Title: Picture You DeadAuthor: Peter James
Series: Roy Grace #18
Published by: Pan Macmillan on Sep. 28, 2022
Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: Publishers Group Canada
Book Rating: 8.5/10
Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in the latest instalment of Peter James’s award-winning detective series, which is now a major ITV programme starring John Simm as Roy Grace.
Harry and Freya, an ordinary couple, dreamed for years of finding something priceless buried amongst the tat in a car boot sale.
It was a dream they knew in their hearts would never come true – until the day it did…
They buy the drab portrait for a few pounds, for its beautiful frame, planning to cut the painting out. Then studying it back at home there seems to be another picture beneath, of a stunning landscape. Could it be a long-lost masterpiece from 1770? If genuine, it could be worth millions.
One collector is certain it is genuine. Someone who uses any method he can to get want he wants and will stop at nothing.
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace finds himself plunged into an unfamiliar and rarefied world of fine art. Outwardly it appears respectable, gentlemanly, above reproach. But beneath the veneer, he rapidly finds that greed, deception and violence walk hand-in-hand. And Harry and Freya Kipling are about to discover that their dream is turning into their worst nightmare.
Review:
Intriguing, complex, and intense!
Picture You Dead is an unpredictable, sinister thrill ride that takes us back to Sussex, where Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his team now find themselves investigating a case involving a rare, priceless piece of art and a ruthless collector who will do whatever it takes, even murder, to add it to his collection.
The writing is crisp and bold. The characters are intuitive, meticulous, and determined. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into a suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, secrets, surprises, manipulation, coercion, greed, deception, violence, and murder.
Overall, Picture You Dead is another intricate, engrossing, action-packed police procedural by James that has just the right amount of well-drawn characterization and fast-paced, tortuous storyline to make it a satisfying, highly entertaining read.
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 for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
About Peter James
Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. His Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has been translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over eighteen million copies, and has given him eleven consecutive Sunday Times number ones. In 2015 WHSmith customers publicly voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he became the recipient of the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. Peter has also written a short story collection, A Twist of the Knife, and his standalone titles include Perfect People and The House on Cold Hill. He has also co-written a non-fiction account of Brighton’s toughest cases with former detective Graham Bartlett entitled Death Comes Knocking. The Perfect Murder, Dead Simple and Not Dead Enough have all been turned into smash-hit stage plays. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police. Three of his novels have been filmed and before becoming a full-time author he produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and near Brighton in Sussex.
