Patricia B. (mydomino1978) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
I always eagerly await the next Grafton, but I feel like she is getting tired of writing them. This one lacks the excitment of the earlier ones. I hope T is better. This one centers around a little girl whose vivacious (read slutty) mother goes missing. Everyone assumes she has run off with a man. Now the girl is grown and she wants Kinsey to find her mother. Foul play is a given, since it wouldn't be much of a murder mystery otherwise. Disappointing.
Helpful Score: 6
Oddly enough, I preferred the chapters NOT written in the first person from Kinsey's POV, the story of the characters as they were 34 years before when the crime (or was it?) actually happened.
Helpful Score: 4
Grafton's P.I. Kinsey Millhone has been asked to investigate a cold case involving the disappearance 34 years ago of a "live-wire" young woman, living in a small town with an abusive husband. Her grown-up daughter can't believe her mother would have left her behind, or that in all these years, if she were alive, she wouldn't have contacted her daughter. Kinsey finds that trying to investigate a cold case in a small town, where no one wants to give her a straight answer, is tough. But Kinsey is tough too. A great fast-paced read.
Melody M. (beachlover) -
Helpful Score: 4
Kinsey is hired by a daughter whose mother disappeared 34 years ago. One of her best.
Helpful Score: 3
A little different from her normal writing. Lots of flashbacks. Still a good read. It does get a little confusing with a lot of characters and jumping back to the past every other chapter. Or I just can't keep up. :)
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this new approach, Grafton new way of telling a story. It's got a lot of interesting characters and it zips right along.
Bobbie Jo C. (bobbiejo) -
Helpful Score: 3
great story I couldn't put it down~!
Helpful Score: 3
A missing girls, missing 34 years. The daughter she left behind is now trying to find out what happened. The last in the series by Sue Grafton.
Helpful Score: 3
I have read the whole alphabet so far. This one is excellent. You will not figure it out!
Martha M. (HorseLadyRI) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
As good as any Kinsey Milhone book in the series... great night or beach reading
Helpful Score: 3
I really liked this one. I have read all of the previous 'Kinsey Millhone' books and I thought this was the best one. The author used a different style than she usually does...a very interesting one, in my opinion. Since the mystery took place 34 years ago, interspersed with the ongoing story and characters Grafton included various character's voices FROM 34 years ago. I don't know how else to explain it but it was very smoothly done; it could have turned out erratic and jumpy but it wasn't and I found it very interesting and very helpful.
Helpful Score: 3
Oh wow, I hope they invent more of the alphabet soon. The story line goes right along with "S" for Silence.
Helpful Score: 3
Kinsey Millhone is asked to investigate the 34 year old disappearance of a young woman's mother. It was hard for me to even guess what had happened to her, there were so many possibilities and suspects. Grafton's character continues to be real and exciting.
Helpful Score: 3
Structured a little differently from other books in this series, but worth a read nonetheless.
Helpful Score: 3
Here's another superb great read of Sue Grafton's that's filled with suspense and adventure. Loved it!
Helpful Score: 3
Is a winner!
Helpful Score: 2
Better than the last few
Helpful Score: 2
I've read all the previous books(A-R). This is one of my favorites.
Helpful Score: 2
If you read Grafton's books...this is the same typical great short mystery. I love Grafton's books...and all are a great read!
Jeanne G. (IlliniAlum83) -
Helpful Score: 2
A great cold case is solved by Kinsey in this never forgotten story of the town slut who disappears with her brand new car and yippy Pomeranian in 1953. 34 years later, the missing women's daughter, Daisy, hires Kinsey to look into the disappearance. Most townsfolk believe Violet ran off with an unknown lover, but those involved in law enforcement always suspected someone got away with murder.
Daisy needs an answer in order for her to move on with her life--did her mom leave her behind when she ran off to a new life or did something more sinister happen that has left no trace of Violet in all this time?
Grafton makes good use of flashback chapters to tell the part each main character played in the days leading up to the 4th of July when Violet never came home.
Daisy needs an answer in order for her to move on with her life--did her mom leave her behind when she ran off to a new life or did something more sinister happen that has left no trace of Violet in all this time?
Grafton makes good use of flashback chapters to tell the part each main character played in the days leading up to the 4th of July when Violet never came home.
