When Sue Grafton penned A Is For Alibi 30 years ago, featuring tough-talking P.I. Kinsey Millhone, female private detectives in mystery fiction were rare, Miss Marple notwithstanding. Since then, Grafton’s almost completed her alphabetically themed series, having made it all the way to V Is For Vengeance. Before she gets to W, she offers Kinsey And Me: Stories (Putnam/Penguin, $29.50), two sets of sharp short stories, one told from Millhone’s point of view and the other from that of Grafton’s younger alter ego. Fans will appreciate Grafton’s talent and candour.
