Sue Taylor Grafton (April 24, 1940 – December 28, 2017) was an American author of

detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as spe ...

s. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" ('' "A" Is for Alibi'', etc.) featuring private investigator

Kinsey Millhone Kinsey Millhone is a fictional character created by the American author Sue Grafton (1940–2017) for her "alphabet mysteries" series of 25 best-selling novels which debuted in 1982. Millhone, a former police officer turned private investigator ...

in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she said the strongest influence on her crime novels was author

Ross Macdonald Ross Macdonald was the main pseudonym used by the American-Canadian writer of crime fiction Kenneth Millar (; December 13, 1915 – July 11, 1983). He is best known for his series of hardboiled novels set in Southern California and featur ...

. Before her success with this series, she wrote screenplays for television movies.

Early life

Sue Grafton was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, to C. W. Grafton (1909–1982) and Vivian Harnsberger, both of whom were the children of

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

missionaries. Her father was a

municipal bond A municipal bond, commonly known as a muni, is a bond issued by state or local governments, or entities they create such as authorities and special districts. In the United States, interest income received by holders of municipal bonds is often, ...

lawyer who also wrote mystery novels and her mother was a former high school chemistry teacher. Her father enlisted in the Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

when she was three and returned when she was five, after which her home life started falling apart. Both parents became

alcoholics Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

and Grafton said "From the age of five onward, I was left to raise myself". Grafton and her older sister Ann grew up in Louisville, where she went to Atherton High School. She attended the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one ...

(first year) and Western Kentucky State Teachers College (now

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtow ...

) in her sophomore and junior years before graduating from the

in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

and minors in humanities and fine arts. She was a member of

Pi Beta Phi Pi Beta Phi (), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867 as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after ...

. After graduating, Grafton worked as a hospital admissions clerk, a cashier, and a medical secretary in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to i ...

and

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning " Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West ...

. Grafton's mother killed herself in 1960 after returning home from an operation to remove

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voi ...

brought on by years of drinking and smoking. Her father died in 1982, a few months before '' "A" Is for Alibi'' was published.

Writing career

Grafton's father was enamored of detective fiction and wrote at night. He taught Grafton lessons on the writing and editing process and groomed her to be a writer. Inspired by her father, Grafton began writing when she was 18 and finished her first novel four years later. She continued writing and completed six more novels. Only two of these seven novels (''

Keziah Dane ''Keziah Dane'' is a 1967 novel by American writer Sue Grafton. A work of mainstream fiction, this novel was published by Grafton when she was 27 years old. This is one of two Sue Grafton novels published before her "Alphabet" series of mystery nov ...

'' and ''

The Lolly-Madonna War ''The Lolly-Madonna War'' is a 1969 novel by American writer Sue Grafton. This is the fifth novel Grafton wrote but the second one published. A work of mainstream fiction, this novel was published by Peter Owen Publishers when Grafton was 29 y ...

'') were published. Grafton would later destroy the manuscripts for her five early, unpublished novels. Unable to find success with her novels, Grafton turned to screenplays. Grafton worked for the next 15 years writing screenplays for television movies, including ''Sex and the Single Parent''; ''Mark, I Love You''; and ''Nurse''. Grafton sold the movie rights for ''The Lolly-Madonna War'' and co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film. The adaptation, released in 1973 as ''

Lolly-Madonna XXX ''Lolly-Madonna XXX'' (a.k.a. ''The Lolly-Madonna War'') is a 1973 film directed by Richard C. Sarafian. The film was co-written by Rodney Carr-Smith and Sue Grafton, based on the 1969 novel ''The Lolly-Madonna War'' by Grafton. The movie was ...

'', starred

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

and

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...

. Her screenplay for ''Walking Through the Fire'' earned a

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organizatio ...

in 1979. In collaboration with her husband, Steven Humphrey, she also adapted the

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

novels ''

A Caribbean Mystery ''A Caribbean Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 16 November 1964 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edi ...

'' and ''

Sparkling Cyanide ''Sparkling Cyanide'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1945 under the title of ''Remembered Death'' and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in the Dece ...

'' for television and co-wrote '' A Killer in the Family'' and ''Love on the Run''. She is credited with the story upon which the screenplay for the

made for TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

movie ''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...

