Author Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi

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Ranked #842 in Books, #65,645 overall

The Alphabet Series

A bitter divorce and custody battle led Sue Grafton to fantasize about ways to eliminate her former husband. Thankfully, she found a way to constructively express her feelings through writing. A is for Alibi was released in 1982, introducing a chronological set of mystery novels known as the alphabet series. The award-winning mystery writer has completed 20 books in the series, the most recent being T is for Trespass. Her stories are written from the perspective of female private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, who lives in the fictional town of Santa Teresa, California. The stories are set in the 1980s and don't necessarily need to be read in chronological order, though I did read them in order the first time around.

Now at work on the 21st book in the series, Sue Grafton enjoys an international readership in the millions, and has fans wondering which crime-related word she'll choose for the letter U.

Inspired by Edward Gorey 

Long fascinated by mysteries with related titles, Sue Grafton was inspired by Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies, an alphabetical picture book in which children meet their demise through a variety of nefarious circumstances. She decided to create her own series of novels based on the alphabet, and compiled a list of all the crime-related words she could come up with. The resulting novels became her best known works.

Edward Gorey (1925-2000)

The Gashlycrumb Tinies 

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs
B is for Basil assaulted by bears
C is for Clara who wasted away
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh
E is for Ernest who choked on a peach
F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech
G is for George smothered under a rug
H is for Hector done in by a thug ...


Click here for the rest of the story.

This book is copyright © 1962 by Edward Gorey

The Gashlycrumb Tinies 

The Gashlycrumb Tinies

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Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton Audio Books 

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Sue Grafton ABC Gift Collection: "A" Is for Alibi, "B" Is for Burglar, "C" Is for Corpse

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Sue Grafton DEF Gift Collection: "D" Is for Deadbeat, "E" Is for Evidence, "F" Is for Fugitive

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Sue Grafton GHI Gift Collection: "G" Is for Gumshoe, "H" Is for Homicide, "I" Is for Innocent

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G is for Gumshoe

A is for Alibi 

"A" is for Alibi (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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B is for Burglar 

"B" is for Burglar (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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C is for Corpse 

"C" is for Corpse (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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D is for Deadbeat 

"D" is for Deadbeat (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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E is for Evidence 

"E" is for Evidence (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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H is for Homicide

F is for Fugitive 

"F" is for Fugitive (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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G is for Gumshoe 

"G" is for Gumshoe (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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H is for Homicide 

"H" is for Homicide (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)

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I is for Innocent 

I Is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)

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J is for Judgment 

J is for Judgment (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)

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I is for Innocent

K is for Killer 

K Is for Killer (Grafton, Sue. Kinsey Millhone Mysteries.)

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L is for Lawless 

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M is for Malice 

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N is for Noose 

N Is for Noose

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O is for Outlaw 

O Is for Outlaw

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J is for Judgment

P is for Peril 

P Is for Peril (A Marian Wood Book) (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (Hardcover))

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Q is for Quarry 

Q Is for Quarry

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R is for Ricochet 

R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)

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S is for Silence 

S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)

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T is for Trespass 

T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries)

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Also by Sue Grafton 

Sue Grafton's ABC Mystery Collection

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Sue Grafton Books on eBay 

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Books About Sue Grafton 

Sue Grafton: A Reader's Checklist and Reference Guide (Checkerbee Checklists)

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"G" Is for Grafton: The World of Kinsey Millhone

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Tales of Santa Barbara: From Native Storytellers to Sue Grafton

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Stay tuned for Sue Grafton's next book: U is for Undertow

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