Y is for yesterday

Y is for yesterday

Sue Grafton — 2017
"Of #1 New York Times-bestselling author Sue Grafton, NPR's Maureen Corrigan said, "Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters." With only one letter left, Grafton's many devoted readers will share that sentiment. The darkest and most disturbing case report from the files of Kinsey Millhone, Y is for Yesterday begins in 1979, when four teenage boys from an elite private school sexually assault a fourteen-year-old classmate--and film the attack. Not long after, the tape goes missing and the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. In the investigation that follows, one boy turns state's evidence and two of his peers are convicted. But the ringleader escapes without a trace. Now, it's 1989 and one of the perpetrators, Fritz McCabe, has been released from prison. Moody, unrepentant, and angry, he is a virtual prisoner of his ever-watchful parents--until a copy of the missing tape arrives with a ransom demand. That's when the McCabes call Kinsey Millhone for help. As she is drawn into their family drama, she keeps a watchful eye on Fritz. But he's not the only one being haunted by the past. A vicious sociopath with a grudge against Millhone may be leaving traces of himself for her to find"--
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Reviews

Photo of Lara Engle
Lara Engle@bzzlarabzz
5 stars
Aug 23, 2023

A tightly plotted, suspenseful, and enjoyable read, Y is for Yesterday only disappoints by being the last of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries. After the boring water shortage treatise that was X, I feared that the alphabet mysteries might fizzle at the end. I'm so glad I was wrong! Interesting happenings abound, both in Kinsey's personal life and her professional entanglements. I'm so sad we will never get a book for Z.

Photo of Nadine
Nadine @intlnadine
3 stars
Feb 18, 2022

Ok. Could have done with some editing and cut by about 25%.

Photo of Kim
Kim@skullfullofbooks
4 stars
Nov 15, 2021

The alphabet ends in 'y.' 😭 I think this ended on a good note for a series to come to an untimely end. There were enough open ends that one could imagine what Kinsey would do in the future, and enough closed that it felt complete. The mystery was a little sub-par to be honest, and Kinsey seems out of her usual groove. But! I'm horribly biased. I was shocked by Sue's death as read it on my way into work one day. I had been bingeing the audiobooks and was waiting for any news of a 'Z' to be released. I'll always imagine Kinsey retiring at the end.

Photo of Erna Björg Smáradóttir
Erna Björg Smáradóttir@ernabjorg
2 stars
Apr 3, 2023
Photo of Fran Lewis
Fran Lewis@franlewis
3 stars
Dec 23, 2022
Photo of Ryan B Harvey
Ryan B Harvey@codeanddata
4 stars
Jan 8, 2022
Photo of Wendy M Holt
Wendy M Holt@wmarie69
4 stars
Oct 18, 2021