Crime Detective Mystery Thriller Group discussion
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Dead Simple by Peter James
Thanks, Ron: I don't have a cop0y of this book ( reading others) but it does look very good.
I ordered a copy. Hope it gets here soon. Cant wait to start it!
Hi Everyone! This is Peter James and I hope everyone has fun reading my book and the discussions. For those of you who have not read Dead Simple, this is not a spoiler if I tell one of the central characters spends a large part of the story trapped in a coffin buried in a grave in remote woodlands. I'm a stickler for research, so before I started writing I asked a local, family firm of funeral directors if they would put me in a coffin, screw the lid down, and leave me for thirty minutes. They thought it was an odd request!!!! I checked with a Coroner, asking him how much air supply you would have in a coffin. He replied that if it was well made and airtight, and you breathed normally, you should have around four - five hours. But, he warned, that if a person hyperventilated, they could reduce that to 45 - 50 minutes. I arrived at the funeral directors at 10am a few mornings later and everyone had gone out - either to recover bodies or attend funerals, and there was a very, very ancient and doddery man, the great-grandfather, who'd been left in charge. "Ah yes," he greeted me, "You've come to be put in a coffin, haven't you? We've a nice one for you, all ready!'As he helped me in, he repeatedly asked me if I was sure about this... Being extremely claustrophobic I wanted to tell him that no, I wasn't at all sure about this!!! When I was installed inside he put the lid on and I can still today, 13 years later, hear the screech of the screws turning above my head... Then as I lay there in the cramped darkness, my nightmares began. Firstly something crawled over my face - it felt like a spider... Then I began to panic, as I thought, what would happen if the old boy dropped dead? Or went across the road to get a coffee and got hit by a bus???? Within minutes I realized I was hyperventilating. it turned into the longest thirty minutes of my life!
Taking research to a whole new level. I think with me, I would have been out of the coffin in less than 5 seconds. You're braver than me Peter. Great story. In any case, welcome to the group read. We're happy that you can join us and appreciate the time you're taking here. I'm very anxious to get started on Dead Simple.
Thanks so much Ron! I've done a few crazy things in my research for my books, and occasionally in promoting them! You might enjoy this video of a stunt I did in which I was raised from the bottom of a harbour near Brighton, England, in a white van. I did this because my novel, Not Dead Yet was coming out the same day here in the UK as Jeffery Deaver's Bond novel, Carte Blanche and I told my publishers I wanted to out-Bond Bond!!! So I did this stunt, which you can see it on the video below - and it worked! We beat Carte Blance to No 1 by 93 books! When I saw Jefferey a couple of months later in New York he (jokingly) tried to strangle me, shouting out "93 f**** books!" He had a photo taken of him strangling me. I then made a T-shirt with this picture on which I mailed him. On the front it had "93 f****g books!" On the rear it had: "JD 002 PJ 001" He told me he loves it and wears it proudly! Here is the 2-min video:https://vimeo.com/24816852
Are you sure you are claustrophobic? Lol! I wasnt even sure I could read your book given the content. Had to weigh the decision long and hard because just thinking about it freaks me out. I know it sounds ridiculous, right? Several years ago I had to have an MRI on my back. First two times they tried putting me in the tube. Couldn't do it. Third time they tried the new improved open MRI. Right! You are basically in a pancake press. No way! So the fourth time they knocked me completely out! The tech told me later that i started wiggling my feet so they knew they had to finish up fast. Funny thing is, I woke up in the tube with a washcloth over my face. I pulled it off, saw where I was, put the washcloth back on and went back to sleep. Next time I woke up they were wheeling me into recovery!So you, sir, are a whole lot braver then I am ! Anyway, I plan on reading the book and enjoying it. At least now, if I start to freak out, I'll just remind myself what you went through to write it! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Peter,I'm in Calif. but visit the UK several times a year. I always check when I'm there for any of your books I've not read yet. The US seems to be behind sometimes in availability. From your site, it looks like there are a couple just out and one new one coming in Oct. Really enjoy your writing.
Have to say that I've been reading this book for the past 3 hours and I can't put it down. The suspense seems to be building more in ways that I did not expect. II was planning to watch some TV shows but I won't be able to do that although I had the Giants - Dodgers game on while I was reading the book. Giants win. Yes.
My question at this point Peter is to ask you how you came up with such a unique plot?
Meant to say that I finished 20% of this book.
My question at this point Peter is to ask you how you came up with such a unique plot?
Meant to say that I finished 20% of this book.
Hi Everyone and greetings from a muggy grey morning here in deepest Sussex! Kristine, yes, you are the US publication dates of my Roy Grace novels is several months after the UK. My US publishers are planning to try to close the gap. But my new one, You Are Dead, which came out three weeks ago here in the UK will be out in late Oct or Nov in the US. Ron you ask where I got the idea from Dead Simple. It really came from a couple of different directions: The first was that I read and was terrified by Poe's The Premature Burial as a kid. The second was knowing how mad and sometimes dangerous stag night - Batchelor Party as you call them in the US - pranks can get. I remember when I got married in 1979 I was taken on a pub crawl of Sussex by my friends, who then stripped me naked, except for my red socks (!) put me on top of a letter box in the middle of Brighton, then phoned the police to say there was a naked pervert leering at women!!! I spent the night in a cell! But really at its heart the theme of Dead Simple is about trust: Who does anyone us really know as well as we think we do? Who can we really trust?
