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U Is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21)

U Is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21) book cover
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Mystery & Thriller Fiction Mystery & Thriller Mystery & Thriller Suspense

by Sue Grafton

starstarstarstar_halfstar
3.93 (18.7K ratings)
calendar_today 2009
description 403 pages

U Is for Undertow by Sue Grafton holds a well received rating of 3.93 out of 5, based on 18.7K reader ratings. First published in 2009. The book spans 403 pages.

About U Is for Undertow

It's April 1988, a month before Kinsey Millhone's thirty-eighth birthday, and she's alone in her office catching up on paperwork when a young man arrives unannounced. He has a preppy air about him and looks as if he'd be carded if he tried to buy a beer, but Michael Sutton is twenty-seven, an unemployed college dropout.He tells her a story. More than two decades ago, a four-year-old girl disappeared, and a recent newspaper story about her kidnapping has triggered a flood of memories. Sutton now believes he stumbled on her secret burial and could identify the killers if he saw them again. He wants Kinsey's help in locating the grave and finding the men. It's way more than a long shot, but he's persistent and willing to pay cash up front. Reluctantly, Kinsey agrees to give him one day of her time.It isn't long before she discovers Sutton has an uneasy relationship with the truth. In essence, he's the boy who cried wolf. Is his story true, or simply one more in a long line of fabrications?Moving between the 1980s and the 1960s, and changing points of view as Kinsey pursues witnesses whose accounts often clash, Sue Grafton builds multiple subplots and memorable characters. Gradually we see how everything connects. And as always, at the heart of her fiction is Kinsey Millhone, a sharp-tongued, observant loner who never forgets that under the thin veneer of civility is often the roiling dark side of the soul.

Detail Value
Author Sue Grafton
Published 2009
Pages 403
Genres Mystery & Thriller, Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller, Suspense
Average Rating 3.93 / 5.00
Total Ratings 18,716

Reader Ratings & Analysis

Rating Overview

3.9
starstarstarstar_halfstar
18.7K ratings
With a rating of 3.93, U Is for Undertow is rated below the global average of 4.17. Compared to its genre average of 3.95, it performs on par.

How It Compares

3.93
This Book
3.95
Mystery & Thriller Average
4.17
Global Average

Frequently Asked Questions

What genre is U Is for Undertow?

U Is for Undertow is categorized as Mystery & Thriller, Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller. Its primary genre classification is Mystery & Thriller.

Is U Is for Undertow worth reading?

Based on 18.7K reader ratings, U Is for Undertow has an average score of 3.93 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."

How many pages is U Is for Undertow?

U Is for Undertow has 403 pages.

Who wrote U Is for Undertow?

U Is for Undertow was written by Sue Grafton. It was first published in 2009.

What is the ISBN for U Is for Undertow?

The ISBN-13 for U Is for Undertow is 9780399155970.0.

Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 22, 2026