Series
Genres
Publication
Macmillan (2017), Edition: Air Iri OME
Description
Lorna Belling, desperate to escape the marriage from hell, falls for the charms of another man who promises her the earth. But, as Lorna finds, life seldom follows the plans you've made. A chance photograph on a client's mobile phone changes everything for her. 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.
User reviews
LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
Lorna Belling has issues. Her husband, Colin, is abusive. Her only hope is her lover, Greg, who assures her he will divorce his wife and take Lorna away from Colin.
Meanwhile she’s selling everything of value to squirrel away money to move to Australia where her sister lives, just in case.
But the worst…looking at one of her beauty parlor customer’s vacation photos, she recognizes Greg and a woman, presumably his wife, lovingly looking into each other’s eyes. Realizing Greg has been lying about everything including his name, Lorna vows to ruin him. While waiting in the bathtub at their hideaway for their next tryst, she’s thinking of revenge. When he walks in she screams her intention. In a fit of rage he bashes her head against the bathtub wall, causing her to become unconscious, blood spurting everywhere. Unsure if Lorna is dead, he flees. Returning later to a corpse, he plots to incriminate Colin.
The question, not answered until the very end, is “Who is the murderer?”
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, assigned to the case, appoints a young protege, Guy Batchelor, as Senior Investigating Officer partly because it will be good experience for Batchelor and partly because Grace will be in Germany meeting Bruno, the 10 year old son he never knew he had from his first marriage.
Need You Dead by Peter James, the thirteenth Roy Grace book after Love You Dead (all the titles in the series contain the word ‘Dead’), packs a punch. Suspects and red herrings abound and Grace, Batchelor and the investigative team follow the plentiful leads. Grace’s attention alternates between the case and the psychological impact on Bruno of his mother’s suicide and his subsequent move to England. This British police procedural has action, car chases, gory deaths and more. Something for every mystery fan.
Need You Dead is totally satisfying, although I do have one small criticism. The narrative glosses over how the murderer and Lorna originally met. James ranks with other British mystery writers such as Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter and Peter Robinson (although Need You Dead has no cold case component to it). If you’re already a Roy Grace fan or you’re looking for a new mystery series, try the Roy Grace series. At 13 books, it won’t be hard to start at the beginning and work your way through them. However, Need You Dead, stands pretty well on its own.
Meanwhile she’s selling everything of value to squirrel away money to move to Australia where her sister lives, just in case.
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However, some guy she wants to sell her car to keeps saying he’s transferred the money through Paypal but she hasn’t received it. He keeps threatening to reveal her love affair to her husband if she doesn’t turn over the car or refund his money.But the worst…looking at one of her beauty parlor customer’s vacation photos, she recognizes Greg and a woman, presumably his wife, lovingly looking into each other’s eyes. Realizing Greg has been lying about everything including his name, Lorna vows to ruin him. While waiting in the bathtub at their hideaway for their next tryst, she’s thinking of revenge. When he walks in she screams her intention. In a fit of rage he bashes her head against the bathtub wall, causing her to become unconscious, blood spurting everywhere. Unsure if Lorna is dead, he flees. Returning later to a corpse, he plots to incriminate Colin.
The question, not answered until the very end, is “Who is the murderer?”
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, assigned to the case, appoints a young protege, Guy Batchelor, as Senior Investigating Officer partly because it will be good experience for Batchelor and partly because Grace will be in Germany meeting Bruno, the 10 year old son he never knew he had from his first marriage.
Need You Dead by Peter James, the thirteenth Roy Grace book after Love You Dead (all the titles in the series contain the word ‘Dead’), packs a punch. Suspects and red herrings abound and Grace, Batchelor and the investigative team follow the plentiful leads. Grace’s attention alternates between the case and the psychological impact on Bruno of his mother’s suicide and his subsequent move to England. This British police procedural has action, car chases, gory deaths and more. Something for every mystery fan.
Need You Dead is totally satisfying, although I do have one small criticism. The narrative glosses over how the murderer and Lorna originally met. James ranks with other British mystery writers such as Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter and Peter Robinson (although Need You Dead has no cold case component to it). If you’re already a Roy Grace fan or you’re looking for a new mystery series, try the Roy Grace series. At 13 books, it won’t be hard to start at the beginning and work your way through them. However, Need You Dead, stands pretty well on its own.
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
Which, I have not read any of the other novels in this series, this book can be read as a stand alone novel. My reading experience did not really suffer from having been new to this series. I say didn't really because what I got to know of Detective Roy Grace, I liked. Regarding his intelligence,
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it was high and on point. The dialect between him and the rest of the characters was nice. Yet, the story as a whole was fine. There was just nothing that particularly made me jump up with intrigue or go "Ah ha". Yet, I do have to comment by saying that at least there was not much or a lull in the story and therefore downtime. So this made for quick reading. I did like what I read and would go back and check out the prior novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
This is an above average, maybe excellent, modern English police procedural. There's a strong crime story and a poignant personal story about Grace's new-found son, both of which kept me reading to the satisfying end.
It's much like some of the better Louise Penny books, which I mean as high
Recommended.
It's much like some of the better Louise Penny books, which I mean as high
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praise.Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
[Need You Dead] by Peter James
#13 in the Roy Grace Series
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️
This still has to be one of my favourite series. I love the way you feel part of the investigation, more so than in a lot of Detective books where things are kept back from you, and particularly enjoy the
#13 in the Roy Grace Series
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️
This still has to be one of my favourite series. I love the way you feel part of the investigation, more so than in a lot of Detective books where things are kept back from you, and particularly enjoy the
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regular team meetings where we get to hear people's thoughts. It is good to hear things occasionally from the killer's or victims perspective. Peter James hasn't lost it as didn't want to put this one down. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
I have never read a bad, or even a mediocre book by this author. Every one... from this series to his standalones, are incredible. The chapters are short and each one contains even more information about Lorna Belling's killer. The suspects start to pile up and it becomes harder and harder for the
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reader to decide who the guilty party was. Each suspect presented makes perfect sense and had every reason and opportunity to have committed the crime. Then...the bomb drops and I'm willing to bet that everyone...just like me...will be wrong. Fun ride, Mr. James. Show Less
LibraryThing member AnnieMod
The 13th novel in the series starts with a murder. That's not unusual for the series but there is something different - we see what happens, we see who dies, we see the killer but we do not know who the killer is - but there are chapters showing the thoughts of the killer. Besides that, it is a
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straightforward mystery with the team working on it and things slowly falling into place. Except when they don't - while the ending was not exactly surprising by the time it actually came, it was not where I expected the novel (or the series) to go. And in Roy Grace's private world, his son Bruno is now here to stay. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017
ISBN
1509816321 / 9781509816323
Other editions
Need You Dead (Roy Grace) by Peter James (Paperback)
Need You Dead (Roy Grace) by James Peter (Paperback)
Need You Dead (Roy Grace) by Peter James (Paperback)