Dead Tomorrow by Peter James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Roy Grace investigates a sinister case of human organ trafficking.

A body is dredged from the depths of the English Channel, missing some of its vital organs, the removals surgical and more akin to a medical setting than would be expected. This is only the first body, launching a complex inquiry for Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his team.

Meanwhile, in Romania, young, homeless teenagers find themselves in the sights of a group of organised criminals in the guise of good Samaritans. No one misses them; no one searches for them when they go missing - making them the perfect victims for human trafficking in all its forms.

Back in the UK, a teenage girl fights for her life as her liver disease takes its final turn for the worse, urgently requiring a transplant. Her mother becomes increasingly desperate as it becomes evermore unlikely her daughter's life can be saved. But when a lifeline is offered, she realises she is willing to do whatever it takes to save the life of her daughter.

'Dead Tomorrow' is the fifth novel in the Roy Grace series and it may just be my favourite so far. A complex crime thriller structured with interwoven narratives from the perspectives of the police, victims and criminals, it masterfully builds a portrait of the true horror of its core subject matter, making for an engrossing and fulfilling novel from the tantalising and traumatic opening chapters to a dramatic and truly emotional conclusion.

Taking place a matter of weeks after 'Dead Man's Footsteps', we are launched immediately back into Roy's life, both personal and professional. I particularly enjoy the ongoing narrative presented by the series - while each novel presents a different investigation, the characters' personal lives and the aftermath of recent investigations continue into the successive novels; a certain significant sub-plot continues to be seeded, as well as reference to a cold case which may prove significant in the next novel. The core characters of Roy, his friend and sergeant Glenn, and new girlfriend and mortuary technician Cleo, are now well-established and their ongoing stories as thrilling as the investigation itself.

The novel unflinchingly tackles its difficult themes, forcing the reader to challenge themselves with the same dilemmas as the characters as the story progresses. Aside from the main characters, the other key characters are also developed superbly - this could as equally be a standalone thriller as an entry in a series. Perhaps the most endearing and sympathetic of the characters was Caitlin, the incredibly brave and unwell teenage girl who puts many adults to shame through her courage and moral integrity despite all that she faces.

With each new entry, Peter James continues to build a police procedural series of the highest quality. With intricate attention to detail in police procedure and forensics, these novels are well-researched and psychologically authentic, as well as being riveting, entertaining thrillers with a dark edge. Along with the previous two books, this novel has been adapted for the upcoming second season of TV series 'Grace', starring John Simm; I'm eager to see how the talented team will have achieved the seemingly impossible task of adapting this story into a one-hundred minute film.

Gripping, moving, and deeply engrossing, 'Dead Tomorrow' is a superlative thriller that will stay with you long after the final pages.



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