"N" Is For Noose

Rating:
Summary: N is for Not so Great Grafton
Review: I could hardly get through the first 100 pages of this book. It took me 1 week because I kept getting bored with it. It usually takes me about 4 days to read an entire Sue Grafton novel. I thought it picked up and was beginning to get interesting and I did suspect the killer the entire time so why didn't Kinsey? I thought the way she revealed why the killer killed Tom was very quick with no real clear explanation for why he did it. It was just given to us as a hunch and Kinsey never discussed it with the killer as she has before. I can only hope "O" is much better. I have read all of Sue Grafton's novels and this one was my least favorite of all. It is especially dissapointing when you wait an entire year for the new books to come out. I will continue to read the Grafton books but lets all hope in the next one Kinsey is back to her old self in Santa Teresa with Henry, Rosie and all of the others that feel like family. We missed them this time.

Rating:
Summary: OK, but she's done better.
Review: If I were not a committed reader of this series, and if the first page of the story had not hit home, and if I had not been stuck in a motel, I doubt I would have had the patience to wade through the slow first part of this book. But it gets better! And while I had some suspicions of who was responsible, I could not figure out a reasonable motive until it was revealed. Not the best mystery I've read this year, but far from the worst.

Rating:
Summary: N is Not Grafton's Best
Review: I must agree with other reviewers that "N is for Noose" is well below par for Sue Grafton. I think Ms. Grafton is attempting to "round out" Kinsey - she attempted this in N by having Kinsey become frightened after an attack. Sure, show that Kinsey is human and gets scared like the rest of us but do not forsake the other elements of her character, especially her sarcastic wit, while doing so. As with the last few Grafton books, K is for Killer, L is for Lawless and now N is for Noose, I find that I neither care about the problems of the characters (M is for Malice was the exception to this) nor do I care about the resolution of the case. Perhaps Ms. Grafton should go back and read her earlier works to help herself devise more interesting plots for the remaining novels in the series. This reader strongly feels that unless the quality of plot strengthens significantly, I'll stop reading (and buying) Ms. Grafton's books long before she makes it to Z.

Rating:
Summary: quite disappointing
Review: Where is the fiesty Kinsey who 'lied just to keep in practice' and dressed out of clothes in the backseat of her VW? This book was pretty boring. I kept waiting for the good part. There wasn't one. If you want humor and a great read, try Janet Evanovich.

Rating:
Summary: Can't beat a Grafton!
Review: I've been reading Sue's books for several years now, and one thing I've always loved about her books is that you DON'T have to start with "A." She gives you what you need to know each time, and I think that's great! Another great aspect of her books is her use of characters. What I'd do to actually meet them! It'd be an experience not to be forgotten, that's for sure. I really loved reading "N." I thought it was witty, well-written, and quite entertaining. I couldn't put it down! Kinsey always mangages to worm her way into my heart. I always look forward to Sue's books, and this was no exception. I've already cleared a space on my bookshelves for "O!"

Rating:
Summary: An easy read
Review: This is my first Grafton book. I thought it was okay but it was really slow in the start. It picked up towards the end and turned out to be a good book. I plan to go back and start at the begining of the series. I would recommend this one to a friend.

Rating:
Summary: N Is for NOPE!
Review: Sue Grafton and her editors should have read the book before it was printed! The first 100 pages drag; the characters are underdeveloped and weak; the most interesting character is already dead (Tom Newquist); the killer is obvious early on (well, early after the plot finally gets underway), and his motive is totally obscure and/or nonexistent! Kinsey is not just maturing if N is typical of the future books--she is AGING BADLY. Her humor and snap have faded; her analytical skills are seriously declining; she has lost her "edge" and babbles to the most probable villains everything they want and need to know about her investigation. The ending is improbable, and it is so rushed that the reader gets the feeling Grafton tired of the book or couldn't figure out how to give the killer a motive and/or how to have Kinsey figure out "who done it," so she rushed to get out of the corner she painted Kinsey into. Let's hope O (for Oops?) is back on track.

Rating:
Summary: I can't wait for "O"!
Review: I read this book in one day, I just couldn't put it down. Sue Grafton does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. The ending really caught me by surprise...

Rating:
Summary: like wearing an old pair of slippers
Review: Entering into the world of Kinsey Milhone at this point, is like going home. While it may not always fill you with what you need, it still satisfies. Sue Grafton has allowed her latest books to be a little "darker" than her earlier works, and as always, Kinsey is sharp, quick, and clever. No author can keep compete with the best of her works, but Sue Grafton manages to come close. While this book was not quite as absorbing as her "k" and "l" books, I still found it enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Start with A
Review: If you want to enjoy a Kinsey Milhone mystery, read the early ones. I listened to this book on a long driving trip. If I hadn't been a captive audience with no radio or tape alternatives, I never would have made it to page 100. BOORRRINNG!! No plot, no mystery, repetitious dull details. My feeling is that Grafton's publisher insists she write 300 page books so that they can make more money off her. They can't charge as much for 200 pagers that would have the snap and sizzle of her early works. Come on Grafton! Give your readers a break and speak up to those twerps in New York. Half of them don't know what a mystery is.