‘Alphabet Series’ author Sue Grafton, 77

LOS ANGELES — Sue Grafton, the prolific author of the bestselling “Alphabet Series” mysteries featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone, has died at the age of 77.

Grafton died on Thursday after a two-year battle with cancer, her daughter Jamie said on the author’s Facebook page.

Grafton was best known for her mystery series with alphabetical titles.

The first book in the series, A is for Alibi came out in 1982 and the latest, Y is for Yesterday, in August of this year.

Her daughter said that would be the last.

“Sue always said that she would continue writing as long as she had the juice,” her daughter wrote on Facebook.

“Many of you also know that she was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV shows, and in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name,” she said.

“Because of all of those things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y.”

Kinsey Millhone, the main character in Grafton’s “Alphabet Series,” is a former police officer who left the force and became a private investigator.

The books are set in Santa Teresa, a fictionalized version of Grafton’s southern California hometown of Santa Barbara.

Grafton’s books have been translated into 26 languages, according to her Web site. —