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Roy Grace #6
Mirties glėby
Niekada nemanyk, jog tavęs nestebiu...
Braitonas, „Metropolio“ viešbutis. Po svaigaus naujųjų metų pokylio žiauriai išprievartaujama į savo kambarį grįžtanti moteris. Praėjus savaitei, užpuolama kita. Nusikaltėlis pasisavina abiejų aukų batus.
Vyresnysis detektyvas gana greitai suvokia, kad nauji incidentai stebėtinai panašūs į 1997-aisiais mieste įvykdytus neišaiškintus nusikaltimus. Batžmogiu pramintas prievartautojas, kaip manoma, spėjo išžaginti keturias moteris, prieš nužudydamas penktąją auką ir dingdamas. Čia nagus prikišo mėgdžiotojas ar grįžo Batžmogis?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2010
751 people are currently reading
3858 people want to read
About the author
Peter James
250 books3,728 followersPeter James is a global bestselling author, best known for writing crime and thriller novels, and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. With a total of 21 Sunday Times No. 1s under his belt, he has achieved global book sales of over 23 million copies to date and has been translated into 38 languages.
Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career – which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter’s novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.
Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career – which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter’s novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 622 reviews
June 4, 2021
"Ijzersterk boek van Peter James buiten de toevalstreffer die zorgt dat de zaak écht opengebroken wordt."
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2021...
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2021...
October 21, 2010
First Sentence: We all make mistakes, all of the time.
In 1997, Brighton was on the hunt for a serial, stranger rapist. The perpetrator was never caught but the rapes suddenly stopped. Twelve years later, stranger rapes are happening again. The common thread is shoes; the victims all share a love for expensive, designer shoes which are used in their rape and taken from them. DS Roy Grace leads the team hunting down “The Shoe Man,” while awaiting the birth of his first child and still trying to solve the disappearance ten years ago of his first wife, Sandy.
What has happened to Peter James? I very much liked his first four books but suddenly, with his last book, found myself skimming through it, being bored. I had so hoped this sixth entry would return me to the author I originally enjoyed. It didn’t.
Hook/Tension: The book starts off very well. One skill Mr. James has not lost is the ability to create tension and suspense and convey fear. That did hold true throughout the book.
Setting/Sense of Place/Dialogue: Where was this book set? I had to keep reminding myself that James is a British author as the sense of place was so weak. The story could have been set in any city. While I wasn't looking for characters speaking in Cockney, only the occasionally British expression kept me on track. The dialogue, however, was not bad as it flowed well.
Characters/Character Development: There were a lot of characters. This would be natural for a major police investigation. We are told who they are and, perhaps, their attribute or failing, but we never get to know most of them. The majority of characters are one-dimensional. Even Grace; aside from repeated reminders of how much in love he is with his new wife, we see very little depth to his character. For all of Grace’s declarations of love for Cleo, women are not well treated by the author. None of them, including Cleo, are very interesting or intellectually appealing as characters although one of the victims was wonderfully gutsy. For the suspects, however, we are shown what has caused them to be as they are; I did find that a strong point of the book. It is not an easy thing for an author to turn a suspect of a vile and violent crime into a somewhat sympathetic character.
Plot/Flow/Quality of Writing/Originality: Considering stranger rape is very rare in itself, the odds of more than one man with the same fetish operating at the same time are incredibly low. While it did add to the suspense and made for an interesting ending, it also raised the implausibility level to a point which diminished the plot. A device I’m seeing more frequently is that of dual time periods. There is a time when that works. In this case, I felt it more bloated the story to the point where I nearly stopped reading. It’s enough to read about numerous rapes during one time period; doubling that number became repetitive rather than suspenseful. The same is true of the secondary story line regarding the disappeared first wife. It doesn’t go anywhere or enhance the story in any way. Rather, it’s the massive imperfection on someone’s face at which you can’t help but look but it serves no purpose. The chapters are short, the time changes frequently as does the point of view, all of which leads to a choppy, fragmented read with no flow.
Originality: This is a story which has been told before. There was no real originality to the plot, but there were some interesting bits. I did appreciate the good detail of procedural investigation and the handling of rape victims and appreciated Grace’s awareness of the impact of rape on its victims.
The opening sentence begins with “We all make mistakes…” This book, in my view, was one of them. It wasn’t a complete disaster. I did finish it, albeit with difficulty, and there were some good points to it. Unfortunately these were overwhelmed by its weaknesses. Had the book been at least 200 pages shorter, focused only on the present with references to the events of the past, had fewer and better developed characters and a strong sense of place it might have stood with James earlier books. However, this being the second of his books I’ve found very disappointing, it will probably be the last of his I read.
DEAD LIKE YOU (Pol Proc-DS Roy Grace-England-Cont) – Poor
James, Peter – 6th in series
Minotaur Books, ©2010, ARC – Hardcover ISBN: 9780312642822
In 1997, Brighton was on the hunt for a serial, stranger rapist. The perpetrator was never caught but the rapes suddenly stopped. Twelve years later, stranger rapes are happening again. The common thread is shoes; the victims all share a love for expensive, designer shoes which are used in their rape and taken from them. DS Roy Grace leads the team hunting down “The Shoe Man,” while awaiting the birth of his first child and still trying to solve the disappearance ten years ago of his first wife, Sandy.
What has happened to Peter James? I very much liked his first four books but suddenly, with his last book, found myself skimming through it, being bored. I had so hoped this sixth entry would return me to the author I originally enjoyed. It didn’t.
Hook/Tension: The book starts off very well. One skill Mr. James has not lost is the ability to create tension and suspense and convey fear. That did hold true throughout the book.
Setting/Sense of Place/Dialogue: Where was this book set? I had to keep reminding myself that James is a British author as the sense of place was so weak. The story could have been set in any city. While I wasn't looking for characters speaking in Cockney, only the occasionally British expression kept me on track. The dialogue, however, was not bad as it flowed well.
Characters/Character Development: There were a lot of characters. This would be natural for a major police investigation. We are told who they are and, perhaps, their attribute or failing, but we never get to know most of them. The majority of characters are one-dimensional. Even Grace; aside from repeated reminders of how much in love he is with his new wife, we see very little depth to his character. For all of Grace’s declarations of love for Cleo, women are not well treated by the author. None of them, including Cleo, are very interesting or intellectually appealing as characters although one of the victims was wonderfully gutsy. For the suspects, however, we are shown what has caused them to be as they are; I did find that a strong point of the book. It is not an easy thing for an author to turn a suspect of a vile and violent crime into a somewhat sympathetic character.
Plot/Flow/Quality of Writing/Originality: Considering stranger rape is very rare in itself, the odds of more than one man with the same fetish operating at the same time are incredibly low. While it did add to the suspense and made for an interesting ending, it also raised the implausibility level to a point which diminished the plot. A device I’m seeing more frequently is that of dual time periods. There is a time when that works. In this case, I felt it more bloated the story to the point where I nearly stopped reading. It’s enough to read about numerous rapes during one time period; doubling that number became repetitive rather than suspenseful. The same is true of the secondary story line regarding the disappeared first wife. It doesn’t go anywhere or enhance the story in any way. Rather, it’s the massive imperfection on someone’s face at which you can’t help but look but it serves no purpose. The chapters are short, the time changes frequently as does the point of view, all of which leads to a choppy, fragmented read with no flow.
