Bøger af Sue Grafton

Another "IRRESISTIBLE" (Baltimore Sun) novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue GraftonI IS FOR IF . . .Five years ago David Barney was acquitted of the murder of his rich wife, Isabelle. Now, Isabelle's ex-husband, Ken Voigt-who is suing Barney for her estate-is claiming the jury made a fatal mistake...I IS FOR INDICTMENT . . . Enter P.I. Kinsey Millhone, who takes the Barney case over from a former colleague...and comes up with more questions than answers. Why are Mr. Barney's witnesses denying ever having spoken to him? Why did Isabelle have so many enemies-including but not limited to her best friend, Voight's second wife, and her own twin sister? I IS FOR INNOCENTBut the most troubling question of all is: Why is it that everything David Barney has to say about his beloved Isabelle still checks out? Now it's up to Kinsey to figure out who's getting away with murder . . . .before she courts her own.The New York Times #1 bestselling series reissued for a whole new generation of readers!"A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

B is for Burglar, from Sue Grafton's #1 New York Times bestselling Kinsey Millhone Alphabet mystery seriesAlthough business has been slow lately for P.I. Kinsey Millhone, she's reluctant to take on the case of locating Beverly Danziger's sister Elaine Boldt. It's a small matter that Beverly should be able to handle herself. So why is she enlisting Kinsey's services? Beverly claims she needs Elaine's signature on some documents so that she can collect a small inheritance. But the whole affair doesn't sit well with Kinsey. And if there's something she's learned in her line of work, it's to always follow your instincts... Kinsey's hunch proves true when she begins her inquiries into Elaine's whereabouts and discovers that the attractive widow was last seen in a flashy lynx coat boarding a plane for Boca Raton. But the more Kinsey searches for Elaine the more questions she encounters. Is Elaine's disappearance tied in to the brutal murder several months ago of one of her bridge partners? And what happened to Elaine's Persian cat who seems to have also vanished?Things take a turn for the worse when a stranger vandalizes the home of one of Elaine's neighbors and another neighbor turns up murdered. With her reputation and career on the line, Kinsey risks all to find a missing woman and a killer who's waiting in the shadows to strike again..."A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

Get ready for one of Kinsey Millhone's "wildest adventures yet" (San Francisco Examiner) from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton L is for LIES...When Kinsey Millhone's landlord asks her to help deceased World War II vet Johnnie Lee's family find out why the military has no record of his service, she thinks it'll be a cinch. But she is about to meet her match in world-class prevaricators who take her for the ride of her life.L is for LARCENY...When Lee's apartment in burgled and a man named Ray Rawson, who claims to be an old friend of Lee's, is beaten up, Kinsey soon finds herself on the trail of a pregnant woman with a duffel bag. Soon the intrepid P.I. is following leads halfway across the country and encountering another man from Lee's past-a vengeful psychopath.L is for LAWLESSStalked by a new enemy and increasingly suspicious of Rawson-not to mention running out of time and money-now Kinsey must steer a collision course to solve a decades-old mystery that some would like better left unsolved...."A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

'K' is for Kinsey in her "most ambitious" (The Wall Street Journal) adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue GraftonK is for KINSHIP...Janice Kepler is on the way home from the support group she joined after the death of her beloved daughter, Lorna. When she sees a light on in the offices of Millhone Investigations, she believes it's a sign...and decides to knock on the door.K is for KINETIC...Janice has waited long enough for Lorna's case to pick up steam, and she is relieved when Kinsey Millhone agrees to finish the work authorities left undone. Ten months before, local police had suspected homicide, but never could find a suspect-or a motive. The trail went cold. And Lorna's death remained a mystery...K is for KillerNow Kinsey is about to be pulled into a netherworld of unavenged murder and damaged survivors...where sometimes it takes a deal with the devil to survive."Impressive, fascinating...Smart, funny Kinsey takes a stroll on the dark side in [this] intriguingly offbeat mystery."-The New York Times Book Review

