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Roy Grace #11
Lettres de chair
Elles portaient l'empreinte de la mort gravée sur leur corps.
Le commissaire Roy Grace comptait se consacrer à son déménagement, mais ses projets sont bousculés : une jeune femme de Brighton vient de se volatiliser et son cas émeut la ville entière. Le seul indice : un téléphone, retrouvé sur les lieux de sa disparition.
Non loin, sur un chantier du bord de mer, des ovuriers déterrent un squelette. L'autopsie révèle qu'il s'agit d'une femme dont le corps a été enfoui trente ans auparavant. Mais le plus surprenant - et glaçant - est cette marque funeste sur les os de son crâne...
À la recherche de l'identité de la victime, Roy Grace se plonge dans les archives de la police et exhume plusieurs affaires similaires. Tout porte à croire que ces cold cases et l'enquête d'aujourd'hui sont liés. Quand une nouvelle disparition est signalée, Roy n'a plus de doutes : le meurtrier n'a pas achevé son grand œuvre...
429 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2015
726 people are currently reading
3747 people want to read
About the author
Peter James
251 books3,760 followersPeter James is a global bestselling author, best known for writing crime and thriller novels, and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. With a total of 21 Sunday Times No. 1s under his belt, he has achieved global book sales of over 23 million copies to date and has been translated into 38 languages.
Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career – which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter’s novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.
Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career – which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter’s novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 648 reviews
March 24, 2022
Again, a very good part of the Roy Grace series! I really enjoy them!
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April 26, 2025
EXCERPT: Instantly, for reasons the psychiatrist could not immediately define, this new patient simultaneously both excited and intrigued him - but also sent a wintery chill through his bones.
Van Dam stood up to shake his hand then ushered him to sit on one of the two hard, leather-cushioned antique chairs in front of his desk. For a moment they were forced into silence as an emergency vehicle siren screeched by outside. As the siren faded, the only sound for some moments was the hiss of the gas fire in the grate.
Harrison Hunter's body language was extremely awkward. Fifty-five years old, according to the referral note, he looked pleasant enough, conservatively dressed in an off-the-peg business suit, dull shirt and clumsily knotted tie, tinted aviator glasses and sporting a mop of floppy blond hair rather like the style of the politician, Boris Johnson. The hair did not match the man's eyebrows and he wondered if perhaps it was a wig.
His new patient removed his hands from his thighs to his knees, scratched both of his cheeks, then the tips of his ears, then patted his thighs and shrugged.
'So, how are you hoping I can help you, Dr Hunter - may I call you Harrison?' the psychiatrist asked. It was his customary opening line for his first consultation with any new patient. He glanced briefly down at his notes, then placing his elbows on his desk, he steepled his hands, rested his chin on them, and leaned forward.
'Harrison is fine.'
'Good. Are you a doctor of medicine?'
'I'm an anaesthetist. But a rather unusual one.' Hunter smiled. He had a dry, slightly high-pitched voice that sounded distinctly neurotic.
They were both forced into silence as another siren screamed past, followed by a third. When it faded the psychiatrist asked, 'Would you like to tell me in what way you consider yourself to be unusual?'
'I like to kill people.'
ABOUT 'YOU ARE DEAD': The last words Jamie Ball hears from his fiancée, Logan Somerville, are in a terrified mobile phone call. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of flats where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and mobile phone.
That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for thirty years.
At first, to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing - and yet another body from the past surfaces.
Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know information about Logan. And Roy Grace has the chilling realization that this information holds the key to both the past and present crimes . . . Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?
MY THOUGHTS: "Who were you? What happened to you? Who loved you? Who killed you? And why? Did they think they would get away with this? Are they still alive?"
This is probably my least favorite Peter James book so far. In saying that it is still a good read, though I wasn't "gripped" by it as I have been by the others in the series.
On the same day a young woman disappears from the car park under her apartment building, leaving behind her mobile phone and her neatly parked car, workmen digging up a footpath unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties who has been dead for more than twenty five years.
There is no apparent connection between the two crimes; but then another young woman, remarkably similar in appearance to the first, goes missing and another body from the past surfaces.
Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?
Aside from this there is a lot of peripheral action in this book:
Roy Grace's wife, Chloe, is struggling with moving house and looking after baby Noah almost single handed;
A woman has turned up in a coma in Amsterdam who may or may not be Roy's missing and legally declared dead first wife;
and Norman is trying to cope with the grief of losing his fiancé Bella by working all the hours that God sends.
If you like nice tidy endings this probably isn't the book for you. There are a lot of unresolved issues left 'hanging' at the end of You Are Dead. No doubt they will be addressed in the next book of the series. And personally, I was left a little disappointed by Roy Grace's behavior in places.
Don't try and read this as a stand-alone...it just won't work.
I have done nothing but think about this book ever since I finished it some two weeks ago. I have had a change of heart about Roy Grace, I now believe that the behavior he exhibited was motivated by a desire to protect his wife, who was then in an emotionally fragile state. In his place, I am not sure I would have done anything different. I have upgraded my rating to 3 1/2 stars.
And yes, I will definitely be on the look out for #12 in the series.
Update: 25/04/25 I have just finished a reread of You Are Dead, and stand by my later comments written some two weeks after I had first read the book. If anything I enjoyed this even more the second time around and have upgraded my rating to ⭐⭐⭐.8
I didn't notice in my first read, but there are quite a few 'Americanisms' which have crept into the text, such as 'homicide' rather than murder. I'm not altogether sure I like that . . .
⭐⭐⭐.8
#YouAreDead @WaitomoDistrictLibrary
MEET THE AUTHOR: Peter James is the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Van Dam stood up to shake his hand then ushered him to sit on one of the two hard, leather-cushioned antique chairs in front of his desk. For a moment they were forced into silence as an emergency vehicle siren screeched by outside. As the siren faded, the only sound for some moments was the hiss of the gas fire in the grate.
Harrison Hunter's body language was extremely awkward. Fifty-five years old, according to the referral note, he looked pleasant enough, conservatively dressed in an off-the-peg business suit, dull shirt and clumsily knotted tie, tinted aviator glasses and sporting a mop of floppy blond hair rather like the style of the politician, Boris Johnson. The hair did not match the man's eyebrows and he wondered if perhaps it was a wig.
His new patient removed his hands from his thighs to his knees, scratched both of his cheeks, then the tips of his ears, then patted his thighs and shrugged.
'So, how are you hoping I can help you, Dr Hunter - may I call you Harrison?' the psychiatrist asked. It was his customary opening line for his first consultation with any new patient. He glanced briefly down at his notes, then placing his elbows on his desk, he steepled his hands, rested his chin on them, and leaned forward.
'Harrison is fine.'
'Good. Are you a doctor of medicine?'
