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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After being disappointed with the last installment of the Roy Grace series, I am very happy to say that I enjoyed this book very much.
This is a fast paced story. A lot of things happen in a very short time, a weekend. A bomb scare at a very busy stadium, a kidnapping, murder and mayhem galore. As usual, everything ties together and Roy Grace saves the day.
What made this book interesting, for me, were the criminal characters. It was fascinating to read about what is essentially a mob with all that it entails. The crime lord, the underlings, etc.
There's not a lot of Roy Grace's personal life in this book, a bit with his son, but not a lot at all. I kind of wish there had been more. The earlier books in the series seemed to combine Roy, the person and Roy, the policeman quite well and the later books are all about Roy, the policeman.
I'm very happy that this book was far more enjoyable than the last one and look forward to more....
This is a fast paced story. A lot of things happen in a very short time, a weekend. A bomb scare at a very busy stadium, a kidnapping, murder and mayhem galore. As usual, everything ties together and Roy Grace saves the day.
What made this book interesting, for me, were the criminal characters. It was fascinating to read about what is essentially a mob with all that it entails. The crime lord, the underlings, etc.
There's not a lot of Roy Grace's personal life in this book, a bit with his son, but not a lot at all. I kind of wish there had been more. The earlier books in the series seemed to combine Roy, the person and Roy, the policeman quite well and the later books are all about Roy, the policeman.
I'm very happy that this book was far more enjoyable than the last one and look forward to more....
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am enjoying catching up with the Roy Grace series. Somewhat shamefully I came seriously late to the series which means I have a lot of catching up to do. Yes - I have been watching the TV series which has filled in a few gaps, but no - that won't stop me from reading all the other books, including those already produced for TV, as well. My latest catch up read is Dead If You Don't, the 14th book in the series, and a case that will really test Roy and the team.
The book is about a kidnapping for ransom, where the consequences for getting this wrong will be dire. Admittedly, Roy's investigation is not made any easier by the fact that he is also facing a potential terrorist attack at the Brighton & Hove football ground, and that some of the people embroiled in the wider cases are of, what could be called politely called, a less than wholesome reputation. As readers we are privy to more information than Roy and co about what is going on, and it makes for a very high stakes, tension fuelled read. I loved it.
What really works well in these books is the fact that Peter James has created some truly lovable characters. From the irascible Norman Potting, the loathsome ACC Cassian Pewe, Roy's second in command, Glenn Branson, or even the man himself, Roy Grace, they all add something to the series that makes me want to read about them. Makes me invested in their fates - even if, in the case of Pewe, the hope that he will have his comeuppance ... Add into the world some authentic, fully fleshed out secondary characters who add menace and emotion in equal measure, and the scene is set for another brilliant thriller of a story.
The pacing and tension in Dead If You Don't are spot on as always. You can really sense the jeopardy building towards the end, when the plight of the young kidnaping victim seems doomed to tragedy, and the pacing picks up at this time too. There are some real hold you breath moments, literally in Roy's case, where you think something might happen to change the course of the case, but always a case of near but yet so far. Peter James leads us to the precipice, doesn't let us fall over the edge - yet - but doesn't lead us entirely to safety either. It's this knife edge sense of danger that has me powering through the pages every single time, especially so in this case. My reading pace felt as frantic as Roy's race to save the victim. This is a humdinger of a ticking clock mystery, where every minute really does count. Way beyond your usual money with menaces story, this is truly a case of be careful what you wish for, and may make you think twice about wanting more that you've already got.
I do love a Police thriller, love a series that I can really become invested in, and Peter James' commitment to research, and clear respect and love of the Brighton force shines through in these books, adding an air of authenticity to the books, even if the rest of the book comes direct from his vivid and surprisingly deadly imagination. His love of storytelling is clear and he knows just how to keep his audiences rapt, catching me hook, line and sinker from the very start of this book. I'm really looking forward to reading more of the series - who know where Roy and co will lead me next.
