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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
T Is for Tremendous Tale Telling, 5 Dec 2007
Sue Grafton is always exploring new subjects and new ways of writing for her readers. T is for Trespass continues that worthy heritage for this terrific series.
If you haven't read any books in this series, I suggest you go back and read them in alphabetical order beginning with A is for Alibi. You have a major treat ahead of you. The series develops over a number of years, and many references are clearer throughout if you've read the earlier books.
The writing innovation here is to have two narrators, Kinsey Millhone, and Kinsey's nemesis, named Solana Rojas, whom fate brings together in Kinsey's neighborhood to create a taut suspense story. You will see the future conflict clearly coming, but won't know what to expect. Sue Grafton does a wonderful job of filling the story with lots of surprises to heighten the suspense. The struggle between the two women is intensified by Solana being portrayed from the beginning as being the psychological opposite of Kinsey. You'll enjoy a heightened sense of tension by knowing what the two determined women are thinking about and planning to do.
The new topic is how some people prey on others in particularly chilling ways by taking advantage of the presumption we hold that we are surrounded by trustworthy people. It's a cautionary tale that will leave you wanting to do more to check out those with whom you and your family come into contact. The book is so powerful in this dimension that at times you'll feel like you are reading a nonfiction book about a tragedy.
As the book opens, Solana is looking for opportunity and Kinsey is looking for some work. Solana has just left her last job and explains what her objectives are in Chapter One. Kinsey picks up in Chapter Two to describe how detecting hasn't been very good lately. To make up for that, Kinsey has been serving summonses. Kinsey hears a sound while she's on her way to work, and that sound leads both women onto a collision course.
In the book, Kinsey works on several assignments . . . looking for evidence to clear a defendant in a car accident, assisting a landlord to remove deadbeat tenants, and checking out references for a new employee. She also finds that being a caring neighbor can be time consuming.
Kinsey's personal life is at a low ebb. She's not seeing anyone. She's stopped exercising, and her landlord Henry is her main source of company although he's increasingly taken up by a new woman.
As I started the book, I didn't expect much. After all, seeing that two characters are going to come into contact in unpleasant ways usually makes for good writing but weak plots. Well, I was wrong. The plot is even stronger than the excellent writing.
In typical Sue Grafton fashion, she brings in touches of the moment, winter 1987, to give the story a strong sense of time. In this case, she employs the fascination with old muscle cars that had developed by then to give a sense of two points in time. I was most impressed by this choice of a story-telling device.
Her sense of place is equally strong. I grew up not far from where "Santa Teresa" is set. In reading this book, I was called back into dark misty nights in that area when threat seemed to lurk in every shadow.
The story is so successful that it reminded me of the Greek tragedies, dressed up on modern circumstances. It's a remarkable accomplishment.
Brava, Ms. Grafton!
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent and gripping story, 13 July 2008
This is a 4.75 star book, because I found it a little slow in the first pages. Other than that, I found it excellent.
Kinsey's elderly cantankerous neighbor, Gus Vronsky, needs some home nursing help. Enter Solana Rojas, a woman who systematically strips the old man of his confidence, dignity, his possessions and ultimately, potentially, his life. The book was sometimes written from Kinsey's and Solana's perspective, which worked very well.
As with all Sue Grafton's books, it is set in the 1980s, but is totally relevant to today.
Kinsey cannot get the authorities to act, and the frustration leaps from the page. Anyone who has ever dealt with bureaucracy in a similar situation will empathize.
There was one main storyline in this, unlike her earlier works which sometimes have multiple threads. I prefer the multiple storylines, yet this book was so strong it was impossible to put down. It was so plausible, and unlike the other books, could happen to someone we love, neighbor, or even ourselves.
I am a Sue Grafton fan, and I consider S for Silence her best S Is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries). Maybe that is because I liked the little bit of romance in "S". T for Trespass is a very different book, and quite frightening as it is probably happening all around us, but as a book absolutely gripping once you get into it.
Kinsey is still a loner, living a solitary life. I find that aspect probably the least appealing. She doesn't have the complications of relationships, having ditched her boyfriend between S and T, which makes her a little one dimensional. Her closest relationship is still the friendship she has with her landlord and neighbor, the 80 something Henry, and Sue Grafton writes the older characters very well.
Definitely worth the cover price, and a story that will stay with you for a very long time. I'll never look at home nursing care in the same way again.
All the alibi series are good, starting with A Is for Alibi, and all stand on their own without the benefit of reading the earlier books, although I would recommend you read them.
I am really glad the price of this has just come down on Amazon UK, as I got it from the library and there was a huge waiting list. Had it been this price from the start I would have definitely bought the book in hardback.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Mystery from an Outstanding Crime Writer, 2 Jan 2008
If you're a fan of Grafton's work, this novel will not disappoint. Grafton is a talented writer who keeps things interesting rather than relying on a formula. The style of this novel marks a real departure from earlier books in the series. The story is told from two perspectives--Kinsey's and the suspect's. It gives the reader new insight into Millhone's character and how others perceive her.
I don't want to give away any of the plot, but this is a great book. I could not put it down!
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