We'll Never Forget Sue Grafton

Many people engage in gardening while everyone reads, hey, you're reading this blog right now. Thank you so much!

One of my joys in life besides gardening is reading. But I'm not your typical reader of what all the book clubs are studying. Eventually I get around to reading one or two of the must read best sellers. I would describe my reading as fits and spurts (or starts - both work). My "fits" reading material always consists of gardening related journals, magazines or out of print Sunset magazine how to garden manuals. My "spurts" reading genres jump around from historical fiction to Marie Kondo. Of late, I'm revisiting an old friend and re-reading the entire series - I'm half way through.

I give kudos to my sister-in-law Carla for recommending Sue Grafton when she started her alphabet detective series back in the 80s, starring the famed (my words) Ms. Kinsey Millhone. If you're not familiar with Sue's books, they are easy to remember and find on any library shelf or Kindle - "A" is for Alibi, "B" is for Burglar," "C" is for Corpse, and so on up to "Y is for Yesterday. She's not just popular in America, she's been published in over 28 countries and 26 languages.

Sadly, very sadly, Sue passed away a little over a year ago (aged 77) so there won't be a "Z." Ever.  Don't look for private investigator Kinsey Millhone to be in a Netflix series either. Ms. Grafton made it very clear to her family that she didn't want her books to be made into screenplays or blockbuster trilogies times eight. 

Kinsey has personality traits we possess, wish we had or know someone who has them. She's an independent thinker, self starter (runs up to five miles every day even with a cold) and knows how to get to the truth of any case she's working on. Maybe I should say most cases, in "J" is for Judgment, which I just finished, she didn't actually find out "who dun it," but she surmised the truth, unfortunately they got away.   

Mentioning that you're reading Sue Grafton's novels probably won't impress haughty, cerebral type people you encounter. Like Kinsey, I don't much care what other folks think of my doings, including my reading proclivities. 

Finishing each day writing and working in my office can't go by quickly enough for the evening to arrive to spend another hour or two with Kinsey as she pieces together on note cards who did what to whom, when and why.

Kinsey says she's not a gardener, but one gets the sense that Sue Grafton was an avid and knowledgeable gardener. She describes through Kinsey specific flora and gardening styles seen in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, CA - where most of the stories take place. Here's how she ended "I" is for Innocent -