Date of Birth: April 24, 1940
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Date of Death: December 28, 2017
Biography
Sue Grafton was an acclaimed American author best known for her “Alphabet” series of detective novels featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Grafton grew up in a family with a deep literary background—her father was a municipal bond attorney who also wrote detective fiction. She attended the University of Louisville, earning a degree in English Literature. Before achieving fame as a novelist, Grafton worked in various capacities, including as a medical secretary and screenwriter. Grafton’s career took off with the publication of “A Is for Alibi” in 1982, the first in her series of alphabetically titled novels. The series, which explores the life and cases of Kinsey Millhone in the fictional town of Santa Teresa, California, became immensely popular and was critically acclaimed for its strong character development and intricate plots. Grafton continued to write these novels until her death, concluding the series with “Y Is for Yesterday,” published in 2017. Grafton’s writing was characterized by a meticulous attention to detail, and her stories often featured strong, independent female protagonists. Over the course of her career, she received numerous awards, including the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
5 Interesting Facts about Sue Grafton
1. Sue Grafton started writing at the age of 18 and had completed her first novel by the time she was 22, although it was never published.
2. Grafton worked as a screenwriter for television movies before achieving fame as a novelist.
3. She was inspired to create the Alphabet series while going through a contentious divorce, during which she fantasized about ways to kill her ex-husband.
4. Grafton refused to sell the film and television rights to her Alphabet series, declaring that she didn’t want Hollywood to “mangle” her work.
5. She was posthumously awarded the 2018 Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Sue Grafton
1. “Ideas are easy. It’s the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats.”
2. “My primary goal is to make sure I don’t offend any readers, including the deceased.”
3. “I don’t want to be a ‘writer.’ I want to be a storyteller.”
4. “I know there are people who say writing a book is a difficult, agonizing, suffering sort of process. I don’t buy it.”
5. “Writing is hard work and bad for the health.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At the peak of her career, Sue Grafton’s net worth was estimated to be around $50 million.
Children
Sue Grafton had three children: two daughters, Jamie and Leslie, from her first marriage, and a son, Jay, from her second marriage.
Relevant Links
1. [Sue Grafton – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Grafton
3. [Sue Grafton’s Official Website](http://www.suegrafton.com/
5. [Goodreads – Sue Grafton](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/889.Sue_Grafton