O is for Outlaw

A Kinsey Millhone Mystery

By: Sue Grafton

Narrated by: Judy Kaye

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The call comes on a Monday morning from a guy who scavenges defaulted storage units at auction. The weekend before, he'd bought a stack of cardboard boxes. In one, there was a collection of childhood memorabilia with Kinsey's name all over it.

Though she's never been one for personal possessions, curiosity is a powerful force. What she finds among the items is an old undelivered letter to her that will force her to reexamine her beliefs about the breakup of her first marriage...about the honor of her first husband...and about an old unsolved murder. It will put her life in the gravest peril.

Through 14 books, listeners have been fed short rations when it comes to Kinsey Millhone's past: a morsel here, a dollop there. You know about the aunt who raised her, the second husband who left her, the long-lost family up the California coast. But husband number one has remained a blip on the screen. Until now. "O" Is for Outlaw is a revealing excursion into Kinsey's past.

©199 9 (P)1999 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Romantic Times Award Winner - Best PI Novel, 1999

"Grafton works with a cinematic eye, possessing a keen visual sense of detail, color, and style. The pace is fast, the crime difficult to solve." (People)

Great while traveling

Sue Grafton is always a good story especially while traveling. Love using the audible app on my iPhone.

What happened to Mary Peiffer?

I absolutely do not like Judy Kaye. Her voice for Henry sounds like a whispering leprechaun. I really wish there was a way to get someone else to read the rest of this series.

I might have to find something else to listen to because it is horrible to listen to even though I love Sue Grafton and this series.

Awfull narration !!!

I adore the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton and own all of them in hardback. I have enjoyed listening to the audible versions from A to N. Now new narrator for O and she is AWEFUL !! She makes Kinsey sound like she is a gruff 50 and don't even listen to her rendition of Henry !! He sounds like a feeble, wimpy, old lady. I probably will not purchase any more of this series. Going back to my hardbacks.

fun fun fun

I love Kinsey millhone! Wonderful character, full of Adventure and mischief. I can't get enough of Sue Grafton, brilliant prolific writer. Murder, Mystery and Mayhem. Who could ask for anything more?

What I expected

It is exactly what you expect from this authors alphabet series. I always enjoy them.

Mot the n'est narrator.

I didn't like the new narrator. It was like a 30's serials. The worst was Henry's old Man voice. But the story was good...

One of my favorites

This is one of my favorite Sue Grafton books. Lots of twists and turns, a little of Kinsey's history, and just an overall good story. I prefer Mary Pieffer as the narrator.

Better experience with the new voice actor

I really love these books... traditional gumshoe story which takes place before all the short cuts with internet and cell phones. I try enjoy the humor and stories. I tried one with the original narrator and found it a truly uninspired performance. New narrator starting with O and she has much more range and really brings the character of Kinsey Millhone to life.

More Believable Kinsey ~ Jarring Narrator Change

Working through the Grafton alphabet ~ O ... Outlaw ... Observations ~

Kinsey is finally growing up. For many pages over many volumes, it seemed that Grafton's main character would never mature; would always remain commitment-averse, snarky, know-it-all. Grafton must have decided that realistic characters evolve and has finally starting evolving Kinsey. The evolution makes her a much more believable, understandable, compelling protagonist.

No spoilers, but in Outlaw we finally see Kinsey grappling with real emotion ~ regret and sadness and grief and more. This is not the heavy-handed treatment we have seen in the past where a difficult emotion is dismissed with a joke or platitude. The treatment here is much more sensitive and real-world and the series benefits for it.

We also learn a bit more about Kinsey's past ~ the time between childhood and "present day" that has been treated only briefly in previous volumes. Outlaw is the beginning of the pay-off for working through some of the less polished, earlier audios.

We also have a new narrator, which is a plus and a challenge. Challenge, first. When the audio begins, you can be forgiven if you believe we now have a male narrator. Over time, and with a peek at the credits, you will discover the narrator remains a woman but she has either a very manly or a very "mature" voice. This is particularly jarring for this series. Kinsey is neither manly nor elderly and the narration may throw you, at least initially.

Over time, though, the advantages of the new narration begin to show. Judy Kaye is a much more able narrator ~ her characterizations are massively better than the previous narrator's; she pronounces every word correctly; her pacing never slips. And, over time, it's not too hard to become accustomed to her voice and to settle into the "new Kinsey." Frankly, by the end of the audio, I am convinced this is a change for the better.

The Kinsey Millhone series has usually offered a pleasant escape without much heavy lifting. Outlaw goes a bit further and is a bit more rewarding. It is certainly worth the listen.

This one brought tears to my eyes

This book may be one of my favorites in the alphabet series. It gives us a glimpse into Kinsey's first marriage.