Book ~ "E is for Evidence" (1988) Sue Grafton

From Goodreads ~ Being a twice-divorced, happily independent loner has worked like a charm for P.I. Kinsey Millhone - until holiday weekends like this one roll around. What she needs is a little diversion to ward off the blues. She gets her much-needed distraction with a case that places her career on the line. And if that isn't enough to keep her busy, her ex-husband, who walked out on her eight years ago, pops back on the radar.

It all begins with a $5,000 deposit made into Kinsey's bank account. Problem is she's not the one who deposited the money. But when she's accused of being on the take in an industrial arson case, Kinsey realizes someone is framing her.

Now Kinsey's working for herself. But with new evidence - and corpses - surfacing around her, she's going to have to act quickly to clear her name before she loses her career, her reputation - and quite possibly her life.

Kinsey Millhone is 32-years-old and a private detective in Santa Teresa, CA.  It's Christmas and New Years.  Her friend and landlord, Henry, has gone out of town to visit family and Rosie has shut down her tavern for the holidays.

Kinsey investigates a fire claim at a factory for the insurance company she has an arrangement with.  The factory is owned and operated by the Wood family and Kinsey had gone to school with the owners.  She determines the fire as an industrial accident but when she submits her report to her boss, she finds that some of the paperwork has disappeared and others have been substituted, making it look like Kinsey has been bribed not to label the fire as arson ... that explains the mysterious $5,000 that had been recently been deposited into her bank account.  When she gets temporarily suspended from the insurance company, Kinsey starts digging to prove her innocence.

In the meantime, Daniel, Kinsey's second ex-husband, arrives in town wanting to reconnect.  He had left her eight years ago, leaving town without a word.

I thought this book was okay and I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective in Kinsey's voice.  The ending wraps up quickly and the "whodunnit" and why comes out of the blue.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

This is the fifth in the "alphabet series" featuring Kinsey Millhone.  I discovered this series in the mid-1990s and have been a fan since and have read them all.  Since the series will soon come to an end, I am starting at the beginning and rereading them.  They are all set in the 1980s before everyone had a computer, cell phone, people still smoke in public places, etc.