By Ralph Ellis: Sue Grafton, mystery writer who based titles on the alphabet, dies at 77
(CNN)Sue Grafton, the mystery writer who penned best-selling novels with alphabet-based titles, starting with “A Is for Alibi” and ending with “Y Is for Yesterday,” has died, her daughter, Jamie Clark, said Friday in a social media post. She was 77.
“I am sorry to tell you all that Sue passed away last night after a two-year battle with cancer,” Clark wrote on Grafton’s official Facebook page. “She was surrounded by family, including her devoted and adoring husband Steve. Although we knew this was coming, it was unexpected and fast.”
Sue Taylor Grafton (April 24, 1940 – December 28, 2017) was an American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the “alphabet series” (“A” Is for Alibi, etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she said the strongest influence on her crime novels was author Ross Macdonald. Prior to success with this series, she wrote screenplays for television movies.