Originality: This is a story which has been told before. There was no real originality to the plot, but there were some interesting bits. I did appreciate the good detail of procedural investigation and the handling of rape victims and appreciated Grace’s awareness of the impact of rape on its victims.
The opening sentence begins with “We all make mistakes…” This book, in my view, was one of them. It wasn’t a complete disaster. I did finish it, albeit with difficulty, and there were some good points to it. Unfortunately these were overwhelmed by its weaknesses. Had the book been at least 200 pages shorter, focused only on the present with references to the events of the past, had fewer and better developed characters and a strong sense of place it might have stood with James earlier books. However, this being the second of his books I’ve found very disappointing, it will probably be the last of his I read.
DEAD LIKE YOU (Pol Proc-DS Roy Grace-England-Cont) – Poor
James, Peter – 6th in series
Minotaur Books, ©2010, ARC – Hardcover ISBN: 9780312642822
January 9, 2020
On the lookout for a new author I started in the middle of this series because that was what was available. I was pleasantly surprised by this British police procedural. Negative points would be that it was a bit too long and the female characters were not well developed but development of the people in the work group as well as the bevy of possible suspects was interesting. I will read another in the series and see if I want to carry on.
June 22, 2020
Roy Grace 6: A serial rapist who was never caught in Roy Grace past, has seemingly returned. Grace on the sex crimes hunt is very well managed and written by James. 7 out of 12.
September 12, 2014
There are a few things that annoyed me about this book and those things stopped me giving it four stars but I would have certainly given three and a half stars if that were possible. So, let’s talk about the things that annoyed me… Glen Branson has become incredibly irritating to me. I don’t care that his wife left him, his wife was a horrible bitch anyway, his incessant whining has run its course I feel and there surely cannot be much more. Please don’t let there be any more. There was a line about someone having no life, and that was weird because they were attractive, and it just rubbed me up the wrong way because the insinuation was that only attractive people deserve to have a life. I’m making it far more ambiguous than the book did but trust me, it was blatant. I disliked the ending but I’m incredibly difficult to please with endings so that usually happens. The thing is, you’ve got this far with the series, you might as well read the rest and there’s not much I can say that will dissuade you either way. Come on, let’s march on to book seven together!
August 15, 2018
In het begin is het wat wennen gezien het verhaal steeds wisselt in tijd tussen de jaren 1997 en 2009 maar verder wordt de spanning toch opgedreven en leest het super vlot. Mooi einde.
January 1, 2017
Peter James kitapları online kitapçılara 20-25 TL ekseninde girer, birkaç ay içinde 5 TL'ye kadar düşer ve ben de o zaman alırım. Ne kadar kötü olabilir ki? Oldum olası "ne" ile "ki" arasına kelime koymamaya çalışırım çünkü ancak bu kadar kötü olabilir. Hatta o kadar kötü ki okurken karşılaştığım tüm eksik ve yanlışları buraya almak üzere not alacak kadar!
Öncelikle kitapta tüm yanlış kullanılan noktalama işaretleri ve yazım hataları için Artemis Yayınları'na yazıklar olsun. Cleo kimi zaman Cloe, kimi zaman Cole. Operasyona değil durmadan Pperasyona gidiyorlar. Yanlış yazılanlar klavyede hep bir harf yanı. Belli ki aceleyle yazılmış ve okunmadan basılmış.
Kitap kitap değil reklam panosu. Acaba Peter James bu markalardan reklam bedeli aldı mı merak ettim. Jimmy Choo'sundan, Manolo Blahnik'ine, Femme parfümünden Barbie bebeğine, Dolce&Gabbana'sına tüm markalar var. Hatta ayakkabıların her bir modeli en ince ayrıntısına kadar tarif edilmiş, sadece Amazon'dan alabilirsiniz denmemiş. Ama pardon, Ebay'den alınmış o da yazıyor. Örneğin herhangi bir karakterin ne renk, ne tarz giydiği değil doğrudan markası betimlenmiş. Marka demişken abartmıyorum CSI ve Walking Dead, Cif ve Domestos bile geçiyor. Bir yerde karakter 911'i değil acil yardım için 112'yi aradı. Çevirmen'in bunu yapmaya hakkı var mı onu bile bilmiyorum. Gelirken iki de dürüm söyleselerdi keşke.
Basımla ilgili hoşuma gitmeyen bir diğer detay 1997 ile bugün arasında gidip gelen hikayede her bir bölüm arasına en az iki boş sayfa olması. Üzerine sadece 1 sayfalık bölümleri de eklerseniz toplam 5 sayfada sadece bir sayfa hikaye kalıyor. Dolayısıyla da hem hikayeyle bağ kuramıyorsunuz hem de atlaya atlaya gitmiş hissiyatı alıyorsunuz.
Kitap maksimum 3 yıldız. Ama o kadar üstünkörü yazılmış ve basılmış ki 2 yıldız bile çok. "Yarın Biri Ölecek"ten sonra okuduğum Peter James'in iki kitabı. Daha da okuyacağımı sanmıyorum.
Not: "Yarın Biri Ölecek" Roy Grace serisinin 5. kitabı, "Senin Gibi Ölü" de 6. kitabı. Çakal yayıncılar büyük ihtimal insanlar "ben ilk 5 kitabı okumadım o yüzden bundan başlamayayım" demesin diye kaçıncı kitap olduğunu yazmıyor o yüzden bu tarz 2. sınıf polisiye romanları okumadan önce Goodreads'e bir bakmak faydalı. Özetle hayatımdan giden bir 660 sayfa daha...
Herkese keyifli okumalar,
Jefi Sevilay
Öncelikle kitapta tüm yanlış kullanılan noktalama işaretleri ve yazım hataları için Artemis Yayınları'na yazıklar olsun. Cleo kimi zaman Cloe, kimi zaman Cole. Operasyona değil durmadan Pperasyona gidiyorlar. Yanlış yazılanlar klavyede hep bir harf yanı. Belli ki aceleyle yazılmış ve okunmadan basılmış.
Kitap kitap değil reklam panosu. Acaba Peter James bu markalardan reklam bedeli aldı mı merak ettim. Jimmy Choo'sundan, Manolo Blahnik'ine, Femme parfümünden Barbie bebeğine, Dolce&Gabbana'sına tüm markalar var. Hatta ayakkabıların her bir modeli en ince ayrıntısına kadar tarif edilmiş, sadece Amazon'dan alabilirsiniz denmemiş. Ama pardon, Ebay'den alınmış o da yazıyor. Örneğin herhangi bir karakterin ne renk, ne tarz giydiği değil doğrudan markası betimlenmiş. Marka demişken abartmıyorum CSI ve Walking Dead, Cif ve Domestos bile geçiyor. Bir yerde karakter 911'i değil acil yardım için 112'yi aradı. Çevirmen'in bunu yapmaya hakkı var mı onu bile bilmiyorum. Gelirken iki de dürüm söyleselerdi keşke.
