Book ~ "T is for Trespass" (2007) Sue Grafton

From Goodreads ~ A miser and a hoarder, Gus Vronsky is so crotchety that after he takes a bad fall, his only living relative is anxious to find him some hired help and get back home as soon as she can. In an effort to help, Gus's neighbor, private investigator Kinsey Millhone, runs a check on an applicant for the job, Solana Rojas. Social Security, driver's license, nursing certification: It all checks out. And it sounds like she did a good job for her former employers. So Kinsey gives her the thumbs-up, figuring Gus will be the ideal assignment for this diligent, experienced caregiver. 

And the real Solana Rojas was indeed an excellent caregiver. But the woman who has stolen her identity is not, and for her, Gus will be the ideal victim.

It's late 1987 and Kinsey Millhone is a 37-year-old private detective in Santa Teresa, CA.  Her cantankerous neighbor, Gus, is badly injured in a fall.  His only living relative is a niece in New York and can't care for him so she hires Solana Rojas, a private nurse, to help him while he recuperates.  The niece hires Kinsey to check out Solana and everything seems okay.  But Kinsey becomes suspicious of Solana when Solana doesn't allow anyone to see Gus, is cleaning his place out and is rude.

In the meantime, Kinsey is investigating a case of possible insurance fraud involving a woman who drove into another car. The female passenger in the other car had serious injuries and she and her husband are suing.  Kinsey must track down a reluctant witness who can tell what really happened.

I thought this story was okay.  It was interesting to see how manipulative a person can be and get away with it.  It's written in first person perspective in Kinsey's voice but in third person perspective when it's Solana's voice.   As a head's up, there is swearing.

This is the twentieth in the "alphabet series" featuring Kinsey Millhone.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  I discovered this series in the mid-1990s and have read them all.  I started rereading them last year.  With the author's recent death, Y is for Yesterday will be the end of the series.