Rating: 
Summary: P is for Pretty Good
Review: Nursing home administrator, Doctor Dowan Purcell went missing nine weeks ago. He left his office on a Friday evening and was never seen or heard from again. The police have followed up on the few leads they had and are now more or less in a holding pattern, about ready to put the case on a back burner. Enter private investigator, Kinsey Millhone. Dow's ex-wife hires her figuring that maybe one dedicated detective with a single minded mission will be able to break the case wide open. Kinsey's off and running, interviewing Dow's new and very young wife, his friends, business associates and employees and everyone of them is pointing fingers and has a theory as to what might have happened and why he's gone. But when by pure chance, Kinsey makes a shocking discovery, nothing's going to stop her until she gets to the truth..... Sue Grafton's back and though this isn't one of her stronger mysteries, Kinsey Millhone junkies should be happy to be on the case with their favorite heroine. The writing is great, the dialogue, superb and the descriptions and detail, unrivaled. But the book has some problems. The main plot line is weak and complicated and at times hard to follow and Ms Grafton leaves a few too many plot lines hanging and questions, unanswered at the unsatisfying end of the story. The characters, though well drawn, are mostly a nasty lot and hard to empathize with or care about. You just don't want to spend time with these people. The real highlight of the book is the subplot involving a new office and mysterious twin landlords and I kept looking forward to getting off Dow's case and back to that part of the story. All in all, not one of the best in the series, but a good entertaining read that Grafton fans won't want to miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Does not get an "A" from this Grafton fan
Review: I love Sue Grafton, don't get me wrong and I love Kinsey Millhone, but this book is not one of Grafton's best. I have to agree w/ the others, the side story about the Hevener Bros. was much more interesting than Fiona, Crystal, etc. However, the ending is good, really lets you decide for yourself what happened. However, I wish the Hevener Bros. would have been the whole story line and Purcell the "sideline." Still, being summertime, will make a good pool, beach, lake, etc read.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the rest of it?
Review: I am a huge Grafton/Millhone fan, but I was left wanting with this latest novel. The main plot, itself, didn't really ring true. The subplot was much more interesting, but was so brief that I was disappointed even with that.The ending seemed tacked on. I felt that Grafton was in a hurry or tired of writing and so just threw it together. I also didn't like how it leaves the reader hanging - who actually did it, anyway? I'm still a huge fan, but I'm not impressed with the "P" novel - let's hope "Q" is better.
Rating:
Summary: Peril's no pearl
Review: If you told me this book was written by a Grafton wanna be, I'd believe it. I can't remember an alphabet book in which, when the murderer was revealed, I didn't say "Oh, yes! NOW I remember that subtle clue." No clue here. I can't remember an alphabet book in which the ending didn't contain a muscle workout for Kinsey in a truly perilous situation. Not here. Further, part of the plot contains a very complex corporate structure involving fraud. The structure makes no sense whatsover to anyone who knows even the basics of business. This simply wasn't a good book. If it were "A", there'd be no B.
Rating:
Summary: P is for puzzling?
Review: I truly love the character of Kinsey Milhone. I enjoyed P is for Peril but was left disappointed. We never truly learn why the Doctor was killed. Kinsey seems to take almost being murdered by a man she had the hots for in stride. How did the insurance agent get the combination to the safe? Is what she did illegal? Wouldn't Kinsey, having worked for an insurance office, know the right avenues to pursue to follow up on this? Was there a missing chapter at the end? And what about the epilogue I've come to expect?
Rating: 
Summary: P is for perfectly fascinating
Review: Sue's done it again with one of the best mysteries ever! A must read - rush, don't wait to get it.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling Ending
Review: I've noticed alot of people talking about the ending of P Is For Peril. I, myself, just finished the book and was momentarily confused. Without giving anything away, I just want to say that this book was cleverly laid out, and the ending was haunting, and surprising. Sure, I wish, if not just for continuities sake, there was an epilogue, but I am more than satisfied with the overall product, and must admit that Grafton has caused me to think, more about this novel, than any of her 15 brilliant previous Millhone Mysteries. Go out and get it right now, before someone spoils the ending for you!!
Rating:
Summary: Grafton is back in top form
Review: After a disappointing O is for Outlaw, Grafton writes another great chapter in the Kinsey Millhone saga. The story was thoroughly enjoyable, and included all the characters. The ending was different. This time, Kinsey does not "sign off" in a postscript chapter, and the last page was vague. In fact, I even compared my book with a new copy because I was convinced mine was missing a chapter. Aside from the unsatisifying ending, the book as a whole was excellent.
