S is for Silence
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More About the Author
Product Description
The Guardian
'She remains refreshingly free of the tendency towards
hand-wringing sentimentality and self-help pyscho babble'
hand-wringing sentimentality and self-help pyscho babble'
The Tablet
'genuinely exciting, even alarming, climax...Grafton always paints
a vivid picture of life, scenery and climate in small-town southern
California'
a vivid picture of life, scenery and climate in small-town southern
California'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Grafton has an uncanny knack of grabbing your attention from the first page. 'S' is a gutsy novel which unlike 'R' does not centre around Kinsey's own life and very little takes place around Kinsey's own neighbourhood.
At the centre of the novel is an 1950's unsolved disappearance of a small town 'totty' and the story line dives in and out of peoples experiences around the time of the disappearance.
I found I got a bit confused at times as to what we were being told and what information Kinsey gleaned from her investigations, however you can't help but get involved in the comings and goings of the characters which gives this book the 'cant put it down' appeal. Some of the plot is a bit woolly and incredible however the only significant criticism I can give 'S' is that I felt Grafton almost hurried the ending, giving the impression that she was in a hurry to get it finished and this somewhat weakened the plot overall. Even though the alleged killer shows their hand eventually, you are still left with many unanswered questions which you know will never get referred to in the 'T' book. However I cannot wait for 'T' and hope that Grafton can churn it out quick enough that I can read them all before I leave for that great library in the sky !!
At the centre of the novel is an 1950's unsolved disappearance of a small town 'totty' and the story line dives in and out of peoples experiences around the time of the disappearance.
I found I got a bit confused at times as to what we were being told and what information Kinsey gleaned from her investigations, however you can't help but get involved in the comings and goings of the characters which gives this book the 'cant put it down' appeal. Some of the plot is a bit woolly and incredible however the only significant criticism I can give 'S' is that I felt Grafton almost hurried the ending, giving the impression that she was in a hurry to get it finished and this somewhat weakened the plot overall. Even though the alleged killer shows their hand eventually, you are still left with many unanswered questions which you know will never get referred to in the 'T' book. However I cannot wait for 'T' and hope that Grafton can churn it out quick enough that I can read them all before I leave for that great library in the sky !!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Solving a cold case is extremely challenging for a detective. Writing about solving a cold case is even tougher. You can easily get so caught up in unraveling the tattered mystery that you bore your readers silly. A particularly tricky task is to make readers care.
Sue Grafton has written one of the most satisfying cold case stories that I've ever read. She makes the missing person, Violet Sullivan, both sympathetic and off-the-wall. At the same time, Ms. Grafton shows how an unsolved disappearance leaves everyone who cared about the person wounded to the core. They are victims too. In the case of S Is for Silence, some of the victims are more sympathetic than others . . . but they are all interesting.
The book mainly succeeds because Ms. Grafton creates an interesting series of characters and plot interactions both in her flashback chapters and in her development of Kinsey's investigation.
Ms. Grafton wisely keeps the investigation short. The mystery is unraveled in five days. To have strung the investigation out would have made the book boring, in my judgment. I was very impressed to find that the flashback information wasn't a direct hint as to how Kinsey would solve the mystery. She followed her own unique path.
Those who like to focus on Kinsey and her life as a single woman won't find this book very satisfying. The cold case is the story. Kinsey's friends and family have barely cameo roles in this book.
For those who like a classic missing person's story against the backdrop of volatile relationships in a small California town, this book will, however, be the right stuff.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
With a long-running series like this one, it can be difficult for a newcomer to know whether you'll enjoy the most recent addition. If all the back story, regular characters and previous adventures play a prominent part in the new adventure then a first-time reader can feel a bit lost.
That's not the case with S is for Silence.
It's a great place to start if you haven't read any of the other books.