Basımla ilgili hoşuma gitmeyen bir diğer detay 1997 ile bugün arasında gidip gelen hikayede her bir bölüm arasına en az iki boş sayfa olması. Üzerine sadece 1 sayfalık bölümleri de eklerseniz toplam 5 sayfada sadece bir sayfa hikaye kalıyor. Dolayısıyla da hem hikayeyle bağ kuramıyorsunuz hem de atlaya atlaya gitmiş hissiyatı alıyorsunuz.
Kitap maksimum 3 yıldız. Ama o kadar üstünkörü yazılmış ve basılmış ki 2 yıldız bile çok. "Yarın Biri Ölecek"ten sonra okuduğum Peter James'in iki kitabı. Daha da okuyacağımı sanmıyorum.
Not: "Yarın Biri Ölecek" Roy Grace serisinin 5. kitabı, "Senin Gibi Ölü" de 6. kitabı. Çakal yayıncılar büyük ihtimal insanlar "ben ilk 5 kitabı okumadım o yüzden bundan başlamayayım" demesin diye kaçıncı kitap olduğunu yazmıyor o yüzden bu tarz 2. sınıf polisiye romanları okumadan önce Goodreads'e bir bakmak faydalı. Özetle hayatımdan giden bir 660 sayfa daha...
Herkese keyifli okumalar,
Jefi Sevilay
February 2, 2013
The 6th book in the Roy Grace series by Peter James.
Another good read that is longer than usual(550+ pages). Peter James continues to drip feed the sub plots in order that you feel the need to continue with the series.
Another good read that is longer than usual(550+ pages). Peter James continues to drip feed the sub plots in order that you feel the need to continue with the series.
April 29, 2020
Excellent story as Roy Grace tries to catch the Shoe Rapist that eluded him twelve years ago and is now back raping women in Brighton. A number of plausible suspects keeps the story interesting and it rattles along at a great pace. Looking forward to installment seven.
February 21, 2022
2 and a half stars really.
I don’t like multiple timelines which makes it difficult for me to follow a (long) story. I hope the next episode in this series will have one timeline as I really like superintendent Grace
I don’t like multiple timelines which makes it difficult for me to follow a (long) story. I hope the next episode in this series will have one timeline as I really like superintendent Grace
August 21, 2022
Roy Grace book #6
This police procedural mystery follows “Dead Tomorrow”. At this point, Roy is still haunted by the unexplained disappearance of his wife Sandy many years ago and since then he has been consumed with finding out what happened to her, although he seems to be moving on and going to marry his pregnant girlfriend. His professional life is hectic as always this time Roy is faced with sexual attack on a woman at a New Year’s Eve ball and another a week later. These attacks very similar to unsolved crimes back in 1997 where victims shoes where taken...The perpetrator dubbed “Shoe Man” appears to have resurfaced and was believed to have raped four other women and murdering his fifth victim...
The chase is on.
It has been some time since I last read “Dead Tomorrow” and so glad to be catching up with Roy’s personal life while reading that his professional life gave challenging cases for our delight. I find Roy’s character to be pretty good and quite likeable.
The plot is interesting and moved quickly through its twists and turns. The story is intriguing and from the opening page till the conclusion it is not certain who from the long list of criminal characters is the Shoe Man. This is much more traditional crime fiction where we have a rapist, a murderer on the loose and a selection of possible suspects. But.. Always a but: if this book had been half the length it could have been a far more enjoyable police procedural. No doubts the author certainly can write a good, involving storyline.
However, “Dead Like You” is so bloated with voyeurism depicting terrified women and fetishes....shoes. 500 pages around designer shoes......give me a break. This story is hard to follow at times it skips different time frames back to 1997 and then forward and hops between characters. Some may say this creates some cliff-hangers to keeps us going just a tiny bit longer...ok.
Even with the minor niggles it is still a good mystery
This police procedural mystery follows “Dead Tomorrow”. At this point, Roy is still haunted by the unexplained disappearance of his wife Sandy many years ago and since then he has been consumed with finding out what happened to her, although he seems to be moving on and going to marry his pregnant girlfriend. His professional life is hectic as always this time Roy is faced with sexual attack on a woman at a New Year’s Eve ball and another a week later. These attacks very similar to unsolved crimes back in 1997 where victims shoes where taken...The perpetrator dubbed “Shoe Man” appears to have resurfaced and was believed to have raped four other women and murdering his fifth victim...
The chase is on.
It has been some time since I last read “Dead Tomorrow” and so glad to be catching up with Roy’s personal life while reading that his professional life gave challenging cases for our delight. I find Roy’s character to be pretty good and quite likeable.
The plot is interesting and moved quickly through its twists and turns. The story is intriguing and from the opening page till the conclusion it is not certain who from the long list of criminal characters is the Shoe Man. This is much more traditional crime fiction where we have a rapist, a murderer on the loose and a selection of possible suspects. But.. Always a but: if this book had been half the length it could have been a far more enjoyable police procedural. No doubts the author certainly can write a good, involving storyline.
However, “Dead Like You” is so bloated with voyeurism depicting terrified women and fetishes....shoes. 500 pages around designer shoes......give me a break. This story is hard to follow at times it skips different time frames back to 1997 and then forward and hops between characters. Some may say this creates some cliff-hangers to keeps us going just a tiny bit longer...ok.
Even with the minor niggles it is still a good mystery
May 30, 2021
In Dead Like You, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is dealing with a serial rapist who has a fetish for expensive women's shoes. Are the current attacks linked to an offender that has been dormant for about twelve years or is the perpetrator one of the other suspects Peter James scatters through the narrative?
First of all, there is a ton of filler in this book stretching it out to 645 pages. Secondly, the ending is a little over the top in terms of credulity. James managed to pull me into the story despite my grumbling. I thought the investigative procedures surrounding the victims were respectful and acknowledged the horrific nature of these crimes. There are other books in this series that I have enjoyed more. Mostly, I'm happy to cross off another read in my attempt to finish the many, many series I have started. It may be an impossible task.
First of all, there is a ton of filler in this book stretching it out to 645 pages. Secondly, the ending is a little over the top in terms of credulity. James managed to pull me into the story despite my grumbling. I thought the investigative procedures surrounding the victims were respectful and acknowledged the horrific nature of these crimes. There are other books in this series that I have enjoyed more. Mostly, I'm happy to cross off another read in my attempt to finish the many, many series I have started. It may be an impossible task.
August 30, 2024
Tajemnica kryminalna, zapowiadana przez poprzednie tomy, nie zawiodła. Podobała mi się nie tylko mnogość podejrzanych, ale również to, że życie prywatne Roya Grace'a ustąpiło miejsca wielowątkowemu śledztwu. Choć jestem bardzo ciekawa, jak potoczy się historia komisarza i jego nowej rodziny, w wypadku śledztwa mającego na celu schwytanie seryjnego gwałciciela, jestem wdzięczna za zepchnięcie tego wątku na dalszy plan, podobnie jak perypetii Bransona i Pottinga.