ANDRE' E. J. (Expeditious) -
Helpful Score: 2
Read it all in one sitting!! Cannot wait for 'T' is for.....
Helpful Score: 1
Cases don't get much colder than that of Violet Sullivan, who disappeared from her rural California town in 1953, leaving behind an abusive husband and a seven-year old named Daisy. But PI Kinsey Millhone has promised Daisy she'll try her best to locate Violet, dead or alive. All signs point to a runaway wife--the clothes that disappeared; the secret stash of money Violet bragged about; the brazen flirtations she indulged in with local men, including some married ones. Kinsey tries to pick up a trail by speaking to those who remember Violet--and perhaps were more involved in her life than they let on. But the trail could lead her somewhere very dangerous. Because the case may have gone cold, but some people's feelings about Violet Sulivan still run as hot as ever..
This book did not let up. Just when you think you know what happens, the story twists and turns down another road. Excellent read!
This book did not let up. Just when you think you know what happens, the story twists and turns down another road. Excellent read!
Helpful Score: 1
Couldn't put it down. The style in this one is different - she switches from past to present and the reader sometimes knows more than Kinsey does.
Kathleen H. (KathleenH) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 30 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Another Sue Grafton page turner!
Helpful Score: 1
I've enjoyed all of Grafton's alpabet series. This offering is richer and more interesting structurally. Very satisfying!
Helpful Score: 1
Good read, S is for surprises!
Helpful Score: 1
Absolutely love Kinsey Milhone and this book did not disappoint!
Helpful Score: 1
another great Sue Grafton thriller
Sherri B. (sharalsbooks) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 259 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Not a lot of major surprises but I still enjoyed this story. I thought revisiting the past in flashback would pull me out of the story, but I quite enjoyed learning the backstory of the characters. As usual, I was way off base on the identity of Violets murderer and wish there had been more of an explanation behind the why. I thought the how was a little morbid and creepy and Kinseys final showdown with the villain proved to be a little intense.
Overall, this is a s solid and enjoyable series though some of the books are much better than the others. As the series begins to wind down to the end of the alphabet, I am very curious to see Kinsey gets into and look forward to finding out.
Overall, this is a s solid and enjoyable series though some of the books are much better than the others. As the series begins to wind down to the end of the alphabet, I am very curious to see Kinsey gets into and look forward to finding out.
Helpful Score: 1
Sue Grafton gets better with each book she writes.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a good one!
Helpful Score: 1
A fresh look at the series. This book has less Kinsey that usual, but its the best one in a while.
Helpful Score: 1
FANTASTIC! ANOTHER TERRIFIC KINSEY MILLHONE MYSTERY!
Helpful Score: 1
Private investigator Kinsey Millhone searches for the answer behind the mysterious disappearance of Violet Sullivan who left to attend the 4th of July fireworks 34 years ago and never returned.
Helpful Score: 1
this one is better than the last few i have read. a must read for grafton fans.
Tia O. (Homeschoolingmomof3) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 87 more book reviews
Enjoyed this one. Kept me guessing until the end.
About 34 yrs. ago, Violet Sullivan started out for the 4th of July fireworks. She was never seen again. Her daughter has hired Kinsey Millhone to try to find out what happened to her mother - is she alive or dead?
This is the best of the series by Sue Grafton. On a quest to find a woman missing for 30 years, the story switches back from the present from Kinsey's point of view, to an omnicient observer in the past. Loved the point of view switches and the rich descriptions of events which took place in the past. The story is well-paced and all the threads neatly tied up at the end. Loved it!
Thirty four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her polka dot sundress, freshened her lipstick and left for the Fourth of July fireworks. She was never seen again. Now her daughter wants to find out and she wants Kinsey Millhone to help...
A good read!
A good read!
Patty J. C. (theblue-greenlight) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 66 more book reviews
Excellent read
Maryann M. (maryannwrites) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 50 more book reviews
Grafton still manages to craft a good tale.
Thirty-four years ago Violet Sullivan put on her polka-dot sun dress and left for the Fourth of July fireworks, she was never seen again.Now her daughter wants to know what happened and she wants Kinsey Mallhone to help........
