Review: X by Sue Grafton

Kinsey Millhone is a private detective. The shortage of new clients might be thee reason she believed Teddy Xanakis when Teddy told her a story, the setting of the story started with a wealthy house, Teddy used an ailis name, the house was decorated, she met Kinsey at night. What could be wrong with this story.
She told Kinsey that her ex-husband cheated with her best friend. That their divorce agreement was unacceptable because he got to keep the artwork. There is a painting she wants back and her ex-husband doesn't know that the painting is worth more than he could imagine. The artwork came with the house, sat in the basement for years.
Kinsey takes the case because what the woman really wants is information on a son she gave up for adoption years ago and her ex-husband doesn't even know exsist.
This pulls at Kinsey's heartstrings even if the son is an ex-con.
Something in Kinsey's gut tells her that something isn't right. Soon she starts to find out clue by clue why it's not right.
Then there is Henry her landlord, neighbor and all around best friend. He is digging up his yard because there is a draught and his water bills keep going up. He wants to do his part by conserving water not wasting it. What's more is  the new neighbors are helpless and he has taken them under his wing. Kinsey thinks they are pests an she would love to swat them.
All of this is more than enough to deal with but then there is the past to set straight as Kinsey doesn't need the bad karma. You see one of the partners in firm she started out in has died. The IRS wants the some missing paperwork on an old case.
The widow and Kinsey go through some of the things and Kinsey ends up with an old bankers box that the detective kept for no good reason. In a hidden compartment he has a manila envelope that holds secrets and needs to be returned to the person it was meant for which mean Kinsey follows the past. in doing so she accidentally trips over the present and soon she learns that Ned Lowe, he is a dead woman's husband, he was involved in a lawsuit years ago, what about the picture of a little girl sitting on her mother's lap and what does any of this have to do with a detective they thought committed suicide?
More questions less answers and soon this whodunit turns into a revelation that is coded and needs to be deciphered. Henry gets the honor and loves every minute of it, at least that is truth when he is not worrying about his lawn and the neighbors next door.
Step by step, the pieces begin the fall into place.
Not before Kinsey has a few nightmares and learns more about love, human nature and murder than she ever wanted to know.
X by Sue Grafton is the best one yet and I will say that I was sleep deprived for a few days.
Let's add in this review that if there was a book of Sue's that could be read as a standalone this is the one.
Pamela James I give one *********** out of ten.