P is for Peril

A Kinsey Millhone Mystery

By: Sue Grafton

Narrated by: Judy Kaye

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Dr. Dowan Purcell had been missing for nine weeks when Kinsey got a call asking her to take on the case. A specialist in geriatric medicine, Purcell was a prominent member of the Santa Theresa medical community, and the police had done a thorough job. Purcell had no known enemies and seemed content with his life. At the time of his disappearance, he was running a nursing care facility where both the staff and the patients loved him. He adored his second wife, Crystal, and doted on their two-year-old son.

It wasn't Crystal who called Kinsey. It was Purcell's ex-wife, Fiona. Everything about their meeting made Kinsey uneasy. Fiona's manner was high-handed and her expectations unrealistic. Kinsey's instincts told her to refuse the job, yet she ended up saying, "I'll do what I can, but I make no promises." It was a decision she'd live to regret.

Pursuing the mysterious disappearance of Purcell, Kinsey crashes into a wall of speculation. It seems everyone has a theory. The cops think he went on a bender and is too ashamed to come home. Fiona is sure he ran off to get away from Crystal, and Crystal is just as sure he's dead. The staff at the nursing home is convinced he's been kidnapped, and one of his daughters, having consulted a psychic, is certain that he's trapped in a dark place, though she doesn't know where. Kinsey is awash in explanations and sorely lacking in facts. Then pure chance leads her in another direction, and she soon finds herself in a dangerous shadow land, where duplicity and double-dealing are the reality and, with the truth glinting elusively out of reach, she must stake her life on a thin thread of intuition.

Don't miss the other titles in the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mystery Series.

©2001 by Sue Grafton (P)2001 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Unlike many detective series, Grafton's seems only to get better each time out." (Entertainment Weekly)

Another good read

I reconnected with the Sue Grafton novels after a busy time in my life caused me to forget about them. Now I have been making my way through the rest of the series and I am enjoying it immensely. The way the author can combine more than one mystery in the same book is almost as if the reader is getting two books for the price of one.

Search for the Doc

Again Kinsey is on the hunt for a. client. Great narration. Love Judy's voice changes. Easy to tell the difference between characters.

Makes My Commute Fun

I've read the books and enjoy listening to them being read to me. I did not like the ending of this book back then or now. Why the departure from the mini synopsis from Kinsey? Overall 4 stars.

One of Sue Grafton's better stories

I'm a big fan of Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries -- especially the later ones narrated by Judy Kaye. Sometimes they're just fun to listen to even if the story doesn't hang together in a credible way. This one works on all levels: a good suspenseful story, a nice assortment of red herrings, and a conclusion that makes the whole thing worth listening to.

Loved it.

Love Sue Grafton and Judy Kaye's reading style. Can't wait to for the next story, Q.

Love the Sue Grafton Alphabet series!

I love this series and Judy K keeps the story rolling along. I think Sue Grafton's daughter is doing the last few books in the series because her mother has passed now.

Have to love unabridged

Personally, I much prefer unabridged audio versions. While the previous reviewer felt there was 'too much dialogue', in my opinion, the dialogue or commentary is what provides a feel of or connection with Ms. Milhone. If you're just wanting an overview of the alphabet series, there are a number of abridged versions that might be better suited for you. But once you really get involved with the series, you're going to want the unabridged.

P is for Noir

Boy, am I glad I ignored all the bad reviews for "P", and followed through with the series. It was still perfectly Kinsey, but an intriguing ending that we must figure out for ourselves, even though it is obvious what happened. It is a nod to noir and even the initial audio tunes at the beginning let you know. Judy Kaye delivers in the perfect Kinsey tone and I laughed pretty hard at a particular scene Kinsey witnesses while hidden under an office desk.

My favorite of the series so far

What did you love best about P is for Peril?

It was three cases at once. Never a dull moment, and you couldn't tell

not bad

I had not read a sue grafton novel in a while. This was fairly entertaining. At times the story was slow and counts too much on coincidence