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton crafts a thriller set in a town so small that P.I. Kinsey Millhone wonders just how private her investigation can be . . . F is for Fugitive When Kinsey Millhone first arrives in Floral Beach, California, it's hard for her to picture the idyllic coastal town as the setting of a brutal murder. Seventeen years ago, the body of Jean Timberlake-a troubled teen who had a reputation with the boys-was found on the beach. Her boyfriend Bailey Fowler was convicted of her murder and imprisoned, but he escaped. After all this time, Bailey's finally been captured. Believing in his son's innocence, Bailey's father wants Kinsey to find Jean's real killer. But most of the residents in this tight-knit community are convinced Bailey strangled Jean. So why are they so reluctant to answer Kinsey's questions? If there's one thing Kinsey's got plenty of it's persistence. And that's exactly what it's going to take to crack the lid on this case.As Kinsey gets closer to solving Jean's murder, the more dirty little secrets she uncovers in a town where everyone has something to hide-and a killer will kill again to keep the past buried..."A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

Sue Grafton's #1 New York Times bestselling series, reissued for a whole new generation of readers!D IS FOR DEADBEATWhen Alvin Limardo walks into P.I. Kinsey Millhone's office, she smells bad news. He wants Kinsey to deliver $25,000. The recipient: A fifteen-year-old boy. It's a simple matter. So simple that Kinsey wonders why he doesn't deliver the money himself. She's almost certain something is off. But with rent due, Kinsey accepts Limardo's retainer against her better judgment...When Limardo's check bounces, Kinsey discovers she's been had big time. Alvin Limardo is really John Daggett-an ex-con with a drinking problem, two wives to boot, and a slew of people who would like to see him dead. Now Kinsey is out four hundred dollars and in hot pursuit of Daggett. When Daggett's corpse shows up floating in the Santa Teresa surf, the cops rule the death an accident. Kinsey thinks it's murder. But seeking justice for a man who everyone seemed to despise is going to be a lot tougher than she bargained for-and what awaits her at the end of the road is much more disturbing than she could've ever imagined..."A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

For #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton's PI Kinsey Millhone, danger comes with the job-but she never expects to find herself at the top of a hit man's list...G IS FOR GAME...When Irene Gersh asks PI Kinsey Millhone to locate her elderly mother Agnes, whom she hasn't heard from in six months, it's not exactly the kind of case Kinsey jumps for. But a girl's gotta pay her bills, and this should be easy money-or so she thinks. Kinsey finds Agnes in a hospital. Aside from her occasional memory lapses, the octogenarian seems fine. And frightened. G IS FOR GUN...Kinsey doesn't know what to make of Agnes's vague fears and bizarre ramblings, but she's got her own worries. It seems Tyrone Patty, a criminal she helped put behind bars, is looking to make a hit. First, Kinsey's car is run off the road, and then days later, she's almost gunned down, setting in motion a harrowing cat and mouse game... G IS FOR GUMSHOESo Kinsey decides to hire a bodyguard. With PI Robert Dietz watching her 24/7, Kinsey is feeling on edge...especially with their growing sexual tension. Then, Agnes dies of an apparent homicide, Kinsey realizes the old lady wasn't so senile after all-and maybe she was trying to tell her something? Now Kinsey's determined to learn the truth...even if it kills her."A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

READ THE SENSATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER THAT STARTED IT ALL!Take it from the top in #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton's knockout thriller that introduced detective Kinsey Millhone-and a hot new attitude-to crime fiction...A IS FOR AVENGERA tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she's got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes.A IS FOR ACCUSEDThat's why she draws desperate clients like Nikki Fife. Eight years ago, she was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she's out on parole and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer. But after all this time, clearing Nikki's bad name won't be easy.A IS FOR ALIBIIf there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer-and sharper-than she imagined."A" Is for Alibi"B" Is for Burglar"C" Is for Corpse"D" Is for Deadbeat"E" Is for Evidence"F" Is for Fugitive"G" Is for Gumshoe"H" Is for Homicide"I" Is for Innocent"J" Is for Judgment"K" Is for Killer"L" is for Lawless"M" Is for Malice"N" Is for Noose"O" Is for Outlaw"P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry"R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass"U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"

O is for Outlaw is the fifteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.First there was a phone call from a stranger, then a letter showed up fourteen years after it was sent. That's how I learned I'd made a serious error in judgement and ended up risking my life . . .' The call comes on a Monday morning from a guy who scavenges defaulted storage units at auction. Last weekend he bought a stack. They had stuff in them - Kinsey stuff. For thirty bucks, he'll sell her the lot. Kinsey's never been one for personal possessions, but curiosity wins out and she hands over a twenty (she may be curious but she loves a bargain). What she finds amid childhood memorabilia is an old undelivered letter. It will force her to re-examine her beliefs about the break-up of her first marriage, about the honour of her first husband, about an old unsolved murder. And it will put her life in the gravest peril.