Kathryn R. (WartburgPanda) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 32 more book reviews
One of Grafton's best. I was a little disappointed in her last few, but this one is very good. Highly enjoyeable.
better than the last
This is another Kinsey Milhone book. I enjoyed this book very much. I like all the books in the series & this was one of the best. In this one, she is searching for a woman who disappeared34 years ago.
Ive read several of these mysteries and found this one the most enjoyable so far due to the strong character portrayals and engrossing story.
Jen N. (Rascalflatts1fan) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 2 more book reviews
Different style of read for this series but I loved it. It goes back to 1953 often so I felt like I was there. It was a great read and already have T is for Trespass ready to read.
not as good as some others in the series, but still a good read.
Linda A. (Springfieldreader) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 458 more book reviews
As with all of Sue Grafton's books, a very good read.
One of Grafton's best, in my opinion...
Rhonda R. (blackiedreamer) - , reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 14 more book reviews
Another good "Kinsey Millhone" mystery.
34 years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her polka-dot sundress, freshened her lipstick, and left for the 4th of July fireworks. She was never seen again. Now her daughter wants to find out what happened, and she wants Kinsey Milhone to help...
Good Suspense!
Good Suspense!
Nice read.
Probably one of the best Grafton novels...
Excellent book......I couldn't put it down!
Very good - but Kinsey is getting dated, moving only ahead a year at a time. Hard to read a book where you can't use the Internet (cause it wasn't invented!) and you still type on typerwiters!
Kinsey Millhorn investigates a "cold case." Totally enjoyed it.
I like Sue Grafton and this one was especially enjoyable.
Thirthy-four years ago,Violet Sullivan put on her polka-dot sundress,freshened her lipstick,and left for the Fourth of July fireworks.She was never seen again.
This was a good book to read. I liked the way the novel switches from the present, told by Kinsey, and the background story with many points of view from the 50's. I think the lifestyles of a small town were told very well. Again I think that overall this was a good read but not a good mystery. The ending was a little lackluster.
Another great Kinsey Malhone mystery! Read the whole series.
I have read many of Kinsey Hillhone's books, but this was a disappointment. It really didn't hold my attention, therefore, a disappointment.
One of her best!
It's still amazing to me that I can have read a book, albeit many years ago, and not remember a thing about it now. Nothing. I know I read this in 2008, but it's like a new book to me now. But 15 years ago I was probably reading 4 books a week, maybe it's not so surprising. There are some that stick with me but this wasn't one of them.
Anyway. I did enjoy it now. It's another cold case for Kinsey, and I found it rather entertaining that she was able to pick up new information 34 years later. I mean, after 34 years what are the odds that you're going to find the same bartender in the same bar in a tiny little town? There are alternating chapter flashbacks to 1953, which I enjoyed, but they got longer and longer as the book went on. I liked how lots of old secrets and resentments not really connected to Violet get exposed. And I thought Grafton did a good job giving us plenty of suspects and slowly winnowing them away until the end. The end is the usual, the bad guy goes after Kinsey who barely manages to escape with h er life. A good entry in the series, although if I'm around 15 years from now I bet I don't remember it.
Anyway. I did enjoy it now. It's another cold case for Kinsey, and I found it rather entertaining that she was able to pick up new information 34 years later. I mean, after 34 years what are the odds that you're going to find the same bartender in the same bar in a tiny little town? There are alternating chapter flashbacks to 1953, which I enjoyed, but they got longer and longer as the book went on. I liked how lots of old secrets and resentments not really connected to Violet get exposed. And I thought Grafton did a good job giving us plenty of suspects and slowly winnowing them away until the end. The end is the usual, the bad guy goes after Kinsey who barely manages to escape with h er life. A good entry in the series, although if I'm around 15 years from now I bet I don't remember it.
Carissa S. (plant-princess) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 24 more book reviews
Getting towards the end of the series, so I thought S would be about the same as the previous, but its different. S has flash backs from other character's point of views. It is very interesting. Definately read this one, even if you have stopped this series!
A typical Sue Grafton story-a little darker than most of them,
but a good read.
but a good read.
Alisa S. (musikmom) -
It was interesting that every few chapters would take you back to 1953. Great story.
I love this series! It was not the best book that she has written but it held my interest and was an enjoyable read.
very good mystery. Well written.
Great murder mystery. One of Sue Grafton'2s best.