'I'm an anaesthetist. But a rather unusual one.' Hunter smiled. He had a dry, slightly high-pitched voice that sounded distinctly neurotic.
They were both forced into silence as another siren screamed past, followed by a third. When it faded the psychiatrist asked, 'Would you like to tell me in what way you consider yourself to be unusual?'
'I like to kill people.'
ABOUT 'YOU ARE DEAD': The last words Jamie Ball hears from his fiancée, Logan Somerville, are in a terrified mobile phone call. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of flats where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and mobile phone.
That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for thirty years.
At first, to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing - and yet another body from the past surfaces.
Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know information about Logan. And Roy Grace has the chilling realization that this information holds the key to both the past and present crimes . . . Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?
MY THOUGHTS: "Who were you? What happened to you? Who loved you? Who killed you? And why? Did they think they would get away with this? Are they still alive?"
This is probably my least favorite Peter James book so far. In saying that it is still a good read, though I wasn't "gripped" by it as I have been by the others in the series.
On the same day a young woman disappears from the car park under her apartment building, leaving behind her mobile phone and her neatly parked car, workmen digging up a footpath unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties who has been dead for more than twenty five years.
There is no apparent connection between the two crimes; but then another young woman, remarkably similar in appearance to the first, goes missing and another body from the past surfaces.
Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?
Aside from this there is a lot of peripheral action in this book:
Roy Grace's wife, Chloe, is struggling with moving house and looking after baby Noah almost single handed;
A woman has turned up in a coma in Amsterdam who may or may not be Roy's missing and legally declared dead first wife;
and Norman is trying to cope with the grief of losing his fiancé Bella by working all the hours that God sends.
If you like nice tidy endings this probably isn't the book for you. There are a lot of unresolved issues left 'hanging' at the end of You Are Dead. No doubt they will be addressed in the next book of the series. And personally, I was left a little disappointed by Roy Grace's behavior in places.
Don't try and read this as a stand-alone...it just won't work.
I have done nothing but think about this book ever since I finished it some two weeks ago. I have had a change of heart about Roy Grace, I now believe that the behavior he exhibited was motivated by a desire to protect his wife, who was then in an emotionally fragile state. In his place, I am not sure I would have done anything different. I have upgraded my rating to 3 1/2 stars.
And yes, I will definitely be on the look out for #12 in the series.
Update: 25/04/25 I have just finished a reread of You Are Dead, and stand by my later comments written some two weeks after I had first read the book. If anything I enjoyed this even more the second time around and have upgraded my rating to ⭐⭐⭐.8
I didn't notice in my first read, but there are quite a few 'Americanisms' which have crept into the text, such as 'homicide' rather than murder. I'm not altogether sure I like that . . .
⭐⭐⭐.8
#YouAreDead @WaitomoDistrictLibrary
MEET THE AUTHOR: Peter James is the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
August 26, 2017
Dual review with Swedish first and then English!
SWEDISH REVIEW
Den föregående boken var den första jag läst i Roy Grace serien och jag fann boken mycket bra. Så bra att jag blev riktigt glad över chansen att få läsa uppföljaren. Dödsmärkt börjar med att en kvinna försvinner spårlöst från parkeringen under bostadshuset där hon bor. I en annan del av staden hittas kvarlevor efter en kvinna i en park. Det visar sig att hon har varit begravd i trettio år. Inte kan dessa fall ha något gemensamt? Men så försvinner ännu en kvinna och Roy börjar inse att fallen har gemensamma nämnare. Kan kvinnan i parken vara det första offret?
Jag tycker att Roy Grace serien är behaglig att läsa, böckerna är lättlästa och intressanta. Vad som jag tycker fascinerande med denna serie är att Roy Grace första fru Sandy försvann för flera år sedan. Roy är nu omgift och har en liten son. Men han grubblar fortfarande över vad som hände med Sandy och i denna bok kan han kanske äntligen få svar på gåtan.
Fallet var intressant, speciellt när det visade sig Logan, den försvunna kvinnan kan ha hamnat i klorna på en seriemördare. Frågan är om Roy och hans kollegor kan finna henne i livet och det verkar som om kidnapparen/mördaren inte är nöjd med att bara föra bort en kvinna då snart en annan kvinna blir kidnappad. vem är mördaren och vad är hans motiv? Kanske måste de söka sig tillbaka i tiden för att finna svaren. Kan liket vara svaret på deras gåta?
Dödsmärkt är en spännande och intressant bok. Jag tycker om att läsa böcker som sträcker sig tillbaka i tiden och Roy privatliv är fängslande. Slutet på denna bok, tja allt jag kan säga är att det ska blir intressant att läsa nästa bok...
Tack till Massolit Förlag för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
The previous book was the first one I read in the Roy Grace series, and I found the book quite good. So good that I was really happy for the chance to read the sequel. You Are Dead begins with a woman who disappears without a trace from the car park below the apartment building where she lives. In another part of the town, the remains of a woman buried thirty years ago are discovered in a park. Nothing indicates that the cases have something in common. But, then another woman disappears and Roy starts to notice similarities between the victims, could the corpse have been the first victim of a serial killer?
I think the Roy Grace series is very enjoyable to read, the books are easy to read and interesting. What I find fascinating about this series is that Roy Grace's first wife Sandy disappeared several years ago. Roy is now remarried and has a young son. But he is still brooding over what happened with Sandy and in this book he might finally get the answer to the riddle.
The case was interesting, especially when it turned out that Logan, the missing woman may have fallen into the clutches of a serial killer. The question is whether Roy and his colleagues can find her before it's too late and it seems that the kidnapper/murderer is not content to just take away a woman as soon as another woman is kidnapped. Who is the killer and what are his motives? Maybe they need to look back in time to find the answers. Can the body be the answer to their mystery?
You Are Dead is an exciting and interesting book. I like to read books where cases go back in time and Roy private life is fascinating to read about. The end of this book, well all I can say is that it should be interesting to read the next book...
Thanks to Massolit Förlag for the review copy!
SWEDISH REVIEW
Den föregående boken var den första jag läst i Roy Grace serien och jag fann boken mycket bra. Så bra att jag blev riktigt glad över chansen att få läsa uppföljaren. Dödsmärkt börjar med att en kvinna försvinner spårlöst från parkeringen under bostadshuset där hon bor. I en annan del av staden hittas kvarlevor efter en kvinna i en park. Det visar sig att hon har varit begravd i trettio år. Inte kan dessa fall ha något gemensamt? Men så försvinner ännu en kvinna och Roy börjar inse att fallen har gemensamma nämnare. Kan kvinnan i parken vara det första offret?
