Books › "G" is for gumshoe
"G" is for gumshoe
a Kinsey Millhone mystery
First published 2007 · 482 pages
A sun-baked, high-stakes game of cat and mouse where a fiercely independent detective must navigate both a hitman's crosshairs and her own guarded heart.
What it feels like
Reading this installment feels like riding shotgun in a beat-up VW bug down the sun-drenched, deceptively dangerous streets of 1980s Southern California. The narrative moves at a brisk, confident clip, anchored by a protagonist whose wry, pragmatic voice makes even the mundane details of stakeouts and paperwork deeply engaging. There is a distinct shift in the atmosphere here; the usual hardboiled detachment gives way to a tense, vulnerable mood as the hunter becomes the hunted. The introduction of a bodyguard adds a crackling layer of romantic tension that softens the gritty edges of the mystery without dulling its suspense. It is a perfect fit for readers who crave classic, character-driven private eye fiction where the emotional stakes are just as high as the physical danger.
- Mood
- sun-drenched
- tense
- nostalgic
- hardboiled
- Tone
- wry
- pragmatic
- suspenseful
- gritty
- unsentimental
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- vulnerability and independence · the weight of the past · trusting one's instincts · mortality and aging
- The writing
- Crisp, observant, and laced with dry humor, grounded in the gritty realities of a working-class detective's daily life.
- The arc
- Moves from routine professional detachment to high-stakes personal vulnerability and romantic tension, culminating in a fierce fight for survival.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic, character-driven private eye fiction who love a fiercely independent, no-nonsense heroine navigating danger and romance.
Content notes
- violence
- murder
- stalking
- elder abuse themes
About the book
From Amazon: When Irene Gersh asks PI Kinsey Millhone to locate her elderly mother Agnes, whom she hasn't heard from in six months, it's not exactly the kind of case Kinsey jumps for. But a girl's gotta pay her bills, and this should be easy money―or so she thinks. Kinsey finds Agnes in a hospital. Aside from her occasional memory lapses, the octogenarian seems fine. And frightened.
Kinsey doesn't know what to make of Agnes's vague fears and bizarre ramblings, but she's got her own worries. It seems Tyrone Patty, a criminal she helped put behind bars, is looking to make a hit. First, Kinsey's car is run off the road, and then days later, she's almost gunned down, setting in motion a harrowing cat and mouse game...
So Kinsey decides to hire a bodyguard. With PI Robert Dietz watching her 24/7, Kinsey is feeling on edge...especially with their growing sexual tension. Then, Agnes dies of an apparent homicide, Kinsey realizes the old lady wasn't so senile after all―and maybe she was trying to tell her something? Now Kinsey's determined to learn the truth...even if it kills her.
Description from Open Library.
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