Need You Dead

Roy Grace #13

by Peter James

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace faces his most mysterious case yet in the gripping crime novel Need You Dead , by award winning author Peter James.

Lorna Belling, desperate to escape the marriage from hell, falls for the charms of a man who promises her the earth. But, as Lorna soon finds, life seldom follows the plans you’ve made.

When the body of a woman is found, Grace is called to the scene. At first it looks an open-and-shut case with a clear prime suspect. That is, until Grace realizes there is a darker, far more terrifying alternative . .

Although the Roy Grace novels can be read in any order, Need You Dead is the thirteenth title in the bestselling series. Enjoy more of the Brighton detective’s investigations with Dead If You Don’t and Dead at First Sight .

Now a major BRITBOX series, Grace , starring John Simm.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Audiobook, British Literature, Mystery Thriller

528 pages, Paperback

First published May 18, 2017

About the author

Peter 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.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession, Peter James in one of my favourite authors so I am always excited at the thought of reading one of his novels. This is the 13th book in the Roy Grace books, this is a series that is so well paced and consistently of a very high standard.
The body of a woman is found in a bath in Brighton and Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to the scene. At first it looks an open and shut case with a clear prime suspect. There are a number of possible scenarios but the case turns more sinister than Grace could ever have imagined.

See the name Peter James on a novel and you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

[Eline Van Der Meulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doodsangst van Peter James is het 13e en tevens het laatst vertaalde Nederlandse deel van de Roy Grace serie. Ik genoot eerder al van de twaalf voorgaande delen en hou van de evolutie die ik zie in de karakters en hoe we ze telkens ietsje beter leren kennen. In doodsangst maken we kennis met Lorna, die in een gewelddadige relatie zit en er een affaire op nahoudt. Tot er op een dag in haar geheime plekje iemand haar om het leven brengt en ze dood in bad wordt aangetroffen. Verdachten zijn er alleszins genoeg om uit te kiezen dus Roy Grace weet waaraan hij begint.

Thuis is het voor Grace ook stevig wennen want zijn pas ontdekte tienerzoon komt bij hem en Cleo intrekken. Het is voor iedereen wennen, maar de knul lijkt zich keurig te gedragen. Of dat schijnt toch zo. Ik heb zo het vermoeden dat we zeker nog het laatste niet gezien hebben van Bruno. Terug naar de zaak Lorna. Daar zien we het aloude team weer terug en worden de procedures goed nageleefd. Af en toe ligt de nadruk iets teveel op die te volgen protocollen en op details, waardoor het boek wel lijvig is om te lezen. Persoonlijk vond ik het wel nog ok, maar hier en daar kon er dus zeker wel wat gesnoeid worden. De ontknoping zag ik helemaal niet aankomen en is wel een schok! Een waardige afsluiter voor mij, hoewel ik dus zeker wel een nieuw deel zou willen lezen! Voor doodsangst geef ik 4 sterren.
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2023...

[Labijose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veo con satisfacción que Peter James se ha recuperado del bache que tuvo algunos libros atrás. Esta novela se lee con interés, y aunque no está entre las que más me gustan del autor, creo que merece la pena seguir con la serie.

La duda que me surge ahora es: ¿qué pretende hacer con el nuevo personaje que nos ha introducido tras la muerte de su ex? Me refiero a Bruno, su hijo, que ahora se tiene que ir a vivir con él a su nuevo entorno. Hay algo muy sospechoso en este chiquillo. ¿Tenemos a otro psicópata como su exmujer en ciernes? Si es así, espero que dé más jugo que la anterior, pues ha sido un personaje con mucho más ruido que nueces. Y si no, que le deje disfrutar de la vida, ahora que empezaba a disfrutarla de nuevo.