Jag tycker att Roy Grace serien är behaglig att läsa, böckerna är lättlästa och intressanta. Vad som jag tycker fascinerande med denna serie är att Roy Grace första fru Sandy försvann för flera år sedan. Roy är nu omgift och har en liten son. Men han grubblar fortfarande över vad som hände med Sandy och i denna bok kan han kanske äntligen få svar på gåtan.
Fallet var intressant, speciellt när det visade sig Logan, den försvunna kvinnan kan ha hamnat i klorna på en seriemördare. Frågan är om Roy och hans kollegor kan finna henne i livet och det verkar som om kidnapparen/mördaren inte är nöjd med att bara föra bort en kvinna då snart en annan kvinna blir kidnappad. vem är mördaren och vad är hans motiv? Kanske måste de söka sig tillbaka i tiden för att finna svaren. Kan liket vara svaret på deras gåta?
Dödsmärkt är en spännande och intressant bok. Jag tycker om att läsa böcker som sträcker sig tillbaka i tiden och Roy privatliv är fängslande. Slutet på denna bok, tja allt jag kan säga är att det ska blir intressant att läsa nästa bok...
Tack till Massolit Förlag för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
The previous book was the first one I read in the Roy Grace series, and I found the book quite good. So good that I was really happy for the chance to read the sequel. You Are Dead begins with a woman who disappears without a trace from the car park below the apartment building where she lives. In another part of the town, the remains of a woman buried thirty years ago are discovered in a park. Nothing indicates that the cases have something in common. But, then another woman disappears and Roy starts to notice similarities between the victims, could the corpse have been the first victim of a serial killer?
I think the Roy Grace series is very enjoyable to read, the books are easy to read and interesting. What I find fascinating about this series is that Roy Grace's first wife Sandy disappeared several years ago. Roy is now remarried and has a young son. But he is still brooding over what happened with Sandy and in this book he might finally get the answer to the riddle.
The case was interesting, especially when it turned out that Logan, the missing woman may have fallen into the clutches of a serial killer. The question is whether Roy and his colleagues can find her before it's too late and it seems that the kidnapper/murderer is not content to just take away a woman as soon as another woman is kidnapped. Who is the killer and what are his motives? Maybe they need to look back in time to find the answers. Can the body be the answer to their mystery?
You Are Dead is an exciting and interesting book. I like to read books where cases go back in time and Roy private life is fascinating to read about. The end of this book, well all I can say is that it should be interesting to read the next book...
Thanks to Massolit Förlag for the review copy!
October 18, 2015
I think all the series I read, released new books in a short spate of time leading me to realize just how many I follow.
So, this is another I have followed from the beginning. Roy Grace has finally found some peace and happiness after the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Sandy, many years ago. When a young girl is reported missing he finds himself embroiled in a case that may lead back thirty years or so. He knows he is following a diabolical kilter but why he finds is so much worse than he expected.
Solid police procedural, not horribly graphic so definitely not a slasher type of story. Cat and mouse chase, Grace pitting himself and his resources against a killer who thinks he is clever enough to fool the police and remain free. But is he?
ARC from Netgalley.
So, this is another I have followed from the beginning. Roy Grace has finally found some peace and happiness after the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Sandy, many years ago. When a young girl is reported missing he finds himself embroiled in a case that may lead back thirty years or so. He knows he is following a diabolical kilter but why he finds is so much worse than he expected.
Solid police procedural, not horribly graphic so definitely not a slasher type of story. Cat and mouse chase, Grace pitting himself and his resources against a killer who thinks he is clever enough to fool the police and remain free. But is he?
ARC from Netgalley.
August 19, 2025
I read this book about 10 years ago and thought I would revisit it as a bedtime read. It is one of Peter James' best stories in the Roy Grace series. Even though the reader might figure out who the guilty party is fairly early in the book, it does not take a thing away from the enjoyment of the story which is a bit of a cliff hanger.
Young women are going missing and some are found dead. They all seem to have one thing in common.....long brown hair parted in the middle. Although this looks like a recent rash of disappearances, it soon becomes clear that there may be a serial killer on the loose who has been at work for a number of years and there is not a clue in sight. The author builds the story with suspense as Grace and his team fight against time to find the two young women last kidnapped, hoping that they are still alive. We are also given the POV of one of the victims throughout some of the chapters which adds even more shivers for the reader. Beautifully done and highly recommended to the fan of British police procedurals/mysteries.
Young women are going missing and some are found dead. They all seem to have one thing in common.....long brown hair parted in the middle. Although this looks like a recent rash of disappearances, it soon becomes clear that there may be a serial killer on the loose who has been at work for a number of years and there is not a clue in sight. The author builds the story with suspense as Grace and his team fight against time to find the two young women last kidnapped, hoping that they are still alive. We are also given the POV of one of the victims throughout some of the chapters which adds even more shivers for the reader. Beautifully done and highly recommended to the fan of British police procedurals/mysteries.
February 4, 2016
Description: THEY WERE MARKED FOR DEATH. The last words Nick Walton hears from his fiancée, Logan Somervile, are in a terrified mobile phone call from her. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of flats where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and telephone.
That same afternoon, workmen digging up an old asphalt pat in a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a young woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for 30 years.
At first, to Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing and another body from the past surfaces. Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know a piece of information about Logan. Later Roy Grace makes the chilling realization that this one thing is the key to both the past and the present . . . Brighton has its first serial killer in over eighty years.
Opening: Logan was driving fast in the pelting rain, hurrying home, glad that her shitty day which had gone from bad to worse, and then progressively worse still, was nearly at an end.
Well, that was quite the ride; I'm exhausted. The Sandy-named elephant in the room has still to come to adequate conclusion, yet that aspect didn't hang like a pall over this book because the story was just so exciting. Far-fetched but very exciting. Something new though, there is definitely a cliff-hanger element to the end of the investigation so we all know there is to be at least one more book starring Grace.
The sound track to the book:
Passenger - Patient Love
James Bond Theme Tune
I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
John Denver Leaving On A Jet Plane 1977
Voices of the Valley: Abide With Me
Jerusalem
Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart
Brighton Trunk Murders
Peter James wins CWA Diamond Dagger for 'sustained excellence'
4* Dead Simple (Roy Grace, #1)
4* Looking Good Dead (Roy Grace, #2)
4* Not Dead Enough (Roy Grace, #3)
4* Dead Man's Footsteps (Roy Grace, #4)
4* Dead Tomorrow (Roy Grace, #5)
3* Dead Like You (Roy Grace, #6)
3* Dead Man's Grip (Roy Grace, #7)
3* Not Dead Yet (Roy Grace, #8)
4* Dead Man's Time (Roy Grace, #9)
3* Want You Dead
4* You Are Dead (Roy Grace, #11)
3* The Perfect Murder
That same afternoon, workmen digging up an old asphalt pat in a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a young woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for 30 years.
