Kinsey Millhone never sees it coming. She is mired in the case of a doctor who disappeared, his angry ex-wife, and beautiful current one–a case that is full of unfinished business, unfinished homes, and people drifting in and out of their own lives. Then Kinsey gets a shock. A man she finds attractive is hiding a fatal secret–and now a whole lot of beauty, money, and lies are proving to be a fatal distraction from what Kinsey should have seen all along: a killer standing right before her eyes. . . .
P Is for Peril (Kinsey Millhone)
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When Dowan Purcell, a respected physician who operates a nursing home, disappears, his ex-wife hires Santa Teresa PI Kinsey Millhone to look into it. Fiona Purcell is still seething over Dow's affair and subsequent marriage to Crystal, a former stripper, yet they're still friends, and she seems worried. But when his body is discovered, she's among the suspects. Both of Dow's wives, at least one of his business partners, and perhaps even Crystal's teenage daughter had motives to kill.
While in her most recent adventures (N Is for Noose, O Is for Outlaw) Kinsey has acquired new digs, an extended family, and a few more gray hairs, in this one (which takes place some time in the mid-'80s), she's 36, still living in the remodeled garage that was blown up in an earlier novel. Easier than a facelift, and while Sue Grafton is a solid enough writer to pull it off, dedicated Kinsey fans will miss the more complex and multidimensional character who aged so ruefully and interestingly in the '90s. This isn't Grafton's strongest case; it's hard to care about any of Purcell's women or his associates. More exciting is the secondary plot, which involves a handsome landlord who offers Kinsey the new office space she's been seeking and turns out to be a lot more trouble than she bargained for. Despite its somewhat plodding pace and the echo of a more evolved heroine that rings through its pages, Grafton's many fans will probably shoot P Is for Peril right to the top of the bestseller list. --Jane Adams --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
PI Kinsey Millhone's trademark dry sense of humor is largely absent in the first half of the 15th book in this justifiably popular series, though it resurfaces as the suspense finally begins to build in the second half. In the bleak November of 1986, Kinsey looks into the disappearance of Dr. Dowan Purcell, who's been missing for nine weeks. Dr. Purcell is an elderly physician who runs a nursing home that's being investigated for Medicare fraud. His ex-wife, Fiona, hires Kinsey when it seems as though the police have given up on the search. Fiona thinks that he could be simply hiding out somewhere, especially since he's pulled a disappearance stunt twice before. However, Purcell's current wife, Crystal, believes that he may be dead. Kinsey is dubious about finding any new leads after so much time has elapsed. She's also worried about having to move out of the office space she now occupies in the suite owned by her lawyer, and between her interviews with suspects she tries to rent a new office from a pair of brothers whose mysterious background begins to make her suspicious. Grafton's Santa Teresa seems more like Ross Macdonald's town of the same name than ever before, with dysfunctional families everywhere jostling for the private eye's attention. The novel has a hard-edged, wintry ambience, echoed in Fiona Purcell's obsession with angular art deco furniture and architecture. Unfortunately, Grafton's evocation of the noir crime novels and styles of the 1940s, although atmospheric, doesn't make up for a lack of suspense and lackluster characters. (June 4)Forecast: With a 600,000-copy first printing and a national author tour, this Literary Guild Main Selection is sure to shoot well up the bestseller lists.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By charles falk
Format:Hardcover
This is the best Grafton mystery in several years. It is a "two-fer" in which the doughty PI, Kelsey Millhone, gets involved with two cases simultaneously in monsoon-struck Santa Theresa/Santa Barbara. The first case is a search for Dr Purcell, the missing physcian/administrator of a nursing home. The second involves missing jewels from a murder/robbery in Texas. There are so many plot twists that this reader utterly failed to solve the "whodunit" aspect of the book.
Kelsey is supported by her usual cast of friends: her 86 year-old landlord Henry, his older brother, William. who is married to the Hungarian tyrant of Rosie's Tavern, and lawyer Lonnie Kingman. One of Kelsey's former lovers, Jonah Robb, who is now head of Santa Theresa's homicide unit also plays a role in "P is for Peril".
