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. One of the reasons that I love these novels is the stories of DC Grace’s life and loves and how they entwine with the murder cases. Each book presents new challenges for DS Roy Grace. Watching his relationship with Bruno develop as he learns more about his son takes the book to another level. Guy Batchelor continued his assessment of the crime scene, reminded all the time of Roy Grace’s words. Lorna Belling is hoping to rid herself of an abusive husband. She intends to make a clean start with her boyfriend, Greg. Unfortunately, Greg doesn’t have the same plans as Lorna. In fact, Greg isn’t even really Greg, and when Lorna finds out that he has been deceiving her, she plans to take action against him. Before that happens Lorna is found dead. It falls to police detective Roy Grace from the Brighton Police to find out who killed her, unless of course, it was suicide. Either way, Grace will lead an investigation while dealing with a myriad of personal problems.

Need You Dead by Peter James - Pan Macmillan

Meanwhile, Roy is preoccupied with burying his dead ex-wife, Sandy, who has been missing for many years and becoming a father to their ten-year-old son, Bruno. Bruno is a strange child. Something is terribly wrong with him. Furthermore, Roy’s nemesis, Assistant Chief Constable Cassian Pewe, is somehow connected to Bruno.

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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. Also, I was impressed by the introduction of the Super Recognizer Unit. It is composed of a team of police officers who all share a special gift. They are able to recognize the true identity of a partially disguised criminal simply by looking at their eyes, nose, jaw, or other facial feature. I did some research of my own and learned that this unit actually exists at Scotland Yard. The Super Recognizers sound like a group of superheroes. Police Officer Tim Weatherley is one such member of the unit. His life is endangered when he visits Roy Grace. Someone needs Tim dead. Need You Dead doesn’t have a high body count. It isn’t fodder for gore hounds such as me. However, there are some gruesome killings–the type you might find in a horror movie. 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 Set in Brighton and Sussex, England, Need You Deadby Peter James is the 13th book in the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series (available June 6, 2017).

All Books – Peter James All Books – Peter James

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%. Roy Grace, creation of the CWA Diamond Dagger award-winning author Peter James, faces his most mysterious case yet in Need You Dead. Peter’s novella, ‘ The Perfect Murder’ (2010) went straight in at No 1 in the iBooks chart and spent 40 consecutive weeks in the iBooks Top 10. It was adapted into a play called The Perfect Murder which did its first, smash hit tour starring Les Dennis in 2014 and is touring again with Shane Ritchie and Jessie Wallace in Spring 2016. The original run was followed by the play of Dead Simple in 2015, starring Tina Hobley and Jamie Lomas which was an equally big success during its 6-month nationwide run. Not Dead Enough, the third of Peter’s books to be translated to stage, is currently touring the UK to critical acclaim, starring Shane Ritchie as Roy Grace and Laura Whitmore as Cleo Morey. His 13th case looks as close to routine as it ever gets for Detective Superintendent Roy Grace ( Love You Dead, 2016, etc.). But looks aren’t everything.

Set in Brighton and Sussex, England, Need You Dead by Peter James is the 13th book in the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series (available June 6, 2017). This is a skillfully executed, perfectly crafted police procedural that sees Detective Superintendent Roy Grace leaving Temporary Detective Inspector Guy Batchelor in charge of the latest murder while he heads to Germany to meet the son he never knew he had, but as often is the case this investigation may not be as open-and-shut as first believed and may just get a little bit more complicated before the case is closed. 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. DS Roy Grace is a very likable character. He is extremely dedicated to his job. Some may say he is too dedicated. Roy fears it is his dedication that drove Sandy away. He blames himself for her death. Does Bruno also blame Roy for Sandy’s death? The entire Roy Grace series reads like a prime-time soap opera. It is very melodramatic and intriguing. It is also fast-paced.

NEED YOU DEAD – Peter James NEED YOU DEAD – Peter James

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! Firstly, his ex-wife, who had been missing for years, has not only resurfaced but also committed suicide. If that weren’t enough, she’s left behind a ten-year-old son that Roy didn’t know he had. Now he must travel to Germany, where they were living, to bring the boy home to England. 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. 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. 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.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. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. 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.