Book Review - T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
Category Book Review Sue Grafton T is for Trespass
It seems like it's been forever since I last read a Sue Grafton novel. I guess I'm getting spoiled with Nora Roberts' frequent In Death series. So once again I pick up the life of PI Kinsey Millhone in T is for Trespass. This is an interesting mix of Kinsey being Kinsey, as well as a look at identity theft and elder abuse.
One of Millhone's elderly neighbors falls in his home and eventually attracts the attention of her and Henry during a walk. After getting him to a hospital, she attempts to run down some living relative in order to get someone to take care of him during the rehab process. But the nearest relative is a niece on the east coast, and she really can't be bothered to help out much. Kinsey finally convinces her to fly out, take responsibility for the situation, and find someone. Kinsey does a quick background check on the nurse who applies, and all seems well for the first few days. But as time passes, the neighbor continues to deteriorate physically, and the nurse is cutting him off from all outside contact. Kinsey sees that the nurse is taking advantage of the situation to slowly collect everything of value that he owns. She tries to intervene, but the nurse is more than a match for Kinsey, and is able to spin the story such that Kinsey comes out the "bad guy". Once it's determined that the nurse may not be who she appears to be, it becomes a race to see if Kinsey and Henry can rescue the neighbor without ending up in jail (or before he's killed off).
That main plotline works pretty well, as you can see how someone in a caretaker role can take advantage of the very people they are hired to protect. The identity theft angle is also very plausible, and it doesn't even have to be a high-tech crime to be effective. The subplot involving an investigation of accident fraud was also interesting, but the ending angle on that was somewhat strange and unexpected. It didn't really sync with the rest of the story, in my opinion.
Overall, it's an enjoyable read, and Grafton fans will be happy that she's finally back with the next installment. If you're new to the series, you'll be missing some of the character background, but not nearly as bad as some of the episodes you could start with (if you don't feel up to going back to A is for Alibi).
It seems like it's been forever since I last read a Sue Grafton novel. I guess I'm getting spoiled with Nora Roberts' frequent In Death series. So once again I pick up the life of PI Kinsey Millhone in T is for Trespass. This is an interesting mix of Kinsey being Kinsey, as well as a look at identity theft and elder abuse.
One of Millhone's elderly neighbors falls in his home and eventually attracts the attention of her and Henry during a walk. After getting him to a hospital, she attempts to run down some living relative in order to get someone to take care of him during the rehab process. But the nearest relative is a niece on the east coast, and she really can't be bothered to help out much. Kinsey finally convinces her to fly out, take responsibility for the situation, and find someone. Kinsey does a quick background check on the nurse who applies, and all seems well for the first few days. But as time passes, the neighbor continues to deteriorate physically, and the nurse is cutting him off from all outside contact. Kinsey sees that the nurse is taking advantage of the situation to slowly collect everything of value that he owns. She tries to intervene, but the nurse is more than a match for Kinsey, and is able to spin the story such that Kinsey comes out the "bad guy". Once it's determined that the nurse may not be who she appears to be, it becomes a race to see if Kinsey and Henry can rescue the neighbor without ending up in jail (or before he's killed off).
That main plotline works pretty well, as you can see how someone in a caretaker role can take advantage of the very people they are hired to protect. The identity theft angle is also very plausible, and it doesn't even have to be a high-tech crime to be effective. The subplot involving an investigation of accident fraud was also interesting, but the ending angle on that was somewhat strange and unexpected. It didn't really sync with the rest of the story, in my opinion.
Overall, it's an enjoyable read, and Grafton fans will be happy that she's finally back with the next installment. If you're new to the series, you'll be missing some of the character background, but not nearly as bad as some of the episodes you could start with (if you don't feel up to going back to A is for Alibi).