N is for Noose is the fourteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.Sometimes I think about how odd it would be to catch a glimpse of the future, a quick view of events lying in store for us. Some moments we saw would make no sense at all and some, I suspect, would frighten us beyond our endurance . . . Early spring in the Sierra Nevada, bringing the usual driving sleet and snow. Private investigator Kinsey Millhone is on her way west when she detours into Nota Lake (pop. 2356) to check out a new client. And encounters a chill she can scarcely believe. Only six weeks have passed since sheriff's detective Tom Newquist died of a heart attack. His widow is sure he was keeping secrets from her just before he died - and she hires Kinsey to find out exactly what. But all Kinsey can uncover is that Newquist led an exemplary life, so what could he possibly have to conceal? And why has the town, to the last threatening redneck, closed ranks on her? Kinsey's on the point of giving up. Until she discovers a chilling new clue: a childish drawing of a thick length of rope - fashioned into a hangman's noose . . .

M is for Malice is the thirteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.'M' is for Malek Construction, the $40 million company that grew out of modest soil to become one of the big three in California. 'M' is for Malek family: four sons now nearing middle age who stand to inherit a fortune - four men with very different temperaments and needs, linked only by blood and money. Eighteen years ago, one of them - angry, troubled and in trouble - went missing. 'M' is for Millhone, now hired to trace that missing black sheep brother. And, in brutal consequence, 'M' is for murder . . .

U is for Undertow is the twenty-first in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.In 1960s Santa Teresa, California, a child is kidnapped and never returned . . . When the case is reopened after twenty years, a man - Michael Sutton - contacts private detective Kinsey Millhone for help. He claims to have recalled a strange and disturbing memory which just might provide the key to the mystery. He may have stumbled across the kidnappers burying Mary Claire Fitzhugh's body . . . But Michael's account is indistinct - he was only six years old at the time of the kidnapping; and even members of his family try to discredit his evidence. But Kinsey is certain there is something vital within Michael's recollections. And even when what is eventually unearthed isn't what anyone expected, she can't quite let go of the case. As Kinsey gradually brings to light the stories of the protagonists involved in the tragedy, from Country Club parents to their free-living, hippy children, the truth finally begins to emerge. And while stepping back into the past, Kinsey discovers more about her own history too . . .

S is for Silence is the nineteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton. Just after Independence Day in July 1953 Violet Sullivan, a local good time girl living in Serena Station Southern California, drives off in her brand new Chevy and is never seen again. Left behind is her young daughter, Daisy, and Violet's impetuous husband, Foley, who had been persuaded to buy his errant wife the car only days before . . . Now, thirty-five years later, Daisy wants closure. Reluctant to open such an old cold case Kinsey Millhone agrees to spend five days investigating, believing at first that Violet simply moved on to pastures new. But very soon it becomes clear that a lot of people shared a past with Violet, a past that some are still desperate to keep hidden. And in a town as close-knit as Serena there aren't many places to hide when things turn vicious . . .

R is for Ricochet is the eighteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.Kinsey Millhone, employed by Nord Lafferty to drive his daughter home from her incarceration at the Californian Institute for Women, marvels at the simplicity of the task. But Reba Lafferty emerges feisty and rebellious, and Kinsey is soon fighting to prevent her charge from breaking the conditions of her parole. As she finds herself befriending the ex-gambler, ex-alcoholic and ex-con, Kinsey discovers that Reba had taken the fall for her boss, also her lover, when he conducted a highly-crafted money laundering scam. Alan Beckwith has so far escaped the clutches of the FBI. Now they believe he is laundering money for a Columbian drug cartel - they just need the proof. When Kinsey is asked by the police to persuade Reba to unveil crucial evidence guaranteed to put Beckwith behind bars, she doesn't expect cooperation. But when she hears of shocking new information about her lover, Reba is suddenly all too eager to do everything she can to ruin him. Embroiled in a cunning challenge of wits, and meanwhile bemused by her own blossoming romance, Kinsey must try to control the bitter, angry Reba as she launches her dangerous revenge . . .

