Author : Peter James
Title : Dead Simple
Series : Roy Grace #1
Pages : 457
Publisher : Pan MacMillan
Publication date : 2005
It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace – a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife – is contacted by Michael’s beautiful, distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison’s whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot to gain – more than anyone realizes. For one man’s disaster is another man’s fortune . . . Dead simple . . .
Author Peter James had his thirteenth book in the Roy Grace series published earlier this year. Since I’d never read a book by him before, I apparently felt like that was the right time to start and naturally, I began with book number one because I just can’t help myself. Still, the odds that I will have caught up on this series by the time book fourteen comes around are pretty slim and there’s something quite satisfying in knowing you don’t need to anxiously await a publication date.
Dead Simple, the first book in the Roy Grace series, is anything but. It’s complicated, gripping and a fabulous page-turner. Yet it all starts so innocently. Five friends are out on a stag party and the groom-to-be has no idea what’s in store for him. It’s meant to be a harmless prank but then the groom-to-be, Michael, goes missing and his friends turn up dead. Enter Detective Superintendent Roy Grace who is sadly all too familiar with missing persons cases as his own wife disappeared without a trace years ago.
The story starts off brilliantly and is well-paced throughout. Although it was clear quite early on what was going on, there were still a few twists and turns to keep me absolutely hooked. I found it to be quite an intense ride and a true page-turner as the race against time unfolds to save Michael. This is one of those books where I get incredibly annoyed that my eyes stop cooperating and I have to stop reading because it’s just made to be read in one sitting. This is such a brilliantly executed and completely engrossing plot.
I warmed to Roy Grace from the beginning. He’s incredibly perceptive and determined, willing to do whatever it takes to find out the truth. I love his backstory and am curious to find out if this will be addressed in future.
Right off the bat, it’s obvious that Peter James is a fantastic storyteller and it’s easy to see why he’s a bestselling author. I already feel like this may turn out to be one of my favourite series. It seems rather disgraceful that I’ve left it so long in reading one of his books but now I can’t wait to get caught up! Highly recommend this one!
Dead Simple was published in 2015.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Bookdepository | Goodreads
How great to have found a series you enjoy and you know from the off there are another 13 books to read. Your tbr toppled again! It does sound good.
My eyes stopped cooperating with me so much so that I had to go and buy a pair of glasses, damn you books! 😉
Amanda
LikeLiked by 1 person
I may have to stop adding long-running series to my TBR 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a brilliant series and you have the joy of reading all the books in the series to come x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! It’s really quite exciting! I already have book 2 and 3 waiting. I did read Angela Marson’s series in about two weeks so it can be done. I just need to not sign up for blog tours and the like 😂
LikeLike
I LOVE this series. Seriously top crime. I lived in Brighton for many years. Peter James makes me so homesick, with his brilliantly vivid descriptions. Keep on with it. You will love the whole Sandy question playing out. Roy Grace is such a sweetie….Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I most definitely will! I have the next two ready to go and will hopefully read them on holiday. I’m very excited!
LikeLike
This is another series I’m yet to start – I’m 90% sure I have book one on my shelf though! And you making a good point – not having to wait for the release of the next book is a perk to starting a series late – great review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get around to reading it. Or when you find it 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gosh, you took me back with this one! I remember loving it many years ago when it first came out and can still remember bits of it which doesn’t happen often. Somewhere along the way I lost touch with the series as I so often do, but I hope you go on to enjoy them all – I’m trying not to laugh at the idea of you adding thirteen books to your TBR in one go… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂! It wouldn’t be so bad if I actually removed some too but that’s just not happening!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great review, you obviously really liked this one. I’ve had it for ages and never got round to it. Mind you, I’m hopeless with series, I just can’t keep up with them. I don’t know if it would be better or worse that so many of the series are already available.
LikeLike
I can’t quite decide either. I think the hardest part is avoiding spoilers but in this case, that means reading 12 books before he publishes his next one and I’m not sure I’m going to get there on time 😄
LikeLike
Haven’t read this one yet – but have seen the stage production. Excellent story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t know there was a stage production. That’s pretty cool!
LikeLike
Yes, another series I want to read now as well… if only he hadn’t written so many books yet. They all should stop writing for a while so I can catch up :-). Great review and added it to the reading list!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂 They really should, though! Have some consideration for us. We only have one pair of eyes and a limited amount of hours in the day!
LikeLiked by 1 person