Jestem bardzo usatysfakcjonowana tym, że nie tylko wątek Buciarza został wreszcie rozwinięty (przewijał się w końcu niemal od pierwszego tomu), ale również okazał się być wyjątkowo rozwiniętą intrygą o nieoczywistych rozwiązaniach. Śledztwo okazało się zaskakujące i wciągające, a pozostawione po drodze fałszywe tropy mogły nabrać zarówno zespół śledczy, jak i czytelnika.
Na minus znów zbyt optymistyczne przedstawienie możliwości technik badań genetycznych. Określanie wyniku jako "100% pewnego" chyba już do końca będzie mnie mierzić.
Jestem bardzo usatysfakcjonowana tym, że nie tylko wątek Buciarza został wreszcie rozwinięty (przewijał się w końcu niemal od pierwszego tomu), ale również okazał się być wyjątkowo rozwiniętą intrygą o nieoczywistych rozwiązaniach. Śledztwo okazało się zaskakujące i wciągające, a pozostawione po drodze fałszywe tropy mogły nabrać zarówno zespół śledczy, jak i czytelnika.
Na minus znów zbyt optymistyczne przedstawienie możliwości technik badań genetycznych. Określanie wyniku jako "100% pewnego" chyba już do końca będzie mnie mierzić.
September 14, 2017
Read this book ages ago. Must read more.
August 5, 2018
Holiday Read number 4. Love love love this author and his Roy Grace series
August 10, 2022
Dar vienas puikus detektyvas, labai įtraukiantis, su įtampa, kuri neleidžia atsitraukti nuo skyrių.
December 13, 2011
This is the first Peter James book I’ve read, and it lands, I think, five books into a series following detective Roy Grace. In Dead Like You, Grace is after a brutal rapist whose M.O. begins to look very much like that of an number of unresolved cold cases that are sitting on his desk for review; those of the ‘Shoe Man’.
There’s a lot of acclaim for the series, the author, and this book (four star ratings and good reviews on most of the reading-related sites I’ve checked), so I was very surprised not to be immersed in a higher quality of writing. The book is well-plotted, decently paced and interesting enough to keep me engaged and reading to the end, all of which fulfils the criteria for ‘decent, readable, crime fiction’, but I have to admit I found the author’s talent as a writer just above adequate; not all good storytellers are good writers, or vice versa, but given the length of his title list to date, and the apparently good reception by his readers to Dead like You, I was disappointed.
So, flaws; James’ dialogue is clunky and functional, his characters very average for the genre, most of the police force being lost in a general mire of household dysfunction and interview regurgitation for exposition sake (maybe these characters had more build up in the earlier books?), and he would rather tell than show (although, crime fiction sometimes needs that to maintain pace)… there’s nothing that lifts Dead Like You out of the ordinary. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of crime fiction, as I am, you’re often simply content to be intrigued by the mystery and firmly behind the investigator catching the sick killer or rapist (or both in this instance), and James has a good handle on keeping the reader invested.
I can’t make up my mind if the rather lazy writing is the result of being mid-series, the earlier books therefore being worth a read, or if I should – if I read anything else by James at all – try the next instalment in the hope that he is improving with experience. He’s not bad enough to write off entirely, but there are so many really good writers of crime fiction out there, that it’s hard to be enthusiastic.
There’s a lot of acclaim for the series, the author, and this book (four star ratings and good reviews on most of the reading-related sites I’ve checked), so I was very surprised not to be immersed in a higher quality of writing. The book is well-plotted, decently paced and interesting enough to keep me engaged and reading to the end, all of which fulfils the criteria for ‘decent, readable, crime fiction’, but I have to admit I found the author’s talent as a writer just above adequate; not all good storytellers are good writers, or vice versa, but given the length of his title list to date, and the apparently good reception by his readers to Dead like You, I was disappointed.
So, flaws; James’ dialogue is clunky and functional, his characters very average for the genre, most of the police force being lost in a general mire of household dysfunction and interview regurgitation for exposition sake (maybe these characters had more build up in the earlier books?), and he would rather tell than show (although, crime fiction sometimes needs that to maintain pace)… there’s nothing that lifts Dead Like You out of the ordinary. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of crime fiction, as I am, you’re often simply content to be intrigued by the mystery and firmly behind the investigator catching the sick killer or rapist (or both in this instance), and James has a good handle on keeping the reader invested.
I can’t make up my mind if the rather lazy writing is the result of being mid-series, the earlier books therefore being worth a read, or if I should – if I read anything else by James at all – try the next instalment in the hope that he is improving with experience. He’s not bad enough to write off entirely, but there are so many really good writers of crime fiction out there, that it’s hard to be enthusiastic.
December 1, 2020
I'll start with the good: this kept me interested! I liked the presentation of several possible suspects, allowing the reader's suspicion to wander onto one and then another. The ultimate capture of the culprit is suspenseful and gives one of the victims some time to shine.
Now, that being said...
This is the first book I've read by Peter James, and there's just something about the way he writes women that makes me deeply uncomfortable. The violence against women in this book is extreme, which I understand comes with the territory in crime fiction, but it's presented in such a way that the women become nothing more than objects of lust and violence. A woman is not just found naked after she is assaulted, no - she is spread eagle, with her genitals and breasts described in detail.
None of the victims, bar the last one, have any particular personality traits beyond liking shoes. Of all the women in the book, only Cleo is not terrible, complaining bitch. And even her personality seems to primarily be "not the ex."
There's also a lot of the main detective getting to virtue-signal just how much he hates rapists, to the extent that something about it just felt off to me. Like yeah, of course he does. I would have assumed so, so why does the author feel like he has to keep telling me?
The autistic character, Yac, was a big issue for me too. He's presented more as a caricature of autism, and not a very nice one, than as a human being.
Overall, good and gripping plot with terrible characterization.
Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that the one Jewish character has a hook nose and parents who only care about money and won't accept her non-Jewish fiancé. Yikes.
Now, that being said...
This is the first book I've read by Peter James, and there's just something about the way he writes women that makes me deeply uncomfortable. The violence against women in this book is extreme, which I understand comes with the territory in crime fiction, but it's presented in such a way that the women become nothing more than objects of lust and violence. A woman is not just found naked after she is assaulted, no - she is spread eagle, with her genitals and breasts described in detail.
None of the victims, bar the last one, have any particular personality traits beyond liking shoes. Of all the women in the book, only Cleo is not terrible, complaining bitch. And even her personality seems to primarily be "not the ex."
There's also a lot of the main detective getting to virtue-signal just how much he hates rapists, to the extent that something about it just felt off to me. Like yeah, of course he does. I would have assumed so, so why does the author feel like he has to keep telling me?
The autistic character, Yac, was a big issue for me too. He's presented more as a caricature of autism, and not a very nice one, than as a human being.
Overall, good and gripping plot with terrible characterization.
Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that the one Jewish character has a hook nose and parents who only care about money and won't accept her non-Jewish fiancé. Yikes.
