I think Sue Grafton has improved upon this series. This is unusual since most mystery series loose steam after 10 books. I think it is because she has improved in her writing skills and seems to not bow to publisher pressure to publish once a year. She seems to come out with a new book every 24 months. This one took 12 months only to come up with the storyline and another 10 months "of hard labor" to finish the book.
It shows. This book has many plot lines that come together seamlessly. It was enjoyable to read this novel. I missed Kinsey's neighbor who had to travel to care for his oldest sibling, his 90 something year old sister. His other siblings who live with her are not able to handle her care, characters that reminded me of Anne Tyler's book that was made into a movie: The Accidental Tourist.
The story begins with a young Ivy League graduate borrowing money from a loan shark to feed his gambling addiction. Then Kinsey witnesses shoplifters in her local Macy's like mall department store. Kinsey points the choreographed thieves' actions to her clerk acquaintance. Little did she know that she would be drawn into the case by one of the thieves' widower retired boyfriend who had no idea she had such a secret life. There is a Hollywood wife who is about to be thrown over for a younger secretary and a mobster boss who is bucking the family business in his own way.
If you like the mystery genre, I recommend this book. It can be read without reading the whole series.
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