[.ca] K is for Killer (ISBN 0739314211)

Who Killed Lorna? Kinsey Will Have to Find Answers!:
This was a great book and I found it hard to put down. The question throughout the whole story here was, "Who caused Lorna's death?" Lorna's mom hired Kinsey to dig up the dirt and find out, and as Kinsey searches further, the answer becomes clear. But not before this mystery killer kills other people too. Was it Lorna's dad, or one of her 3 remaining sisters? Or could it have been Roger? You'll have to read the book to find out, but foul play is definitely in the works!

Unanswered Questions:
The story begins with Lorna's mother seeking professional help in the investigation of her daughter's death. Throughout the novel, Lorna is depicted as a beautiful loner who couldn't resist flirting with danger. Maybe a possible cause of her death. As the plot progresses more and more questions are raised in regards to her death. While the cops suspected homicide, they could find neither motive nor suspect. Worse yet, was the circumstances in which the body was found: so badly decomposed that it couldn't be certain she hadn't died of natural causes. Overall, this novel offers a dark and complex story in respect to the matters that it involves. I must say that the book misleads the reader into believing answers will be provided at the end. Grafton, not only leaves unanswered questions that surfaced as the novel progressed, but she leaves new questions floating around in the last couple of pages. So if anyone is interested in reading and providing their own conclusions then this may be the perfect book for you!

Re-opening a murder case:
Lorna Kepler has been dead for 10 months and the police have not come up with any answers as to why that will satisfy her mother Janice. There is no proof of murder, but also there's no other evidence as to how she died. Janice goes to Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone to find out what really happened to her daughter. As Kinsey probes into Lorna's past, she finds out that she was involved in a lot of unsavory activities. She also suffered from some health problems that might have contributed to her death. Kinsey places all of Lorna's associates and friends on her list of suspects and her investigation takes her into some pretty seedy places and situations. The reader remains as puzzled as Kinsey as to who the actual perpetrator is. When the killer's identity is revealed there are a few interesting plot twists and Kinsey begins to wonder what true justice is. Also all of the loose ends are not tied up neatly as in most of the Kinsey Millhone books, and some questions remain, even after the last page. This is an interesting addition to Sue Grafton's widely-read series.

No one is perfect.:
This may prove to be one of the better entries in the Millhone series. Any self respecting, competent P.I. in real life will probably tell you that they probably won't always find all the answers in every case they take. Though they probably find out most of the answers most of the time. Millhone didn't find all the answers she needed on this case. And it isn't necessarily clear how she figured out who the killer was. It isn't even clear how she figured out who he was in cahots with. But she thought enough of herself to do something about it. Not everyone will like that but there it is. Enjoy the book, then go on to the next one.

Huh?:
I've always enjoyed this series of mysteries and have read about 6 of them. I don't expect great literature, but a decent mystery, and because I'm female, I enjoy the writing more than I would a very male-oriented mystery, and it's more down-to-earth. Anyway, I found this book fairly enjoyable and engrossing until the last chapter or so. It seemed like Grafton couldn't figure out how to end the book or was using this book as a tryout for some angle or intellectual pretense she was toying with. I think that idea, if that was her incentive for this story, is disappointing her reader who probably is used to, and wants, just a good satisfying mystery. I couldn't even really figure out what was happening in the end nor what did, nor why. I had to read the ending about three times and still wasn't sure. Actually, I figured out a little more from reading some of these reviews, so that helps, but I would definitely not rank this book towards the top of the Kinsey Milhone series, but towards the bottom.