'' (1983) was based. Her experience as a screenwriter taught her the basics of structuring a story, writing dialogue, and creating action sequences. Grafton then felt ready to return to writing fiction. While going through a "bitter divorce and custody battle that lasted six long years", Grafton imagined ways to kill or maim her ex-husband. Her fantasies were so vivid that she decided to write them down.

Alphabet series

Grafton had been fascinated by mysteries series whose titles were related, such as

John D. MacDonald John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. On ...

Travis McGee John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. One ...

series, each of which included a color in the title, and Harry Kemelman's Rabbi Small series, each of which included a day of the week in the title. While reading

Edward Gorey Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000) was an American writer, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist, noted for his own illustrated books as well as cover art and illustration for books by other writers. Hi ...

's ''

The Gashlycrumb Tinies ''The Gashlycrumb Tinies: or, After the Outing'' is an alphabet book written by Edward Gorey that was first published in 1963 as the first of a collection of short stories called '' The Vinegar Works'', the eleventh work by Gorey. The book tells t ...

'', a picture book with an alphabetized list of ways for children to die, Grafton decided to write a series of novels whose titles would follow the alphabet. She immediately sat down and made a list of all of the crime-related words that she knew. These became the series now known as the "alphabet novels", featuring sleuth and

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

. The series is set in Santa Teresa, a fictionalized version of Santa Barbara. Grafton followed the lead of

, who created the fictional version of the city. Grafton described Kinsey Millhone as her

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different ...

, "the person I might have been had I not married young and had children." The series begins with ''"A" Is for Alibi'', published and set in 1982. ''"B" Is for Burglar'', followed, then ''"C" Is for Corpse'', each novel's title combining a letter with a word, except '' X''. After the publication of '' "G" Is for Gumshoe'', Grafton was able to quit her screenwriting job and focus on her writing. Since the publication of ''"A" is for Alibi'', a new episode was released each year or so. The name of each book was a source of speculation. In May 2009, Grafton told

Media Bistro 'Mediabistro'' is a website that offers career and job search resources for media professionals. It publishes various blogs which analyze the mass media industry, including the film and the publishing industries. It also provides job listings, ...

that she was "just trying to figure out how to get from ''"U" is for Undertow'' to ''"Z" Is for Zero''" and that "just because she knows the endgame title for Z ..doesn't mean she knows what V, W, X, and Y will be". Grafton said that the series would end with ''"Z" Is for Zero'', but she died before she could begin writing it. Her daughter said Grafton would never allow a

ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often ...

to write in her name and "as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y." Grafton's novels have been published in 28 countries and in 26 languages. She refused to sell the film and television rights, because writing screenplays "cured" her of the desire to work with Hollywood. (

TV movies A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, however, were adapted from ''"B" is for Burglar'' and ''"D" is for Deadbeat''.) Grafton told her children her ghost would haunt them if they sold the film rights after her death. The books in the series were on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list for an aggregate of about 400 weeks. '' F is for Fugitive'' was the first, entering at number 10 on the paperback list; by 1995 '' "L" is for Lawless'' entered the best seller list at number one followed by ten more in the series.

Writing style

Grafton's style is characteristic of

hardboiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence o ...

detective fiction, according to the authors of G' is for Grafton'', who describe it as "laconic, breezy, wise-cracking". The novels are framed as reports Kinsey writes in the course of her investigations, which are signed off in the epilogue of each novel. The

first-person narrative A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-telle ...

allows the reader to see through the eyes of Kinsey, who chronicles various descriptions of "eccentric buildings and places", giving depth to the narrative. The repeated descriptions of the Santa Barbara shoreline (chronicled as Kinsey's early morning runs), are "skillful, evocative writing of a caliber that takes Grafton well beyond being categorized as 'merely' a writer of detective fiction and into the so-called mainstream of 'serious' American fiction."

Awards

Personal life

Grafton first married in 1959, aged 18, to James L. Flood, with whom she had a son and a daughter. The two divorced by the time Grafton graduated from college in 1961. Her second marriage was with Al Schmidt in 1962 but it ended with protracted divorce and custody proceedings over their daughter. She married her third husband, Steven F. Humphrey, in 1978. They divided their time between

, and

; Humphrey taught at universities in both cities. In 2000, the couple bought and later restored Lincliff, a Louisville estate once owned by hardware baron

William Richardson Belknap William Richardson Belknap (March 28, 1849 – June 2, 1914), for 28 years was president of the Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company''The Cincinnati Enquirer'', June 2, 1914, p. 2. based in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the largest hardware Am ...

