I is for Influence

Author Sue Grafton, an author of a detective novels, passed away on December 28th at the age of 77. Her detective series had an alphabetical theme, beginning with A is for Alibi published in 1982, and continued through her final novel Y is for Yesterday published in 2017. Ms. Grafton had intended to end the series with Z is for Zero but had not begun writing the book at the time of her death.

According to her New York Times obituary, Ms. Grafton credited Edward Gorey's 1963 work The Gashlycrumb Tinies as her inspiration for the alphabetical structure of the series:

“I was smitten with all those little Victorian children being dispatched in various ways,” she told The New York Times in 2015. “ ‘A is for Amy who fell down the stairs; B is for Basil assaulted by bears; C is for Clara who wasted away; D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.’ Edward Gorey was deliciously bent.”

I is for inspiration!