All The Babes
Sue Grafton
Career
Active 1964 – 2017
Biography
About Sue Grafton
Tall and striking at 5'9", with black hair and green eyes, Sue Grafton built a career that reshaped crime fiction. Born on 24 April 1940 in Louisville, Kentucky, she grew into an American author known for her hardboiled mystery novels, the famous alphabet series featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Her debut in the mystery genre came in 1967, though her active years stretched from 1964 to 2017, a span of 53 years. A graduate of the University of Louisville, she later moved to Santa Barbara, California, where she lived for much of her life and which she loosely transformed into the fictional "Santa Teresa" in her books.
Grafton's most enduring contribution is the alphabet series, which ran to 25 volumes, beginning with A IS FOR ALIBI. The novels, centered on the feisty Kinsey Millhone, were innovative in their time, paving the way for many female authors and protagonists. She also wrote beyond the series, with KINSEY AND ME and THE LOLLY-MADONNA WAR, the latter adapted into a film. Earlier in her career, she worked as a screenwriter, penning numerous scripts mainly for television, and it was through that work that she met her husband, Steven F. Humphrey.
Her personal life was marked by a strong independence, forged in part by her parents' alcoholism and neglect, a trait she recreated in Kinsey, who was orphaned young. She passed away on 28 December 2017 in Santa Barbara, at age 77, after battling appendix cancer for her final two years. The letter Z in her alphabet series was left unfinished, a loss keenly felt by her readers. She cited Ross MacDonald as a strong early influence.
Her net worth at the time of her death was estimated at $55 million. Noted as one of the richest novelists from Kentucky, she also ranked among the most popular novelists ever. Despite the public's interest, she refused to allow her novels to be adapted into movies, after early experiences with script conversions. Her legacy endures in the enduring popularity of Kinsey Millhone.
Record
Profile details
Frequently asked
How did Sue Grafton's early life influence her main character?
Grafton was independent from a young age due to her parents' alcoholism and neglect. She recreated that independence in her fictional detective Kinsey Millhone, who was orphaned at a young age.
Why did the alphabet series stop at the letter X?
The series ran to 25 volumes, from A IS FOR ALIBI. Grafton was battling appendix cancer during her last two years, and the final volume, Z, was never finished or apparently begun.
What inspired the fictional setting of Santa Teresa?
Grafton lived much of her life in Santa Barbara, California, which she loosely based her fictional city of Santa Teresa on. She explained any discrepancies by saying the two cities were not the exact same place.
Was Sue Grafton's work ever adapted into films?
Her early experiences with script conversions led her to refuse to let her novels be turned into movies. However, one of her non-series works, THE LOLLY-MADONNA WAR, was made into a film.
Did you know
- Before her mystery novels, Grafton worked as a screenwriter, producing many scripts mainly for television, which is where she met her husband Steven F. Humphrey.
- Grafton cited Ross MacDonald as one of her strongest early influences as a mystery reader.
- Her net worth was estimated at $55 million around the time of her death, making her one of the richest novelists from Kentucky.
- She was born under the sun sign Taurus.
More American Author profiles
Help improve this profile
Spot something wrong or missing? Fix a detail, add a link, or share a fact. Every submission is reviewed before it goes live.
Are you Sue Grafton?