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly disappointed

Having read approximately 30 books by Peter James and given them all at least 4, ,mostly 5 stars. With a handful being amongst the best books I have read, I am disappointed that at best I can only give 3 stars to this book, probably if it was by anyone else might have been 2 stars.
This book could have been about 120 pages shorter if it wasn't for all, the extraneous procedural stuff and chapter after chapter of family stuff. I am sure previous book's didn't go into so much detail about police procedure far too much.
Storyline was good and had a lot of potential, but for reasons stated above was swallowed up.
I can only hope book 14 in this series will be back to normal high standards.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: At the first salon she worked in after qualifying as a hairdresser, Lorna had a client who was an anthropologist at Sussex University. He'd told her his theory, and it intrigued her. That early human beings communicated entirely by telepathy, and we only learned to speak so that we could lie.

Over the subsequent fifteen years she'd come to realize there really might be some truth in this. There's the side of us we show, and the side we keep private, hidden. The truth. And the lies. That's how the world rolls.

She got that.

Boy, did she.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I love this series, and I enjoyed Need You Dead. What should have been a straightforward murder investigation turns into a twisty cat and mouse hunt, with surprising results.

James strikes a good balance between the professional and personal sides of Roy Grace's life, each enhancing the other. In Need You Dead, Grace meets his ten year old son for the first time. Bruno's addition to the Grace family unit is sure to inspire some great storylines in future books.

In the penultimate chapter, there is an incident which may be nothing, or it may presage something very sinister indeed. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out.

While thebooks in this series may easily be read as stand-alones, you will reap the full benefit of the back-story and character development if you read them as a series.

Definitely recommended.

💕💖💕💖.5

THE AUTHOR: Peter James is a UK No. 1 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 13 Sunday Times No. 1s under his belt, he has achieved global book sales of over 19 million copies to date, and has been translated into 37 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.

DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of Need You Dead by Peter James, published by MacMillan, thanks to my husband who gave me this copy for Christmas. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then a really good thriller comes along and this one grabbed me from the first page. The paperback has been sitting on my book shelf for a long time and I've only just got around to reading it. Finding out the truth about someone you love can be very painful. Although Lorna Belling a hairdresser was married to Corin she planned to leave him, she was having an affair with a man named Greg. Unfortunately Greg delayed his excuse for leaving his wife Belinda to be with Lorna. What hurt Lorna the most is when she finds out Greg had lied about everything, when she trusted Greg. This is my first book by Peter James and it won't be my last. I enjoyed every page where so much happens it made me think what makes a killer. As 18 million copies have been sold I highly recommend reading Need You Dead.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I will be total honest and say that this is my first Peter James Book and although it reads perfectly well as a stand alone, this is a series that I want to go back to the beginning and read them all. It is absolutely awesome! Peter James is rightly an international best seller. This is a story about a victim, not a body count, a pure quality realistic police investigation into a death of a woman to find out if it was suicide, accident or staged but it goes far deeper.
The story real consists of the police procedural investigation into the suspicious death of a local woman Lorna Belling, who is known to the police because of domestic violence incidents between her and her husband.  Lorna’s body has been discovered in a secret hide away flat in a run down area but the scene just doesn’t add up. As the case progresses a number of possible suspects begin to emerge from her life.
I just loved the investigation that followed Lorna’s death, what a cracking story this is, so many times I thought I had it all sussed and have since come to the conclusion that I would make a dreadful detective. There was a real sense of the tremendous impact that something like this has on everyone involved and how at times a trail can lead to a suspect and a subsequent crime not related to the original investigation.
I loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace from his first appearance in the story. A pretty cool character that has seen his fair share of the worst of people in his career and at times personal life. I don’t really want to say too much about what is going on in his personal life because of course being a series it could take the edge of impact from readers. He is a man I admired immediately. A dedicated man to his career but also one that has learnt lessons the hard way in the past about getting that balance between work and home. What a super wife he has in Cleo. Roy Grace at work comes across as a man who cares deeply for his team and yet also has a tone when he means business with them.
There is one particular harrowing scene in the book which is brilliantly written. There was no need for graphic descriptions of the horrific event, all it took was a telephone conversation and my own imagination. Total perfection.
This story begins as a snowball and by the time it ends it makes one hell of an avalanche. Some of the scene is already set for book 14 with Roy Grace’s home life, I feel very uneasy. I think it could even top this one!