At first, to Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing and another body from the past surfaces. Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know a piece of information about Logan. Later Roy Grace makes the chilling realization that this one thing is the key to both the past and the present . . . Brighton has its first serial killer in over eighty years.
Opening: Logan was driving fast in the pelting rain, hurrying home, glad that her shitty day which had gone from bad to worse, and then progressively worse still, was nearly at an end.
Well, that was quite the ride; I'm exhausted. The Sandy-named elephant in the room has still to come to adequate conclusion, yet that aspect didn't hang like a pall over this book because the story was just so exciting. Far-fetched but very exciting. Something new though, there is definitely a cliff-hanger element to the end of the investigation so we all know there is to be at least one more book starring Grace. The sound track to the book:
Passenger - Patient Love
James Bond Theme Tune
I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
John Denver Leaving On A Jet Plane 1977
Voices of the Valley: Abide With Me
Jerusalem
Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart
Brighton Trunk Murders
Peter James wins CWA Diamond Dagger for 'sustained excellence'
4* Dead Simple (Roy Grace, #1)
4* Looking Good Dead (Roy Grace, #2)
4* Not Dead Enough (Roy Grace, #3)
4* Dead Man's Footsteps (Roy Grace, #4)
4* Dead Tomorrow (Roy Grace, #5)
3* Dead Like You (Roy Grace, #6)
3* Dead Man's Grip (Roy Grace, #7)
3* Not Dead Yet (Roy Grace, #8)
4* Dead Man's Time (Roy Grace, #9)
3* Want You Dead
4* You Are Dead (Roy Grace, #11)
3* The Perfect Murder
September 4, 2015
I really don't understand the reviews of this book! I have read all the previous 10 books in the Roy Grace series. The started very well however I though the last one was preposterous and You Are Dead even worse. I find the way Peter James describes every character and place in minute detail extremely annoying. I have realised that he does this to pad his books out, without this they would be short stories! There are too many holes in the plot which I found myself thinking why did the Police react in that way or not take the obvious step? The only reason I read this book after the last one was because I wanted to know what happened to Sandy? I really don't care now and won't be reading another. One star is one too many for this book. Peter James you are just going through the motions and taking the money, you should be ashamed of yourself, as from your past books I know you can do infinitely better.
September 13, 2015
I just love this series - it's super impressive to achieve the consistency of quality that Peter James has with these characters and the crimes they solve each novel.
If you love police dramas with a bit of mystery and plenty of action I would urge you to check out this series - all good solid reads.
I do have some very small niggles
This remains an excellent detective series I would continue to recommend.
And it's set in Brighton yay!
If you love police dramas with a bit of mystery and plenty of action I would urge you to check out this series - all good solid reads.
I do have some very small niggles
This remains an excellent detective series I would continue to recommend.
And it's set in Brighton yay!
April 23, 2015
, I’m not sure where to start. Peter James is a bit of a Legend in my eyes. He is one of those authors that everybody knows; the man is most certainly one of my favourites. The one small problem I have, and have continued to have with the last few books is the ongoing storyline involving his missing wife Sandy. Now for people wanting to start the series from the beginning and haven’t yet got around to it, please don’t carry on reading my review because it will no doubt contain spoilers (this also applies to people who haven’t read the latest book as things mentioned in my review refer to those events, and I HATE a spoiler.
Roy is back and is dealing with a number of big changes such as a new son, moving house and dealing with the loss of a colleague. To pick up a new Roy Grace feels like meeting up with old friends and this one is no different. Both Roy and Glen (his colleague) make these books along with a few favourites such as Norman Potting, and the ones I can’t stand such as Roy’s new boss Cassian. This new book actually opens with a pretty hair raising and dramatic abduction of Logan Somerville and the pace is pretty frantic in the beginning. In the same afternoon the discovery of remains underneath a path which look to be thirty years old mean that Grace and his team have a lot of work on.
The storyline was certainly woven with enough mystery and intrigue to keep me turning the pages and once again we see flashes of potential closure regarding Roy’s missing/presumed dead wife Sandy. As these parts of the story (albeit small parts) were revealed I was once again hoping that this element of the storyline would be concluded. Sadly, I was mistaken! Back to the main events in the book and it seems that Roy’s work life is overtaking his ability to control his personal life. I love the fact that we see both in this series. The other thing that I think is absolutely brilliant is that you get a real feel for the actual police work that Roy and his team have to go through. There is no magical ‘tah dah’ moment where Roy cracks the case as if by magic. It’s done and the story told with all of the team working and pulling their weight. This gives a real authenticity to the story as well as previous books which I love.
Sadly, I figured out part of the story towards the end but actually liked the way the story was wrapped up. However, the reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is this whole Sandy thing. I’m not entirely sure whether this is a conclusion to it, but am pretty sure it can’t be…can it? It was one of those moments that seem a little bit like a cliff-hanger. Or was this PJ’s way of closing the chapter on it all. Because I’m really not sure I don’t quite know how I feel. If this is PJ’s was of closing it, then I feel cheated. If it isn’t then I am so bored of waiting for it all to go belly up. Either way I am still a little bit confused. That aside, another really solid read once again from the main man!
Roy is back and is dealing with a number of big changes such as a new son, moving house and dealing with the loss of a colleague. To pick up a new Roy Grace feels like meeting up with old friends and this one is no different. Both Roy and Glen (his colleague) make these books along with a few favourites such as Norman Potting, and the ones I can’t stand such as Roy’s new boss Cassian. This new book actually opens with a pretty hair raising and dramatic abduction of Logan Somerville and the pace is pretty frantic in the beginning. In the same afternoon the discovery of remains underneath a path which look to be thirty years old mean that Grace and his team have a lot of work on.
The storyline was certainly woven with enough mystery and intrigue to keep me turning the pages and once again we see flashes of potential closure regarding Roy’s missing/presumed dead wife Sandy. As these parts of the story (albeit small parts) were revealed I was once again hoping that this element of the storyline would be concluded. Sadly, I was mistaken! Back to the main events in the book and it seems that Roy’s work life is overtaking his ability to control his personal life. I love the fact that we see both in this series. The other thing that I think is absolutely brilliant is that you get a real feel for the actual police work that Roy and his team have to go through. There is no magical ‘tah dah’ moment where Roy cracks the case as if by magic. It’s done and the story told with all of the team working and pulling their weight. This gives a real authenticity to the story as well as previous books which I love.
Sadly, I figured out part of the story towards the end but actually liked the way the story was wrapped up. However, the reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is this whole Sandy thing. I’m not entirely sure whether this is a conclusion to it, but am pretty sure it can’t be…can it? It was one of those moments that seem a little bit like a cliff-hanger. Or was this PJ’s way of closing the chapter on it all. Because I’m really not sure I don’t quite know how I feel. If this is PJ’s was of closing it, then I feel cheated. If it isn’t then I am so bored of waiting for it all to go belly up. Either way I am still a little bit confused. That aside, another really solid read once again from the main man!
