C Is for Corpse (Sue Grafton) [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio CD)

by Sue Grafton (Author), Judy Kaye (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The corpse in private eye Kinsey Millhone's third adventure ("A" Is for Alibi and "B" Is for Burglar is that of Bobby Callahan, a young man she first meets while both are working out in a local gym. Bobby is convinced the car crash he'd been injured in was really an attempt on his life and, fearful of another assault, persuades Kinsey to investigate. A few days later, Bobby is indeed killed, and Kinsey stays on the case. She is befriended by Bobby's wealthy mother, his opportunistic stepfather and druggie, anoretic stepsister. She learns Bobby was having an affair with a friend of his mother's whose first husband had been killed in a suspicious burglary, and whose second is county pathologist. While the almost hard-boiled Kinsey ferrets out the ugly secrets behind Bobby's death, she's also trying to save her elderly landlord from the schemes of the scam-operating senior lady he's smitten with. Kinsey Millhone is nobody's fool; she's also sensitive, funny and very likable. Writing with a light, sure touch, Grafton has produced a fast-moving California story about quirky, believable people.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"'Quiveringly alive' Daily Telegraph; 'C is for classy, multiplex plotting, strong characterization and a tough cookie heroine' Time Out; 'She has guts, humour, and conscience... alphabetically speaking, we can look forward to 23 more Kinseys' The Times" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (March 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375417192
• ISBN-13: 978-0375417191
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #702,098 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mystery Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, August 9, 2001

By	Robert Von Gerds "robgerds" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: C Is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Another Great Book by Sue Grafton. In 'C is for Corpse' our hero Kinsey Millhone is hired by Bobby, a young man who fell victim to a terrible car accident almost a year ago and has left the once handsome young man freak-looking. Bobby believes the accident was an attempt to kill him, because of a secret he knows. Unfortunately, Bobby suffers from amnesia because of the accident ad cannot remember what the secret was. Our friend Kinsey quickly takes a liking to him, but unfortunatley Bobby meets an untimely end. Now it is up to Kinsey to find out who is behind his death and what the horrible secret is...

Once again, Sue Grafton portrays Kinsey as the odd yet likeable person that she is. I have always been able to identify very well with Kinsey Millhone and have taken a real liking to her. I can't wait to read the rest of her books!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging mystery - kept me gripped till the end, January 31, 2001

By	A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: C Is for Corpse (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Kinsey Millhone, single female, Private Investigator and all-round ordinary person is still recovering from the beating she received solving her last crime (told to us in B is for Burglar). This is later on in 1982 and as part of her recovery programme she is working out at the gym. That's where she sees Bobby Callahan. He is also recovering from a serious accident, and he looks bad. A few months before he lost control of his car and drove off a canyon road killing his friend and almost killing himself. He lost most of his memory in the accident, and as it returns in flashes, he realises that someone was trying to kill him - and could try again.

Kinsey takes the case wondering where to start - but before she gets too far Bobby is killed what seems to be an accidental crash, but Kinsey has her doubts. Given that he hired her to find his killers and left her with a retainer she feels she must, for his honour and memory, continue the case. Someone else in these reviews commented on Kinsey's loyalty, and that is right. She has a lot of likeable characteristics and this is one of them.

Bobby's friends and family must be interviewed and eliminated from her investigation and these include mother, Glen; his stepfather, Derek ; his step-sister (a drug addict and anoretic), Kitty; - a beautiful ex-girlfriend ;- Doctor Fraker whom Bobby worked for ; Fraker's beautiful wife Nola whose first husband died in mysterious circumstances and a host of his mother's friends. Kinsey must find out who the mystery woman Bobby was meeting before his first accident and how his job at the morgue fitted in to all of this.

At the same time Kinsey is having personal problems. Her personable landlord, Henry, has taken up with a widow by the name of Lila who has aroused everyone's suspicions except Henry's. Kinsey doesn't trust her and wants to find out what going on much closer to home as well....and then there are her feelings for Jonah Robb, gorgeous Policeman whom we first met in B is for Burglar.

I do love Kinsey she is definitely addictive in all the good sense of the word. She is an engaging narrator for these books, detailed, good sense of humour and likeable. If she carries any chips on her shoulder she doesn't brood darkly about them, and I like that.. The mystery is satisfying to solve too - picking away at layers of clues and lies to find out what is going on beneath this all. The conclusion is somewhat Gothic but the story was so good I didn't mind that at all. Sue Grafton is definitely on my Keeper shelf - while C is for Corpse is not one of my favourites of her series - I just like Kinsey so much - she is readable, and human, and I enjoy that.

In case you are wondering - you definitely don't have to read the series in order to make sense of the series. They are stand alone books in their own right.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best so far!, July 2, 2007

By	K. Martin - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: "C" is for Corpse (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I recently started reading these great books by Sue Grafton and really enjoy them. I was told to read them in order so of course I have only read three so far. I have found "C" is for Corpse the best so far. You begin to believe that Kinsey Millone is an actual person that exist, and can't wait to see what she will be up to next. She's smart, witty, fun, and you can't help but like her. I am saving "D" for deadbeat for my vacation so I will have a guaranteed great read.