"W" Is for Wasted
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Sue Grafton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Alphabet Mysteries |
| Genre | Mystery fiction |
| Published | 2013 (G.P. Putnam's Sons) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 469 first edition |
| ISBN | 978-0-399-15898-8 |
| Preceded by | "V" Is for Vengeance |
| Followed by | "X" |
"W" Is for Wasted is the twenty-third novel in the "Alphabet" series of mystery novels by Sue Grafton. It features Kinsey Millhone, a private detective based in Santa Teresa, California, a fictional version of Santa Barbara, California.[1]
The novel finds Kinsey investigating the deaths of a local private investigator and an unidentified homeless man. The novel was published in September 2013 by G.P. Putnam's Sons.[2]
Plot summary
[edit] | This article needs an improved plot summary. (January 2018) |
Kinsey Millhone's colleague Aaron Blumberg informs her that a homeless man has been found dead on the beach with her contact information in his pocket. Kinsey tracks down the dead man's friends, three other homeless people named Felix, Dandy, and Pearl. With some difficulty, Kinsey persuades them to tell her the man's name: R. T. Dace. At the bank, she finds a safe deposit box in Dace's name containing $600,000 and a will leaving it all to her.
Kinsey, who never knew Dace in life, travels to Bakersfield to notify Dace's surviving family members: his son Ethan and daughters Ellen and Anna. All three have been estranged from their father for many years and are unmoved by the news of his death, even more so when they discover they have been disinherited in favor of a stranger. Returning home, Kinsey travels to the homeless camp where Dace lived in order to scavenge some of his stuff. As it turns out, what he left behind provides valuable clues about not only Dace's murder, but the death of another private investigator some months before.
Characters
[edit]- Kinsey Millhone: Private investigator
Title
[edit]Of the 5,700 fans who participated in a "guess the title" contest on Grafton's website, fewer than 50 guessed that "W" stood for "Wasted" for the 23rd installment in the "Alphabet" series. The title was revealed on May 1, 2013, in an interview with USA Today. Grafton explained that several meanings of "Wasted" apply to the novel, including "out of it on drugs" and "the notion of all the waste in crime".[2]
Reception
[edit]"W" is for Wasted was reviewed by Booklist,[3] Kirkus Reviews,[4] Library Journal,[5] and Publishers Weekly.[6]
Publishers Weekly also reviewed the audiobook narrated by Judy Kaye.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "About Sue Grafton and W Is for Wasted". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ a b Memmott, Carol (May 1, 2013). "Sue Grafton spreads the 'W' word". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- ^ "W is for Wasted". Booklist. August 2013. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "W is for Wasted". Kirkus Reviews. July 19, 2013. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Oliver, Linda (September 1, 2013). "W Is for Wasted". Library Journal. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "W Is for Wasted by Sue Grafton". Publishers Weekly. July 8, 2013. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "W Is for Wasted by Sue Grafton". Publishers Weekly. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Sue Grafton Alphabet Series official site