Peter James' Not Dead Enough - Review

Not Dead Enough by Peter James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another gripping investigation for Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

The discovery of Katie Bishop murdered in her own home launches a new murder inquiry for Grace and his team. Suspicion immediately falls on her husband, Brian Bishop, though it appears he was in London at the time of his wife’s death and couldn’t possibly have committed the crime.

Grace struggles not to feel distracted from the case – he has a new lodger in the form of friend and colleague DS Glenn Branson, suffering marriage difficulties; while an old friend contacts him believing he and his wife have seen Grace’s long-missing wife, Sandy, in Munich. But Grace’s determination to find answers to old questions runs the risk of causing strife in his relationship with Cleo.

When a second woman is murdered, press and public scrutiny builds into a frenzy, with fears that they are witnessing the beginnings of the work of a serial killer. Yet Grace continues to focus his attention on Brian Bishop, convinced he remains the key to unlocking the case. But, with two women dead, the truth may prove to be more sinister than at first believed, the pursuit of which may come at a devastating cost.

The first two books already quickly cemented this series amongst my favourite police procedurals, and Peter James is firing on all cylinders with this third novel – an intricately plotted mystery layered with authentic procedural and forensic detail, multiple strands criss-crossing and coalescing into perfectly-realised revelations, while the ongoing arcs of Grace’s personal relationships continue from the previous novels. The mystery of Sandy’s disappearance goes up a gear; while Grace’s developing courtship with Cleo is a joy to experience, also now facing the challenge of Grace’s ghosts continuing to haunt him.

Gripping from the very first page, the novel builds to a thrilling, action-packed climax, which leaves you breathless for more. Peter James has created a superb detective in Roy Grace, continuing to build on his character in each successive novel as he focuses on a new, independent inquiry. I particularly enjoy the subtle serialised elements – in Grace’s personal relationships and references to previous cases, and Grace’s fascination with the paranormal, all of which will no doubt build to exciting heights as the series continues (though it’s worth noting each book can be read as a standalone). With seventeen novels, and a Quick Reads novella, and counting, there is a lot more to look forward to and I’m already excited to delve into Grace’s next case in ‘Dead Man’s Footsteps’.

An engrossing detective story and intense psychological thriller, ‘Not Dead Enough’ is the work of a master at the top of their game.



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