May 16, 2015
My darling, in the UK we call it murder, not homicide.
The 11th Roy Grace novel is a very good, intriguing and gripping read for the most part. On one night a young woman is abducted and at the same time a decades old skeleton is unearthed. Is Roy correct in his hunches that the abduction and unearthed skeleton are linked? A lot of old faces are here in this tense read which really kept my interest to the end, wanting to know how it would all work out. My heart just went out to poor Norman, grieving for his fiancé Bella and working as hard as possible to try and keep himself busy. However, I have to say that I did realise who the culprit was pretty much as soon as he appeared and even what was going on behind the scenes, so to speak. If you read the book you will realise what I mean by that cryptic comment. On balance I would have liked to have been kept in the dark a bit longer and with an alternative suspect or two to keep my mind working.
The dialogue unfortunately really got on my nerves, a lot of it seemed really corny and I couldn’t imagine it coming out of real people’s mouths. There is an endless succession of “My darlings” and on one occasion Roy’s wife Cleo managed to start a sentence with “My darling” and end it with “My love”. Yuk. I am also not at all sure why there were so many references to homicide and not murder in a UK book written by a UK author.
I can’t not mention the fact that there are developments in the story of Sandy; Roy’s first wife who has been missing for 10 years and is now presumed dead with Roy now happily remarried to Cleo and the proud father of baby Noah. I can’t help feeling a little niggle of disappointment about how this was left at the end of this book and that little niggle is all to do with Roy’s behaviour.
The book does finish on a bit of a cliffhanger, so is not the read for you if you prefer everything to be wrapped up in neat parcels.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
The 11th Roy Grace novel is a very good, intriguing and gripping read for the most part. On one night a young woman is abducted and at the same time a decades old skeleton is unearthed. Is Roy correct in his hunches that the abduction and unearthed skeleton are linked? A lot of old faces are here in this tense read which really kept my interest to the end, wanting to know how it would all work out. My heart just went out to poor Norman, grieving for his fiancé Bella and working as hard as possible to try and keep himself busy. However, I have to say that I did realise who the culprit was pretty much as soon as he appeared and even what was going on behind the scenes, so to speak. If you read the book you will realise what I mean by that cryptic comment. On balance I would have liked to have been kept in the dark a bit longer and with an alternative suspect or two to keep my mind working.
The dialogue unfortunately really got on my nerves, a lot of it seemed really corny and I couldn’t imagine it coming out of real people’s mouths. There is an endless succession of “My darlings” and on one occasion Roy’s wife Cleo managed to start a sentence with “My darling” and end it with “My love”. Yuk. I am also not at all sure why there were so many references to homicide and not murder in a UK book written by a UK author.
I can’t not mention the fact that there are developments in the story of Sandy; Roy’s first wife who has been missing for 10 years and is now presumed dead with Roy now happily remarried to Cleo and the proud father of baby Noah. I can’t help feeling a little niggle of disappointment about how this was left at the end of this book and that little niggle is all to do with Roy’s behaviour.
The book does finish on a bit of a cliffhanger, so is not the read for you if you prefer everything to be wrapped up in neat parcels.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
May 4, 2025
Roy Grace book # 11
Once I started reading this mystery, I had a hard time to stop. I treasure Roy Grace series although I am way behind into it but I will bit by bit catch up one day. In the meantime, I am savouring every moment.
Roy Grace is the type of investigator you would want should a loved one be a victim. He is driven, methodical and is no fool. The author tells us a lot in the space given within the binding of this complex story and in no ways do we feel rushed.
It begins with audacious abduction of a young woman named Logan Somerville from her parking garage and the discovery of a decaying corpse of a woman at a construction site. Is someone targeting young women? Bizarrely the bodies have been branded with the words “U R Dead”…..and then goes Grace trying to finds links between the murders before the killer strikes again.
This story is said in short chapters leaving details to a minimum, it only reveals what is necessary at a given time. It flows seamlessly and holds attention till the very end. Mr. James manages to add enough surprises and drama that by the end you will be rooting for the police….but did they get their man… as this story unfolded, the suspense held me captive till I reached the conclusion.
Not surprising, Sandy, Roy’s first wife as a small part an I expect she will resurface at another time…
In a few words:
Filled with twists and turns, “Your Are Dead” is a solidly-written story that no doubt will keep you on your toes until the very end.
Once I started reading this mystery, I had a hard time to stop. I treasure Roy Grace series although I am way behind into it but I will bit by bit catch up one day. In the meantime, I am savouring every moment.
Roy Grace is the type of investigator you would want should a loved one be a victim. He is driven, methodical and is no fool. The author tells us a lot in the space given within the binding of this complex story and in no ways do we feel rushed.
It begins with audacious abduction of a young woman named Logan Somerville from her parking garage and the discovery of a decaying corpse of a woman at a construction site. Is someone targeting young women? Bizarrely the bodies have been branded with the words “U R Dead”…..and then goes Grace trying to finds links between the murders before the killer strikes again.
This story is said in short chapters leaving details to a minimum, it only reveals what is necessary at a given time. It flows seamlessly and holds attention till the very end. Mr. James manages to add enough surprises and drama that by the end you will be rooting for the police….but did they get their man… as this story unfolded, the suspense held me captive till I reached the conclusion.
Not surprising, Sandy, Roy’s first wife as a small part an I expect she will resurface at another time…
In a few words:
Filled with twists and turns, “Your Are Dead” is a solidly-written story that no doubt will keep you on your toes until the very end.
February 9, 2018
Peter James não é novato no que toca a thrillers. Prova disso é Marcada para Morrer, 11.º livro da série Roy Grace. Apesar de tudo, foi a minha estreia com o autor, embora tenha por ler na estante o anterior a este: Quero-te Morta.
O inconveniente de apanhar uma série a meio é não saber muitos aspectos da vida da protagonista. Neste livro Roy Grace está casado com a segunda mulher, Cleo, mas sabemos que a primeira mulher se encontra desaparecida. Provavelmente nos livros anteriores é explicado como era a vida dos dois como casal até a mulher desaparecer. Essa é, de facto, uma informação que não temos e que é relevante para criarmos empatia com Roy. Até porque pela leitura deste livro constatamos que a primeira mulher, Sandy, ainda é bastante importante para o detective.
Em Marcada para Morrer, Peter James leva-nos a um assassino em série duro e implacável. Sem querer entrar muito na história para não fazer perder o interesse aos leitores, posso dizer que vamos caminhando na investigação de um rapto que poderá ter um desfecho trágico. O início do livro é fantástico, revelando os últimos minutos da vítima, desde o momento em que tem um mau pressentimento, até ao momento em que desaparece sem deixar qualquer rasto.