It was another great Kinsey book.
another good read featuring private detective Kinsey Millhone
Fascinating new approach of one chapter from 30 years ago and the next set in present day investigation. Can't wait for the next one! Will she get a new car???
Sue Graffton at her best!
Private dectective is able to find a person who disappeared 34 years ago.............
Magda W. (triskellgray) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 24 more book reviews
A cold case to slove for P.I. Millhone keeps you turning the pages late into the night.
Always a good read.
I LOVE SUE GRAFTON BOOKS. THIS WAS AS GOOD AS USUAL
Thirty four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her polka-dot sundress,freshened her lipstick, and left for the FOurth of July fireworks. She was never seen again. Now her daughter wants to find out what happened and she wants Kinsey Millhone to help. Kinsey methodically interviews all the suspects and as she gets closer, it gets more dangerous.
Her best yet
Definitely not her best work, but a fun read I guess...
I have read all Sue Grafton's ABC Books. Love them! Can't wait for T.
Kinsey is faced with a seemingly impossible task, but in her usual style manages to shake the cast of characters until the bad guy emerges. There are several things that make this book different from others in the series. First, there's little about Henry or Rosie. Second, and this is what makes the book, Grafton does flashback scenes of the relevant characters, making one more likely than the next. Third, I never did guess the bad guy until the end.
Kinsey is hired to find a out what happened to a young woman's mother who vanished 34 years ago.
I hadn't read a Grafton in a long time and I really liked this one!
I hadn't read a Grafton in a long time and I really liked this one!
Another great read from Sue Grafton. Can't wait for the next one to be published. Hope she will start a new series when she reached Z.
Laura P. (sfreadergrl) - , reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 146 more book reviews
grafton's latest is a professionally done work and and entertaining read
Good - I didn't figure out who did it til almost the end, which is always a plus in a mystery. Kinsey's still stuck in the 80's though - I guess having a cell phone would make it too easy, lol.
This was my favorite Kinsey book so far! It was filled with mystery, suspense, drama, and a little comedy and romance. Finally Kinsey seems to get a good man in her life. I also loved that part of the book was written in the past from other characters' points of view. Excellent read!
Grafton employs a couple of strategies that are oft used in mysteries today, the concept of the protagonist taking on a "cold case" (which Kinsey has done before) and the use of a flashback...and the type of flashback that has a new chapter simply taking place in the past, making the cold case characters come alive as Kinsey investigates the in "the future". Grafton's future, the timeframe where she sets Kinsey, is 1987, and the disappearance she is tracking occurred in 1953.
Violet Sullivan is a bad girl. Red haired and extremely attractive, Violet disappears in her new car from Serena Station, a small California backwater town. She's been a victim of domestic abuse, but she leaves her small daughter, Daisy, behind, and takes her new Pomeranian with her. After many dysfunctional years of trying to forget, Daisy hires Kinsey, who comes to her attention through a friend. The case has Kinsey leaving her native Santa Teresa and sometime lover Cheney Phillips behind. Typical Kinsey haunts and friends are mentioned only fleetingly in this book. It's hard to know who wants Kinsey involved less....her own conscience, which says she'll probably not find anything, or folks in the little town, who seem to feel she's stirring up trouble.
Kinsey pries up a rock or two, and actually stumbles across the fate of Violet Sullivan, after learning about most (but not all) of Violet's affairs. The reader actually gets to see the way Violet meanders through the town's men, but in uncovering the person who did her harm, there are a lot of dead ends, and I confess that I didn't know the identity of who and what. That's what kept me reading.
Violet Sullivan is a bad girl. Red haired and extremely attractive, Violet disappears in her new car from Serena Station, a small California backwater town. She's been a victim of domestic abuse, but she leaves her small daughter, Daisy, behind, and takes her new Pomeranian with her. After many dysfunctional years of trying to forget, Daisy hires Kinsey, who comes to her attention through a friend. The case has Kinsey leaving her native Santa Teresa and sometime lover Cheney Phillips behind. Typical Kinsey haunts and friends are mentioned only fleetingly in this book. It's hard to know who wants Kinsey involved less....her own conscience, which says she'll probably not find anything, or folks in the little town, who seem to feel she's stirring up trouble.