. Grafton died at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara on December 28, 2017, after a two-year battle with cancer of the appendix. In 2019, an award in Grafton's memory was established by G.P. Putnam's Sons and is under the aegis of the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

Works

*''

'' (1967) *''

'' (1969) – filmed as ''

'' (1973)

Alphabet Mystery series

Essays and short stories

* "Teaching a Child" (2013) – essay in the anthology ''Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting'', published by W. W. Norton & Company. * ''Kinsey and Me'' (2013) – a collection of nine Kinsey Millhone short stories along with 12 other short stories about Grafton's own mother. The Kinsey Millhone stories, with one exception, appeared in magazines and mystery anthologies between 1986 and 1991. The dozen other stories, none previously published, feature Kit Blue, who, Grafton said, "is simply a younger version of myself." The book also includes a preface, introductions to the two separate story collections, and a previously published essay on hard-boiled private investigators. * ''The Lying Game'' (2003) – a Kinsey Millhone short story which appeared in the September 2003 special 40th anniversary

Lands' End Lands' End is an American clothing and home decor retailer founded in 1963 and based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, that specializes in casual clothing, luggage, and home furnishings. The majority of the company's business is conducted through mail ...

catalogue. It also appeared as a separate pamphlet given to attendees at Malice Domestic 2011 conference, where Grafton was recognized for Lifetime Achievement. It is included in ''Kinsey and Me''.

In popular culture

Grafton's introduction of a young, no-nonsense female private detective in the Alphabet Mystery series was ground-breaking at the time when ''A is for Alibi'' was first released in 1982. Until the creation of Kinsey Milhone and V.I. Warshawski, created by Sarah Paretsky, in ''

Indemnity Only ''Indemnity Only'' is a mystery novel written by Sara Paretsky. Summary V. I. Warshawski, a private detective, is employed by a man who calls himself John Thayer to find his son's girlfriend, Anita Hill. However, as she begins her search, V.I ...

'', also in 1982, private detectives in fiction were almost always male. *In the " Mayham" episode of ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'', Carmela sits by Tony's bedside in the hospital, reading Sue Grafton's ''"G" Is for Gumshoe''. *In the "

Local Ad "Local Ad" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series ''The Office'', and the show's sixty-second episode overall. The episode was written by B. J. Novak, who also acts in the show as Ryan Howard, and dir ...

" episode of ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...

'', Phyllis goes to a Sue Grafton book signing at the mall to try to get her to be in the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch commercial. She is told by Michael Scott not to take no for an answer. After waiting in line, Phyllis meets Grafton, only to be rebuffed by her. Phyllis continues to ask until she is thrown out of the store in front of all her friends. Meanwhile, Andy and Creed talk about how "crazy hot" the author is. *A scene in the film '' Stranger Than Fiction'' shows Prof. Hilbert reading the Sue Grafton novel ''"I" Is for Innocent'' while serving as a lifeguard. *In the ''Superego'' podcast Season 3 Episode 14, guest star, actor and comedian,

Rob Delaney Rob Delaney (born January 19, 1977) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and activist. He was the co-star and co-writer of the TV show ''Catastrophe'', and has appeared in comedy films such as ''Deadpool 2'' (2018) and ''Tom & Jerry'' (2021). ...

impersonates Sue Grafton. *Sketch comedy group " The Whitest Kids U' Know" parodied Grafton in their sketch "A Is For".

References

Sources

External links

Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grafton, Sue 1940 births 2017 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers American detective fiction writers American mystery writers American women novelists Atherton High School alumni Agatha Award winners Anthony Award winners Cartier Diamond Dagger winners Edgar Award winners Macavity Award winners Maltese Falcon Award winners Shamus Award winners Deaths from cancer in California Kentucky women writers Novelists from California Novelists from Kentucky People from Montecito, California University of Louisville alumni Western Kentucky University alumni Women mystery writers American women television writers Writers from Louisville, Kentucky Writers from Santa Barbara, California