[...]
Opinião completa em: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.com/...
O inconveniente de apanhar uma série a meio é não saber muitos aspectos da vida da protagonista. Neste livro Roy Grace está casado com a segunda mulher, Cleo, mas sabemos que a primeira mulher se encontra desaparecida. Provavelmente nos livros anteriores é explicado como era a vida dos dois como casal até a mulher desaparecer. Essa é, de facto, uma informação que não temos e que é relevante para criarmos empatia com Roy. Até porque pela leitura deste livro constatamos que a primeira mulher, Sandy, ainda é bastante importante para o detective.
Em Marcada para Morrer, Peter James leva-nos a um assassino em série duro e implacável. Sem querer entrar muito na história para não fazer perder o interesse aos leitores, posso dizer que vamos caminhando na investigação de um rapto que poderá ter um desfecho trágico. O início do livro é fantástico, revelando os últimos minutos da vítima, desde o momento em que tem um mau pressentimento, até ao momento em que desaparece sem deixar qualquer rasto.
[...]
Opinião completa em: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.com/...
July 25, 2015
The 11th book in the Roy Grace series by the talented Peter James. Having read the previous 10 books in the series I was eagerly looking forward to this book been released. I love the writing style of Peter James and think that this series is very strong and well paced with strong well thought out plots. This book started excellently and I enjoyed it apart from feeling a little disappointed by the end. That said it is an excellent read and I am probably been a little picky. As well as the very strong main character Roy Grace, there are many other really interesting characters that regularly turn up throughout the series.
My only one negative with this series is the ongoing sub plot concerning Sandy which even for me is too dragged out and I find a little tedious never expecting it to come to any conclusion.
My only one negative with this series is the ongoing sub plot concerning Sandy which even for me is too dragged out and I find a little tedious never expecting it to come to any conclusion.
April 14, 2018
Um livro que fala de como a infância é realmente determinante para descobrir o nosso estado mental e para/como poder “alterá-lo”. Fala também de como o bullying afeta imenso algumas pessoas, que até já tinham problemas anteriores. Este livro integra mistura de raptos, torturas, assassinatos e distúrbios mentais.
Opinião completa no blog: lostinmyownworldofbooks.wordpress.com...
Opinião completa no blog: lostinmyownworldofbooks.wordpress.com...
January 8, 2022
Marcada para Morrer, é um livro que se lê bem e rápido. O enredo manteve-me agarrada. Gostei das personagens. A escrita é simples e fluida. Peter James é um excelente autor de policiais. Vou continuar acompanhar o destino do Roy Grace.
February 6, 2018
Leitura alucinante, suspense do início ao fim! Altamente recomendado!
October 27, 2017
Peter James novel You Are Dead is another to feature his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. The character has become familiar and traces a well-worn pattern that finds Roy leading a large task force when a young woman is abducted at the time when skeletal remains are discovered by workmen.
As ever there is the pressure applied by his superiors, local authority officials and the press for the case to be solved quickly and for the protection of the local community. This is without the question of whether the cases are even linked.
The Roy Grace character is quite predictable as he has become well known to readers of the series to date. His former wife Sandy has been declared legally dead and he has married the attractive Cleo and they have a son Noah but is Sandy really dead? This conundrum spices up the story and coupled with the appearance of Assistant Chief Constable Cassian Pewe keeps the reader anxious about Roy’s future.
There is an element of violence, which is inevitable in a murder mystery but is just sufficient to keep the keenest fan reading on. This is a plus for a story that might otherwise have been a little dull. The scenes of Brighton and the surrounding areas are well described and many of the landscape features are just as they are described.
I keep reading this series because of the continuing links with his former wife, his relationship with Cleo and with his friend Glen Branson, now promoted to Inspector. The story lines have some similarity which does sometimes distract from the series. Overall there is sufficient for me to say three to four stars on the Goodreads scale.
with help of YaashaMoriah.com via YouTube
As ever there is the pressure applied by his superiors, local authority officials and the press for the case to be solved quickly and for the protection of the local community. This is without the question of whether the cases are even linked.
The Roy Grace character is quite predictable as he has become well known to readers of the series to date. His former wife Sandy has been declared legally dead and he has married the attractive Cleo and they have a son Noah but is Sandy really dead? This conundrum spices up the story and coupled with the appearance of Assistant Chief Constable Cassian Pewe keeps the reader anxious about Roy’s future.
There is an element of violence, which is inevitable in a murder mystery but is just sufficient to keep the keenest fan reading on. This is a plus for a story that might otherwise have been a little dull. The scenes of Brighton and the surrounding areas are well described and many of the landscape features are just as they are described.
I keep reading this series because of the continuing links with his former wife, his relationship with Cleo and with his friend Glen Branson, now promoted to Inspector. The story lines have some similarity which does sometimes distract from the series. Overall there is sufficient for me to say three to four stars on the Goodreads scale.
with help of YaashaMoriah.com via YouTube
June 23, 2015
Peter James does it again, just gets better and better. The chase for the unsub (sorry, I watch too much 'Criminal Minds') is as relentless as ever. The 'will they get there in time, won't they' chase is afoot. Is this getting just a little bit formulaic? Perhaps. I don't care. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is in usual 24/7 mode aided by sidekick Detective Inspector Glenn Branson - and the race is on! Around the streets and locations of my city, Brighton and Hove. Hang on a minute, characters living in Elm Grove? That's only a few streets away from me! It's the locality that gets me completely hooked - it's like travelling through the pages with my neural sat-nav switched on! Well, Peter James does it for me. And that ongoing event from Roy's past? Well, it's still an ongoing event from Roy's past. And that unsub? Probably the most diabolical that James has yet created. Is a serial killer at loose in Brighton? Do events get confusing? Are there plenty of red herrings? Are Cleo and Noah in danger? Did something happen in Hove Lagoon many years ago? Is English's Fish Restaurant mentioned? (Love that place!).
Buy it, settle down with a glass, or better still a bottle, of your favourite tipple and a bag of twiglets and embark on another helter-skelter ride with Roy Grace - and find out!
Buy it, settle down with a glass, or better still a bottle, of your favourite tipple and a bag of twiglets and embark on another helter-skelter ride with Roy Grace - and find out!
October 16, 2024
S'acaba el sofriment!!!!!
Bueno, bueno, tinc moltes coses a dir. Començaré per dir que entenc pq el vaig trobar abandonat en un centre comercial.
El Peter James és un misògin que no sap escriure dones. Ni UNA era mitjanament acceptable.