Kinsey pries up a rock or two, and actually stumbles across the fate of Violet Sullivan, after learning about most (but not all) of Violet's affairs. The reader actually gets to see the way Violet meanders through the town's men, but in uncovering the person who did her harm, there are a lot of dead ends, and I confess that I didn't know the identity of who and what. That's what kept me reading.
Kinsey continues to get better and better
Kinsey investigates a murder tthat took place 34 years ago.
I thought it was a good read
Another great Sue Grafton! Keeps you guessing until the end... whodunnit?
Latest in the Kinsey Milhone series. A good story with engaging characters.
Another great mystery for Kinsey Millhone! I love the fact that her stories are set in the 1980's before computers and cell phones.
another of my favorite series writers. Sue Grafton is great
Another great Kinsey Millhone story!
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Typical Grafton, good story.
Kinsey investigates the disappearance of a young woman 34 years ago.
Jessica M. (frecklegirl) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 18 more book reviews
Like all of her books WONDERFUL!!
Thirty-four years ago Violet Sullivan left for the 4th of July fireworks display and never was seen again. THAT'S when the fireworks really begin in Sue Grafton's S is for Silence.
Good one, with Grafton's usual creative twists and turns.
Good one, with Grafton's usual creative twists and turns.
IF YOU LOVED KINSEY IN A-R, YOU'LL ALSO LOVE HER IN S IS FOR SILENCE. NO ONE IS TELLING WHAT HAPPENED 35 YEARS AGO TO BEAUTIFUL VIOLET SULLIVAN AND KINSEY MUST DIG INTO HER PAST AND THE PRESENT TO GIVE HER DAUGHTER DAISY CLOSURE. GRAFTON DOING WHAT SHE DOES BEST.
Excellent!!!! I'm sure Grafton fans will love this one!!
Superb! Much different from her usual stories.
Kinsey is one of my favorites - I'm right there with her making sliced boiled egg sandwiches and peanut butter and pickle! YUM!!!!
Her neighbors are a real HOOT!!!!
Her neighbors are a real HOOT!!!!
Kept my interest--more than one suspect.
This has to be the best book I liked of the Alphabet series. I really got into and could identify with all the characters. The suspense was awesome and I was surprised by the "who done it" person. Great book.
I'm so glad that she is still going strong, and already starting to agonize over what is going to happen when she reaches the end of the alphabet! Think about it! There's only seven letters left!
Great mystery ! ...34 years ago Violet Sullivan put on her polka-dot sundress, freshened her lipstick, and left for the July 4th Fireworks. She was never heard from again! Now her grown daughter wants to find out what happened to her mother.. did she abandon her 7 yr. old daughter, or did something terrible happen to her?
Just as I expected. Another great book.
Sue Grafton's latest Kinsey Millhone story. It is a real mystery, one that grabs you on page 2 and drags you all the way to the end just trying to figure out who-done-it, and if it was done at all!
One of the best Sue grafton books yet. read in 1 evening.
Another in the series by Grafton. This was a little different as it skipped from past to present, but still very good.
Lisa Maxine B. (Maxines66) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 13 more book reviews
I didn't think it was as good as her other ones. It was an easy read and fun
a hot-blooded young woman named Violet Sullivan disappeared 34 years ago. Violet's daughter, Daisy, who was seven at the time, hires Millhone to discover her mother's true fate. Violet had toyed with every man in town at one time or another, so there's no shortage of scandalous secrets and possible suspects. Constant revelations concerning several absorbing characters allow a terrific tension to build. However, the utterly illogical and oddly abrupt ending undermines what is otherwise one of the stronger offerings in this iconic series.
Barbara S. (barbsis) -
GREAT MYSTERY! Sue Grafton really keeps you guessing all the way to the last chapter. I love how Kinsey Millhome always gets surprised by the killer yet manages to prevail.
This is another convoluted story with way too many characters to try to give any kind of synopsis. Suffice it to say...a drunken wife-beater, the local slut, the babysitter, a 7 year old child, the babysitter's boyfriend, a few male bartenders, a car dealer and a construction worker. Yeah it's a mess but somehow Sue Grafton pulls it all together for another terrific read
This is another convoluted story with way too many characters to try to give any kind of synopsis. Suffice it to say...a drunken wife-beater, the local slut, the babysitter, a 7 year old child, the babysitter's boyfriend, a few male bartenders, a car dealer and a construction worker. Yeah it's a mess but somehow Sue Grafton pulls it all together for another terrific read
r years ago, Violet put on her polka-dot sundress, freshened her lipstick, and left for the 4th of July fireworks. She was never seen again. Now her daugheter wants to find out what happened, and she wants Kinsey, P.I. to help...
