I really enjoyed this book

I do not know why but I could not put this book down. It was an unusual contrast of locations, the very British south coast and the American Hamptons. It also had enough personal detail to involve me in the characters, which I like. They were also very strong characters. It also had a happy ending after a few rather gory passages.
The story teller was perfect for the job, each person was immediately recognisable, even the handheld game.
I have not enjoyed a book this much for sometime.

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13 people found this helpful

Peter James at his best

I've followed the Roy Grace series from the start and this is one of the best. The talented narrator has an excellent range of voices and accents, and the characterization is realistic, drawing us in as we follow the characters through their everyday lives. After a split second causing her to be involved in a car crash where a young man dies, Carly Chase learns that there is a hired killer after her. What would we do in her situation? And the mystery of what happened to Grace's missing wife Sandy begins to unfold.... Great storytelling.

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Thoroughly good read.

This is my first Peter James book, and after the many positive reviews that I have read I was not disappointed. Roy Grace is a main character who is well brought to life by the author, superintendant Grace is a realistic, down to earth copper, he gets results by his hard work and dedication to his job.
I like the way that Peter James has made sure that police procedures are closely followed, I just wish that the same could be said about the actions of the killer. For the plot to work the villain has to eavesdrop on his intended victim, the methods used would be more at home on the pages of a James Bond novel and this is the only reason I did not give this book five stars.
Despite this minor criticism this is a first class book, well written and narrated. fast paced and absorbing, I will certainly read more of the Roy Grace series.

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Good listening

Enjoyed this audible as of only was it written well but was narrated brilliantly. Very good characterization so enabling the listener to identify with each person.

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Unbelievable

could not stop listening to this one in the Roy Grace series. One of the best James has written

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Dead gripping (despite the usual James caveats)

This is where the Grace series really kicks up a gear, in my view. The story is both more ambitious, and also tighter and more focused. There is also a better balance of authorial attention paid to characters other than Grace. (Branson, in particular, is better served in this book than previous ones.) Tension is built skilfully from the first page and there is a range of characters who (largely) drive the plot forward well.

If there is a significant criticism, it's the victim/protagonist, Carly Chase. Bluntly, she's an idiot. She makes poor decision after poor decision, leading to a somewhat improbable denouement involving several ladders and an inexplicable cameo by the dredger from Dead Tomorrow. She's a bit of a wet lettuce, and some of her decisions seem highly improbable given how educated she would be as a solicitor. It feels like she makes unrealistically bad choices just to drive the plot, which makes her a bit hard to believe in (or like).

A more minor criticism would be around the antagonist. He's a bit faceless and bland; as a reader/listener, it's difficult to get into who he really is and why he's doing these rather preposterous and elaborate Saw-style things. (Oh yes, that's the other thing -- the descriptions of violence in this book are quite gruesome and unpleasant.)

The audio production is top quality and Jamie Glover's narration is excellent -- he sounds similar in style and tone to Daniel Weyman (who coincidentally takes over narration duties for this series in another book or two's time) and his accents are good. A definite improvement on David Baukham, who I struggled to warm to.

The usual James narrative tics are all here but to be honest if you've got this far in the series you probably don't mind. Grace seldom meets another police employee who isn't good-looking, well-respected and conscientious. I do feel it would be more realistic if he sometimes encountered people who were middling or even slightly incompetent at their jobs! Women tend to be described as objects of desire first and people second, particularly Cleo, who is basically a walking Pirelli calendar. It would also be nice if we could get a bit more depth on series regulars beyond repeated one-line descriptions; Bella Moy (Maltesers, elderly mother), Nick Nichol (tall, new father) and Norman Potting (un-PC remarks, pipe).

But more broadly, this is an excellent crime novel and leads well into the next few books in the series. Well worth a few hours of your time.

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Fascinating plot

This novel was a masterful and unusual plot line.I was prepared to suspend my belief because I was enjoying the journey!
It was well written, and I cared about the characters as a result of the writing.

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6 people found this helpful

As good as it gets ……………..

Have recently introduced a friend to DS Grace and like myself she can not put this series down, devouring each book with relish. Peter James has maintained his excellence in this storyline, it keeps you on the edge and tantalises with a peep into DS Graces past life and subtle humour. Waiting for the next leg of the journey with baited breath…..

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Excellent Police Procedural story

I'd never read or listened to a Peter James novel before but now I am hooked. Roy Grace is one of the great detectives and all the more believable for not being a cliched drunk or divorced copper. This is a tense and gripping thriller and I will definitely be buying more Roy Grace novels in future.

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EXCELLENT

Very good and exciting. Fast paced And well read. Looking forward to the next one!

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