Sue Grafton chugs relentlessly toward the end of the alphabet. S turned out to be a perfectly serviceable entry in the series, which I experience a little differently than I do other series. For instance, I have devoured repeatedly all of the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout, and the characters are so vividly drawn that I like to think of them as living outside of the books. Kinsey Millhone, on the other hand, seems like a very cool chick, and someone that I think I would enjoy hanging out with. But the connection isn’t as intense; I don’t seek out the latest Grafton as soon as it’s published, but I’ll make a point of eventually catching up at the library.
Anyway, the series went through kind of a “dark” period somewhere in the middle of the alphabet, when we learned a whole bunch about Kinsey’s childhood and past history. The last few, though, have reverted back to a lighter feel, and S in particular has virtually no detours into Kinsey’s personal life at all. It’s not bad, necessarily (though I sorely missed visiting with her octogenarian landlord Henry).
Overall, I’d say if you’ve read and enjoyed the previous vowels and consonants in the series, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. I don’t think this one will inspire many newcomers to start all over back at A, though.
Brilliant Disguise 