I liked this a little more than the first one, I think. Both books are enjoyable popcorn reads of the mystery type, but Kinsey's character is a little more fleshed out here. It's not that Grafton goes into backstory or anything. It's that Kinsey's stream of thought can often veer off in strange or whimsical directions - not directions that have anything to do with the plot, but just the kind of random thoughts that most of us have in our everyday lives. I find that appealing to read; Kinsey seems like a person rather than just another investigator. Some of the supporting characters are just as entertaining, particularly the elderly woman who is just so excited about getting to be involved in a case because it gives her something to do, even if she can hardly move without a walker. I doubt dear old Julia will continue to be in subsequent books, as she lives on the other side of the country from Kinsey, which is a bit of a shame as she's a lot of fun. That being said, as much as I liked Kinsey and Julia I was less invested in the investigation itself, basically because the missing person, her sister, and a couple more people very closely connected to the case are all so unpleasant that it's a bit of a shame they all didn't kick the bucket, frankly.