GREAT Kinsey Milhone!!!
Great book... It's hard to get through the 1st chapter, but it does tie in later.
One of Grafton's best! Great characterizations from the '50's; realistic suspense until the very end. A different "cold case" story; I couldn't put it down!
Another great story by Grafton. Have really enjoyed her books. They make you feel like you are right there with the action going on.
Deborah O. (Obladeb) - , reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 6 more book reviews
This is a slow lazy read. Excellent story. Kept me guessing til the end. Kinesy keeps delving till the silence is broken. Story line is slow to develop but, really worth all the background reading.
Lawrence O. (philovance) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 19 more book reviews
Fairly good book, but slow paced. The use of flashback to the 1950s is not a good vehicle. Kinsey again finds the 'dun it' in Whodunit!
This may be my favorite writing by Sue Grafton. She becomes better and better with every book I read. This story shows how our actions or lack of actions affect those around us. How some people can move on with their lives and how some take events close to heart and carry their wounds with them.
The layout of this novel is different than the others. I thoroughly have enjoyed reading Sue Grafton from her beginning novel "A" up to now. She grows with every story.
This is a must read!
The layout of this novel is different than the others. I thoroughly have enjoyed reading Sue Grafton from her beginning novel "A" up to now. She grows with every story.
This is a must read!
S Is for Silence, the 19th novel in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series, is one of her best and also one in which she makes an interesting departure. Grafton tells her story in two ways. The first is the classic private-eye format of the previous novels: Kinsey's first-person account of her search for a woman named Violet Sullivan who vanished 34 years earlier, wherein she reports to us as she questions Violet's husband, lovers and friends about long-ago events. Grafton's innovation is to alternate this account with chapters written in the third person in which she shows Violet interacting with those people, and them interacting with each other, in the days leading up to her disappearance.
Robin M. (robinmy) -
Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone is hired by Daisy Sullivan. Daisy wants Kinsey to find her mother, Violet Sullivan. Violet disappeared thirty-four years ago when Daisy was a child. Daisy wants to know why she left. Did she run away with a boyfriend, or did someone kill her? Kinsey knows it is a long shot to find Violet after all of these years. She starts questioning people who were in contact with Violet on the last days before her disappearance. Many of them have nothing nice to say about her. Kinsey doesn't believe she is getting anywhere, until someone slashes her tires. Now she knows she has hit a nerve. This just makes her dig deeper.
It's been a long time since I read this series. I had forgotten that these books take a little while for me to get into. But, once I'm into the meat of the story, these books are hard to put down. There were a handful of suspects I kept jumping between. I did not guess the villain correctly. One thing I didn't like about this story was the flashbacks to 1953 that were told from the suspect's point-of-views. It almost felt like cheating since Kinsey did not have this information available to her. Still, it was a very good mystery. My rating: 4 Stars.
It's been a long time since I read this series. I had forgotten that these books take a little while for me to get into. But, once I'm into the meat of the story, these books are hard to put down. There were a handful of suspects I kept jumping between. I did not guess the villain correctly. One thing I didn't like about this story was the flashbacks to 1953 that were told from the suspect's point-of-views. It almost felt like cheating since Kinsey did not have this information available to her. Still, it was a very good mystery. My rating: 4 Stars.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
First Line: When Liza Mellincamp thinks about the last time she ever saw Violet Sullivan, what comes most vividly to mind is the color of Violet's Japanese silk kimono, a shade of blue that Liza later learned was called "cerulean," a word that wasn't even in her vocabulary when she was fourteen years old.
On Saturday, July 4, 1953, most people in Serena Station, California, planned to spend at least part of their evening watching the fireworks display. Violet Sullivan was not one of them. She made arrangements for her usual babysitter, got dressed up, loaded her three-month-old Pomeranian puppy into her purse, and drove off in a cloud of dust in her brand-new Bel Air. She never came back.
