Love You Dead (Roy Grace)

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Roy then learns that the assassin Tooth (from the first Roy Grace novel I read, Dead Man’s Grip) has entered Brighton. Later, he learns that both a petty thief and a wealthy gentleman, both citizens of Brighton, have died from the bite of a saw-scaled viper, which is native to India. Have you ever watched or read a suspense thriller where the characters rile up your emotions to the point that you find yourself yelling things at them? Well, I definitely found myself doing that reading this book, unlike his other novels. I found myself constantly wanting to reach in the book and shake some sense into the characters, especially Red. I don’t think a character got to my core as much as she did. On one hand, I think her character as victim who chooses not to be a victim is admirable but her choices in the face of dealing with that crazy ex stalker boyfriend which leads to her life being on the line, made some very interesting moments in the book. I bet us ladies will think twice about online dating after reading this character.

Roy has a lot on his plate. He and his newlywed wife, Cleo, are raising their infant son, Noah. He is told that his first wife, Sandy, is still alive but she is lying in a coma in a Munich hospital. The serial killer, Edward Crisp (from the previous Roy Grace novel, You Are Dead), has survived a collapsing tunnel and is still at large, perhaps living in Lyon, France. Lovers of this genre will enjoy reading this latest novel from Peter James. As the first Roy Grace novel that I have read, I am interested in reading what events led Roy Grace to his current lifestyle, professional attainment and predicaments in the first eleven novels in this series!Previous Peter James novels brought to the stage include: 'Looking Good Dead' which premiered last year starring Adam Woodyatt and Gaynor Faye; 'The House on Cold Hill' starring Joe McFadden and Rita Simons in 2019; 'Not Dead Enough' starring Shane Richie and Laura Whitmore in 2017; 'Dead Simple' starring Tina Hobley in 2015 and 'The Perfect Murder' starring Les Dennis and Claire Goose in 2014. James is deeply fascinated by the many different kinds of police work, especially how it tends to change over time. His research on the Grace novels, he claims, has given him insight into the daily life of a detective. What are the Roy Grace books all about?

This explanation gives a very helpful insight into the mind of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a new kind of detective who is going through turmoil in his own life, as well as trying to prevent it from happening in the lives of others. Many characters in the Roy Grace books turn to Grace as a kind of shining light in their time of darkness. His personable appearance and kind heart makes him easy for victims to talk to and trust, and Grace delivers on that trust nearly every time. In Peter James’ Want You Dead, thirty-year old Red Cameron meets handsome, charming and rich thirty-five year old Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, and is instantly attracted to him. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past begins to emerge, and with it his dark side. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror. Dead Man’s Time calls Roy Grace in once more. This time it’s for a burglary that has taken over a million pounds worth of loot. It has also left an elderly man who lives there dying. As Grace shows up on the scene, it’s clear that the family does not care so much about the valuables so much as one valuable in particular. They will do anything to get it. They don’t care about breaking the law and Grace is thrown into a hot pursuit that takes him through Europe and eventually all the way to New York. Roy and Co are out of the limelight for some of the book, but James has two strong characters in gold-digger Jodie and assassin Tooth to keep things moving. And if you don’t like reptiles, you may be reading chunks of this book through your fingers!As well as Jodie and Sandy, Grace has to contend with the relative failure of his previous case where the murderer escaped. And there’s a return, too, for Tooth, the assassin from last time out who is determined to do his job in England and get home to his dog … James’ books ooze realism, thanks to the extensive research he undertakes with the police. The only minor issue that strikes me is smarmy ACC Cassian Pewe, who detests Grace and makes threats that I always wonder how effectively could be carried out. But no doubt there’s someone like him somewhere in James’s research notes!

There was something different about the tone of the book. Besides the usual crime solving of Roy Grace and his staff that we love, there was an edge to some of the characters in the book, in particular “Bryce” who had a more dark psychological profile to him. It made the plot intriguing but some may feel this may have overshadowed the novel but I think the intensity of that darkness gave another dimension to the book that added authenticity to the getting into the head of this character. Producer Josh Andrews has announced the lead cast for the UK tour of Peter James' Wish You Were Dead: George Rainsford, will star as James' famous detective DSI Roy Grace, alongside Giovanna Fletcher who will star as Cleo Morey and Clive Mantle, who will star as Curtis. Leon Stewart will return to the role of DS Glenn Branson. His father ran the business as well as an accountant. His sister Genevieve now runs the company along with her husband. He attended Charterhouse School and later attended Ravensbourne Film School. James spent a few years working in North America as a film producer and screenwriter. He got his start in 1970 on the Canadian children’s television show Polka Dot Door as an errand boy and later writer. He cofounded Movision Pictures in the nineties. Peter James is a British best selling writer of fictional crime novels. He has written 25 novels that have been translated into over 35 languages. His series featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace have sold over 14 million copies world wide. He has had six UK Sunday Times #1 books consecutively due to this series. Peter James was born on August 22, 1948 in Brighton, Sussex, England. His mother Cornelia James was the Queen’s Glovemaker. George Rainsford has for the last nine years, been playing series regular Ethan Hardy in Casualty on BBC One, for which he won the Inside Soap Award Best Drama Star 2017. Other Television credits include Holby City and Call the Midwife and his numerous theatre credits include productions at The National Theatre, RSC and the Old Vic.George Rainsford said: "I can't wait to be part of a theatre ensemble again and delve into Peter James' thrilling criminal underworld. Getting to play Roy Grace, his most renowned detective creation, will be a huge honour. I am excited to meet audiences from all over the UK, and share with them some enthralling, edge-of-your-seat entertainment!" In the You season 3 finale, Joe and Love have both worked out that they have cheated on each other. In response, Love decides to temporarily paralyse Joe with poison and kill Marienne, the kind librarian with whom he's had an affair. She then hopes that they can resolve their marital issues. However, after seeing Marienne with her child, she decides not to kill her. With three killers on the loose, Roy Grace has his hands full with just doing his job. I thought that since this is called the Roy Grace series that Roy Grace would be in the novel more often. However, Roy Grace is not a dominant character until the second half of the novel and very much so at the end. However, his personal story left me wanting to know what has happened to him in the last eleven books, especially since he resolves some of the “ghosts” that he is confronted with in this novel that seem to have haunted him for some time. Peter James, born in 1948, is a bestselling British writer who holds a strong focus on crime fiction. His most popular novels to date remain the Roy Grace series, selling more than 14 million copies around the world. He has placed number one six times in the UK Sunday Times, as well as in countries such as France, Canada, and Russia.