REVIEW: “C IS FOR CORPSE” by SUE GRAFTON
Bobby Callahan hires Kinsey Millhone, Private Investigator, to investigate how he received his injuries nine months ago in a car accident that killed his best friend Rick and left Bobby feeble and practically disabled. He tells her his mental capacity has been impacted since he was in a coma for two weeks, and he can’t remember what was going on at the time, except that he remembers that someone ran his car off the road at a bridge. He says he gave his little red address book to someone for safekeeping, but he can’t remember who it was. He believes he might still be in danger. Bobby works out consistently at the gym, trying to build up his strength, stamina, and coordination. Kinsey is taking physical therapy at the same gym. He tells her she is the only one he trusts to confide in with his dilemma. She agrees to find out who is trying to harm him.
Bobby invites Kinsey to his house to meet his parents. There’s a party in progress, so Kinsey gets to meet many of the people in Bobby’s life, including Bobby’s badly-behaved sister Kitty, who overdoses on barbiturates. She’s taken by ambulance to hospital, where her stomach is pumped. Then, she’s admitted to the psycho ward.
Kinsey visits Rick’s father Phil. Though he describes his son as “trouble” since he graduated from high school, drunk all the time, and unable to hold a job, he believes Bobby killed his son and has no sympathy for Bobby’s devastating injuries.
And, while the Callahan investigation is going on, Kinsey’s landlord Henry meets a woman named Delia Sams, who latches onto him and takes over his life. It is Rosie, the owner of Rosie’s bar and restaurant, who encourages Kinsey to look into the woman’s past, because she fears something bad is going on. Kinsey uses her skills to gather background information on the unpleasant woman. What she learns angers her and she fears for Henry.
Kinsey takes Bobby back to the scene of the accident where he was forced off the road. The experience distresses him. When she sees him at the gym the next day, he fumbles during his weight training, and falls. She tries to talk with him, but he’s angry and tells her to leave him alone. Tragedy follows; yet she continues her investigation, determined to find the truth.
This is a very unusual story, with multiple odd relationships and suspects. As I was reading, I wondered, “How does Sue Grafton come up with things like this?” The amount of research she’s done is profound, and her detailed narratives draw the reader right into the action. “C Is for Corpse” wraps up with a unique, unforgettable ending.
… Pam Wilder …