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. Peter James has penetrated the inner workings of police procedures, and the inner thoughts and attitudes of real detectives, as no English crime writer before him. His hero, Roy Grace, may not be the most lively cop, nor the most damaged by drink, weight or misery, but he's one of the most believable A suspenseful, professional-grade north country procedural whose heroine, a deft mix of compassion and attitude, would be welcome to return and tie up the gaping loose end Box leaves. The unrelenting cold makes this the perfect beach read.

Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex Born and brought up in Brighton, Peter divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and on the South Downs near Lewes in Sussex. An established film producer and script writer, he has produced numerous films, including The Merchant Of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. A TV adaptation of the Roy Grace series is currently in development, with Peter overseeing all aspects, including the scriptwriting. In 2009 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton in recognition of his services to literature and the community.

Peter James Press Reviews

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. Note: If you’d like to see Peter James in person, you’ll be able to find him at Thrillerfest 2017, held in New York City on July 11-15. It’s a great conference.

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Branch in Brighton, England, is investigating a most baffling case. A housewife, Lorna Belling, is found dead in a bathtub inside a cheap apartment unit. The primary suspect is her abusive husband, Corin. Upon further investigation, Roy discovers there are several other men who may have wanted her dead. One of the suspects wants Roy dead before he can discover the truth. His relationships at work are just as interesting as his personal ones. I also love his commitment to the job and how he goes about solving the cases.

About Peter James

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've been a long-time fan of this series. Sure, it has had its ups and downs but some of the books are genuinely exciting affairs and the author's detailed knowledge and research always shine through. This one is a middling book in the series, it doesn't have the huge tension or truly dastardly villain. The chemistry between some of the characters also seems lessened, particularly between Grace and his best friend Branson. On the plus side there is less of the saccharine-laden interaction between Grace and his new wife! Peter James has penetrated the inner workings of police procedures, and the inner thoughts and attitudes of real detectives, as no English crime writer before him. His hero, Roy Grace, may not be the most lively cop, nor the most damaged by drink, weight or misery, but he's one of the most believable' The Times

Meticulous research gives his prose great authenticity . . . James manages to add enough surprises and drama that by the end you're rooting for the police and really don't know if they will finally get their men The narration by Daniel Weyman is, as you would expect from him, very good. In the book's most exciting scenes towards the end the combination of James's words and this narrator provided top-notch audiobook entertainment. The one downside is that previous narrators from a few books ago, while not as good overall, did give Branson's character a bit more oomph and he suffers as a result. 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. The personal stories juxtaposed with the quest for Lorna’s killer create a fresh approach to this thriller with more than a dash of police procedural thrown in. It’s fun to follow along to see if you can solve the mystery before Roy can. There are handy maps at the beginning of the book that are full of details to help you follow along as events unfold. But it’s not easy to figure out who did it.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. 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? Meticulous research gives his prose great authenticity ... James manages to add enough surprises and drama that by the end you're rooting for the police and really don't know if they will finally get their men' Sunday Express

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. Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration The central case in Need You Dead is the murder of the complicated and crossed-in-love Lorna Belling. A hairdresser by trade—and physically abused by her husband—Lorna was hoping love with another man would help her escape her situation. But a chance meeting destroys her dream, and now Lorna’s dead. Many might think that the obvious suspect is her abusive husband. But what looks obvious to the police, doesn’t look so obvious to us, the reader. So who killed Lorna? When Roy Grace had first joined the Major Crimes Branch, he had made a pledge to himself. He was going to raise that bar from eighty-five percent of homicides solved to as close as possible to 100%.There are plenty of possible culprits. A wife beating husband, an upset man who was buying her car and thinks he has been scammed, a lover or two? Or better still was it suicide? 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. A murdered woman in the bath of a flat that is not her main home and she rents paying cash. Was she killed just slipping in the bath, was she electrocuted by the hair dryer in the bath? This is the mystery that awaits Roy Grace and what he will investigate. 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. The subplot that snagged me like a fish on a hook is the one involving the sullen, blatantly disobedient Bruno. There is an aura of doom about him. I think Roy has invited an evil, devilish child into his home. I feel that Roy’s wife, Cleo, and their baby son, Noah, are in danger. Why did Bruno keep insisting that his friend Erik’s female schnauzer, Adini, would never be found? Did Bruno kill it because it bit him on the hand? While reading Need You Dead, look for other clues to Bruno’s true nature.