For those of you interested, Peter James was once featured on NPR's great "Crime in the City" feature: http://www.npr.org/2012/08/06/1577983...
I usually ask this question all the time at the group reads because I seem to get different answers so here goes. In Who Was That Lady, which was the biography of a great pulp fiction writer - Craig Rice - it was said that she wrote by the seat of her pants because she always locked herself in a room and wrote the book for a few hours, then she was done.
May I ask what your writing process is Peter?
May I ask what your writing process is Peter?
I have to say that in two nights, I have already read 50% of this book. Getting back into it now. Was out late yesterday. There are a lot of surprises here in this book. I'm really enjoying it.
Thought I had this on my Kindle...but it's not. Will have to download it. Love his books. 8:D
Hi Ron and so pleased you are enjoying Dead Simple! I have a totally back-to-front working day! I divide my week between my house in Sussex and my flat in London, but in either my working day actually starts at 6pm with a large vodka martini with four olives, and music – either jazz or opera arias, mostly. I write until around 10pm, then have supper on a tray and watch telly – currently catching up on Breaking Bad! Then I read until around 12.30 (non fiction when I am writing). At 6.20 I get up and run – 2 -5 miles depending how I am feeling, on my own in London, with the dogs when I am in Sussex. Then at 9.30 having had breakfast and read the Times and Mail, I read what I wrote the night before, which is normally one complete chapter, or two if very short, do a second draft, then start preparing the next chapter. I break around 1.30, have some lunch, get some air, maybe play a game of tennis, then spend a couple of hours on correspondence – mostly replying to fan emails. Then back to work on the manuscript at 6pm. I work six days a week and try to break as much as possible on Sunday, but my email load is so high that I find I’m spending half my Sundays just coping with that. When I'm travelling on book promotion around the world, which I do for three months of the years, I work anywhere I can - in the back of a taxi, on a plane (I've finished my last two books on long-haul flights) and I work really well in hotel rooms, where there are no distractions! I guess I'm lucky in that I am never happier than when I am hammering out pages of my new novel on my laptop!
It's really interesting to get an idea how the writing process works. The answers are always different and I think that whether you're a writer or a reader in this group, there is a lot to learn from this. Great answer. Thanks.
Hi PeterI find it interesting that you read only non-fiction when you are writing. Is there a particular reason for this? Cheers, Sandy
Peter I think your book is very interesting
Great question Sandy. You beat me too it but that's great. I was going to mention something on that also. Many years ago, I ran into David Morrell, one of my favorite writers although I'm not a Rambo fan. He was at a book signing. I asked him what fiction writers he likes and he said that he won't read fiction when he is writing because it throws him off.
In any case, I'll be curious to hear the answer to this as well.
In any case, I'll be curious to hear the answer to this as well.
Hi everyone, thanks for your comments! Gorgeous day here in Sussex, and I have a slight hangover after a very late night in London being shown behind the scenes of a casino for research for a future book. I'll go through your comments in order of them above:Re the writing process: Writing is a hard process because in most lines of work you have to react to stuff that comes in . Wheras in writing, you have a blank screen or blank sheet of paper in front of you! But I'm not a believer in writer's block: Almost invariably when I talk to someone who says they have writers's block, I ask them if they know how their book is going to end. Invariably they say no. I ALWAYS know the ending of my book. 50% of the time this will change as I progress but at least I have a vanishing point on the horizon to head towards. I find this really helpful.
Hi Sandy, the reason I only read non-fiction when I'm writing is for two reasons: The first I find it is very easy to start being influenced by someone else's writing style and voice. All writers have their own "voice" and it can be really counter-productive. Secondly it is so very easy to accidentally "borrow" someone's great description of a character or event, or whatever! I did it once years ago, and luckily realized before I had finished my book, and that was what made me realise it was better for me to binge read fiction between my books and focus on research based non-fiction during the writing process.
Hi Christine and thanks for your kind words. So pleased you are finding the book interesting.
Peter I can't wait to read more of your books
Thanks so much Christine! Am hard at work on my new Roy Grace at the moment. Just been to Holland on research to visit a Poisonous Reptiles Show! I have a female "black widow" character in my new book who targets rich older men and poisons them. It is staggering just how many venomous spiders, scorpions, frogs and snakes you can buy in Holland without a licence! I'm not that great with these creatures but i got persuaded to hold a flat rock scorpion in my hand. I was told that so long as I was calm it wouldn't sting me.... So I stood there murmuring, "nice scorpion... lovely little fellow... nice scorpion..."
Your welcome and I would like that book
Just finished reading Dead Simple. I really liked it--I found it a page-turner with lots of surprises.