It is the new characters -- mostly women -- that make this Grafton book special. Fiona Purcell, Art Deco decorator, hires Kelsey to find her vanished ex-husband, but seems equally interested in digging up dirt about his current wife, Crystal. Crystal is a former Las Vegas stripper with a troubled teen-age daughter, Leila, (born out of wedlock) and a baby son born to Dr. Purcell. Bright, tough Mariah Talbot arrives from Texas to enmesh Kelsey in the attempt to locate some missing jewelry. Anica Blackburn is the guidance counselor at the Malibu boarding school where Leila is incarcerated. The only person Leila seems to relate to is her Santa Theresa street pal, Pauline. All six women are strong personalities, vividly drawn, that engage the reader's emotions in one way or another. For contrast there is handsome Tommy Hevener, co-owner of the new office Kelsey has leased, who has designs to make their relationship more intimate.
The only fault I have to find with this book -- and it is one shared by most contemporary mystery novels -- is that Grafton feels compelled to put Kelsey in mortal danger at the end of the story. The "Cheap Thrills" ending has become a cliche in the mystery genre. "If it's good enough for Dick Francis, it's good enough for me", seems to be the prevailing notion. Classic mystery writers, even the hard-boiled ones like Chandler and Ross MacDonald, devised climaxes to their stories that did not necessarily involve the imminent death and dismemberment of their investigators in the final chapter. At least Grafton has made risk-taking an integral part of Kelsey Millhone's character.
By Charles Tuna
Format:Hardcover
Sue's done it again with one of the best mysteries ever! A must read - rush, don't wait to get it.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Sue Grafton's series is my favorite addiction! Her stories are exciting and her characters are very real. It's evident she is an observant people watcher.
Because I love her series so much, I decided to start one of my own. Under False Pretense is the first and I am presently working on my second book. I can understand why Sue enjoys Kinsey so much. You get to know so much about the characters they become a part of you. I love spending time with Samantha Parker as much as the many hours I've spent and continue to spend with Kinsey. I'll miss her after Z.
Maria Pease
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3.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Art Deco
Dr. Purcell has been missing for nine weeks. Kinsey Millhone had followed the disappearance in the newspapers and then his former wife sought her services. Read more
Published on Oct 25 2003 by Mary E. Sibley
4.0 out of 5 stars
No dearth of suspects
Sue Grafton provides her readers with no dearth of suspects in Kinsey Millhone's attempt to solve the disappearance of a doctor suspected of Medicare fraud: a wife and an ex-wife,... Read more
Published on Sep 19 2003 by Peggy Vincent
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable Read
I have been reading all the alphabet mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed them. P is for Peril is no different. Read more
Published on Sep 8 2003 by Sandi K. Cary
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Grafton Yet
I can't imagine what I'm doing writing what appears to be the 255th review of this book. I mean, what more can I add? I feel compelled, though, because this one is superior. Read more
Published on Aug 7 2003 by J Scott Morrison
5.0 out of 5 stars
This One Takes Some Close Attention!
There is much going on in P is for Peril. The reader must pay close attention or he might get lost in the list of many characters and the various turns and twists of the plot. Read more
Published on Jun 2 2003 by Evelyn Horan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kinsey works on two cases at once
Kinsey Millhone is hired to investigate the disappearance of nursing home executive Dr. Dowan Purcell by his ex-wife Fiona. Read more
Published on May 12 2003 by Karen Potts
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read!
P is for Peril, a novel written by Sue Grafton, can be best described as unpredictable. This book if full of strange occurrences and suspense that will keep the reader captivated... Read more
Published on May 9 2003 by "gisela_79"
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice, but not particularly great.
Grafton demonstrates she still knows how to write. But I can't see this one being treated as one of the better enteries in the series. It is still a good read. Read more
Published on April 14 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good Audio Taped Version is Available to Fans- of course!
I enjoyed the audio tape of the book and am a great fan of Kinsey Milhone! She's easy to understand and her adventures and activites are not too difficult to follow. Read more
Published on Feb 20 2003 by Evelyn Horan
4.0 out of 5 stars
How does it end...?
P is for Peril closely follows the pattern of Sue Grafton's other books. I enjoyed the multiple storylines in this one. Read more
Published on Feb 15 2003
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