March 6, 2014
Nutty NUUT readOpening: Thursday 25 December
We all make mistakes, all of the time. Mostly trivial stuff, like forgetting to return a phone call, or to put money in a parking meter, or to pick up milk at the supermarket. But sometimes – luckily very rarely – we make the big one.The kind of mistake that could cost us our life.The kind of mistake Rachael Ryan made.And she had a long time to reflect on it.If … she had been less drunk. If … it hadn’t been so sodding freezing cold. If … it hadn’t begun to rain. If … there hadn’t been a queue of a hundred equally drunk revellers at the taxi rank in Brighton’s East Street at 2 a.m. on Christmas Eve, or, rather, Christmas morning. If … her flat had not been within walking distance, unlike her equally drunk companions, Tracey and Jade, who lived far away, on the other side of the city.If … she had listened to Tracey and Jade telling her not to be so bloody stupid. That there were plenty of taxis. That it would only be a short wait.
Some loose ends which lure us into the next in the series. This one was not so good as the previous entries.
4* Dead Simple (Roy Grace #1)
4* Looking Good Dead (Roy Grace #2)
4* Not Dead Enough (Roy Grace #3)
4* Dead Man's Footsteps (Roy Grace #4)
4* Dead Tomorrow (Roy Grace #5)
3* Dead Like You (Roy Grace, #6)
May 6, 2022
https://www.dominicamat.gr/2022/05/bl...
https://vivliovamon.blogspot.com/2022...
Βαθμολογία 3.5/5
Πόσο επηρεάζει την κρίση σας για την αγορά καί την ανάγνωση ενός βιβλίου το γεγονός πως πρόκειται για ένα διεθνές ευπώληπτο έργο με εκατομμύρια αναγνώστες; Εμένα,για να είμαι ειλικρινής,καθόλου. Με δεδομένο πως οι προτιμήσεις ποικίλουν μεταξύ των αναγνωστών/στριων,δεν είναι ένας πειστικός λόγος για να με κάνει να το αναζητήσω. Προσέξτε! Σε καμία περίπτωση δεν τα σνομπάρω,καθώς έχω διαβάσει αρκετά ανάλογα έργα,μα το ερώτημα που τίθεται είναι αν καί κατά πόσο ικανοποίησε η ιστορία του όλα τα άτομα που το διάβασαν. Πάνω σε αυτό,να προσθέσω καί την όποια ''αντίθεσή'' μου όσον αφορά τους πηχυαίους τίτλους περί βραβευμένων συγγραφέων. Όχι,δεν απορρίπτω το ταλέντο τους,αλλά μου προκαλεί μία κάποια ''δυσαρέσκεια'' αυτή η συνθήκη. Πιάνοντας,λοιπόν,για πρώτη φορά στα χέρια μου το νέο,-αν δεν κάνω λάθος-,βιβλίο του συγγραφέα Peter James,με τίτλο ''Θανάσιμη Ενέδρα'',που κυκλοφόρησε πρόσφατα στη χώρα μας από τις εκδόσεις Χάρτινη Πόλη σε μετάφραση του κυρίου Κωνσταντίνου Καλογρούλη,τίποτα από τα παραπάνω δεν τράβηξε περισσότερο την προσοχή μου από τον τίτλο του. Καί με δεδομένη την αγάπη που τρέφω για την αστυνομική λογοτεχνία,δεν υπήρχε περίπτωση να το αφήσω να περιμένει κι άλλο στο ράφι της βιβλιοθήκης με τα αδιάβαστα...
Θανάσιμη Ενέδρα... Τίτλος λιτός καί τόσο στακάτος την ίδια στιγμή. Δύο λέξεις απλές καί τόσο εκκωφαντικές καί περιγραφικές που αυξάνουν το μυστήριο καί το σασπένς. Η ενέδρα από μόνη της ως λέξη προμηνύει κάτι δυσάρεστο για όποιον/α τύχει να βρεθεί σε αυτήν την θέση. Προφανώς καί παράλληλα με μία ενέδρα ελλοχεύει ο κίνδυνος ενός τραυματισμού,μίας σύλληψης,ή,ενός βίαιου κι οδυνηρού θανάτου. Η λέξη ''θανάσιμη'' εδώ,όχι μόνο χρησιμοποιείται για να χαρακτηρίσει την ενέδρα,αλλά για να τονίσει πως κανείς καί καμία δεν θα μπορέσει να ξεφύγει καί να βγει αλώβητος/η ( ; ) από όλο αυτό. Άραγε,ο συγγραφέας ήθελε να εξάψει την φαντασία μας καί να μας προκαλέσει το αίσθημα του φόβου από τις πρώτες,κιόλας,στιγμές; Άν ναι,θεωρώ πως είχε ήδη στήσει ένα ενδιαφέρον σκηνικό. Θα συνεχιζόταν,όμως,έτσι καί στην πορεία;
"Μη φανταστείς ούτε για μια στιγμή ότι δεν σε παρακολουθώ...'' κι αυτή η μικρή φράση που κοσμεί το εξώφυλλο δύναται να γεννήσει δεύτερες,όχι καί τόσο θετικές,σκέψεις στο μυαλό μας καί να προκαλέσει ρίγη στο κορμί μας. Αλίμονο,αν δεν έχει υπάρξει άνθρωπος που να μην έχει νιώσει φόβο στο άκουσμα της είδησης πως ένας μανιακός κατά συρροή δολοφόνος κυκλοφορεί ελεύθερος στην περιοχή που μένει. Μπορεί να σας φανεί παιδιάστικο αυτό που θα σας πω,μα έχει τύχει κάποιες βραδιές που είναι περασμένη η ώρα,ή,είμαι μόνη μου στο δρόμο,να έχω οξυμμένες τις αισθήσεις μου μην τυχόν καί υπάρχει τριγύρω κάτι,ή,κάποιος που μπορεί να μου προκαλέσει κακό. Ελάτε. Παραδεχθείτε το! Πόσες φορές δεν έχει συμβεί να στρέψετε το κεφάλι σας προς τα πίσω για να δείτε αν σας παρ��κολουθεί κάποιος; Ίσως να οφείλεται στο ένστικτο επιβίωσης που νιώθουμε όλοι κι όλες μας.
