A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

I'd long looked forward to reading some Sue Grafton.

I was a little disappointed, and I think that's probably for a number of reasons.

The novelty of a female detective is no longer so great.  Some of the plot points were lacking in originality, as were some of the characterizations.

Some elements I did admire.  When Kinsey Millhone, the detective, goes to interview the murder victim's first wife, they have a conversation in which the first wife really springs off the page:  her portrait and dialogue seem realistic.

However, the first book in a series is often not as fully developed as later installments; I've often wondered if it isn't smarter to select a book from later in the series when I'm reading a new detective for the first time.

The Firm by John Grisham

The Firm is one of many John Grisham books that has been made into a film; while I read it, I often thought of the film but I did not feel that having seen the film kept me from enjoying the book fully.

I once started a Grisham book, years ago, and disliked it intensely.  At a time when I rarely gave up on books, I quickly stopped reading it and not only never picked it up again but never felt any desire to read another Grisham book.

However, I did enjoy this book.  I thought some of the ideas he presented were novel.  

I value his power as a descriptive writer.  Even though I was prejudiced against him as a writer when I started the novel, I found myself feeling that I could imagine what the firm's building looked like, on the basis of his description, and even what downtown Memphis looked like.  I thought that I could see the poolside at the Quins' house and the restaurants that Abby and Mitch visited.  

And I found this book exciting.  I did find it thrilling.  Of course, having seen the film, I knew something about the outcome.  But the film's plot was quite streamlined compared to that of the book, and it would have been quite easy for me to feel impatient with the drawing out of the discoveries that Mitch makes, and the actions that he undertakes.  

Reflecting on the book, I realize that I find some plot twists improbable.  I find some other things curious.  An FBI agent is preparing an indictment (do FBI agents do that?) and it's a preliminary indictment because the investigation is not complete.  Among the charges he lists, he "throws" in mail fraud because, he reasons, mail fraud is almost always a charge.  I assumed that this was a jab since Grisham has worked as a criminal defense attorney, and I'd guess that extra charges, no matter how trivial they are, just make extra work for defense attorneys.

Grisham's strength is his descriptive ability but I find his perception to be superficial.  He's excellent in describing what people look like and how the details of their appearance and mannerisms denote their class identity.  I found the attitude of the omniscient narrator calculating and cold, and a shrewd observer.  Perhaps shrewdness, while useful and possibly hard-won, is just not that attractive a quality.

The Reason Why by Vickie Stringer

Vickie Stringer is the author of a very popular fiction book, Let That Be the Reason.  Imagine This was the sequel to Let That Be the Reason, and The Reason Why is the "prequel" to Let That Be the Reason.  The Reason Why is the only one of these three books I've read; it was deeply discounted at Borders one day and I bought it.  As with so many books I read, it's just serendipity.

The Reason Why is most concisely described as a cross between Romeo and Juliet and The Sopranos.  Neither of the young lovers die in this book, but they have a sweet "first romance" that is thwarted by the by imprisonment of Chino, the head of a drug dealing street unit.

Chino meets Pam almost accidentally; to avoid a police dragnet he drops his pistol into her purse knowing that the police won't search the ladies.  Pam, a student at a Columbus, Ohio university, finds Chino to return the gun, and an instant attraction between them, full of braggadocio, flares.

To me, the charm of this book is its dialogue and the story of young lovers. When Chino is meeting with his subordinates, their dialogue is very musical.  The first time they each say "I love you" is a major moment in their romance, as is the first time Chino takes Pam to the condo he bought for them to live in.

When Chino first meets Pam, he spends a lot of time bragging about nothing in particular.  Pam is impressed, and has no thought that getting involved with Chino might not be wise or have consequences she would find heavy to bear.

Chino is making a lot of money, and sets Pam up in business.  For several chapters, their relationship deepens.  Chino plans to make a lot of money and get out of the drug dealing business.

When Chino's business is disrupted by a major bust in another area and rivalry with an adjoining gang, he is sent to prison.  While in prison he learns from a friend that Pam has been seen in public with another man.  Unable to believe that she is not cheating on him, their relationship deteriorates.