Although they did search for her, most people assumed that the vivacious Violet had run off with the latest man who'd caught her fancy. Trouble is, she left a young daughter behind who grew up with a lot of problems due to her mother's disappearance. Reluctantly, Kinsey Millhone agrees to work for Daisy, even though she privately thinks she's not going to get anywhere with the 34-year-old cold case.
Of course we know that once Kinsey starts investigating, she's going to get somewhere. Grafton veers away from Kinsey's usual first person narrative to intersperse flashbacks from the various people in town who knew the missing woman. As the story progresses, the reader begins to understand that all these people have their own reasons for wanting Violet dead.
Hopefully I won't be tarred and feathered by the legions of Millhone fans when I say that previously the only book in the series I'd read was A is for Alibi. For some reason that I can't remember, Kinsey and I didn't really hit it off, but I'm happy to say that I appreciate her a lot more now that I've read S is for Silence. Did I feel as though I was missing a lot of detail, not having read B through R? No. I fell right in step with her as she began digging away at the facts in this case.
The flashbacks populated the town for me and gave me a real sense of the way Violet interacted with everyone. Without those glimpses into 1953, the story would have been skeletal indeed. As it was, I became quite caught up in the book and its characters. I was able to narrow down the field of those who wished Violet ill, but never got around to choosing my chief suspect.
Many times in reading crime fiction, it's not just about whodunit. Sometimes the how and the why are even more important, and once in a while the characters make a reader forget everything else. Where S is for Silence is concerned, the who led to the how and then to the why, and then I just concentrated on a private investigator who doesn't know how to quit... and the daughter, abandoned so long ago, who deserved truth and justice.
On Saturday, July 4, 1953, most people in Serena Station, California, planned to spend at least part of their evening watching the fireworks display. Violet Sullivan was not one of them. She made arrangements for her usual babysitter, got dressed up, loaded her three-month-old Pomeranian puppy into her purse, and drove off in a cloud of dust in her brand-new Bel Air. She never came back.
Although they did search for her, most people assumed that the vivacious Violet had run off with the latest man who'd caught her fancy. Trouble is, she left a young daughter behind who grew up with a lot of problems due to her mother's disappearance. Reluctantly, Kinsey Millhone agrees to work for Daisy, even though she privately thinks she's not going to get anywhere with the 34-year-old cold case.
Of course we know that once Kinsey starts investigating, she's going to get somewhere. Grafton veers away from Kinsey's usual first person narrative to intersperse flashbacks from the various people in town who knew the missing woman. As the story progresses, the reader begins to understand that all these people have their own reasons for wanting Violet dead.
Hopefully I won't be tarred and feathered by the legions of Millhone fans when I say that previously the only book in the series I'd read was A is for Alibi. For some reason that I can't remember, Kinsey and I didn't really hit it off, but I'm happy to say that I appreciate her a lot more now that I've read S is for Silence. Did I feel as though I was missing a lot of detail, not having read B through R? No. I fell right in step with her as she began digging away at the facts in this case.
The flashbacks populated the town for me and gave me a real sense of the way Violet interacted with everyone. Without those glimpses into 1953, the story would have been skeletal indeed. As it was, I became quite caught up in the book and its characters. I was able to narrow down the field of those who wished Violet ill, but never got around to choosing my chief suspect.
Many times in reading crime fiction, it's not just about whodunit. Sometimes the how and the why are even more important, and once in a while the characters make a reader forget everything else. Where S is for Silence is concerned, the who led to the how and then to the why, and then I just concentrated on a private investigator who doesn't know how to quit... and the daughter, abandoned so long ago, who deserved truth and justice.
I hadn't read any Grafton for a while and fortgot just how good they are. I really enjoyed this and think I will now go back and read more of her storie
Good, but a little different writing style than the usual Grafton novels.
This book is brand new, I purchased it and then realized that I had read it already.
Very good Dinsey Millhone story line and so many suspects to choose from. I really enjoyed it. LOL I guess enough to buy it again.
Very good Dinsey Millhone story line and so many suspects to choose from. I really enjoyed it. LOL I guess enough to buy it again.
Great Kinsey adventure.
Kinsey has been hired by the daughter of a missing woman to solve a 30 year old mystery. A woman, her dog, and her car disappear did she run away or was she killed?
