I was so sorry to hear about the death of Sue Grafton, best known for her private eye crime fiction series featuring Kinsey Millhone. Grafton passed away Thursday at the age of 77 after a two-year battle with cancer. Her "alphabet" books with Millhone (beginning with A is for Alibi) have been published in 28 countries and translated into 26 languages with a readership in the millions. The recipient of the first two Anthony Awards for Best Novel (1986, 1987), Grafton has also won three Shamus Awards, two more Anthonys, and also received the highest achievement in U.S. crime fiction, the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2009. In addition, she was presented with Bouchercon's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Grafton's latest installment in her Millhone series was Y is for Yesterday, and she had plans for the final installment, to be titled Z is for Zero. However, her daughter Jamie wrote on Facebook that Kinsey's crime-solving days are over. "Sue always said that she would continue writing as long as she had the juice...Many of you also know that she was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV shows, and in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of all of those things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y."
Here are some of the latest tributes from the New York Times, Mystery Fanfare, The Washington Post, and Ruth Jordan (Crimespree Magazine).
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