R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sue Grafton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kinsey Millhone Mysteries | Publication Date: November 30, 2010

Reba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institution for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence. Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers." "It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe all of a week's work. Nothing untoward - the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good." But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When wealthy octogenarian Nord Lafferty hires Kinsey Millhone to help his newly paroled daughter find her way back to the straight and narrow after doing time for embezzlement, the Santa Teresa P.I. has no idea what she's getting into. Reba Lafferty's ex-boss, land developer Alan Beckwith, is the man who sent her to prison--so how come she's meeting him just hours after her release, and treating Kinsey to an X-rated reunion scene played out in his parked Mercedes? And why is he also playing sex games with Reba's formerly best friend, who still works for him? A visit from an old friend from the FBI clears up the mystery--Beckwith is suspected of running a money-laundering game, and they need Reba to make their case by rolling over on him. It’s not until Millhone presents Reba with photographic evidence of Beckwith's two-timing that she agrees to do what the Feds want... but she'll only do it her way, which could get a lot of people killed. Grafton fleshes out this well-crafted thriller with a romantic subplot involving a romantic triangle that features Kinsey's elderly landlord Henry, his brother, and a vivacious widow who can't seem to choose between them. It doesn't add much to the plot, but the fans of this evergreen series (who must be wondering what will happen to Millhone when Grafton gets to the end of the alphabet) probably won't mind a bit. --Jane Adams --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Grafton offers more of the same-old same-old in her less-than-inspired 18th Kinsey Millhone novel (after 2002's Q Is for Quarry). In this sexy adventure, the spunky hard-boiled detective has to escort the newly paroled Reba Lafferty, privileged ne'er-do-well, to her stately home, keeping her on the straight and narrow. Reba challenges the PI with her barely concealed hankerings for the now off-limits booze, gambling and charming Alan Beckwith, married real estate developer and former employer for whom Reba took a two-year barbwire vacation courtesy of the California Institution for Women. Lust is in the air as studly, stylish cop Cheney Phillips enters in his red Mercedes, fanning the flames with Kinsey, when Beckwith's activities catch the eye of the feds. Kinsey lends a supportive ear to her beloved 87-year-old landlord, smitten by a 70-year-old neighbor. Kinsey and Reba team up to get the goods on Beckwith, but reckless Reba has vengeful ideas of her own and more than once lands their collective fat in the fire. If the chemistry between Cheney and Kinsey seems forced at times, Grafton as usual creates believable and enduring characters and a strong sense of place in her town of Santa Teresa circa 1987. And that should be more than enough for most fans.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425203867
• ISBN-13: 978-0425203866
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (174 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,601 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

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre..., January 12, 2005

By 

Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: R is for Ricochet (Hardcover)

I have been with Sue Grafton since A is for Alibi, and the best that I can say about the 18th book in the Kinsey Milhone series, R is for Ricochet, is that it is mediocre. In Ricochet, Grafton is very short on plot and very long on tedious description. It's definitely not a riveting tale.

Wealthy, retired businessman, Nord Lafferty, hires Kinsey for a different kind of job. Nord has a ne'er-do-well daughter, Reba, who is about to be released from jail. Her sentence was for embezzling money from her job. Reba also has issues with alcohol, drugs and gambling. Kinsey is hired to serve as babysitter and chauffeur. Much to Kinsey's surprise, Reba is a likable sort, and Kinsey is drawn to help her-even after her assignment is finished. Milhone figures out that the embezzlement case is more than it seems, and the deeper she digs, the murkier the situation becomes.

But what makes this book a disappointment is the heavy dose of description. It's not just enough for Grafton to tell us that there are flowers in front of a house. She also has to regale us with what they are, what they look like (including height, color, etc.), how they smell, the sound of them rustling in the wind, and even their texture. A description of a toilet seat goes on for a paragraph. Enough already! It's like taking a bite of a big sandwich and finding very little meat. The subplots were also unnecessary. Henry's love interest (Kinsey's landlord) and his feud with his brothers is totally annoying and doesn't add one thing to this book. The story finally starts moving, but not until chapter 28.

Still, I gave R is for Ricochet 3 stars because even a mediocre Grafton is much better than a good effort by many mystery writers today. There is just too much fluff out there. So when "S" comes along, I'll give it a try (but maybe I'll wait for the paperback version next time).

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars R should have stood for Rewrite/Reject/Really REALLY BAD!, June 14, 2006

By 

Beverley A. Sutton "bevhealthnut" (Clifton, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

My Iraq-bound son shelled out his hard-earned cash to buy this as a book-on-CD for us to "enjoy" on the ride home when we visited him prior to his deployment.I wish there was a way to get his money back!

"R is for Ricochet", is a truly abysmal addition to the alphabet series. I realize that some of my criticism might have more to do with the delivery by Judy Kaye ... but after reading many of the other reviews, I doubt it.

If you think that endless filler (think high school student with a 3,000 word essay to write) is tedious while reading it ... try having it read aloud to you. *groan* I can't tell you how many times we made the hands rolling "GET ON WITH IT!" motion.

What on earth happened to the feisty, risk-taking, down-to-earth, no-frills, take-it-on-the-chin heroine we know and grew to love? Kinsey Millhone is utterly unrecognizable in this story. Here, she is wimpy, gullible, tentative, and full of teenage angst, a regular worrywart. In fact, she is downright stupid in many scenes.

Her alleged "friendship" with the ex-con Reba, was laughably contrived. They have zero in common and Kinsey is ten years her senior. Reba was a totally unbelievable character ... one minute a train wreck, the next ... brilliant star detective.

As for Kinsey's new romance ... oh puh-leeze! Sue Grafton was so obviously trying to imitate Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and Joe Morelli. Why on earth would clothing-challenged Kinsey fall for a snappy Italian dresser in expensive designer clothes? So NOT her type. How would she even recognize these designer clothes for what they are? The Kinsey I know would have commented that the guy looked "good", period! And don't even get me started on the girlie clothes shopping scene. Kinsey ... you used to have a backbone, what happened?

Finally, I totally concur with those who wondered where on earth the title "R is for Ricochet" fitted in!? A cut-and-paste "mystery" that Sue Grafton should have been ashamed to put her name on.

Skip this one for sure ... I was so disappointed with "R is for Ricochet" I doubt I will ever pick up another Grafton.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars R is for REALLY Disappointing, September 6, 2005

By 

A Reader from Delaware "silverspring7" - See all my reviews

This review is from: R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

It took me forever to finish the latest book in Sue Grafton's series, and I've read them all. She's an excellent writer, but this book was really disappointing. The series is a mystery series, but there was no mystery here. It was just a long, drawn out story with the main character (Kinsey) taking a back seat and leaving me wondering if Ms. Grafton has become a little bored with this series. I think that if she's looking for a change in writing style or wanting to develop a new main character, she should just write a book outside of this series like so many other authors (i.e. Sara Paretsky, Laura Lippman) have done. She's still a fantastic writer, however. I just wouldn't recommend this particular book to someone who has never before read Grafton.