U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

published 2009

I let myself into the studio and dropped my shoulder bag on a kitchen stool. I moved to the sitting area, turning on a couple of lamps to brighten the room. I went up the spiral staircase to the sleeping loft, where I perched on the edge of the platform bed and pulled off my boots. Most days, my work attire is casual —jeans, a turtleneck , and boots or tennis shoes. I can add a tweed blazer if I feel the need to dress up. Though I’m capable of skirts and panty hose, they’re not my first choice. I do own one dress that I’m happy to say is suitable for most occasions. It’s black, made of a fabric so wrinkle-resistant, if I rolled it up and stored it in my shoulder bag, you’d never know the difference.

[For a later event:]

I stood in front of my closet, wrapped in a towel, staring at my clothes for one full minute, which was a long time, given that in ten minutes more I was expected to present myself fully dressed. I nixed the all-purpose dress . Though comfortable, the garment is looking a bit shopworn, which is not to say I won’t be wearing it for years.

 
observations: I’ve followed this series all the way, even though I am sometimes a couple of years behind, and it seems almost daring to try actually to picture Kinsey’s famous all-purpose dress, but I do like the version that I chose above. She considers her wardrobe a lot in this book, and even tries to emulate another young woman. And, she uses the word ‘choners’, which I have never come across – it’s a term for underwear apparently. Kinsey has decided that black tights will make her look smarter and is committed to investing in some. Good to hear.

I really enjoyed most of this book, though the other 10% was infuriating. The different POVs didn’t annoy me, and the different time schemes were OK – but then at the end, there is a section with 3^rd person narration, and Kinsey suddenly emerges into it, back into 1^st person. Someone should have told her she can’t do that. And as ever, there are massive unresolved issues with the plot. This is a feature of the books, and has always seemed particularly annoying because usually Kinsey is writing as if she is making her report to a client (or somebody – not always clear). In this one, there is a witness who has seen something important. It is then conclusively proved (without any room for doubt) that this person must be mistaken. But in the end it seems this person was right, but it is not explained how this could be. It is a very very major plot point in the book, and I am utterly mystified as to what was going on. If anyone has read the book and can explain this I would love to hear about it.

Kinsey’s detailed descriptions of what she is up to is one of the joys of the books, but still she can go too far. This:

It wasn’t long before the taxpayers were forced to buy a $ 250,000 dredge and a $ 127,000 tender in a perpetual effort to keep the harbor open, at an annual expenditure of $ 100,000.

-- doesn’t really belong in a PI novel, even if there is a faint connection with ‘undertow’. 

And I have complained recently of too much detail of meals: this level of description verges on the ludicrous:

Annabelle shrugged and chose a roll from the basket. She pulled off one segment and buttered it. She took a bite and tucked the nugget of bread into one side of her cheek, a move that slightly muffled her speech.

But, well, I keep reading and I keep (overall) enjoying, even if I am left with a lot of questions at the end.

The black dress is from ASOS. T is for Trespass is here on the blog.