L is for Lawless is the twelfth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.It was the week before Thanksgiving when Kinsey Millhone first heard the sad story of the late Johnny Lee, the World War II fighter pilot of whom, rather mysteriously, the military authorities have no record. His family are concerned - perhaps Kinsey could make a few calls, straighten things out? Then Johnny's apartment is ransacked. In the debris a hidden safe is uncovered - and in that safe is a mysterious key marked LAWLESS. That night Kinsey's on a plane to Dallas, at the start of a thrilling rollercoaster ride through Texas and Kentucky on the trail of long-buried treasure. Unfortunately there's a fire-raising psychopath on her tail . . . And she's going to be late for a very important wedding . . .

K is for Killer is the eleventh in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.Lorna Kepler was beautiful and wilful, a loner who couldn't resist flirting with danger. She has also been found dead in mysterious circumstances and her death pulls Kinsey Millhone into a netherworld of deception, betrayal and unavenged murder . . .

V is for Vengeance is the twenty-second in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton. Las Vegas, 1986. A young college graduate is murdered when he is unable to pay back a loan funded by notorious criminal Lorenzo Dante. Two years later private investigator Kinsey Millhone finds herself assisting to apprehend a shoplifter - Audrey Vance - in a shopping centre. Events take a much darker turn when Audrey's body is discovered beneath the Cold Spring Bridge, a local suicide spot. Unable to believe she took her own life, Audrey's fiance Marvin Striker hires Kinsey to investigate. It soon emerges that the shoplifter had become caught up in a much larger operation. Meanwhile Lorenzo Dante has begun to grow weary of his life in organized crime and frustrated with his violent and impulsive younger brother Cappi. While the police net begins to close in on him, Dante meets the beautiful Nora, who exerts a powerful pull over the gangster. As Kinsey's enquiries reach a dramatic head, it becomes clear that she and Dante have one thing in common - they must be careful who they trust . . .

My name is Kinsey Millhone. I'm a private investigator, licensed, bonded, insured; white, female, age thirty-two, unmarried, and physically fit. That Monday morning, I was sitting in my office with my feet up, wondering what life would bring, when a woman walked in and tossed a photograph on my desk. 'Somebody killed my husband.' Published thirty one years after A is for Alibi, Sue Grafton's Kinsey and Me, is her first compendium of short stories. It features nine Kinsey Millhone short stories, each a gem of detection, as well as autobiographical pieces written in the decade after Grafton's mother died. Together, they show just how much Kinsey Millhone is a distillation of her creator's past, even as they reveal a child who, free of parental discipline, read everything and roamed everywhere. But the dark side of such freedom was that very parental distance . . .This dazzling and often moving collection displays the depth and range of Grafton's writing and reminds us of her unique talent as a storyteller.

Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel, C is for Corpse is the third in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.My name is Kinsey Millhone. I'm a licensed private investigator . . . thirty-two, twice divorced. I like being alone and I suspect that my independence suits me better than it should . . . Kinsey met Bobby Callahan in the gym on Monday morning. His story was hard to credit: a murderous assault by a tailgating car on a lonely rural road, a roadside smash into a canyon 400 feet below, his Porsche a ruin, his best friend dead, and his memory severely impaired. He was convinced someone was trying to kill him. By Thursday, he was dead. But Kinsey wasn't going back on a deal. She had been hired to prevent a murder. Now she was looking for the murderer . . .

Winner of the first Anthony Award for Best Novel, B is for Burglar is the second in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.Female, age thirty-two, self-employed and wiser than she used to be. For Kinsey Millhone, private investigator, only one thing stays the same. When a client sits down in the chair across the desk, she never knows what's going to happen next . . . There was nothing about Beverly Danziger to cause Kinsey concern. She was looking for her sister. There was a will to be settled. She paid up front. And if it seemed a lot of money for a routine job, Kinsey wasn't going to argue. She kicked herself later for the things she didn't see - Beverly Danziger did not look as if she needed a few thousand dollars and she didn't seem like someone longing for a family reunion. But just as Kinsey begins to suspect foul play and start asking questions, Beverly Danziger pulls her off the case and fires her . . .