Rating:
Summary: A Missing Doctor, an Annoying Client, and Scummy Characters
Review: For those who love mysteries with lots of suspects, unexpected complications, red herrings, and sudden reversals, P Is for Peril will rank as one of the very best in this distinguished and popular series. For those who find it hard to be engaged by stories where they don't like the characters very much, P Is for Peril will be a bummer. Of the new characters you will meet in this book, only Jacob Trigg, Dow's best friend, and Anica Blackburn, a school counselor and family friend to Dow's second's wife's daughter, will probably be people you will want to read about again. If you are like me, you don't find books where the characters are all so unsympathetic to be worth five stars. P Is for Peril opens with Ms. Kinsey Millhone at age 36 in 1986, having survived two unsuccessful marriages, her love life at a low ebb, and needing to find a new office to house her one-woman detective agency in Santa Teresa, California. Retired geriatric specialist and now nursing home administrator, Dr. Dowan (Dow) Purcell, aged 69, is missing. He left work one night, and hasn't been seen for nine weeks. The police have looked, but have no leads. Kinsey is hired by his first wife, Fiona, to find him. There are alimony checks to be kept coming at stake! While Fiona, the ex-wife, is hiring Kinsey, Kinsey gets a bad feeling that Fiona may not be the ideal client. Fiona is one of those people who could find fault with a saint. Kinsey tells Fiona, "I'll do what I can, but I make no promises." Suspicious, Kinsey asks about the bank balance on Fiona's account before depositing the retainer check. There's just enough to cover it. Whew! The current wife, Crystal, is a much younger woman, a former stripper from Las Vegas, whose appeal to Dow was her willingness to perform kinky bedroom games. She is expensive to maintain, and seems to be causing Dow some concern. Why was she disappearing into another man's home every morning? On the other hand, her prenuptial agreement means she gets nothing if Dow divorces her. At the nursing home, everyone loves Dow . . . except the former assistant administrator who disagreed with his firing of the bookkeeper. And soon there are rumors of investigations by the government for Medicare fraud. How does this connect to Dow? At the same time, Kinsey figures out that she had better find a new office. Lonnie's firm is growing and won't have room for her. She meets two nice young men who offer her a nearby steal, and she takes it. Then the story gets interesting! One of the best parts of the book is that the patented Grafton humor is very much in evidence. She gets help from a woman at the nursing home by bringing her junk food from McDonald's. In another key scene, Kinsey thinks she is about to be discovered as an intruder and instead is trapped under a desk by an illicit tryst. Several times, Kinsey makes major judgment errors and wishes she could kick herself. It's all good fun. Most series that have run as long as this one has tend to wind down long before they end. This book clearly shows the benefit of lots of thinking, planning, and good writing. I just wish that Ms. Grafton had remembered that people to read about people they like. These characters do not even have charm to redeem their glaring faults. After you read this story, think about the importance of developing and nurturing good character . . . in yourself, in your family, and in those you come into contact. How will you be remembered when you pass away? How would you like to be remembered? Consider Dow Purcell as a case example to stimulate your thinking. Reputation is a precious asset -- protect it from peril!
Rating:
Summary: P is for Possibility
Review: I have read all of Sue Grafton's alphabet series and loved all of them. They are quick reads, each giving me a better sense of who Kinsey is and I love the way all mysteries are solved by the end of the book. This one falls short of my expectation for wrapping up the mystery into a nice neat package at the end. I felt like I was missing a chapter...
All in all, the book was good. The main plot is about Kinsey trying to determine what happened to a doctor who has been missing for nine weeks. She discovers the doctor has quite a few dilemmas in his life - one ex-wife who seems to have never gotten over him, new wife and child who require a lot of his time, a sticky situation at the hospital he manages and friends who make better enemies. In addition, Kinsey is loosing her office space and needs to find another office. She happens upon a great little office, perfect locations, completely remodeled, and reasonably priced - almost too good to be true. Well, it is! This scenario provides the back drop for another plot - two brothers from Texas who are accused of murdering their parents. Grafton does a good job of weaving the two plots effortlessly through the book. I felt like the second plot (with the two brothers) was presented and closed out better than the main plot. I always look forward to another Kinsey Millhone saga - this one was worth the wait and I highly recommend it to other fans. My only hope is that Sue Grafton goes back to neatly tying up her mysteries (with the trademark Kinsey 'final report').
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