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Product Description: tresĄpass 'trespes n: a transgression of law involving one's obligations to God or to one's neighbor; a violation of moral law; an offense; a sin
-Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition, Unabridged
In what may be her most unsettling novel to date, Sue Grafton's T is for Trespass is also her most direct confrontation with the forces of evil. Beginning slowly with the day-to-day life of a private eye, Grafton suddenly shifts from the voice of Kinsey Millhone to that of Solana Rojas, introducing readers to a chilling sociopath. Rojas is not her birth name. It is an identity she cunningly stole, an identity that gives her access to private caregiving jobs. The true horror of the novel builds with excruciating tension as the reader foresees the awfulness that lies ahead. The suspense lies in whether Millhone will realize what is happening in time to intervene.
Though set in the late eighties, T is for Trespass could not be more topical: identity theft; elder abuse; betrayal of trust; the breakdown in the institutions charged with caring for the weak and the dependent. It reveals a terrifying but all-too-real rip in the social fabric. Once again, Grafton opens up new territory with startling results. Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-07
Over-hyped
Have been reading Sue Grafton since "A," so I obviously really like her writing; it's hard to wait between books. However, "T is for Trespass" was really over-hyped as being harder-edged and taking Kinsey in a different direction. The book was fine, it just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-06
Gripping - I couldn't put it down
Kinsey's elderly cantankerous neighbor, Gus Vronsky, needs some home nursing help. Enter Solana Rojas, a woman who systematically strips the old man of his confidence, dignity, his possessions and ultimately, potentially, his life. The book was sometimes written from Kinsey's and Solana's perspective, which worked very well.
As with all Sue Grafton's books, it is set in the 1980s, but is totally relevant to today.
Kinsey cannot get the authorities to act, and the frustration leaps from the page. Anyone who has ever dealt with bureacuracy in a similar situation will empathize.
There was one main storyline in this, unlike earlier works which sometimes have multiple threads. I prefer the multiple storylines, yet this book was so strong it was impossible to put down. It was so plausible, and unlike the other books, could happen to someone we love, neighbor, n ourselves.
I am a Sue Grafton fan, and I consider S for Silence her best. Maybe that is because I liked the little bit of romance in it. T for Trespass is a very different book, quite frightening as it is probably happening all around us, but as a book absolutely gripping.
Kinsey is still a loner, living a solitary life. I find that aspect probably the least appealing. She doesn't have the complications of relationships, having ditched her boyfriend between S and T, which makes her a little one dimensional. Her closest relationship is still the friendship she has with her landlord and neighbor, the 80 something Henry, and Sue Grafton writes the older characters very well.
Definitely worth the cover price, and a story that will stay with you for a very long time. I'll never look at home nursing care in the same way again.
Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-05
T Is For Tantalizing
Kinsey Millhone fans will not be disappointed. Nor will first time Sue Grafton readers. This is a good book that captures and holds the attention. In fact, the last quarter of the novel is so strong and superbly paced that it is impossible to put the book down.
I've read all the books in the series thus far. I'm impressed that Grafton never resorts to cliche or rests on the laurels of previous works. Each entry is different, fresh, unique, yet always consistent in its voice and characterizations. And this book is scary! I was royally entertained the entire time.
Can't wait for the next one. Rating:
Date: 2008-07-04
Grafton Won't Let You Down
Sue Grafton's 20th book in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series, T is for Trespass, takes place in Santa Teresa, California, and artfully alternates between the view points of private investigator Millhone and con-artist Solana Rojas. Rojas snags a position as caregiver to Millhone's elderly neighbor Gus. Rojas has secretly held the same job under other aliases in the past and not only murdered her patients but emptied their estates. Millhone is asked to do a background investigation on the woman and while she first sees nothing out of the ordinary, she soon realizes that by saying Rojas was clean she had "unwittingly put a noose around Gus Vronsky's neck" (p.125).
Grafton's characters are believable and complicated. It is interesting to read Solana Rojas' justification of events. The reader comes to see how wicked, twisted, and evil she really is. Rojas becomes so engrossed in her stolen identity that she seems to forget she's anyone else and shows no conscious or remorse for those she is scamming. I found her incredibly frightening.
Kinsey Millhone is easy to relate to. She loves her job as a private investigator and is good at what she does, yet she is much deeper than that. She is an avid runner, yet she can't stay away from a quarter-pounder with cheese. She wants to keep away from her cute ex-boyfriend cop because she wants much more but can't help herself from secretly longing for him. I enjoyed uncovering clues about the true Rojas as Millhone discovered them, and feeling her frustration, excitement, and worry as the plot unfolded.
T is for Trespass is slow to begin with, but once the characters begin to unfold and their paths cross it is impossible to put the novel down. The prose is detailed yet easy to read and understand. The plot is well laid out and pleasingly unpredictable. Grafton does not let her fans down.
by Jennifer Melville
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women Rating:
Date: 2008-06-17
T is for Three Star Review
I found this entry in the Kinsey series to be noticeably better than 'Q is for Quarry', the most recent book I read prior to this one.
'Trespass' offers a solid premise, along with a change in the usual Kinsey-first person narration, both refreshing changes from 'Quarry'.
The real shortcomings with the story are in the insurance-fraud subplot, which is nothing but padding. Even the seemingly-;important points' Grafton (and Kinsey) try to make about sexual predators are obscured by the tediousness of this plot thread. At least Grafton wrote the story so that the subplots don't connect at any point, making it possible for readers to skip chunks of the story and pick up on the 'Solana' tale without really missing anything. That still doesn't excuse her for filling about half the book with a substandard case.
Even the main story has a somewhat weak ending, as Grafton suddenly changes Henry's behavior to make him into a 'helpless confused victim', much like Gus. The 'Perils of Pauline comparison made by another reviewer is certainly fitting!
I haven't read enough of the series to find out when Grafton began setting the books exclusively in the 80s. I don't have too much of a problem with this 'retro' feature, although the throwaway scene in the computer shop, where Kinsey scoffs at the idea that 'those things' will be useful in a few years, is a little too clever for her (and Grafton's) own good.
I'll try to work my way backwards and catch up with the series at 'B'. |