Q is for Quarry is the seventeenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton and is based on a true crime.She was a 'Jane Doe', an unidentified white female whose decomposed body was discovered near a quarry off California's Highway 1. The case fell to the Santa Teresa County Sheriff's Department, but the detectives had little to go on, and after months of investigation, the murder remained unsolved. That was eighteen years ago. Now the two men who found the body, both nearing the end of long careers in law enforcement, want one last shot at the case . . . and they turn to Kinsey Millhone to help them find closure. But revisiting the past can be a dangerous business, and what begins with the pursuit of Jane Doe's real identity ends in a high-risk hunt for her killer. Based on an unsolved homicide that occurred in 1969, Q is for Quarry and Grafton's interest in the case have renewed police efforts. The body has been exhumed, and a facial reconstruction made that appears in the last pages of the novel. It is hoped that the photograph will trigger memories that may lead to a positive identification.

For 35 år siden tog Violet Sullivan sit bedste tøj på, sendte et fingerkys til sin 7-årige datter og tog til 4. juli-fest. Hun blev aldrig set siden. I den lille californiske by Serena Station, sagde rygter, at Violet var stukket af med sin elsker. Andre rygter sagde, at hun var blevet myrdet af sin mand. For datteren Daisy blev Violets forsvinding aldrig forklaret eller glemt. Nu vil hun have fred og afklaring, og hun beder derfor privatdetektiven Kinsey Milhone grave i sagen... S for stilhed er privatdetektiv Kensey Milhones 19. udflugt ind i en verden fuld af spænding og forbrydelse. De forrige 18 i serien er tidligere udkommet på dansk. »En mester som Grafton gør læsningen afslappende og genkendelig.. En af de stærkeste i denne ikoniske serie.« - Publishers Weekly »Graftons beslutsomme march gennem det kriminelle alfabet placerer læserne uhyggelig tæt på afslutningen - en destination ingen Grafton-fans ønsker at nå.« - American Library Association »S for stilhed demonstrerer, hvorfor Grafton har en så dedikeret fanskare.« - The Independent

Reba Lafferty var født privilegeret; det eneste barn af en far der forgudede hende. Nord Lafferty blev først far i halvtredserne, og han kunne ikke sige nej til sin datter. I årenes løb har han stille og roligt hjulpet hende ud af de mange kniber med lovgivningen, som hun har rodet sig ud i, men han var der ikke for hende, da hun blev dømt for underslæb og sendt i fængsel. Som toogtrediveårig er hun nu ved at blive prøveløsladt efter at have afsonet 22 måneder af en fire års dom. Nord Lafferty vil være helt sikker på, at hun overholder sin prøveløsladelse, bliver hjemme og holder sig fra stoffer, sprut og spil. Det ligner en enkel opgave for Kinsey Millhone: babysitte Reba indtil hun finder formen, og sørge for at hun følger alle kravene for sin prøveløsladelse. Måske en uges arbejde. Ikke noget særligt – kvindensynes angerfuld og venlig. Og lønnen er god. Men livet er aldrig så enkelt, og mindre end 24 timer efter Reba er løsladt, opsøges hun af en af sine gamle “venner”. Læserne kan forvente det uventede af Sue Grafton, og “R for rikochet” er ingen undtagelse. En kompleks og klog hvidvaskning af penge er blot et dække for en roman, der handler om kærlighed: kærlighed der er gået galt, kærlighed der er forrådt, kærlighed der er blevet nægtet.Og kærlighed der sejrer. For Reba Lafferty er kærlighedens morale klar: Nogle gange får du hvad du giver, og andre gange vinder de gode, selv når de taber.

Han kaldte sig Alvin Limardo , og den opgave han havde til Kinsey var simpel: find en dreng, der havde gjort ham en tjeneste og giv ham en check på $25.000. Det var først senere, efter at han havde snydt Kinsey for hendes honorar, at hun fandt ud af at Limardos navn i virkeligheden var Daggett. John Daggett. Tidligere indsat. Uforbederlig løgner. Permanent fuld. Og død. Politiet mente at Daggets død var en drukneulykke. Det var Kinsey nu ikke så sikker på.Kinsey bliver trukket ind eftervirkningerne af en død mands liv, og hun indser hurtigt, at Daggett havde en frygtelig masse fjender. Datteren, som voksede op med en alkoholiseret far. Hustruen, der er blevet en skør religiøs tosse som reaktion på en utålelig ægteskab. Den kvinde, som troede, at hun var fru Daggett - og som kan bevise det med blå mærker. Og der er narkohandlerne som mangler $25.000. Men mest af alt, er der de efterladte til de fem mennesker John Daggett dræbte med sin vilde spirituskørsel. Den offentlige anklager kaldte det mandrab og Daggett fik to år. Familierne kaldte det mord og havde meget god grund til at ønske John Daggett død.