The book is about a kidnapping for ransom, where the consequences for getting this wrong will be dire. Admittedly, Roy's investigation is not made any easier by the fact that he is also facing a potential terrorist attack at the Brighton & Hove football ground, and that some of the people embroiled in the wider cases are of, what could be called politely called, a less than wholesome reputation. As readers we are privy to more information than Roy and co about what is going on, and it makes for a very high stakes, tension fuelled read. I loved it.
What really works well in these books is the fact that Peter James has created some truly lovable characters. From the irascible Norman Potting, the loathsome ACC Cassian Pewe, Roy's second in command, Glenn Branson, or even the man himself, Roy Grace, they all add something to the series that makes me want to read about them. Makes me invested in their fates - even if, in the case of Pewe, the hope that he will have his comeuppance ... Add into the world some authentic, fully fleshed out secondary characters who add menace and emotion in equal measure, and the scene is set for another brilliant thriller of a story.
The pacing and tension in Dead If You Don't are spot on as always. You can really sense the jeopardy building towards the end, when the plight of the young kidnaping victim seems doomed to tragedy, and the pacing picks up at this time too. There are some real hold you breath moments, literally in Roy's case, where you think something might happen to change the course of the case, but always a case of near but yet so far. Peter James leads us to the precipice, doesn't let us fall over the edge - yet - but doesn't lead us entirely to safety either. It's this knife edge sense of danger that has me powering through the pages every single time, especially so in this case. My reading pace felt as frantic as Roy's race to save the victim. This is a humdinger of a ticking clock mystery, where every minute really does count. Way beyond your usual money with menaces story, this is truly a case of be careful what you wish for, and may make you think twice about wanting more that you've already got.
I do love a Police thriller, love a series that I can really become invested in, and Peter James' commitment to research, and clear respect and love of the Brighton force shines through in these books, adding an air of authenticity to the books, even if the rest of the book comes direct from his vivid and surprisingly deadly imagination. His love of storytelling is clear and he knows just how to keep his audiences rapt, catching me hook, line and sinker from the very start of this book. I'm really looking forward to reading more of the series - who know where Roy and co will lead me next.
Very readable with likeable main characters among the services in a complex tale of Albanian organised crime in Brighton.
Oh how I am now in need of sleep. I started the book, I read page and after page, chapter after chapter, and I just couldn’t stop. The storyline pulled me in, the characters were amazing, and I couldn’t help myself but stay awake to keep reading.
This is my first Roy Grace novel and I was worried that I would be missing out some of the story but I wasn’t missing a thing. The story started with a new case and ended with the case being solved. That sums it up but there is so much more. There were multiple storylines that I wasn’t sure how they would tie together, there were characters that seemed to know each other but I wasn’t sure how, yet Peter James tied it all up nicely. I had ideas on how it would all come together, I had some of it figured out but not quite all of it.
Roy Grace had his hands full. A possible bomb at the football game that he was at with his son, a child kidnap and then add it to the mobsters that he has to interview to find answers. Yet, he kept it all together, worked methodically through the clues, looked outside the box for answers, and figured out how it was all tied together to solve the crimes. It was interesting to see how his brain worked and how he could possibly keep it together with little sleep and a boss that seemed to want to fire him at every turn.
This was the first book I have read by Peter James and I am excited to see that he has many more available. I am adding them to want-to-read list.
This is my first Roy Grace novel and I was worried that I would be missing out some of the story but I wasn’t missing a thing. The story started with a new case and ended with the case being solved. That sums it up but there is so much more. There were multiple storylines that I wasn’t sure how they would tie together, there were characters that seemed to know each other but I wasn’t sure how, yet Peter James tied it all up nicely. I had ideas on how it would all come together, I had some of it figured out but not quite all of it.
Roy Grace had his hands full. A possible bomb at the football game that he was at with his son, a child kidnap and then add it to the mobsters that he has to interview to find answers. Yet, he kept it all together, worked methodically through the clues, looked outside the box for answers, and figured out how it was all tied together to solve the crimes. It was interesting to see how his brain worked and how he could possibly keep it together with little sleep and a boss that seemed to want to fire him at every turn.
This was the first book I have read by Peter James and I am excited to see that he has many more available. I am adding them to want-to-read list.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Brilliant!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes