Author: Peter James
Series: Roy Grace #13
Published by: Pan Macmillan on May 30, 2017
Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback
Source: Publishers Group Canada
Book Rating: 10/10
Roy Grace, creation of the CWA Diamond Dagger award-winning author Peter James, faces his most mysterious case yet in Need You Dead.
Lorna Belling, desperate to escape the marriage from hell, falls for the charms of another man who promises her the earth. But, as Lorna finds, life seldom follows the plans you’ve made. A chance photograph on a client’s mobile phone changes everything for her.
When the body of a woman is found in a bath in Brighton, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to the scene. At first it looks an open and shut case with a clear prime suspect. Then other scenarios begin to present themselves, each of them tantalizingly plausible, until, in a sudden turn of events, and to his utter disbelief, the case turns more sinister than Grace could ever have imagined.
Review:
Intelligent, extremely fast-paced and wonderfully unpredictable!
This is a skillfully executed, perfectly crafted police procedural that sees Detective Superintendent Roy Grace leaving Temporary Detective Inspector Guy Batchelor in charge of the latest murder while he heads to Germany to meet the son he never knew he had, but as often is the case this investigation may not be as open-and-shut as first believed and may just get a little bit more complicated before the case is closed.
The writing is fluid, seamless and structured in an easy to follow timeline. The characters are well-developed, varied and realistic. And the plot is told from differing points-of-view and jam-packed with suspense, twists, suspects, violence, and murder that will keep you riveted from start to finish.
I have to admit I am probably one of the few people on the planet, or at least one in 18 million 😉, who hasn’t read a Peter James book before. And when you read as many books as I do in a year, close to 300, you tend to pick up on or at least guess the ending long before you get there and I thought that this book was no exception. After the first quarter I was pretty confident I had figured out where the story was going and as the story progressed I got more and more confident I had pegged it, but you know what Mr. Peter James, congratulations, YOU GOT ME! This is definitely one of my favourite mysteries of the year and you surely have a new fan in me. I not only devoured this book but loved it from beginning to end and if you haven’t guessed by now I highly recommend it!
This book is available now.
Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.
Thank you to PGC Books and Peter James for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ditto Zoe!!! Just reviewed today as well. My first Peter James book too. You are NOT alone 🙂
Great review! I have a book from the author I’m dying to read!
Thanks, Donna! Enjoy! xx
I like Roy Grace. How’d I miss this one!
It’s really good, Jacqui! You should check it out!