Tot és increïblement predible. T'ensenya mil POVs, deixant les coses ultra evidents (menys per al policia principal que és gilipollas) i tirant-se 50 capítols per a explicar-te el que ja saps des del principi del llibre. Es tracta al lector de tonto que flipes.
I, lo que més odie, que m'ha fet pensar que Reina Roja era un masterpiece.
Ha sigut una merda, no entenc com escriu tants llibres escrivint tan mal. Ara a llegir en mets alegria.
(Si has aplegat ací eres gay i t'estime).
Bueno, bueno, tinc moltes coses a dir. Començaré per dir que entenc pq el vaig trobar abandonat en un centre comercial.
El Peter James és un misògin que no sap escriure dones. Ni UNA era mitjanament acceptable.
Tot és increïblement predible. T'ensenya mil POVs, deixant les coses ultra evidents (menys per al policia principal que és gilipollas) i tirant-se 50 capítols per a explicar-te el que ja saps des del principi del llibre. Es tracta al lector de tonto que flipes.
I, lo que més odie, que m'ha fet pensar que Reina Roja era un masterpiece.
Ha sigut una merda, no entenc com escriu tants llibres escrivint tan mal. Ara a llegir en mets alegria.
(Si has aplegat ací eres gay i t'estime).
April 29, 2023
"Viena ausimi klausydamasi radijo Loganė, laimė, nė neįtarė, kad rytoj tuo pat metu jos pavardė bus linksniuojama vietos naujienų laidoje, o jos paieška taps viena didžiausių operacijų Sasekso policijos istorijoje.
Nes su vyrais nevalia elgtis taip, kaip iki šiol elgėsi ji. Ją būtina nubausti.
Savo "projektus" laikau atskirose dėžėse, kurias vadinu pataisos kameromis. Noriu, kad mano "projektai" gyventų kuo ilgiau. Aš pats nusprendžiu, kada su jais atsisveikinti. Galia - svarbiau už viską. Galia labai jaudina. Žudydamas jaučiuosi stiprus.
Tik vėliau Rojus Greisas labai aiškiai suvokia šiurpią tiesą, kad Braitone atsirado pirmasis šio miesto istorijoje serijinis žudikas".
Labai greitai "sukramčiau", kiek neįprastas siužetas apie serijinį žudiką, kuris žudė kelis dešimtmečius; žudikas buvo atskleistas pradžioje, tik labai gerai "užmaskuotas ", ir net nesukėlė įtarimų.
Nes su vyrais nevalia elgtis taip, kaip iki šiol elgėsi ji. Ją būtina nubausti.
Savo "projektus" laikau atskirose dėžėse, kurias vadinu pataisos kameromis. Noriu, kad mano "projektai" gyventų kuo ilgiau. Aš pats nusprendžiu, kada su jais atsisveikinti. Galia - svarbiau už viską. Galia labai jaudina. Žudydamas jaučiuosi stiprus.
Tik vėliau Rojus Greisas labai aiškiai suvokia šiurpią tiesą, kad Braitone atsirado pirmasis šio miesto istorijoje serijinis žudikas".
Labai greitai "sukramčiau", kiek neįprastas siužetas apie serijinį žudiką, kuris žudė kelis dešimtmečius; žudikas buvo atskleistas pradžioje, tik labai gerai "užmaskuotas ", ir net nesukėlė įtarimų.
October 21, 2019
Annoying Sandy!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2024
5/5⭐️
,,Tau galas" jau net 11 serijos dalis apie Rojų Greisą. Tikrai išskirtinės bylos, įvykiai, nusikalteliai net motyvai. Jau esu anksčiau minėjusi, kad ši serija nors ir labai dominanti, bet yra nepastovi. Lyg amerikietiški kalneliai, vieną knygą atsivertus jau galima nuspėti baigtį, o kita - net iki paskutinio puslapio išlaikoma intriga. Ši dalis būtent tokia, kad intrigos čia su kaupu.
Rojus Greisas detektyvas turintis ilgametę patirtį, o Braitone tikrai netrūksta nusikaltimų. Tačiau kai dingsta jauna moteris, o netrukus atrandami palaikai palaidoti prie kelis dešimtmečius tik daugiau galvosūkių pateikia detektyvams. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio įvykiai nesusije, bet retai taip būna. Vis kartojantis įvykiams Rojus pradeda suvogti šiurpią tiesą, kad į jo akiratį pakliuvo pats pirmasis miestelio serijinis žudikas.
Manote to šiai serijos daliai ir užteks? Tikrai ne! Nuo pat pradžių esame supažindinami su Rojaus praeitimi, jo dingusia žmona Sende. Tai pagaliau įvyko proveržis ir šioje dalyje daugiau dėmesio būtent apie Rojų ir Sendę. O ir Greiso neapleidžia liūdnos mintys kodėl viskas krypsta tokia linkme, kai jis susikūrė naują gyvenimą ir šeimą...
Tikrai puiki serijos dalis. Netrūko joje nieko ir vis daugiau pateikiama atsakymų į ilgai užlaikytus klausimus.
,,Tau galas" jau net 11 serijos dalis apie Rojų Greisą. Tikrai išskirtinės bylos, įvykiai, nusikalteliai net motyvai. Jau esu anksčiau minėjusi, kad ši serija nors ir labai dominanti, bet yra nepastovi. Lyg amerikietiški kalneliai, vieną knygą atsivertus jau galima nuspėti baigtį, o kita - net iki paskutinio puslapio išlaikoma intriga. Ši dalis būtent tokia, kad intrigos čia su kaupu.
Rojus Greisas detektyvas turintis ilgametę patirtį, o Braitone tikrai netrūksta nusikaltimų. Tačiau kai dingsta jauna moteris, o netrukus atrandami palaikai palaidoti prie kelis dešimtmečius tik daugiau galvosūkių pateikia detektyvams. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio įvykiai nesusije, bet retai taip būna. Vis kartojantis įvykiams Rojus pradeda suvogti šiurpią tiesą, kad į jo akiratį pakliuvo pats pirmasis miestelio serijinis žudikas.
Manote to šiai serijos daliai ir užteks? Tikrai ne! Nuo pat pradžių esame supažindinami su Rojaus praeitimi, jo dingusia žmona Sende. Tai pagaliau įvyko proveržis ir šioje dalyje daugiau dėmesio būtent apie Rojų ir Sendę. O ir Greiso neapleidžia liūdnos mintys kodėl viskas krypsta tokia linkme, kai jis susikūrė naują gyvenimą ir šeimą...
Tikrai puiki serijos dalis. Netrūko joje nieko ir vis daugiau pateikiama atsakymų į ilgai užlaikytus klausimus.