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Description: 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.


James didn't send his best with this one.

[Allyson Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all 13 of Peter James' Inspector Grace novels & unfortunately this will be my last! Although the story lines are extremely clever & imaginative they are completely overpowered by too much police procedure. They are bordering on a non fiction police information book. Mr James please concentrate on the plot & give Roy & ourselves a break!!!

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roy Grace book No. 13: With the paperwork of the three previous cases to clear up the last thing Grace needs is a who-dun-nit murder of a married women in a flat she rented away from her husband. On top of that the ongoing ex-wife story reaches new levels! 'Sometimes the hunt for a killer will lead you closer to home'. Very much a who-dun-nit that leaves you guessing until towards the end of the book! Almost Agatha Christie like in its execution, with a number of red herrings and/or dead ends. I my humble opinion this was nowhere near the better books in the series but still an essential read for the series with significant steps in the Sandy story line. Hope you enjoy :-). 6 out of 12.

[Gabriel Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding read. Part of the Roy Grace series, number 13 I think.
The only previous novel I've read by Peter James was The House on Cold Hill. This was my first venture into the hugely successful Roy Grace series, and after THOCH, I didn't really know what to expect having been left a little underwhelmed. I'd been told by a friend and Peter James fan to delve into another of his novels as the former was not his best work.

Need You Dead was a gift and my only worry, apart from THOCH was, I might not be able to understand when the main characters backstory is mentioned. I needn't have worried as the most needed to know history was explained very well when the past was brought up.

The story was brilliant.
A married woman found dead in the bathtub of a rented apartment: murder or suicide?
As the investigation proceeds, three suspects come to the fore in light of a possible homicide. The wicked husband, an unhappy and despicable man who purchased her car from the internet, and a man from her past she'd met on a couple of occasions. But is there somebody else in the picture? I believed there was, and it was looking more and more likely I'd guessed the real murderer quite early on. For that reason, this was only going to be a four-star rating. The extra star came into effect when it turned out I was completely bamboozled. Well played, MR James. I am usually very good at working out the murderers in novels, but I take my hat off to Peter James here. If there was a clue, I missed it, and shame on me.

An engrossing read set in Brighton, a place I visit often with the Mrs and always come home with freshly made fudge. Love the stuff.
I am so pleased to have followed the advice of a Peter James fan and read a novel from the Roy Grace series. At some point, I will probably start from the beginning as I've heard some very good things.
I was also thrilled to have Peter James like a couple of pictures of my novel on Instagram. Hopefully, one day, he will be reading one of my books, perhaps even offer some pointers.

I recommend Need You Dead. It has everything.

I'd love to know if anybody solved or guessed who the murderer was, but please, no spoilers here. My reviews will never blab.

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow it’s been a while since I read a Roy Grace book and here we are again still my favourite detective series on and off screen. Roy and Cleo are now married and they are preparing for Sandys funeral. Roy now has two sons Bruno and Noah, meanwhile a murder of a woman has taken place but is it murder?

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need You Dead is book thirteen in Roy Grace Series by Peter James. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace was getting ready to go to Germany to pick up his son Bruno when he caught a case of the death of Lorna Belling. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace handed over the case until his return to Detective Inspector Guy Batchelor. However, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace did not release the problems this will cause him. The Readers of Need You Dead will follow the twist and turns in the investigation of the death of Lorna Belling. Also, the readers will be surprised with the conclusion of this book.

I love reading books in the Roy Grace series and Need You Dead did not disappoint. Peter James knows how to ensure that his readers never put his books down until the last page. I like Peter James portrayal of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace as a soft and caring person to his staff and family. I love the way; Peter James has provided two suspenseful plots throughout Need You Dead for his readers.