"Ξενοδοχείο Metropole, Μπράιτον. Ύστερα από ένα πρωτοχρονιάτικο πάρτι, μια γυναίκα ζει έναν βάναυσο βιασμό καθώς επιστρέφει στο δωμάτιό της. Μια εβδομάδα αργότερα, μια άλλη γυναίκα δέχεται επίθεση. Ο δράστης παίρνει τα παπούτσια και των δύο θυμάτων. Ο αστυνομικός διευθυντής Ρόι Γκρέις συνειδητοποιεί ότι αυτές οι νέες υποθέσεις έχουν πολλές ομοιότητες με μια ανεξιχνίαστη σειρά εγκλημάτων που είχε συγκλονίσει την πόλη πριν από πολλά χρόνια. Ο τότε δράστης είχε ονομαστεί «Παπουτσάς» και ήταν ύποπτος για τον βιασμό πέντε γυναικών προτού δολοφονήσει το έκτο θύμα του και εξαφανιστεί. Τον αντιγράφει κάποιος ή ο «Παπουτσάς» επέστρεψε; Όταν περισσότερες γυναίκες δέχονται επίθεση, ο Γκρέις πιστεύει ότι έχουν να κάνουν με τον ίδιο άντρα. Και ότι ανατρέχοντας στο παρελθόν –μια εποχή που εκείνος και η εξαφανισμένη πλέον σύζυγός του , η Σάντι, ζούσαν ευτυχισμένοι μαζί– ίσως θα μπορέσει να βρει το κλειδί για να λύσει το μυστήριο. Σύντομα ο Γκρέις και η ομάδα του θα βρεθούν σε έναν απελπισμένο αγώνα ενάντια στον χρόνο για να εντοπίσουν και να σώσουν τη ζωή του νέου έκτου θύματος…" (Περίληψη οπισθοφύλλου)
Στο παρόν βιβλίο θα παρακολουθήσουμε τις νέες περιπέτειες στις οποίες θα εμπλακεί ο αστυνόμος Ρόι Γκρέις καί για να σας προλάβω,-μιας κι εγώ δεν έχω διαβάσει κάποιο από τα προηγούμενα έργα της σειράς-,ο συγγραφέας φροντίζει να μας δώσει μία άρτια,ευνόητη καί αυτοτελή ιστορία που διαβάζεται άνετα,χωρίς την προϋπόθεση της ανάγνωσης των άλλων. Μας δίνονται όλες οι πληροφορίες που χρειάζονται καί δεν υπάρχουν κουραστικές επαναλήψεις,ή,βαρετές ''κοιλιές''. Μικρά καί γρήγορα κεφάλαια,ευφυές παιχνίδισμα της σκέψης για το ποιος μπορεί να είναι ο πραγματικός ένοχος,κινηματογραφική συνεχόμενη δράση,ρεαλιστικοί διάλογοι,αληθοφάνεια χαρακτήρων,περιγραφικές εικόνες,καθώς καί η σκιαγράφηση των χαρακτήρων των προσώπων είναι μερικά από τα θετικά στοιχεία του βιβλίου.
Τί κάνει,όμως,έναν άνθρωπο να μπει στη διαδικασία να εγκληματίσει καί να αφαιρέσει μία,ή,καί παραπάνω ανθρώπινες ζωές; Προφανώς καί δεν είμαι ειδικός πάνω στην ανθρώπινη ψυχολογία για να δώσω μία σαφή απάντηση,μα θεωρώ πως οι εμπειρίες της ζωής ενός ανθρώπου δύνανται να καθορίσουν άρδην τον χαρακτήρα καί την συμπεριφορά του. Παιδικά τραύματα στο σώμα καί στην ψυχή σημαδεύουν για μία ζωή. Θα μου πείτε,εύλογα,πως αυτό δεν δικαιολογεί το γεγονός ένα θύμα να πάρει την θέση του θύτη καί θα συμφωνήσω απόλυτα μαζί σας,μα δεν παύει να συμβαίνει. Αφήστε που δεν ισχύει πάντα αυτό! Υπάρχουν θύτες που δεν έχουν αντιμετωπίσει ποτέ κάτι ανάλογο στη ζωή τους καί ενεργούν τοιουτοτρόπως καί θύματα που ποτέ δεν έχουν γίνει θύτες. Αυτό ακριβώς προσπαθεί να αναδείξει καί ο συγγραφέας μέσα από την παρούσα υπόθεση. Άραγε,τί περιμένει τον ήρωά μας στην επόμενη περιπέτεια;
Αναζητήστε το! Καλή ανάγνωση!
https://vivliovamon.blogspot.com/2022...
Βαθμολογία 3.5/5
Πόσο επηρεάζει την κρίση σας για την αγορά καί την ανάγνωση ενός βιβλίου το γεγονός πως πρόκειται για ένα διεθνές ευπώληπτο έργο με εκατομμύρια αναγνώστες; Εμένα,για να είμαι ειλικρινής,καθόλου. Με δεδομένο πως οι προτιμήσεις ποικίλουν μεταξύ των αναγνωστών/στριων,δεν είναι ένας πειστικός λόγος για να με κάνει να το αναζητήσω. Προσέξτε! Σε καμία περίπτωση δεν τα σνομπάρω,καθώς έχω διαβάσει αρκετά ανάλογα έργα,μα το ερώτημα που τίθεται είναι αν καί κατά πόσο ικανοποίησε η ιστορία του όλα τα άτομα που το διάβασαν. Πάνω σε αυτό,να προσθέσω καί την όποια ''αντίθεσή'' μου όσον αφορά τους πηχυαίους τίτλους περί βραβευμένων συγγραφέων. Όχι,δεν απορρίπτω το ταλέντο τους,αλλά μου προκαλεί μία κάποια ''δυσαρέσκεια'' αυτή η συνθήκη. Πιάνοντας,λοιπόν,για πρώτη φορά στα χέρια μου το νέο,-αν δεν κάνω λάθος-,βιβλίο του συγγραφέα Peter James,με τίτλο ''Θανάσιμη Ενέδρα'',που κυκλοφόρησε πρόσφατα στη χώρα μας από τις εκδόσεις Χάρτινη Πόλη σε μετάφραση του κυρίου Κωνσταντίνου Καλογρούλη,τίποτα από τα παραπάνω δεν τράβηξε περισσότερο την προσοχή μου από τον τίτλο του. Καί με δεδομένη την αγάπη που τρέφω για την αστυνομική λογοτεχνία,δεν υπήρχε περίπτωση να το αφήσω να περιμένει κι άλλο στο ράφι της βιβλιοθήκης με τα αδιάβαστα...
Θανάσιμη Ενέδρα... Τίτλος λιτός καί τόσο στακάτος την ίδια στιγμή. Δύο λέξεις απλές καί τόσο εκκωφαντικές καί περιγραφικές που αυξάνουν το μυστήριο καί το σασπένς. Η ενέδρα από μόνη της ως λέξη προμηνύει κάτι δυσάρεστο για όποιον/α τύχει να βρεθεί σε αυτήν την θέση. Προφανώς καί παράλληλα με μία ενέδρα ελλοχεύει ο κίνδυνος ενός τραυματισμού,μίας σύλληψης,ή,ενός βίαιου κι οδυνηρού θανάτου. Η λέξη ''θανάσιμη'' εδώ,όχι μόνο χρησιμοποιείται για να χαρακτηρίσει την ενέδρα,αλλά για να τονίσει πως κανείς καί καμία δεν θα μπορέσει να ξεφύγει καί να βγει αλώβητος/η ( ; ) από όλο αυτό. Άραγε,ο συγγραφέας ήθελε να εξάψει την φαντασία μας καί να μας προκαλέσει το αίσθημα του φόβου από τις πρώτες,κιόλας,στιγμές; Άν ναι,θεωρώ πως είχε ήδη στήσει ένα ενδιαφέρον σκηνικό. Θα συνεχιζόταν,όμως,έτσι καί στην πορεία;
"Μη φανταστείς ούτε για μια στιγμή ότι δεν σε παρακολουθώ...'' κι αυτή η μικρή φράση που κοσμεί το εξώφυλλο δύναται να γεννήσει δεύτερες,όχι καί τόσο θετικές,σκέψεις στο μυαλό μας καί να προκαλέσει ρίγη στο κορμί μας. Αλίμονο,αν δεν έχει υπάρξει άνθρωπος που να μην έχει νιώσει φόβο στο άκουσμα της είδησης πως ένας μανιακός κατά συρροή δολοφόνος κυκλοφορεί ελεύθερος στην περιοχή που μένει. Μπορεί να σας φανεί παιδιάστικο αυτό που θα σας πω,μα έχει τύχει κάποιες βραδιές που είναι περασμένη η ώρα,ή,είμαι μόνη μου στο δρόμο,να έχω οξυμμένες τις αισθήσεις μου μην τυχόν καί υπάρχει τριγύρω κάτι,ή,κάποιος που μπορεί να μου προκαλέσει κακό. Ελάτε. Παραδεχθείτε το! Πόσες φορές δεν έχει συμβεί να στρέψετε το κεφάλι σας προς τα πίσω για να δείτε αν σας παρ��κολουθεί κάποιος; Ίσως να οφείλεται στο ένστικτο επιβίωσης που νιώθουμε όλοι κι όλες μας.
