BOOKS

Sue Grafton's death means there will be no 'Z' finale in her alphabet detective series

Bailey Loosemore
Courier Journal

The death of internationally acclaimed author Sue Grafton means at least one mystery will remain unsolved.

Grafton, a Louisville native, was known globally for her alphabet detective series featuring investigator Kinsey Millhone. She died Thursday night following a battle with cancer.

Grafton's series began with "A is for Alibi" in 1982 and continued through "Y is for Yesterday," released in August 2017.

Her last book, "Z is for Zero," was scheduled for release in fall 2019, according to the author's website. But her husband, Steve Humphrey, said Grafton had yet to start writing the novel.

"She was trying to come up with an idea, but she never got one she liked," Humphrey said. "With chemo, she didn't have much energy or interest in that anyway. There will just be a 25-letter alphabet, I'm sorry to say."

Grafton's daughter, Jamie, echoed Humphrey's statement on Facebook.

"Sue always said that she would continue writing as long as she had the juice," she wrote in a post on Grafton's page. "Many of you also know that she was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV shows, and in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of all of those things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y."

Bailey Loosemore: 502-582-4646; bloosemore@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/baileyl.

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