“G” is for Great

We were both newly published at the time. I was in my thirties, and she was in her forties, both with writing experience. We’d both arrived at the bookstore around the same time, pens at the ready, eager to sign the copies of our novels that were hot off the press and in stock there. Shakespeare & Company is a fixture of the Upper West Side in New York, where I lived then, and has a reputation for being highbrow. I couldn’t believe my first hardcover novel, GARDEN OF LIES, had not only been published but was being sold there and in other bookstores nationwide. When we met in the “New Fiction” section where our books were on display, she seemed as delighted by her good fortune as I was by mine. Since our last names both start with “G”, our books were placed on a middle shelf, prominently displayed at eye level. After introducing ourselves and briefly describing our novels, we stood elbow-to-elbow for a moment in silent appreciation, gazing in wonder at our “book babies” and excited to see them out in the world.

Her name was Sue Grafton. Her newly-released novel that she was promoting at the time was one of the earlier titles in her alphabet mystery series, and she was a relatively unknown author then.

We each went on to enjoy success with our novels, both the ones that bumped “elbows” that day in Shakespeare and Company and the ones yet to be written. Incredible as it seems to me now, I had not read any of Sue Grafton’s novels until recently. Forty-plus years after our auspicious meeting, I finally got around to reading the first title in her alphabet mystery series, “A” IS FOR ALIBI, when it popped up in my Kindle Unlimited feed. It’s a wonderful mystery in the tradition of Mickey Spillane and John D MacDonald, and as well-crafted as they come. I thoroughly enjoyed both getting to know its quirky, indelible protagonist, Kinsey Millhone, a P.I. who lives and works in the fictional California town of Santa Teresa, which is inspired by Santa Barbara if I’m not mistaken, and trying to figure out whodunnit. It kept me guessing until the end. I also loved that, since it was published in the eighties, Kinsey Millhone solves her cases without aid of cell phones, computers, CCTV cameras, electronic trackers, and other devices which digital-era crime-solving relies on.

She’s an old-style gumshoe, an ex-cop and twice-divorced, with grit and determination, and an eye for spotting a telling detail or a “tell,” served with a dash of humor. In short, my kind of gal.

Sadly, Sue Grafton is no longer with us. She passed away in 2017 at the age of 77. But her incredible body of works lives on. If you’re one of the few people on the planet who hasn’t had the pleasure of reading any of her novels, I urge you to grab one and give it a whirl. You won’t regret it.

Can you guess what’s next up on my TBR? If you guessed Sue Grafton’s “B” IS FOR BURGLAR, you would be correct. I can’t wait to get cracking on it.

Sue’s death is a reminder that life is short and all good things come to an end. I feel blessed to still be here, and still writing. When my next book, ALL THEY NEED TO KNOW, comes out in the fall of this year, I will lift a virtual glass of champagne to Sue and toast the amazing journeys we’ve both had.