December 23, 2016
I hated this. None of the characters, their relationships nor any of the dialogue rings remotely true. The baddie was so obvious from the moment the character is introduced that I half assumed it was supposed to be a double bluff. The 'twists' are telegraphed and the denouement is beyond ludicrous. The sub-plot in Germany is dull but then I never cared much about why / where his first wife went so this was unlikely ever to catch my interest.
There's a funeral, unrelated to the plot, in the midst of the investigation and we get what felt like pages and pages of dullness about men sobbing and hugging and kissing one another. Perhaps he was trying to make some point about these manly, heterosexual policemen being able to express their emotions healthily but it didn't read plausibly; it wasn't remotely interesting (people crying at a funeral, what a novelty); it didn't move the plot on at all and it was all described in tedious detail.
One of the characters has been diagnosed with prostate cancer but as he's a 55 year-old who twice refers to something called 'winky action' I found myself wishing him the worst prognosis.
Whenever the plot was in danger of gaining some momentum it ground to a halt with massive chunks of exposition thrown into the mix or some tedious explanation of the plot of an old movie that some character has found a tenuous connection to a plot point.
Zero stars
There's a funeral, unrelated to the plot, in the midst of the investigation and we get what felt like pages and pages of dullness about men sobbing and hugging and kissing one another. Perhaps he was trying to make some point about these manly, heterosexual policemen being able to express their emotions healthily but it didn't read plausibly; it wasn't remotely interesting (people crying at a funeral, what a novelty); it didn't move the plot on at all and it was all described in tedious detail.
One of the characters has been diagnosed with prostate cancer but as he's a 55 year-old who twice refers to something called 'winky action' I found myself wishing him the worst prognosis.
Whenever the plot was in danger of gaining some momentum it ground to a halt with massive chunks of exposition thrown into the mix or some tedious explanation of the plot of an old movie that some character has found a tenuous connection to a plot point.
Zero stars
September 30, 2021
You Are Dead is book eleven in the Roy Grace series by Peter James. One night Jamie Ball fiancee, Logan Somerville, went missing after arriving in the underground carpark of the unit block. The same day as Logan goes missing, a thirty-year-old body remains uneath in the nearby park. For Jamie Ball, the last thing he will remember is her scream during their phone conversation. At first, Roy Grace and his team do not think they are related until another young woman goes missing, and they start to believe they have a serial killer. The readers of You Are Dead will follow Roy Grace and his team to discover what happens.
You Are Dead is another fantastic book by Peter James. I engaged with You Are Dead from the first page, which continued until the end of this book. I love Peter James's portrayal of his characters and how they interacted with each other throughout this book. You Are Dead is well written and researched by Peter James. I like Peter James's description of the settings of You Are Dead that complements the book's plot.
The readers of You Are Dead will learn about the devastation when loved ones go missing for those left behind. Also, the readers of You Are Dead will learn about living in Brighton.
I recommend this book.
You Are Dead is another fantastic book by Peter James. I engaged with You Are Dead from the first page, which continued until the end of this book. I love Peter James's portrayal of his characters and how they interacted with each other throughout this book. You Are Dead is well written and researched by Peter James. I like Peter James's description of the settings of You Are Dead that complements the book's plot.
The readers of You Are Dead will learn about the devastation when loved ones go missing for those left behind. Also, the readers of You Are Dead will learn about living in Brighton.
I recommend this book.
July 28, 2015
I think PJ is reaching the limit on this series, as much as I have enjoyed them I am now feeling much as I did as a child reading "famous five" and suddenly realise they are all the same. I skim read most of this and didn't miss anything, guessed the perpetrator at his first appearance very early on. The dialogue is predictable and could have been copied and paste from earlier books especially in the briefings. Brandon's references to "old timer"and films is becoming boring and there are too many "my love" "my darling" from Clio. The Sandy situation is still unresolved leaving it open to appear again in the next book, please sort it out PJ and worryingly the perpetrator in this book is alive and well and ready to appear in the next one, please no. It really seems as if he is writing to satisfy publisher contracts. I hate to be so negative but the books at the start of the series are much better. A generous 3 from me I feel mean to
September 7, 2022
Really enjoyed this, but didn't realise this was book 11 of the series! Messed with my ocd a bit but I've been assured I didn't need to read the previous 10 as apart from background details on certain characters, each story is a stand alone. Phew!
August 10, 2015
Utter rubbish
April 11, 2017
I enjoyed You Are Dead and whilst I don't think it is one of the best in the series it is certainly an above average read. It starts with with two separate incidents, the discovery of skeletal remains buried under a footpath which was constructed 20 years ago and the potential abduction of a young woman, Logan Somerville. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say the two cases become linked and lead to the hunt for a serial killer.
This is a proper police procedural as Roy Grace is no maverick and Mr James can be a bit heavy on procedure but I find it fascinating and I think it is a refreshing change to see the professional side of modern policing as too many authors tend to ignore or denigrate their professionalism. It is also interesting to see how the demands of the job are taking a toll on his marriage and it doesn't paint Roy Grace in a good light as he comes over as a man with his priorities wrong.
The plot in itself, based heavily on Dennis Rader who gets frequent mentions, is rather pedestrian, serial killer re activates himself after many years of dormancy but the hunt is engrossing with each step following logically from the preceding one. Of course the long running Sandy saga rears its head again. I wish Mr James would just be done with it as I no longer find it interesting nor care what she's up to.
This is a proper police procedural as Roy Grace is no maverick and Mr James can be a bit heavy on procedure but I find it fascinating and I think it is a refreshing change to see the professional side of modern policing as too many authors tend to ignore or denigrate their professionalism. It is also interesting to see how the demands of the job are taking a toll on his marriage and it doesn't paint Roy Grace in a good light as he comes over as a man with his priorities wrong.
The plot in itself, based heavily on Dennis Rader who gets frequent mentions, is rather pedestrian, serial killer re activates himself after many years of dormancy but the hunt is engrossing with each step following logically from the preceding one. Of course the long running Sandy saga rears its head again. I wish Mr James would just be done with it as I no longer find it interesting nor care what she's up to.
December 1, 2020
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has a few incidents on his plate.
The main one is the disappearance of Logan Somerville from the parking of her block of flats. Another , is the 30 years old remains of a young woman found during construction work. Other murdered woman and crimes lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is a serial killer operating in Brighton and he has to find him and stop him.
A psychological thriller, well written and in some cases quite gruesome in details. I found it nice, a good read for it’s genre.
The main one is the disappearance of Logan Somerville from the parking of her block of flats. Another , is the 30 years old remains of a young woman found during construction work. Other murdered woman and crimes lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is a serial killer operating in Brighton and he has to find him and stop him.
A psychological thriller, well written and in some cases quite gruesome in details. I found it nice, a good read for it’s genre.
February 21, 2018
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgA0T...
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