I finished the book and it was very good
I hope to be done by the weekend. There are so many surprises in this book, I have to say that it's amazing. This should be a great discussion.
I'm waiting on my copy from the library. I've had it on hold for a while and I just saw today that it said in transit to my branch from another so I'll be able to start it Monday.
Sounds good Dawn. Dead Simple is a tough book to put down so you may be up for several nights with it.
As I'm finishing Dead Simple, my thought is that some of the suspense was developed based on how Peter james brought out the worst in many of the characters. It was similar to how Mel Sherratt did that in her book, Taunting The Dead, when she was here for our group read. Kind of curious what other people think.
Hi Ron that is a very interesting observation. One thing that fascinates me and is a recurring theme in my writing, is the aspect of knowing what a person is really like. How well do we really know anyone? How much can we trust anyone....? I find it fascinating that almost everytime a major criminal - such as a murderer - is arrested, invariably we see the next door neighbour being interviewed - usually a sweet little old lady - saying "He was such a nice man... he used to feed my cat when I was away...." !
Exactly. I agree 100% on that. In any case, I finished the book last night and really enjoyed. I'll be reading more of your books. I will say in my review that this book should get more than five stars.
Although I didn't get to know Michael's friends in the beginning, my thoughts turned to the characters in the Hangover movies. Anyone have thoughts on this?
That is incredibly kind of you, Ron, and I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it so much. Interesting the comparison at the start to the characters in the Hangover movies. I've just had my stag party (batchelor party) a couple of weeks back and as part of it we went go-karting. The go-kart company insisted as the stag I had to wear a special outfit - so I was dressed as a pink rabbit, including a furry helmet with big ears! My friends said it was kind of strange to be chasing a pink rabbit around a circuit!!
I have just finished my re-read of this book and enjoyed it every bit as much as I did first time around. So when I have finished reading Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks Series, this will be my next series to read. Thank you Peter for an enjoyable and exciting read. 8:D
Thank you so much, Sandy! I hugely hope you'll enjoy any others that you read as much.
I am sure I will Peter! Please keep on writing 8:D
Usually in police procedural books, the POV is on the homicide detective such as Harry Bosch in the Michael Connelly books. When you started writing this series Peter, what made you decide to focus on other characters as well?
For other people in the group read, do you have a preference? I thought that this made Dead Simple even more dynamic.
For other people in the group read, do you have a preference? I thought that this made Dead Simple even more dynamic.
I personally prefer Peter's style of writing - it gives a more balanced approach and you get a better feel for all the characters.
Hi Ron and thanks Sandy. I'm fascinated by human nature, why people do the things that they do, as well as the world of the police. I personally like to try to write from three different perspectives: That of the criminals that of the victims and that of the police. I'm so pleased you like that, Sandy.
Haven't heard any comments about the characters in this great book. So, who wants to say something about Ashley?
Hi Peter. I finished Dead Simple last night. I must say when I started, I was not sure I was going to finish. The coffin thing turned me off a bit until I got into the story and got all the background. Once I got involved, I could not wait to finish. Wow, you really threw me for a loop with the ending, I am impressed. I can often figure things out when I am reading. I know understand your comments about trying out a coffin at the beginning. That is quite the research. I also liked that there were multiple POVs in the book. It really balanced the story. How did you come up with that idea? (coffin storyline)
Ron wrote: "Haven't heard any comments about the characters in this great book. So, who wants to say something about Ashley?"I thought I had Ashley figured out early, but was wrong to a certain degree. I thought she was a conniver and was probably involved with Mark before it came out in the story but she went way beyond B.... I can see her being played by Scarlett Johansen.
Good pick Carla!
I totally agree with you guys on the POV. This method kept things fresh. I felt more involved (if that makes sense).
Ashley? Good manipulator. For some reason my instinct told me she was no good in the very beginning-I did not trust her early on.
Ashley? Good manipulator. For some reason my instinct told me she was no good in the very beginning-I did not trust her early on.
The bachelor prank? Wow! Very creative. And poor Michael!!
Hi Ron, Carla, Sandy and MsG, thanks for these comments. Like your choice, Ron! Dead Simple is currently on tour in the UK as a stage play, (amazingly well staged - the car wreck at the beginning is awesome!) and Ashley is being played by the UK actress Tina Hobley. I'm so pleased you like the alternating POVs - and I love writing them! Hope you all have a great weekend. I'm flying to New York on Sunday to attend Thrillerfest - are any of you going to be there?
Hi Peter,Just checked your site for info about the play Dead Simple. It sounds like it is having a very successful tour with lots of great reviews. I'm sorry it will finish by the time I'm in England in Sept. But perhaps I can see it if (when!) it makes it to the West End. Will definitely pick up your latest book when I'm there. I'm always been curious about Sandy - her disappearance and reappearance so much later with her son. I think the last book I read was the one where she came back to the UK. I may be a couple of books behind.
I did write a review of Dead Simple in case anyone is interested.
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We can start reading Dead Simple by Peter James. I bought my copy already and I'm looking forward to reading it. Hope you are as well.