Peter James also highlights in Need You Dead the problems families have when one of them are members of Law enforcement. The readers of Need You Dead well learn about the issues parent and child have when it is the first time they meet each other.

I recommend this book.

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as others in this series, IMHO. The first one, Dead Simple, was excellent and the plot of this one involving the detective work is good. While I understand Roy's concerns over becoming a new father to his ex-wife's son, but the book spent way to much time on his thoughts about that, taking too much time away from the main plot.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am currently wondering how much Peter James gets paid to product place in his books, this is littered with brand names, and is really starting to grind me. But saying that, a good story with many twists and turns, I fell for the plot twist hook line & sinker. Cleo still annoys me, but we have the mysterious son to know focus on. I had to look at my previous reviews to see if I thought that the series was starting to drop off (I thought I hadn't enjoyed the last one that much) but turns out I have been hovering between 3 and 5 stars for a good few books.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another fantastic instalment in the Roy Grace series. Superintendent Roy Grace is assigned to investigate the death of Lorna Belling, an apparent suicide by electrocution in a bathtub - but is it? To start with, Lorna is in an abusive marriage. Her husband is a real piece of work. Then, she didn't die at home but in a rather seedy little flat - bolt hole from her husband or love nest for an affair? The number of suspects grows and grows and the case is getting very intriguing. But they can't quite pin anyone down for this murder and then there is the mysterious Greg. Who exactly is he?

At the same time Roy has to organise the funeral for his former estranged wife, Sandy and bring their 10 year old son (that Grace only recently learned about) to a new life in England and integrate him into his new family. Its a stressful time for Roy so he can be forgiven for maybe not being totally on the ball with the Lorna Belling case. So much so that Roy could pay the ultimate price for not thinking the unthinkable when he should have thought it. And that's a good place to leave it.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest in the Roy Grace series, this adventure sees him and his team hunting the killer of a woman whose body is found in a bath. Is it indeed a murder or suicide. Is it the abusive husband or a lover.All this at a time when Roy and Cleo are attending a funeral.

There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing but I did feel that some of the plot lines had loose ends that were never explained properly. Then there are the loose ends that pave the way for another book but can be annoying.

3.5 stars for me.

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat?! Ok, doe maar voort met het volgende boek meneer James :-)

[Vanessa Loockx · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Gasp” bloody hell!!! Wanneer komt het volgende boek???

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

realised quite suddenly that with the newest Peter James nearly upon us I was actually a book behind. Then it dawned on me that the saga that was Sandy was no longer an issue so decided to dive right into the last book. We are introduced to Lorna Belling, a woman that is in an incredibly abusive relationship, but who is being offered another chance with another man to start over. Unfortunately she doesn't get that chance and is found murdered...enter Roy Grace. From the off Roy seems a little unbalanced, however it totally makes sense as he is just getting closure after the death of Sandy his wife who disappeared many years before. However, he still has to face the shocking realisation (that came from the conclusion of the last book) in the form of his ten year old son Bruno who he has only just learnt about.

With all of these issues at hand, and loads of staff not being around (Glen Branson his trusty sidekick being one of them) he has a lot on his plate. Add to that his wife Cleo and son Noah, his personal life seems to be one big jumble of activity. Thankfully he has the help in the form of his colleague Guy Batchelor so he becomes the help rather than the main lead. However, it becomes clear pretty early on this will not be straightforward and the book itself leans heavily on the police procedural.

The storylines most interesting thread for me was Roy's son Bruno. I think that the next book will hopefully explore this element of Roy's life in greater detail as I feel like this is potentially a great contribution to revving up the series. That opinion to one side, this book was very much a whodunnit and with Glen Branson not at Roy's beck and call it lost a little bit of magic for me. In addition, I thought that Roy and Cleo weren't right, it seemed to have lost some of the character strengths in replacement for the police heavy duties. The ending was somewhat of a mystery as there were a few questions that didn't get answered and I thought were a bit odd, I can only hope these will be addressed in the next book. Overall it was a decent read and I really did enjoy it, but maybe at the cost of areas that were normally more enjoyable. A solid read, but I hope things get back on more of an even keel for the next book.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorna Belling is having an affair. Her lover, Greg is also married, but promises to leave his wife. Lorna believes him until she sees photographs of him on holiday, with his wife. Fed up with being with her abusive and violent husband and lied to by Greg, she decides to leave them both. She is later found dead in her bath at the flat she used to meet Greg in. Who killed her, and who is the mysterious ‘Greg’?

