Peter James' eighteenth Roy Grace novel brings his readers right into the high stakes world of antique art. Roy Grace has returned to work after the death of his son Bruno. When he gets involved in an old case involving an assault of an Art dealer. 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. A long-lost masterpiece sparks deadly violence – and sets Detective Superintendent Roy Grace on the path of a calculating killer. Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in Picture You Dead. The GRACE momentum continues with a fourth season of the ITV show due on screens in 2024 and with all the episodes to date streaming on BritBox in many countries across the world. The WISH YOU WERE DEAD theatre production continues to tour the UK with further dates in Salford, Dartford, Southampton, Malvern, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southend, Worthing, Leicester and Woking.

A thought-provoking menacer that’s completely technological and genuinely frightening about the power of future communications’ – Time Out One collector is certain that the painting is genuine. Someone who will use any method he can to get what he wants and will stop at nothing. Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures

Customer reviews

Peter James has excelled in his research for this book. I was totally drawn into the world of fine art and art forgery and found myself googling the masterpieces and famous forgers. Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex The latest instalment in the Roy Grace series of mystery novels is also a personal favourite. James is a solid writer – character, action, and plot are perfectly balanced in this fantastic and gripping novel. If you haven’t read Peter James, make 2023 your resolution to start.’ – Andrew Gulli, The Strand Magazine, ‘Top 25 Mystery Novels of 2022’ Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in the latest instalment of Peter James's award-winning detective series, which is now a major ITV programme starring John Simm as Roy Grace.

James just gets better and better and deserves the success he has achieved with this first-class series.’ – Independent on Sunday It’s hard to believe that this is number 18 in this series and what a good addition this one is! It’s quite a busy plot with a lot of characters to familiarise yourself but it is worth it as I really enjoy the focus on art. There really is never a dull moment in this latest Roy Grace mystery thriller. The novel ended very abruptly with a lame conclusion. It almost seemed as if the author was rushing to wrap it up within the 100 Chapter limit. They suspect that this could be the chance they have always hoped for, and this might be a long-lost masterpiece from 1770. This painting could be worth millions if genuine and one collector believes that it is and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Enter Superintendent Roy Grace who finds himself plunged into the mysterious and murky world of fine art. What appears to be a respectable and gentlemenly arena turns out to be anything but. Beneath the veneer, he rapidly finds that greed, deception and violence walk hand-in-hand. And Harry and Freya Kipling are about to discover that their dream is turning into their worst nightmare.A long-lost masterpiece sparks deadly violence – and sets Detective Superintendent Roy Grace on the path of a caclulating killer. Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in Picture You Dead by Peter James. Harry and Freya, an ordinary couple, dreamed for years of finding something priceless buried amongst the tat in a car boot sale. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace finds himself plunged into an unfamiliar and rarefied world of fine art. Outwardly it appears respectable, gentlemanly, above reproach. But beneath the veneer, he rapidly finds that greed, deception and violence walk hand-in-hand.

Book 18 is no exception. I was suprised and sad to read Roy's son Bruno died but happy to see he's still very happy with Cleo and his growing family.This compulsive horror story is a tale of the search for immortality . . . I cannot remember when I last read a novel I enjoyed so much’ – Sunday Telegraph In Picture You Dead we meet a couple of men who will do everything to get their hands on some priceless art, and the great thing about the story was for me Peter James makes it clear that you don't get to be a better person when you have an insane amount of money - let alone a happier person. The story of finding a priceless item at a car boot sale is not uncommon; I've watched several times the happy and suprised faces of people on television when being told this 'old painting they found in the attic' was in fact very rare and special. It always pleases me to see when people then decide to keep it, because it belonged to a loved family member. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace finds himself plunged into the unfamiliar and rarefied world of fine art. Outwardly it appears respectable, gentlemanly, above reproach. But beneath the veneer, he rapidly finds that greed, deception and violence walk hand-in-hand. And Harry and Freya are about to discover that their dream is turning into their worst nightmare . . . At the same time, Roy Grace and his team are working on a cold case of a murdered art dealer from 2015. Could there be a connection between their case and the appearance of this masterpiece? There is somebody out there that will stop at nothing to get their hands in this piece of art, and I mean nothing. There is murder, burglars, master forgers, a fire and so so much more.

Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in the latest instalment of Peter James’s award-winning detective series, which is now a major ITV programme starring John Simm as Roy Grace. If you have never read Peter James’ crime thriller series about the Sussex detective Roy Grace, I would highly recommend you give it a try.’ – Queen Camilla, Press and Journal This long running and much loved series is now up to book 18, hard to believe. In Picture You Dead, Roy and his team come up against some very slippery and dodge characters indeed. I can’t help but picture Roy now as John Simms, thanks to the TV series. Not that that is a bad things in any way. I think he is perfect in the role of the detective who never gives up Meanwhile, DSU Roy Grace, head of Major Crimes in Sussex is also tasked with reviewing cold cases and he takes a look at the Charlie Porteous murder which he reopens in “Operation Canvas“. Does Charlies death link to a potentially high value painting he had in his possession? Perhaps in this case it’s a case of “art is what you can get away with” (Andy Warhol). One collector is certain it is genuine. Someone who uses any method he can to get want he wants and will stop at nothing.There really is never a dull moment in this latest Roy Grace mystery thriller,’ writes CeeCee on GoodReads, ‘told at a brisk pace with plenty of plot twists and turns with an added amounts of mayhem, shenanigans, ruthlessness and sheer greed to keep your reading on.’ Five more books in the bestselling Roy Grace series have been signed up by Pan Macmillan, including the nineteenth Roy Grace story, STOP THEM DEAD, which will be published in the UK on 28 September 2023 and in the US on 24 October 2023. A long-lost masterpiece sparks deadly violence - and sets Detective Superintendent Roy Grace on the path of a calculating killer. Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in Picture You Dead. Whilst Picture You Dead is a compelling police procedural, James also builds on the development of his main group of characters and the reader attains a peek into their personal lives and their ups and downs.