A flamboyant mom disappears thirty four years ago, some say she's run off with a lover, other says her husband, known to hit her, has now murdered her. Now grown up, Daisy wants answers to her mother's disappearance, and Kinsey reluctantly agrees to investigate a very cold case.
This is one of the best Kinsey Milhone mysteries.
S IS FOR SILENCE by Sue Grafton: S might also be for Surely you dont think I can find a suspect missing for nearly 35 years. The daughter of a dysfunctional mother was only three years old when her mother disappeared from a Fourth of July celebration. She has been haunted by the event ever since and finally hires Kinsey Millhone to find closure. The daughter has gown up to be whiny and annoying as well as desperate, and Millhone is not terribly enthusiastic about the case. She reluctantly agrees to give it her best shot for a week. The plot is complex, the characters are vividly but not necessarily sympathetically portrayed, and the ending is unexpected. Maybe we all should eat more of those ghastly combination sandwiches, augmented with Quarter Pounders and fries drenched with ketchup, if that is the key to Millhones lack of aging over the past nineteen years either that or she was a very precocious teenager back when all this started. Another great Grafton, if you like that sort of thing, which I do.
Kinsey Millhone mystery
Patricia H. (beachcomber) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 320 more book reviews
She is nearing the end of the alphabet
Tara S. (booklover101) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 104 more book reviews
Thirty-four years ago,Violet Sullivian put on her party finery and left for the Forth of July fireworks display.She was never seen again.Some people said she ran away with her lover,some said she was murdered by her husband. But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind,her absence has never been explained or forgotten.Now thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
This is a new book, Never read it.
This is a new book, Never read it.
From the cover:
Thirty-four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again.
In the small California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband.
But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained for forgotten.
Now, thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
Thirty-four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again.
In the small California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband.
But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained for forgotten.
Now, thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
From Publishers Weekly: "Kinsey Millhone has kept her appeal by being distinctive and sympathetic without craving center stage. While some mysteries that provide the PI's shoe size or most despised food create a forced and intrusive intimacy, a master like Grafton makes the relationship relaxed and reassuring. Millhone's life is modest and familiar, though her love life, now featuring police detective Cheney Phillips, tends to be oddly remote. This 19th entry (after 2004's R Is for Ricochet) adopts a new convention: Millhone's customary intelligent and occasionally self-deprecating first-person reportage is interrupted by vignettes from the days surrounding the Fourth of July, 34 years earlier, when a hot-blooded young woman named Violet Sullivan disappeared. Violet's daughter, Daisy, who was seven at the time, hires Millhone to discover her mother's true fate. Violet had toyed with every man in town at one time or another, so there's no shortage of scandalous secrets and possible suspects. Constant revelations concerning several absorbing characters allow a terrific tension to build. However, the utterly illogical and oddly abrupt ending undermines what is otherwise one of the stronger offerings in this iconic series." Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Maryanne M. (maryannem) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 83 more book reviews
S is for silence, the silence of the lost, the silence of the missing, the silence of oblivion. Thirty five years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July Fireworks display. She was never seen again. Thirty four years later, Daisy, the daughter Violet left behind wants closure. Enter Kinsey Milhone.
Hollie L. (hollielazor) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 83 more book reviews
Thirty Four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again.
In the small California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband.
But for the not quite seven year old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained or forgotten.
Now thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
Kinsey millhone's nineteenth excursion into the world of suspense and misadventure. S is for surprises as Sue Grafton continues with another great addition to an already fascinating series. If you've never read them you must start!
In the small California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband.
But for the not quite seven year old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained or forgotten.
Now thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
Kinsey millhone's nineteenth excursion into the world of suspense and misadventure. S is for surprises as Sue Grafton continues with another great addition to an already fascinating series. If you've never read them you must start!
Thirty-four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Fourth of July Fireworks display. She was never seen again. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband. But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained or forgotten. Now, thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
Judith M. (19Martha44) reviewed S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, Bk 19) on + 144 more book reviews
Thirty-four years ago, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the annual Forth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again. In the small California town of Serena Station, tongues wagged. Some said she'd run off with a lover. Some said she was murdered by her husband. But for the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter Daisy she left behind, her absence has never been explained or forgotten. Now, thirty-four years later, she wants the solace of closure.
