rents office space from busy Santa Teresa lawyer Lonnie Kingman. His usual outside investigator Morley Shine has died of a heart attack, and he hires Kinsey to take over the case that Morley was working on. It involves the upcoming trial of David Barney, acquitted of the six-year-old murder of his wife, Isabelle, but now being sued for wrongful death in civil court by Isabelle's first husband, Ken Voigt. Voigt, represented by Lonnie Kingman, is sure that Barney killed Isabelle and wants to keep her considerable fortune out of his hands. Lonnie thinks he has a strong case, buoyed by damning new evidence from drifter Curtis McIntyre. But what Kinsey finds as she begins to probe is a surprising number of people with reasons to hate Isabelle--among them Voigt's second wife, Francesca, and Isabelle's business mentor Peter Weidmann and his overprotective wife, Yolanda. She also uncovers curious gaps in Morley's files and begins to question his ``heart attack,'' as Lonnie's seemingly solid case collapses bit by bit, with her own life on the line in the gritty finale. A sober, resolute Kinsey, romanceless at the moment, and a clever, meaty puzzle--for which the publisher plans a 300,000 first printing. Rack up another winner for Grafton. (Literary Guild Split Dual Selection for July) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: San Val (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417713984
• ISBN-13: 978-1417713981
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,165,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times-bestselling author Sue Grafton is published in twenty-eight countries and twenty-six languages--including Estonian, Bulgarian, and Indonesian. Books in her alphabet series, begun in 1982, are international bestsellers with readership in the millions. And like Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald, Grafton has earned new respect for the mystery form. Readers appreciate her buoyant style, her eye for detail, her deft hand with character, her acute social observances, and her abundant storytelling prowess. She has been named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America (2009) and is a recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award (2004).

Sue Grafton has been married to Steve Humphrey for more than thirty years, and they divide their time between Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky, where she was born and raised. Grafton, who has three children and four grandchildren, loves cats, gardens, and good cuisine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sue Grafton doesn't let you down., August 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: "I" is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Hardcover)

"I" is also for impressive, interesting and intriguing.
Sue Grafton's ninth book in the Kinsey Millhone series is all these and more.
In this installment, Kinsey is asked to take over the investigation of the five-year-old Isabelle Barney murder.
David Barney, Isabelle's second husband, was tried and acquitted of her murder. Now he's being sued for wrongful death, and it is Kinsey's job to find evidence that implicates David in the murder.
That turns out to be easier said than done. Kinsey finds out that there are a lot more people who would have liked Isabelle dead than just David. Her employer, her ex-husband, her ex-husband's wife, her best friend and even her sister all held grudges against Isabelle.
Kinsey clearly has her hands full with this one. Everyone is a suspect. Slowly but surely, she puts all the clues together and finds the killer.
This novel is almost identical in style to the other Kinsey Millhone books and that is what makes it so good. Grafton is smart enough to find a formula that works and stay with it. It's a basic mystery story with enough twists, turns and characters to keep it interesting.
The characters in this novel are part perfection and part hindrance. Grafton paints them vividly -- my favorite is Curtis McIntyre, the ex-con who tries more than one to pick Kinsey up. They are more than supporting players.
But, while the characters are wonderfully created, the abundance of them may confuse some readers. I had a little trouble remembering who was married to whom and who was doing what when Isabelle was killed. I was so interested, though, that I flipped back through the pages to find out what I needed to know. Some people may not think it's worth the trouble, however, and give up.
My favorite thing about this novel is that it is almost impossible to figure out who actually did the killing before reading the last page. I guess an experienced sleuth could figure it out, but for those of us who are amateurs it's a great puzzle.
Don't let the fact that you haven't read the eight novels published before this one stop you from enjoying it. In this book, as in each of the ones before it, Kinsey gives a "25-words-or-less" narrative of her past that catches you up and teases you to go back and read the other ones.
This novel is one of those you either deliberately read slowly because you don't want to get to the end, or you read as quickly as possible so youc an go back and read the others.
Either way you do it, Sue Grafton won't let you down.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I" is for Number One, January 14, 2001

By 

David Chaumette - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Hands down, this is the best book of the series. That doesn't mean you can necessarily start here, just that this one is a head above the rest. Kinsey is brought into a wrongful death case shortly before trial when the previous investigator dies. She finds out that he was not really doing his job, instead hiding away in his office to sneak a pizza or two. As always there are twists and turns. All of them make sense and are told with the Kinsey's characteristic sardonic tone.

The case involves an old murder and the supporting cast, as always, is well drawn and interesting. The nice thing about the Kinsey novels is that the recurring characters, including Kinsey herself, grow and their lives change from book to book. (That's part of the reason why you really can't skip around.)

Anyway, the ending is surprising, plausible, and exciting. In fact, you'll probably say "boy the killer was smart and almost got away with it."

In short, this one is a keeper. I know it'll be worth your time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing Light Reading That Keeps You Guessing 'Til The End, June 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Grafton has written yet another fun mystery of the Kinsey Millhone variety. After being acquitted of the murder of his wealthy and artistic wife, an architect is sued in civil court for wrongful death by the victim's obsessed first husband, and Kinsey is hired to solidify the evidence against him (remind you of OJ?). I was particularly impressed with the skillful way Grafton wove the development of the murder victim's character through interviews with those who knew her. This is definitely one of the better of the alphabet mysteries. I naughtily stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one.