A is for Alibi a Kinsey Millhone Mystery

New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1982. First edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. 8" by 5.5". None. A fine first edition, first impression, of Sue Grafton's influential debut detective novel ''A' is for Alibi', signed by the author to the title page. The first edition, first impression of this work. In the first state dustwrapper, which has '$12.95' printed to the front flyleaf, as opposed to the '$16.95' price that appears on the later impressions. Signed by the author to the title page. The first printing of this novel was seven-thousand five-hundred copies. Collated, complete. '"A" Is for Alibi' is a crime novel, set in the fictional city Santa Teresa in southern California. The novel follows the thirty-two year old private detective Kinsey Millhone, who is hired to solve the murder of a prominent divorce lawyer Laurence Fife. He had been killed eight years previously and his recently released wife was arrested for the death. The lawyer's death was linked to a similar death of a woman in Los Angeles. Both had died after taking poisonous oleander capsules, which had been substituted for allergy pills. Written by Sue Grafton, who is best known for this influential and popular series of detective novels, known as the 'alphabet series'. She started writing her detective novels after a bitter divorce and custody battle, which resulted in Grafton imagining ways to kill or maim her ex-husband, providing inspiration for this detective series. Sadly, Grafton died before she was able to finish the series, writing a total of twenty-five novels only, ending with ''Y' is for Yesterday'. In the original publisher's cloth binding, in the original unclipped dustwrapper. Externally, fine. Dustwrapper is near fine with a fold down the centre of the spine, with two very small puncture marks to the head of the spine. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. A small amount of the gutter is visible at the title page, though the binding is firm. Fine