Roy Grace is put in charge of the case. He’s not sure if it is a case of murder or suicide. He also has his own personal problems to sort out, firstly being to collect his son Bruno from Germany and bring him home. Because of this, he leaves DI Guy Batchelor as Senior Officer on this case whilst he is away. They need to try and find out what happened to Lorna, and the obvious suspect is her husband. There are lots of red herrings and dead ends thrown into the mix and it’s up to Roy and his team to work out fact from fiction.

As normal, it was a great read. I love the Roy Grace series, and have come to love the characters, even including Norman Potting! This showed both Roy’s professional side and his personal life. Following his ex-wife dying in the previous book, Roy has found out he has another son, who he brings home to life with him and Cleo. I suspect there to be more to this story in future books, as there seemed to be a lot of loose ends around his son. Roy also suffers troubles at work with problems with one of his team and of course clashing with his senior and arch nemesis, Cassian Pewe.

The murderer finally being revealed towards the end is a great twist and one I wasn’t expecting. The book ends on a cliff-hanger….again! and I can’t wait for the next instalment to carry on the story! Great read!! Five stars!

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so disappointed! I have read and liked every book in the Roy Grace series but this one was just okay. It seemed to be so much more impersonal than the other books and the characters were not their usual selves. There were a lot of dry, boring police procedural passages which I usually enjoy in these books, but it didn't work this time. I confess to skimming through much of the novel and skipping to the end. I didn't have a clue who the killer was and was surprised, so that's something going for this novel I guess. I hope it was just me, in a kind of slump, rather than that these novels are on a downward slide. I'll have to read the next one and hope it's better.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant installment in the detective series featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

I can't reveal any of the story as it would spoil previous books but just know that it is excellent as always and if this a genre you enjoy please read from the beginning!

These books just get better and better!!!

I'm a huge fan of Peter James and have also read a few of his 'non-Roy Grace' books (he has written horror/thrillers as stand-alone) and they are also brilliant so keep your eyes peeled for this author.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was truly the worst Peter James book. The hero Roy Grace has turned into a total misogynist and a selfish bastard. What kind of bloke brings his long lost son home, after his mother has committed suicide and then works all weekend? His saintly wife is left to do all the childcare and he buggers off to the sauna.

The plot is weak and then end is just so obvious as to be laughable.

If you haven't spent your money don't bother.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘WHAT MAKES A KILLER?’

Need You Dead is the latest release from International bestselling author Peter James. Published on 18th May by MacMillan, this is the landmark 13th novel in the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series. Dedicated to authenticity, Peter James bases his books upon real life experiences he has witnessed through shadowing the Sussex Police.

I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but it’s my first time reading a book from Peter James.

Please do read on for my thoughts...

‘Sometimes the hunt for a killer will lead you close to home’

Well, well, well…….what can I say!! Need you Dead is a straight-up, no nonsense police procedural with all that is expected from this genre.

DS Roy Grace is facing a hard road ahead. After hearing that his ex-wife has committed suicide in Germany, he discovers that he has a ten-year old son, Bruno, that he knew nothing of. With the support of his wife Cleo, Grace has to come to terms with this huge life changing event. His devotion to his work in the police department takes up a major chunk of his time. With his new baby son Noah and the expectant arrival of Bruno, Grace has his hands full, but violence and crime continues to plague the streets and Grace soon finds himself engrossed in a very complex case.

