Kinsey investigates two seemingly unrelated deaths: those of a local, shady PI and of a John Doe on the beach. - (Baker & Taylor)

Of the #1 New York Times bestselling Kinsey Millhone series, NPR said, “Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters.”

Two dead bodies changed the course of my life that fall. One of them I knew and the other I’d never laid eyes on until I saw him in the morgue.

The first was a local PI of suspect reputation. He’d been gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. It looked like a robbery gone bad. The other was on the beach six weeks later. He’d been sleeping rough. Probably homeless. No identification. A slip of paper with Millhone’s name and number was in his pants pocket. The coroner asked her to come to the morgue to see if she could ID him.

Two seemingly unrelated deaths, one a murder, the other apparently of natural causes.

But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange linkages begin to emerge. And before long at least one aspect is solved as Kinsey literally finds the key to his identity. “And just like that,” she says, “the lid to Pandora’s box flew open. It would take me another day before I understood how many imps had been freed, but for the moment, I was inordinately pleased with myself.”

In this multilayered tale, the surfaces seem clear, but the underpinnings are full of betrayals, misunderstandings, and outright murderous fraud. And Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised.

W is for . . . wanderer . . . worthless . . . wronged . . .

W is for wasted. - (Random House, Inc.)

SUE GRAFTON lives in Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky. - (Random House, Inc.)

Library Journal Reviews

Grafton's (V Is for Vengeance) writing and plotting have become more polished as her series has progressed from brief (albeit thoroughly enjoyable) detective novels to weightier books that address social concerns. In her latest, Grafton has created a trio of memorable homeless people who help Kinsey gain insights into their world and the mystery she is to solve. Two murders six weeks apart catch Kinsey's attention; the second victim is an unidentified, apparently homeless man who has a piece of paper with Kinsey's name and number in his pocket. Ensuing events are not wholly unpredictable, but the final scene resonates with sincerity and wisdom. Judy Kaye again brings Kinsey to life with narration that conveys the private detective's close-held emotions. VERDICT Recommended for all mystery audiences, both longtime series fans and those new to the author. ["Grafton has lost none of her ability to bring her character vividly to life: Kinsey is as witty and engaging as ever," read the starred review of the Marian Wood: Putnam hc, LJ 9/1/13.]—Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo