Rating: 
Summary: Where is Sue Grafton?
Review: I was incredibly disappointed in this book. The writing style was not what I was used to in previous books. Gone was the light touch. Instead, the dialog seemed like something out of a grade B romance novel. The usually flowing and descriptive prose was flat and awkward. The humor that is so important to the character of Kinsey was nowhere to be felt. The only way I could finish the book was to pretend that I was reading a novel written by someone else with a character similar to Kinsey. Even then it was hard going. This book made me wonder if,in fact, Sue Grafton wasn't too busy to write it herself and just provided the outline of the plot and characters to someone much younger and less gifted to fill in the details. My advise to a new reader of Sue Grafton is to read all the other books of hers and forget this one exists. You'll love her that way.
Rating: 
Summary: P is for Paperback
Review: A mystery hound, I go through two or three each week, buying most of them in paperback lest I blow the rent money on my book habit. I make an exception for a handful of favorite authors and series, including, until now, Sue Grafton's alphabet murder series. I should have waited for the paperback. P is for Peril drags, the plot limping along, bogged down amid lots of tedious health industry terminology. The wit that characterized earlier books in the series has gone flat as well. As others have noted, the book ends abruptly; it left me with the sense that perhaps the publisher was clamoring for a draft, with the whole project uninspired and behind schedule. Perhaps Ms. Grafton has hit a mid-alphabet slump. In any event, I am not going to be quick to throw the hardcover Q is for Quarry in my cart.
Rating: 
Summary: The only mystery here is how this ever got published.
Review: This is the first (and last) book of the "Alphabet Mysteries" that I will venture to read. This is a jargon of characters, most of them highly unlikely at best, an even larger jargon of plots, and a convoluted mess of a story. I didn't like the style, the plot, the setting, or the story itself. In the beginning we are led to believe that finding a missing doctor is the plot here, and our heroine sleuth, Kinsey Milhone, is a private investigator hired by the doctor's long suffering ex-wife to do just that. Somehow there enters another story, of jewel thieves and murderers, that is not connected at all to the doctor's disappearance. I couldn't be sure at any one time which story I was reading. Our heroine comes across as a person with a screw or two loose, and she is just plain not real in any sense of the word. The ex-wife is underdeveloped as an eccentric older lady with a lot of bills, but that is all we ever really learn about this very vital character. The new wife, Crystal, is also vague, I never did get her place in the story correct until I was nearing the end, and when you add a totally unnecessary ex-husband to the new wife, a teenage daughter that isn't his natural daughter, yet he shares joint custody, the teenage daughter's friend who has absolutely no bearing at all, other than to validate the teenage daughter's character maybe..well, it just becomes a huge mess. Then the author throws in another story on top of that! It seemed as though Sue Grafton had some wonderful ideas for characters and plots and themes, would write them down, then forget about them and add new ones here and there. Definitely NOT an all-nighter on this one, folks, perhaps Sue Grafton should start again with the letter A and work her way forward.
Rating:
Summary: Did Kinsey get lost somewhere?
Review: I am an avid Kinsey Millhone fan, and was anxious to get my hands on this lastest installment to the series. However, I found this one very disappointing. The plot was an overly used one with characters that weren't developed or explained thoroughly enough. Throughout the book, I kept waiting to find out why things that had been emphasized were key to the story, but it just never happened. I thought the subplot with the two brothers had much more potential. Developing that storyline would have been far more interesting. The old Kinsey just didn't quite come through here. She didn't have that edge that makes her so interesting. I've always enjoyed the way she thinks and operates. This seemed to be just a shadow of her former self. I was willing to forgive all of this just because I do adore the series, but I was left cold with the ending. Grafton has always been a master at pulling it together in a way that even if she hadn't thoroughly spelled out the way things were, there wasn't any confusion as to what happened. That was not the case here. I read the last 25 pages twice to see if I missed something, but I have more questions than is comfortable for a mystery novel. There was just too much left unsaid and unexplained which I found extremely frustrating. By far, my least favorite.
Rating: 
Summary: Reading Group Notes- Martha's & Alice's Notes in the Margin
Review: Our reading groups have not ever taken up a mystery such as Ms. Grafton writes but P is for Peril might be the place for our groups to begin. This strong female character with her pithy remarks would be ripe for discussion. Ms. Grafton, speaking as Kinsey, is a latter day physiognomist just as Charlotte Bronte and Anne Bronte. Grafton just takes herself a bit less seriously. Kinsey is someone who reads character and temperament from outside appearance and then she lets us, the reader, in on her apt observations. Your reading group might find it amusing to study the character development and description and see if it rings true with Kinsey's observations. Our favorite quote spoke of Kinsey's love of disappearing into a book, "I settled on the sofa, where I covered myself in a big puffy comforter and started reading a book. Within minutes, I'd been sucked through a wormhole into a fictional world, traveling faster than the speed of words into a realm without sound and without gravity." Our interesting word selection is the simple word, "smile." Your reading group might want to take a close look how people in this mystery smile - who does and who doesn't smile. Of course many authors use this term to tell us something about character and motivation and intent but few use it to help us solve a mystery. We learn that Fiona's smile was sour; Chrystal smiled faintly; Tommy flashed Kinsey a smile; Dana's smile was jaded; Tommy smiled at Kinsey fleetingly; Mariah's smile, when it appeared, scarely softened her face; Celine's smile, when it appeared was self-conscious- never reached her face; Anica mangaged a wide smile despite Crystal's distress; Anica Blackburn appeared and smiled at Kinsey briefly before she took her seat in the pew. . . Indeed Tommy's smiles were flashy and fleeting long before they faded completely and Anica smiled inappropriately more than once. What would truly be interesting to learn is whether or not Ms. Grafton used this device consciously. We are certain, however, that Ms. Grafton, as always, had the subtle intention of bringing a conscious smile of understanding to the reader's face. As always, in reading Sue Grafton, we settled in and within minutes we were sucked through a wormhole into a fictional world, traveling faster than the speed of words into a realm without sound and without gravity. What an adventure and one your reading group might just want to try. Martha Burns and Alice Dillon are the authors of Reading Group Journal: Notes in the Margin. They meet monthly with their reading groups in NJ and Oregon.
Rating:
Summary: Hello, Sue are you there??
Review: What a major disappointment. Glad to see that I wasn't the only one who actually went to the bookstore to see if my copy had a chapter missing. Go figure. The characters were weak, the plot never took off, Kinsey seemed like a moron, and let's not even talk about the ending that never was. Since I really enjoyed all the others (well N was a little weak) I guess I can cut Sue some slack. Sure hope this was a temporary lull.
Rating:
Summary: P Is For Perfection.
Review: I recently got interested in Sue Grafton a couple of weeks ago, I decided to read her book N Is For Noose and I was blown away by how good it was. Sue Grafton is a very descriptive writer and her story with Dr. Dowan Purcell is amazing, I recommend you listen to the Cassettes because Judy Kaye was an amazing choice to read this book she reads it so well you'll love it. I guarantee that you immediately run to your bookstore and pick it up either in the Hardcover or the Audio Cassette. I guarentee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I just finished reading "P is for Peril" and I was extremely disappointed in the ending. After I read the last page, I was looking for the rest of the pages in the book. I was beginning to wonder if there were some pages missing. Then I said, "That's it????" I agree with one of the previous reviewers who said that reading is our vacation. Reading is a rest for our minds. If I have to think that hard to figure out the ending to a book, then I won't bother with reading it in the first place. I have always enjoyed Sue Grafton's Kinsey series, but I think this one was lacking in humor and a good ending. Also, what happened to her usual report at the end? For all those folks who actually like to think hard about an ending, this is for you. But for those of us who want it wrapped up neat and clear, don't waste your time. I'm sorry I wasted mine.
Rating:
Summary: Uhhhhhmmmm, not as good as I would have expected
Review: I felt that this book was a little too farfetched.... Kinsey was made into a little bit of a whimp despite the fact that she sounds like she should be tough.... I did not find the twists in the story to be intriguing but annoying for some reason.... Just not what I would have expected...
Rating:
Summary: P is for Perfect!
Review: Another Phantastic Kinsey outing. Perfect cast! Perfect story! PERFECT ENDING! I'd give this 10 stars if I could! Kinsey is on multiple intertwined adventures, meeting an enjoyable collection of fun, and dangerous, and ditzy, and deceitful, and surprising characters! The ending was great! I wonder what Q will be for? I hope it will come our Quickly!
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