Han var ung , omkring de tyve, og han havde engang set godt ud. Det kunne Kinsey se. Men nu var hans krop var dækket af ar, hans ansigtvar faldet halvvejs sammen. Det gjorde Kinsey ked af det - og det gjorde hende nysgerrig. Hun kunne se, at han havde store smerter. Men i de tre uger Kinsey observerede hans træning i det lokale center, talte han aldrig. Men så, en mandag morgen hvor der ikke var andre i centret, nærmede Bobby Callahan sig hende. Hans historie var svær at tro: en morderisk biljagt på en øde landevej, en vejsidebombe der smadrede ind hans Porsche og fik ham til at vælte ned i en 400 meter dyb kløft. Han bedste ven døde. Lægerne havde formået at sætte hans krop sammen igen - på en måde. Det havde hans mors penge sørget for. Hvad pengene ikke kunne helbrede var hans sind. De kunne ikke genskabe de enorme bidder af hukommelse som var udslettet af styrtet. Bobby vidste nogen havde forsøgt at dræbe ham, men han vidste ikke hvorfor. Han vidste, at han havde nøglen til noget, der gjorde ham farlig for en morder. Men han vidste ikke, hvad det var. Og han fornemmede, at nogen stadig var derude, klar til at angribe ved det første tegn på at hans hukommelse var på vej tilbage. Han havde været ved politiet, men de havde ikke troet ham. Hans familie mente, at han havde en skrue løs. Men han var bange - bange for døden. Og han ønskede at ansætte Kinsey.Hans historie gav ikke meget at gå efter. Men han var svær at modstå: ung, modig, såret. Hun tog hans sag. Og tre dage senere var Bobby Callahan død.Kinsey Millhone havde aldrig aldrig svigtet en aftale. Hun var hyret til at stoppe et drab. Nu ville hun finde morderen.

Forretningen er sløv og så er det oven i købet mandag. Kinsey Millhone er kørt fast i en rapport om et erstatningskrav for en brand og noget nager hende. Men hun kan ikke rigtig sige hvad. Det sidste hun har brug for er et brev fra banken som fortæller hende, at der er sat 5000 dollars ind på hendes konto. Kinsey har aldrig troet på julemanden, og hun har bestemt ikke tænkt sig at begynde nu. Hun tager telefonen og ringer til banken. Efter en uforholdsmæssig lang ventetid med kedelige julesange, får hun fat i den bankmand, der skal opklare sagen. Men det er bestemt ikke julestemning Kinsey få minutter senere skal kæmpe med. Bankmanden er kvik, uden humor, ordknap og helt igennem fair: "Jeg fik et opringning i morges. Nogen siger, at du er korrupt." Pludselig giver de 5.000 mening. Det er ikke en fejl. Det er et setup.

Det er den femte maj og Kinsey fejrer sin 33-års fødselsdag. En af hendes gaver er et telefonopkald fra en kollega som advarer hende om, at Kinsey er blevet nummer 1 på Tyrone Pattys (en morder hun tidligere har haft problemer med) liste over folk han after at slå ihjel. Kollegaen foreslår at Kinesey hyrer en bodyguard. Men Kinsey har bedre ting at bruge sine penge på og i stedet går hun i gang med sin næste sag, nemlig at opspore en excentriske mor, der er forsvundet fra sin trailer i Mojave-ørkenen. Men før hun kommer rigtigt i gang med sagen skubber en rød pick-up-truck Kinsey af vejen og både Kinseys VW og Kinsey selv smadres. Kinsey havner på hospitalet. Måske er en bodyguard alligevel en god idé… Ind på scenen kommer Robert Dietz, en udbrændt detektiv, i slutningen af fyrrene, 180 cm, 75 kil, iført jeans, cowboystøvler , en tweed sportsjakke og med en blå tandbørste i brystlommen… " Scenen er sat for "G for genganger, hvor Grafton er på sit højeste.