T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Hardcover)

by Sue Grafton (Author) "She had a real name, of coursethe one she'd been given at birth and had used for much of her lifebut now she had a..." (more)
Key Phrases: shoulder hag, pick gun, Solana Rojas, New York, City College (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The 20th Kinsey Millhone crime novel (after 2005's S Is for Silence), a gripping, if depressing, tale of identify theft and elder abuse, displays bestseller Grafton's storytelling gifts. By default, Millhone, a private investigator in the small Southern California town of Santa Teresa, assumes responsibility for the well-being of an old neighbor, Gus Vronsky, injured in a fall. After Vronsky's great-niece arranges to hire a home aide, Solana Rojas, Millhone begins to suspect that Rojas is not all that she seems. Since the reader knows from the start that an unscrupulous master manipulator has stolen the Rojas persona, the plot focuses not on whodunit but on the battle of wits Millhone wages with an unconventional and formidable adversary. Grafton's mastery of dialogue and her portrayal of the limits of good intentions make this one of the series' high points, even if two violent scenes near the end tidy up the pieces a little too neatly. Author tour. (Dec.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine
Although Kinsey Millhone has been around for 25 years, critics agree that T Is for Trespass is one of Sue Grafton’s finest works to date. About elder abuse and identity theft, among other crimes, the novel devotes pages to both Kinsey’s and the villain’s perspectives and thus becomes more of a battle of wits between the two women than a real mystery. As Kinsey decides when and how far to get involved in Gus’s horrific plight, her other cases (a child molester is on the loose, for example) kept critics turning the pages. Reviewers also appreciated that Kinsey ages blissfully slowly—since 1982, when A Is for Alibi was published, she has only gained five years—and thus remains in the Internet-free 1980s, where interpersonal relationships triumph. The ending put off a few critics, but otherwise this 20th installment thoroughly engrosses.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1 edition (December 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154485
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154485
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (233 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,944 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 20 in The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mystery Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "T" Is For Terrific, December 4, 2007

By	Tom S. "filmfan3" (New York City) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The 20th novel in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series is one of the best. In her last outing, "S" IS FOR SILENCE, Grafton altered her style a bit, actually entering other characters' points of view to tell parts of the story so that they shared the narrating duties with Kinsey herself. With this new novel, that device is used to chilling effect--between reports from Kinsey, we enter the mind of a woman who is possibly her most twisted adversary to date.

Solana Rojas is a caregiver, a home-help nurse's aide much like the thousands you'll find all over America. But the woman assigned to care for Kinsey's elderly friend is not your usual "angel of mercy." For one thing, she is not the real Solana Rojas--she has stolen that woman's identity. And she has plans. To tell you more of the plot would be--well, criminal.

The best aspect of Grafton's excellent series is her ability to keep up with current social and legal problems, despite the fact that Kinsey's stories are set somewhere in the 1980s. In this novel we have identity theft, the inherent problems of home care, and--perhaps most disturbing--the tendency of society in general to ignore and/or mistreat our most vulnerable citizens. At least this elderly victim has Kinsey Millhone as a champion. And what a champion she is! "T" IS FOR TRESPASS will captivate longtime Grafton fans, and it should make her a lot of new fans as well. Highly recommended.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continued excellence, December 13, 2007

By	K. L. Cotugno (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The real genius in Sue Grafton's work is how she is able to continue to set her stories in the 80's and yet have them still be relevant to today. In an interview several years ago, she said she was lagging so that her heroine would not grow old before her time. Kinsey Milhone is her fantasy self, leading the life Grafton imagines she would if she were a PI in the 80's. Although it doesn't seem that long ago, it is 20 years after all. And the electronic gadgets that would make Kinsey's job easier are not available to her yet. This book is her best yet. Darker, and despite the 20 year lag, topical. She is able to juggle several story lines and keep them all fresh and interesting, satisfyingly complete.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars NOT ONE OF HER BEST, December 12, 2007

By	ANN SELF "AUTHOR SOMETHING MOST DEADLY" (NEW ENGLAND) - See all my reviews

Yikes, I'm distressed to write a less than glowing review for this novel. I have all of Ms. Grafton's books on my shelves, and have read them all at least twice, but I couldn't warm up to this one. Grafton has set the bar high with her previous works, so maybe I'm spoiled.
A lot of my favorite elements are still here. I love Rosie's, and I love feeling like I'm sitting right there in the booth taking in all the conversations. I adore Henry, one of the most loveable characters ever created by a writer. I enjoy Henry's cooking and all his quirky "sibs". Okay, so what do I miss? I miss the adventure, the sass and the sizzle. Kinsey has no need for a toothbrush and underpants in her slouch bag, because she never goes anywhere. Where is her new family? Deitz, Cheney? Anyone? The beginning of the story is about as exciting as reading a police blotter, as you follow Kinsey around on mundane PI chores. Okay, we all know that ninety percent of a PI's life is boring, but too much of the book is allocated to process serving, paperwork, eviction procedures, on and on. It gets way too preachy and didactic. Grafton mysteries are usually like a ray of sunshine, but I found this one to be dark and claustraphobic.
The book cranks into gear about half way through, and finally morphs into an interesting, well-researched story, dealing with the plight of the elderly and those that prey on them. Grafton has done a good deed here, highlighting the miseries and dangers that stalk our older citizens, and has crafted an eerie, despicable villain. Also intriguing is her use of an alternative POV. We see Kinsey from the perspective of the villain, and it gives us one of the best descriptions to date (that I can remember) of the actual physical appearance of Kinsey.
Near the end, the good ole Kinsey knock down and drag `em (literally) scene appears, but it still left me wanting more adventure--more plane rides, more change of real estate, more of the spunky Kinsey, like the earlier mysteries. Adventure does not need to be contrived or lowbrow as Grafton has easily proved in her prior novels.