• B Is for Burglar

  • A Kinsey Millhone Mystery
  • By: Sue Grafton
  • Narrated by: Mary Peiffer
  • Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,278 ratings)

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B Is for Burglar  By  cover art

B Is for Burglar

By: Sue Grafton
Narrated by: Mary Peiffer
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Publisher's summary

A wealthy woman needs to find her sister to settle a will. It looks routine...boring. Still, business is slow and even a private investigator has bills to pay, so Kinsey Millhone takes the case.

But this is not routine and the deeper Kinsey digs the trickier things get. The client tries to call Kinsey off, an accusing husband surfaces, and a double murder turns the case sinister. Kinsey feels adrift in a fog of distortion, where nothing, except danger, is quite what it seems.

Don't miss the other titles in the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mystery Series.
©1985 Sue Grafton (P)1993 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Unconventional, unsentimental, Millhone's a fine addition to the ranks of fictional private eyes." (The Houston Chronicle)

Featured Article: Best Mystery Series—Listens That'll Take You Right to the Crime Scene


While a standalone mystery is great when you're in the mood for a one-and-done, sometimes you want to feed your craving with an entire mystery series—knowing there's a world and characters you can keep coming back to for the satisfaction of solving crimes. With audiobooks, you get the added bonus of sinking deeper into the setting, clues, and suspects as the story is performed for you, so you'll feel like you're alongside detectives, ready to bust a case.

What listeners say about B Is for Burglar

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Back again for B is for Burglar

I actually had not heard this since it was first out on Books on Tape a looooong time ago and wanted to hear it again! To me it was actually fun to hear the old Books on Tape stuff at the very start of the book.
Although still a good story the second time through, I can really see (hear) why so many reviewers were not very happy with the early books just because of the reader Ms. Peiffer.
Although she reads the story fine, as with several other readers of various books, she just doesn't seem to have the correct or expected 'tonal quality' for the character in this story, in my opinion!!!
If you're just discovering the "Alphabet" series, I'd still recommend giving it a listen, or, especially in the early stages of this series, get the abridged version and hear the reader that now has become the ONLY reader of the series for the most part, abridged or unabridged, Judy Kaye!
She IS Kinsey Millhone!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

I Did Finish It

I did finish this book, even after reading "A is for Alibi." But I won't get any of the others by this author. After reading David Baldacci's books, this is just too simple. The Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt are lighter than Baldacci and much preferred over this author. But this is just my unsolicited opinion...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Never a waste!

Anything by Sue Grafton is worth the credits or cash! Kinsey Milhone has got to be one of my all time favorite recurring characters in fiction. Thanks Sue!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not as strong as Number one but still a winner

Would you consider the audio edition of B is for Burglar to be better than the print version?

Audio books are a great time saver.

What other book might you compare B is for Burglar to and why?

All of the "ABC" Grafton books are about the same story line. I love the crazy cast of characters!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

B is for Boring and Predictable

I picked up this book thinking it just had to be better than "A"... nothing could be as predictable as "A" was, but I was wrong. It was even more predictable making it even more boring. Anyone with half a clue should be able to figure this "mystery" out within the first hour, making the rest of it really difficult to listen to. I started this series hoping to find a nice long series with exciting characters and even more exciting plots, but based on the first two books the only mystery I have found is how any publisher kept paying Sue Grafton to keep writing this stuff.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

BEST female detective series ever written

as a big fan, I've read through all of her books once. now I'm starting again with audible and couldn't be more delighted to see that the performance matches with the author intended

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The gold standard for female detectives

This is how to write female detectives. I love the commentary, it’s so funny. Her descriptions of the characters and events are so on target. No one is spared her sharp wit, not even rich people and fancy material possessions. Kinsey is so not impressed by anything or anyone and has so much confidence. I’ve never read a more likable female sleuth.
This novel is so California. Somehow Kinsey has missed the memo about being impressed with traditional trappings of prestige and simply describes them as she sees them, without guile. I love the comment about how eating a traditional greasy meal is “considered a suicide attempt” in California.
Kinsey is unabashedly independent which I love. She is part of increasing group of single women who feel fulfilled and not even lonely without relationship. That also strikes me as being so California—we do our own thing with nobody watching and discover that the traditional roles aren’t even necessary for happiness. I can’t see a book like this being written today. Today’s sleuths are always desperately seeking a man or feeling emptiness and misery without one.
I first read this book in1987 or thereabouts. I was hoping that by now there would be many likable female sleuths but there just aren’t. After listening to hundreds of them here I am back at one of the key starting points of the genre and it is so fresh.
Kinsey is unpretentious, self sufficient, funny and brave without an ounce of self created drama. Maybe the plot isn’t the most exciting but Kinsey’s point of view is so clear and unencumbered by tradition. I wish all authors or who think they can write female sleuth novels would study Sue Grafton’s absolutely down to earth characters.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love it!

I am actually in the process of moving so I listen to Sue Grafton’s books while I’m packing. It makes the time better during this dreadful process!! Thank you!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

fantastic narrator

I read book one and listened to this one and the narrator sounded exactly as I pictured Kinsey sounding. she's great and does so well with cadence and all the different voices. the story was good as well. at times some extra detail is given needlessly but really does add the story. this is overall a believable character and she's tough and smart. love it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyment!

Enjoying the alphabet. The climax comes quickly and is satisfying. Looking forward to continuing the adventure.

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