2004-05-10 A Missing Doctor, an Annoying Client, and Scummy Characters

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!