"Ξενοδοχείο Metropole, Μπράιτον. Ύστερα από ένα πρωτοχρονιάτικο πάρτι, μια γυναίκα ζει έναν βάναυσο βιασμό καθώς επιστρέφει στο δωμάτιό της. Μια εβδομάδα αργότερα, μια άλλη γυναίκα δέχεται επίθεση. Ο δράστης παίρνει τα παπούτσια και των δύο θυμάτων. Ο αστυνομικός διευθυντής Ρόι Γκρέις συνειδητοποιεί ότι αυτές οι νέες υποθέσεις έχουν πολλές ομοιότητες με μια ανεξιχνίαστη σειρά εγκλημάτων που είχε συγκλονίσει την πόλη πριν από πολλά χρόνια. Ο τότε δράστης είχε ονομαστεί «Παπουτσάς» και ήταν ύποπτος για τον βιασμό πέντε γυναικών προτού δολοφονήσει το έκτο θύμα του και εξαφανιστεί. Τον αντιγράφει κάποιος ή ο «Παπουτσάς» επέστρεψε; Όταν περισσότερες γυναίκες δέχονται επίθεση, ο Γκρέις πιστεύει ότι έχουν να κάνουν με τον ίδιο άντρα. Και ότι ανατρέχοντας στο παρελθόν –μια εποχή που εκείνος και η εξαφανισμένη πλέον σύζυγός του , η Σάντι, ζούσαν ευτυχισμένοι μαζί– ίσως θα μπορέσει να βρει το κλειδί για να λύσει το μυστήριο. Σύντομα ο Γκρέις και η ομάδα του θα βρεθούν σε έναν απελπισμένο αγώνα ενάντια στον χρόνο για να εντοπίσουν και να σώσουν τη ζωή του νέου έκτου θύματος…" (Περίληψη οπισθοφύλλου)
Στο παρόν βιβλίο θα παρακολουθήσουμε τις νέες περιπέτειες στις οποίες θα εμπλακεί ο αστυνόμος Ρόι Γκρέις καί για να σας προλάβω,-μιας κι εγώ δεν έχω διαβάσει κάποιο από τα προηγούμενα έργα της σειράς-,ο συγγραφέας φροντίζει να μας δώσει μία άρτια,ευνόητη καί αυτοτελή ιστορία που διαβάζεται άνετα,χωρίς την προϋπόθεση της ανάγνωσης των άλλων. Μας δίνονται όλες οι πληροφορίες που χρειάζονται καί δεν υπάρχουν κουραστικές επαναλήψεις,ή,βαρετές ''κοιλιές''. Μικρά καί γρήγορα κεφάλαια,ευφυές παιχνίδισμα της σκέψης για το ποιος μπορεί να είναι ο πραγματικός ένοχος,κινηματογραφική συνεχόμενη δράση,ρεαλιστικοί διάλογοι,αληθοφάνεια χαρακτήρων,περιγραφικές εικόνες,καθώς καί η σκιαγράφηση των χαρακτήρων των προσώπων είναι μερικά από τα θετικά στοιχεία του βιβλίου.
Τί κάνει,όμως,έναν άνθρωπο να μπει στη διαδικασία να εγκληματίσει καί να αφαιρέσει μία,ή,καί παραπάνω ανθρώπινες ζωές; Προφανώς καί δεν είμαι ειδικός πάνω στην ανθρώπινη ψυχολογία για να δώσω μία σαφή απάντηση,μα θεωρώ πως οι εμπειρίες της ζωής ενός ανθρώπου δύνανται να καθορίσουν άρδην τον χαρακτήρα καί την συμπεριφορά του. Παιδικά τραύματα στο σώμα καί στην ψυχή σημαδεύουν για μία ζωή. Θα μου πείτε,εύλογα,πως αυτό δεν δικαιολογεί το γεγονός ένα θύμα να πάρει την θέση του θύτη καί θα συμφωνήσω απόλυτα μαζί σας,μα δεν παύει να συμβαίνει. Αφήστε που δεν ισχύει πάντα αυτό! Υπάρχουν θύτες που δεν έχουν αντιμετωπίσει ποτέ κάτι ανάλογο στη ζωή τους καί ενεργούν τοιουτοτρόπως καί θύματα που ποτέ δεν έχουν γίνει θύτες. Αυτό ακριβώς προσπαθεί να αναδείξει καί ο συγγραφέας μέσα από την παρούσα υπόθεση. Άραγε,τί περιμένει τον ήρωά μας στην επόμενη περιπέτεια;
Αναζητήστε το! Καλή ανάγνωση!
March 15, 2026
Setting: Brighton, England; 1997-8 & 2009-10.
This is the sixth book in the crime series featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and is another cracking if lengthy read.
As Roy and his team become aware of a couple of stranger rapes on women, the M.O. of the attacker brings back memories of a series of attacks in 1997 by a perpetrator dubbed The Shoe Man, who only attacked women wearing designer shoes and who took one shoe as a trophy. He was never caught and Grace has been haunted by his failure to do so and also to solve the mysterious disappearance of another young woman, Rachael Ryan, who Grace suspected was a victim of The Shoe Man. Now it would appear that he is back, with a slightly different M.O., but Grace and his team identify a few possible suspects, including a serving senior police officer who they have to eliminate or convict.....
This was another great episode in this series which I am intending to gradually catch up on in the course of the year. The various characters' back stories are every bit as entertaining as the crimes that are being investigated so looking forward to reading more - 9/10.
This is the sixth book in the crime series featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and is another cracking if lengthy read.
As Roy and his team become aware of a couple of stranger rapes on women, the M.O. of the attacker brings back memories of a series of attacks in 1997 by a perpetrator dubbed The Shoe Man, who only attacked women wearing designer shoes and who took one shoe as a trophy. He was never caught and Grace has been haunted by his failure to do so and also to solve the mysterious disappearance of another young woman, Rachael Ryan, who Grace suspected was a victim of The Shoe Man. Now it would appear that he is back, with a slightly different M.O., but Grace and his team identify a few possible suspects, including a serving senior police officer who they have to eliminate or convict.....
This was another great episode in this series which I am intending to gradually catch up on in the course of the year. The various characters' back stories are every bit as entertaining as the crimes that are being investigated so looking forward to reading more - 9/10.