Lorna Belling was a work-from-home hairdresser, with a passionate hobby for dog breeding. She had aspirations and desires for a better life. But Lorna was also a victim of domestic violence. Her husband, Corin, was a very brutal individual with a vicious temper that Lorna invariably felt the impact of.

Lorna in attempt to salvage something good for herself, embarks on an affair. This new relationship offers hope for Lorna and she truly believes she has a better future ahead of her.

But life doesn’t always work out as planned….

Grace is called to a flat in Brighton where the body of a woman is found in a bath. Is it murder or is there a possibility of suicide?

Initially the case seems relatively straightforward but as the layers are peeled away, Grace soon discovers that this is a very complicated crime. Like a game of chess, Grace is forever moving from square to square seemingly one space behind all the time.

The motivation for this possible crime raises many complications for Grace and his team, with the constant shifting of the sands.

Roy Grace is a difficult personality to pin down. Perhaps as I haven’t read any of the previous novels, I am not familiar with his history. There appears to be some animosity between himself and one of his superior officers, which I’m sure has an interesting backstory, but the one feature that does stand out in this book is his absolute concern for his co-workers. He is a father figure to many, as he portrays the image of a confidante and yet also of a strong and trusted colleague. I like in the book that he is very aware of the mental state of his workforce and his concern for their general well being is paramount to him.

Need You Dead is a book that has everything in it.

There is the very human story of Roy Grace being united for the first time with his son, while at the same time there is the horrific discovery of a woman’s body. There is the aftermath of the suicide of Grace’s first wife and all the complications of expatriating the body from Germany to the UK and the funeral arrangements to be organised.

Relationships play a very strong role in the book. Grace and his new wife Cleo have a fledgling relationship, with Grace conscious that his work does not come between them both. His rapport with all his work colleagues features very strongly throughout, as we get a peek into the personal issues of their daily lives.

But…..Need You Dead is primarily a police procedural so you can expect plenty of technical terminology within the chapters. I have no preconceptions of a Peter James novel, so for me I was very intrigued by the technology utilised by the police. The sheer scale of techniques availed of is quite fascinating and I think it’s obvious to the reader the research that was undertaken by Peter James to ensure accuracy and facts.

Need You Dead is a fast-paced, accomplished novel that will keep the reader turning the pages at speed. It’s a highly enjoyable read and one that I heartily recommend!!

[Gloria Feit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy Grace, Detective Superintendent and head of the high crime unit, faces a dilemma in the latest in this wonderful police procedural series, now numbering thirteen: evidence that one of his own squad may be a murderer. Such a possibility goes against everything Grace believes in. Such a possibility betrays the trust implicit in the job in which each policeman relies on all the others to watch his back.

The possible culprit is faced with an overwhelming accumulation of evidence in a murder case, one involving Lorna Belling, a beautiful woman hairdresser in an abusive marriage, making her husband a suspect in her murder, along with the accused cop. Another suspect is a respected member of the community who was in an extra-marital relationship with her. And a potential fourth suspect was an unknown lover. Lastly, there was always the possibility that she committed suicide.

The subsequent investigation is strewn with a variety of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Meanwhile, Grace is faced with bringing back home the body of his dead first wife for burial, along with his previously unknown 10-year-old son he is now charged with rearing. Peter James has long demonstrated how a police procedural can not only be intriguing but well written. This latest novel is no exception. And just as important is his ability to show how very human Roy Grace is as a character.

Recommended.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great quick fun crime. Roy Grace seems like a likeable character but doesnt seem to ever have flaws. Some technical police procedural terms and plotting was pretty good. A little predictable with the ending. Some parts plodded along, especially the scenes where the police just discussed 5he case. Ive always enjoyed crime novels set overseas and this is was very very enjoyable.

[Silvie Klokgieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*. Verhaal was wel prettig geschreven, maar ik vond het niet heel spannend worden. Toch was het wel een boeiend verhaal.

[Fani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.. it didn't really thrill me or anything. it was ok!