"S" Is for Silence


"S" Is for Silence is the 19th novel in Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series of mystery novels and features Kinsey Millhone, a private eye based in Santa Teresa, California.
In a departure from the series format, this novel is set in alternating chapters both in the "past" of 1953 and the "present" of 1987.
Shortly after publication, this novel topped The New York Times best-seller list for hardcover fiction.

Plot summary

In 1953, Violet Sullivan vanishes after going out for a Fourth of July party in the small town of Serena Station, California. The exact reason for her disappearance is unknown, but rumors abound that she ran off with a lover or was murdered by her jealous husband. 34 years later, Kinsey Millhone is hired by her family to help seek closure and try to find some explanation for Violet's disappearance.
The plot differs from other novels in the "Alphabet Mystery" series in that it switches perspective between Violet and Kinsey, and switches the period between 1953 and 1987. Grafton would again use this narrative device in the next instalment, "T" is for Trespass.

Characters

In December 2005, this novel topped The New York Times best-seller list for hardcover fiction. By December 2006, there were 1.2 million copies in print.

Spoofs

The Great News episode "Carol Has A Bully" features a spoof version of this novel, renaming it S Is For Sex Murder.