From Publishers Weekly
This eighth in an alphabetically titled mystery series--Holt will publish "I" is for Innocentor is quotes around the letters PW style? in May--finds sleuth Kinsey Millhone undercover in a Los Angeles barrio. Some 178,000 hardcover copies of this Literary and Mystery Guild selection have been sold. (MayCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
"THE LADY CAN WRITE . . .
Any reader who needs a smart and sassy P.I. would do well to hire Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. . . . H' is for Homicide continues to show the author in strong storytelling form. . . . [It] finds Kinsey Millhone working on a case involving the death of a claims adjuster for a California insurance company. The story takes her into the Los Angeles barrio in pursuit of a violent criminal, into jails and hospitals, and into a grungy bar named the Meat Locker. . . . Count on Millhone not only to corner the murderer but also to make a statement against the foibles of the insurance game."
--The New York Times
"The eighth in Grafton's bestselling series is perhaps the wildest ride yet. . . . Grafton's skill with dialogue, her vivid characterizations and California scenery are priceless. . . . There are moments when the tension becomes so unbearable that you are tempted to skip paragraphs out of self-preservation."
--USA Today
"One of the best . . . A vivid, funny portrait of life in an ethnic underworld, viewed without judgment. Suspense there is, plentifully, and a final suggestion that Kinsey will be exploring different mischiefs next time. Outstanding."
--Los Angeles Times
From the Publisher
One of the nice things about a mystery series is that readers can become familiar with a character and anticipate his or her foibles and methods. I've been following Sue Grafton's alphabet series for years, long before I came to Ballantine Books -- no, not compulsively starting with A is for Alibi, but close enough -- and it's been a pleasure to watch Kinsey Millhone, Grafton's series heroine, grow from one book to the next. It's also a pleasure to watch a writer not only become at ease with her character but hone her storytelling skills. Sue Grafton was good back when she began the series, and she's getting better -- and I, for one, am very glad she's only halfway through the alphabet.
--Margaret Sanborn, Senior Publicity Copywriter
From the Publisher
You can understand why Sue Grafton's private eye Kinsey Millhone has captured the attention and continued loyalty of her ongoing fans. Sue Grafton has the ability to place Kinsey in fascinating situations where she has to use her wily instincts to solve mysteries. Since both author and heroine reside just north of Santa Barbara, the series is especially loved in California. My book buyers always put Grafton's books at the top of their bestseller lists. --Nanci Andersen, Ballantine Sales
From the Inside Flap
"THE LADY CAN WRITE . . .
Any reader who needs a smart and sassy P.I. would do well to hire Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. . . . H' is for Homicide continues to show the author in strong storytelling form. . . . [It] finds Kinsey Millhone working on a case involving the death of a claims adjuster for a California insurance company. The story takes her into the Los Angeles barrio in pursuit of a violent criminal, into jails and hospitals, and into a grungy bar named the Meat Locker. . . . Count on Millhone not only to corner the murderer but also to make a statement against the foibles of the insurance game."
--The New York Times
"The eighth in Grafton's bestselling series is perhaps the wildest ride yet. . . . Grafton's skill with dialogue, her vivid characterizations and California scenery are priceless. . . . There are moments when the tension becomes so unbearable that you are tempted to skip paragraphs out of self-preservation."
--USA Today
"One of the best . . . A vivid, funny portrait of life in an ethnic underworld, viewed without judgment. Suspense there is, plentifully, and a final suggestion that Kinsey will be exploring different mischiefs next time. Outstanding."
--Los Angeles Times
H Is for Homicide FROM THE PUBLISHER
"THE LADY CAN WRITE . . .
Any reader who needs a smart and sassy P.I. would do well to hire Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. . . . H' is for Homicide continues to show the author in strong storytelling form. . . . [It] finds Kinsey Millhone working on a case involving the death of a claims adjuster for a California insurance company. The story takes her into the Los Angeles barrio in pursuit of a violent criminal, into jails and hospitals, and into a grungy bar named the Meat Locker. . . . Count on Millhone not only to corner the murderer but also to make a statement against the foibles of the insurance game."
The New York Times
"The eighth in Grafton's bestselling series is perhaps the wildest ride yet. . . . Grafton's skill with dialogue, her vivid characterizations and California scenery are priceless. . . . There are moments when the tension becomes so unbearable that you are tempted to skip paragraphs out of self-preservation."
USA Today
"One of the best . . . A vivid, funny portrait of life in an ethnic underworld, viewed without judgment. Suspense there is, plentifully, and a final suggestion that Kinsey will be exploring different mischiefs next time. Outstanding."
Los Angeles Times
FROM THE CRITICS
Herbert Mitgang
The latest Millhone mystery is "'H' Is for Homicide." It continues to show the author in strong storytelling form in her Southern California locale....There is a fundamental difference between Ms. Grafton's protagonist and the classic male private detectives. For one thing, there's added tension and a greater sense of danger when her vulnerable heroine is walking down some dark alley, stalking and being stalked. Even more important, Ms. Grafton brings a woman's perspective to her people and their romances....The lady can write. -- New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Or ``H'' may be for ``Hispanic,'' as the murder of an insurance claims adjuster sends PI Kinsey Milhone undercover in a Los Angeles barrio. Following up a suspicious claim in the murder victim's files, Kinsey trails beautiful young Bibianna Diaz, recently moved up the coast to Santa Teresa from L.A. Under the alias Hannah Moore, Kinsey befriends the young woman and learns she is attempting the same scam pursued by Raymond Maldonado, her ex-boyfriend in L.A. When Raymond's brother, sent to bring Bibianna back, is shot by the young woman's new lover, an old friend of Kinsey's, both Bibianna and Hannah/Kinsey are taken to jail, where Kinsey secretly agrees to join a statewide fraud investigation. Raymond's henchmen grab Bibianna, and take Kinsey too. Kinsey's harrowing experiences include instigating car accidents as part of the scam and unearthing evidence to blow the operation. A pit bull, the surprising identity of an undercover LAPD cop and the unpredictable rages of Raymond, who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, contribute atmosphere to the PI.'s eighth alphabet escapade. The usually upbeat Kinsey seems a little dispirited here. She admits to missing Robert Dietz, her love interest who left for Germany at the end of ``G'' Is for Gumshoe , but may also be reacting to the essentially humdrum plot. Kinsey remains a star supported by a lively cast, but the insurance business doesn't test her mettle, a fact which she determines for herself, assuring readers of one thing ``I'' won't be for. 150,000 first printing; Literary Guild and Mystery Guild selections; Doubleday Book Club alternate. (May)