Welcome to another episode of pplpod! In today’s episode, we dive deep into the thrilling world of mystery fiction with a complete summary and review of “I” Is for Innocent, the acclaimed ninth book in Sue Grafton’s bestselling “Alphabet” series of mystery novels.

Join us as we follow the relentless private eye Kinsey Millhone, operating out of Santa Teresa, California. In this 1992 classic, Kinsey finds herself fired from California Fidelity Insurance and taking up new office space with attorney Lonnie Kingman. Lonnie tasks Kinsey with taking over a high-stakes civil case after the previous private investigator, Morley Shine, drops dead from what is later revealed to be poisoned mushroom pastries.

The case? Investigating David Barney, a man previously acquitted of shooting his estranged wife—talented society house-designer Isabelle Barney—through the spy hole of her front door. Now, Isabelle’s ex-husband Kenneth Voigt is dragging David into civil court to secure Isabelle’s multimillion-dollar business for their daughter, Shelby.

Listen in as we unpack all the twists, turns, and suspects in this gripping murder mystery. We break down the complex web of evidence, from the questionable testimony of jailbird Curtis MacIntyre to David Barney’s seemingly iron-clad hit-and-run alibi involving a truck driven by Tippy. Discover how Kinsey unravels the truth behind the alibi, leading to a deadly game of cat-and-mouse and a final shootout.

Praised by Publishers Weekly as having “much to enjoy” and hailed by Kirkus Reviews as “another winner for Grafton,” this is one Kinsey Millhone mystery you don’t want to miss. Tune in to pplpod for our full breakdown of the plot, characters, and shocking climax!

Source credit: Research for this episode included Wikipedia articles accessed 2/27/2026. Wikipedia text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; content here is summarized/adapted in original wording for commentary and educational use.