The first in Sue Grafton’s long-running series of mysteries featuring California PI Kinsey Millhone – – and, as you’ll surmise, the first I’ve read (when it comes to crime fiction, I am a visitor rather than a denizen). Kinsey is hired by Nikki Fife, a woman who has just been released from prison after allegedly killing her husband; Nikki denies committing the crime, and wants Kinsey to identify the real murderer.

I was in the mood for a quick, light read, and this fitted the bill. Kinsey’s voice is engaging, and the pace brisk. I’ve a couple of gripes about the plot — I struggled to accept Kinsey’s swift falling in love with one character, and the ending feels abrupt to me — but, as I say, the book did what I wanted it to.