I have read all of Sue Grafton's alphabet series, and generally enjoy the adventures of private eye Kinsey Millhone. They tend to be medium-to-lightweight thrillers; almost like traditional whodunnits with a little spice of modern life. They aren't the sort which are packed full of sadistic psycho-murderers at every turn and a bodycount reaching into the dozens.
Instead, Kinsey normally has one or two crimes to resolve and while there is always a hint of personal danger (it would be dull if not!), the entertainment comes from following the clues and from the pleasant buzz of familiarity when Kinsey visits her regular haunts and meets familiar people.
Sue Grafton has changed her writing style for this book, and has veered away from the repetition of those familiar faces. So if you stopped reading the series because 'they all seemed the same' then this is a good one to pick up. The story revolves around the plot and the personalities involved in the crime -- it's much more of a whodunnit and a lot less of a soap-opera about Kinsey's personal life.
Overall, it has reinvigorated the series and leaves me much more likely to pick up T is for ??Trouble?? when it comes out.
That's not the case with S is for Silence.
It's a great place to start if you haven't read any of the other books.
I have read all of Sue Grafton's alphabet series, and generally enjoy the adventures of private eye Kinsey Millhone. They tend to be medium-to-lightweight thrillers; almost like traditional whodunnits with a little spice of modern life. They aren't the sort which are packed full of sadistic psycho-murderers at every turn and a bodycount reaching into the dozens.
Instead, Kinsey normally has one or two crimes to resolve and while there is always a hint of personal danger (it would be dull if not!), the entertainment comes from following the clues and from the pleasant buzz of familiarity when Kinsey visits her regular haunts and meets familiar people.
Sue Grafton has changed her writing style for this book, and has veered away from the repetition of those familiar faces. So if you stopped reading the series because 'they all seemed the same' then this is a good one to pick up. The story revolves around the plot and the personalities involved in the crime -- it's much more of a whodunnit and a lot less of a soap-opera about Kinsey's personal life.
Overall, it has reinvigorated the series and leaves me much more likely to pick up T is for ??Trouble?? when it comes out.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
S is for subtly different
A hugely absorbing read from Sue Grafton. Kinsey is placed in a subtly different and to me, highly atmospheric setting. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Andrew K Burns-Mollison
Good service
This book was in a better condition than I expected, and am greatful as it was to replace abook that the dog had made a meal of.
P.S. the dog is ok.
P.S. the dog is ok.
Published on 12 Mar 2009 by Cosmo
A good holiday book
Sue Grafton's 'Alphabet' series of books are great holiday reading. There's nothing particularly deep or original about them, but they provide a cracking good read with a... Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2008 by Caroline Cormack
Nicely woven story but poor ending
I love Grafton's books, and think this one was nicely constructed, weaving the flashbacks in with the current narrative to fill out the story. Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2007 by mivona
Another great Kinsey book
I have read all of the series of Sue Grafton books in the alphabet series and enjoyed most of them. This book did have some weaknesses for me , the constant flashbacks were... Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2006 by Mrs. Elizabeth A. Gilfillan
Another great read!
I am always a little down after completing a book in the alpha series, simply because I have to wait another year or two for the next one in the series! Read more
Published on 20 Nov 2006 by F. C. Dolman
s is for ...
As Sue Grafton progresses through the alphabet so does the quality of her writing. Although some might say there is an element of the formulaic it is that which attracts readers to... Read more
Published on 21 Aug 2006 by jules
SUE DOES IT AGAIN
I read the book in a matter of a few days but was left a little annoyed that Sue doesn't reveal why Violet Sullivan died. Read more
Published on 1 July 2006 by E. Fallon
Brilliant
I bought this at the airport for a holiday read and I couldn't put it down. I loved the flashbacks and could visualise a young Elizabeth Taylor as Violet. Read more
Published on 5 May 2006 by Marion Wilson
This Series Rocks!
This series rocks...AND so does this writer. What are you waiting for? Get your set and start having fun TODAY!
Published on 23 Jan 2006 by Darla Portwood
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