History Literature / KinseyMillhone

** At the end of ''"V" is for Vengeance'', [[spoiler:Dante, who gains points for being a sympathetic character, flees the country with his secretary]].

* YourCheatingHeart: Lawrence Fife was a serial adulterer. It was what got him killed.

Each book is named for letters of the alphabet, the final one being ''"Y" is for Yesterday''. The series began in 1982 and ended in 2017, though in universe only six years had passed. The final book was to be published in 2019; it would have been called ''"Z" is for Zero'' and have taken place in 1990. Sadly, Grafton's passing in December 2017 (and disinterest in working with a ghostwriter) meant that Y would be Kinsey's final adventure.

* ADogNamedDog: Double-subverted in ''"H" is for Homicide'', which features a dog named Perro... Spanish for "Dog".

--> ''Kinsey Millhone''

----

* GiveThemTheStrip: Towards the end of "A Is For Alibi", Kinsey is forced to remove her shoes and take off her pants to escape the story's main killer.

* ComicBookTime: Averted, the books still take place in the 80s despite being written in the 2000s.

''Kinsey Millhone'' is series of mystery novels sometimes referred to as the 'Alphabet Mysteries', create by Sue Grafton. They follow the titular Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator in the fictional Santa Teresa, California. Reportedly: "Kinsey is 5'6" and weighs about 118 pounds. She has short, dark, thick hair that she trims with nail scissors, being generally uninterested in her physical appearance."

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Dante from ''"V" is for Vengeance'' is this by mob standards, even agreeing to take Phillip's car to satisfy his gambling debt in the first chapter and later proving himself AFatherToHisMen. His brother Cappi, though, is a through-and-through nasty piece of work, [[YouHaveFailedMe double-crossing Phillip as soon as they get to the car]] [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness and murdering a seasoned shoplifter who he has reason to believe will tell the police everything]], among other acts of puppy-punting.

* TheSociopath: in ''T is for Trespass'', the major antagonist Solana is one.

* LongRunners: It's been thirty years since the first book was published and the series is still going strong.

Each book is named for letters of the alphabet, the most recent being ''"Y" is for Yesterday''. The series began in 1982 and is still being published, though in universe only six years have passed so far. According to the author, the final book will be called ''"Z" is for Zero'' and will take place in 1990.

Current books in the series are:

* "Z" Is for Zero (planned for 2019)

Each book is named for letters of the alphabet, the most recent being ''X''. The series began in 1982 and is still being published, though in universe only six years have passed so far. According to the author, the final book will be called ''"Z" is for Zero'' and will take place in 1990.

* CakeEater: Kinsey finds her eighty-year-old landlord quite sexy, and wonders whether the fifty year age difference would be a hindrance to a relationship. Lawrence Fife, the victim in ''"A" is for Alibi'', also had a liking for older women.

* KarmaHoudini: At the end of ''"V" is for Vengeance'', [[spoiler:Dante, who gains points for being a sympathetic character, flees the country with his secretary]].
** [[spoiler: Renata Huff in "J" is for Judgement is implied to be one of these in the epilogue.]]

* MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot: In almost every book. As an example, "D is for Deadbeat" starts with a bounced check and ends with a murder-suicide.

* SteelEardrums: Averted. Kinsey is forced to shoot a man in self-defense at the end of the first book, and her ears don't stop ringing for weeks. It's later mentioned that she never gets all her hearing back. The fact that she has hiding in a metal trash can probably didn't help matters.

* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Averted HARD. Kinsey's parents died in a car crash when she was five. She was ''in the car with them''. She makes no bones about the fact that it screwed her up for life.

Each book is named for letters of the alphabet, the most recent being ''"W" is for Wasted''. The series began in 1982 and is still being published, though in universe only six years have passed so far. According to the author, the final book will be called ''"Z" is for Zero'' and will take place in 1990.

* The Aloner: Kinsey herself. Twice divorced, no kids, no pets, and no interest in altering the arrangement, although she does form increasingly close friendships with colleagues and neighbours as the series goes on.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Kinsey and her QPs with cheese.

** There have been arguments that suggest Kinsey displays signs of it. Her troubled personality and self righteous attitude being the worst offenders.

* FakePregnancy: A character in ''"D" is for Deadbeat'' does this, hiding some jewels underneath a fake belly. Kinsey figures it out after finding tampons in the woman's purse.