D is for Deadbeat

In the fourth installment of Sue Grafton's iconic Kinsey Millhone series, 'D is for Deadbeat' plunges readers back into the gritty, sun-drenched world of Santa Teresa, California, through the eyes of its fiercely independent private investigator. Kinsey Millhone, a woman driven by a constitutional inability to work for anyone else and a purist when it comes to justice—despite her pragmatic approach to truth-telling—takes on what appears to be a straightforward missing persons case. A seemingly innocuous client, Alvin Limardo, hires her to track down a long-lost heir. The job quickly unravels when Limardo's check bounces, and Kinsey discovers his real name is John Dagett: an ex-con, an inveterate liar, a chronic drunk… and now, dead. The official verdict is accidental drowning, but Kinsey's instincts scream foul play. Dagett, it turns out, amassed a formidable list of enemies during his tumultuous life, from disgruntled ex-wives to shady business associates. As Kinsey digs deeper, she uncovers layers of deceit, revenge, and hidden agendas, navigating a labyrinth of half-truths and outright lies that threaten to ensnare her in the dangerous wake of a man whose death might just be the least of his secrets.