![Y is for Yesterday (Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series)](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494995774m/35158130.jpg)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sue Grafton's death late last year means that this is the very last Kinsey Millhone adventure, and though I loved revisiting Kinsey, Henry and all the other familiar characters, my heart was hurting just a little bit. Actually, no, that's not true. It hurt a lot. I've looked forward to each new alphabet mystery for so many years I've lost count, and knowing that Sue never got to write "Z" is just so very sad. I will never know how she meant to end Kinsey's story. I’ll miss you and your wonderful characters, Sue.
“Y is for Yesterday” did not disappoint. As with many of the more recent Kinsey Millhone mysteries, there are two timelines in this book – one set in 1979, and the other in Kinsey’s present day, which is 1989. The story begins at Climping Academy, a prestigious private school in the fictional town of Santa Teresa. One of the students, Iris Lehmann, steals the answers to an important exam paper to give to her best friend, Poppy Earl, and Poppy’s boyfriend, Troy Rademaker, who both struggle academically. The theft has far reaching and, ultimately, fatal consequences.
Fast forward to 1989, where Kinsey is hired by Lauren McCabe to investigate a blackmail threat to her son, Fritz, who has just been released from gaol for the shooting murder of another student, Sloan Stevens. A video tape from 1979 has come to light, showing Fritz and Troy sexually assaulting Iris. The blackmailer is demanding $25,000.00 to keep quiet about the tape, which, if released, would obviously send Fritz straight back to gaol. Two other boys were also involved in the video tape – Bayard Montgomery, who operated the camera, and Austin Brown, the “director”.
We find out pretty quickly the identity of the blackmailer, but the real mystery lies in what happened the night Sloan Stevens was murdered. Fritz, Troy, Austin and Bayard are all involved, but only Fritz, who pulled the trigger, and Troy go to gaol. Bayard gives evidence and avoids gaol time, and Austin disappears.
Austin is the central figure in the drama – charismatic, but also cold, calculating and cruel, he manipulates everyone around him, and Sloan is the one who pays the ultimate price for his games. He convinces the other students at the Academy to ostracise Sloan for weeks before her death, claiming she was responsible for turning in the cheaters. He is the one who has the idea for the video tape, and he holds the fatal end of year party, after which Sloan is killed.
Where is Austin? Who has had the tape for all these years? And why did Sloan have to die?
Kinsey slowly unravels the secrets of the past, but not before someone else dies…
Meanwhile, Kinsey’s personal safety is at stake as Ned Lowe, the murdering sociopath from “X”, is back. There are some very tense moments involving Mr Lowe. Henry, Rosie and the usual supporting cast are all here, together with Pearl, the homeless woman Kinsey met in “W is for Wasted”. To Kinsey’s dismay, Henry has allowed Pearl to set up a tent in his backyard while she recovers from a broken hip. Later on, though, Pearl plays a pretty important role!
As with the other alphabet mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the two timelines – it keeps the suspense level high – and there is, as usual, a nice touch of humour throughout.
RIP Sue Grafton. The alphabet now ends at "Y".
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