October 23, 2023
I love a crime novel but the details of rape in this made me a bit uncomfortable so tread lightly if reading and this is a trigger. Also I’m so over reading about Branson and his marriage woes… STFU
November 7, 2024
i think this one might be my fave book of the series so far !!! the flashbacks / timejumps were so well written and im so glad we could learn more about Sandy’s true personality rather than Roy’s interpretation . great storyline approached very respectfully. i fear when i finally finish this series my life will feel as if its over. feels like im watching tv
September 19, 2024
"Pradėk nuo pradžios, tęsk iki galo ir tada baik" - taisyklė, kuria vadovaujasi detektyvas Rojus Greisas.
Detektyvinė istorija, kuri prasidėjo prieš dvylika metų ir tęsiasi šiomis dienomis. Batžmogiu pramintas nusikaltėlis vėl apsireiškia. Intriga išlaikoma iki pat pabaigos.
Deja, istorija tuo nesibaigia. O Greisai, būk geras, tik nepirk dizainerio batelių Kleo.
Detektyvinė istorija, kuri prasidėjo prieš dvylika metų ir tęsiasi šiomis dienomis. Batžmogiu pramintas nusikaltėlis vėl apsireiškia. Intriga išlaikoma iki pat pabaigos.
Deja, istorija tuo nesibaigia. O Greisai, būk geras, tik nepirk dizainerio batelių Kleo.
July 6, 2022
Another gripping, thrilling read by one of the best British crime writers.
July 31, 2020
Within one week of each other, two brutal rapes happen in Brighton, with a very similar MO to one of Roy Grace's cold case-criminals, The Shoe Man. Dedicated, and hopeful, to put this criminal behind bars after twelve years of searching, Roy Grace and his team find themselves knee-deep in a vicious case with some truly horrific details...
When it comes to thriller series', it can sometimes seem like once you've read three - you've read them all. You start to question how different they can get, how much more can an author concoct into their characters lives, with a faint worry of becoming bored. On my sixth instalment in the Roy Grace series, and it's safe to say - I am far from bored!
I made the mistake of reading the seventh book in the series prior to this, so I was somewhat spoilt by some of the key factors of Dead Like You. However, I still found it as enjoyable as a crime thriller should be! Peter James intertwines the evil main plot with a number of subplots that forever keeps me completely intrigued and gripped.
One thing I thoroughly enjoyed about Dead Like You, was the fact that throughout the previous books, Peter James hinted towards The Shoe Man. Roy would often think about this cold case, so being able to have a look into its events in the past and present were interesting! Not only was a past criminal bought back, but so was an enemy within the police force - who I originally thought was very short-lived when he made an appearance a few books back.
For a moment, I thought I had this whole plot sussed, however despite the small number of spoilers I had been given - I was still truly shocked and completely engrossed in the events of Dead Like You. The only reason I am rating it four instead of five is simply because some of the characters, though comforting and familiar, have become a little lacklustre. Glenn has become a tad whiney for me and Norman Potting is just irritating.
This series has become my favourite during my lockdown reading and I am excited to carry on with my Peter James binge!
When it comes to thriller series', it can sometimes seem like once you've read three - you've read them all. You start to question how different they can get, how much more can an author concoct into their characters lives, with a faint worry of becoming bored. On my sixth instalment in the Roy Grace series, and it's safe to say - I am far from bored!
I made the mistake of reading the seventh book in the series prior to this, so I was somewhat spoilt by some of the key factors of Dead Like You. However, I still found it as enjoyable as a crime thriller should be! Peter James intertwines the evil main plot with a number of subplots that forever keeps me completely intrigued and gripped.
One thing I thoroughly enjoyed about Dead Like You, was the fact that throughout the previous books, Peter James hinted towards The Shoe Man. Roy would often think about this cold case, so being able to have a look into its events in the past and present were interesting! Not only was a past criminal bought back, but so was an enemy within the police force - who I originally thought was very short-lived when he made an appearance a few books back.
For a moment, I thought I had this whole plot sussed, however despite the small number of spoilers I had been given - I was still truly shocked and completely engrossed in the events of Dead Like You. The only reason I am rating it four instead of five is simply because some of the characters, though comforting and familiar, have become a little lacklustre. Glenn has become a tad whiney for me and Norman Potting is just irritating.
This series has become my favourite during my lockdown reading and I am excited to carry on with my Peter James binge!
March 1, 2020
I can't stick with this series any more. The first few books I genuinely enjoyed but I haven't been able to finish the last two books so I am giving up.
Roy Grace is so proud that he has moved on, yet he mentions Sandy more than ever.
Branson is a whiner. I cannot stand his morose wallowing anymore.
The dialogue is so awful that I actually cringed when Cleo was talking to Grace about the Shoe Rapist case. Maybe I don't know the right people but no one that I know speaks so woodenly.
I hated the flicking between past and present. I couldn't keep up, I had to keep checking where I was and what date it was. It felt like James didn't even know where he was, he had to keep talking about the events of 1997 like he knew that he needed to oreintate us. I've read books about the Royal Family that mentioned Princess Diana less.
One of the final straws is the way that James writes women. All of the women - bar Cleo (so far) - are written as bitches. We finally get a look back at Sandy and Grace's marriage in this book, but guess what? She's a moany bitch. How dare she want her husband around at Christmas. Selfish.
Branson's wife is a bitch. Of course.
Then there was a whole section about Roxy who was squealing over shoes and a bag because god knows every woman cannot help but squeal over shoes and a bag. She actually at one point calls herself 'Sex on legs' repeatedly, when wearing the shoes. The shoes make her look younger than 37. They'll make her lover Iannis gleeful - because like all the other women she is a bitch and cheater. Everything she said ended in an ! As though she was about to have a crisis over these shoes...
I just didn't like it at all. Maybe my negativity has made me overly harsh, there are definitely a lot of good reviews and rates to suggest so, but this series just isn't for me at all.
Roy Grace is so proud that he has moved on, yet he mentions Sandy more than ever.
Branson is a whiner. I cannot stand his morose wallowing anymore.
The dialogue is so awful that I actually cringed when Cleo was talking to Grace about the Shoe Rapist case. Maybe I don't know the right people but no one that I know speaks so woodenly.
I hated the flicking between past and present. I couldn't keep up, I had to keep checking where I was and what date it was. It felt like James didn't even know where he was, he had to keep talking about the events of 1997 like he knew that he needed to oreintate us. I've read books about the Royal Family that mentioned Princess Diana less.
One of the final straws is the way that James writes women. All of the women - bar Cleo (so far) - are written as bitches. We finally get a look back at Sandy and Grace's marriage in this book, but guess what? She's a moany bitch. How dare she want her husband around at Christmas. Selfish.
Branson's wife is a bitch. Of course.
Then there was a whole section about Roxy who was squealing over shoes and a bag because god knows every woman cannot help but squeal over shoes and a bag. She actually at one point calls herself 'Sex on legs' repeatedly, when wearing the shoes. The shoes make her look younger than 37. They'll make her lover Iannis gleeful - because like all the other women she is a bitch and cheater. Everything she said ended in an ! As though she was about to have a crisis over these shoes...
I just didn't like it at all. Maybe my negativity has made me overly harsh, there are definitely a lot of good reviews and rates to suggest so, but this series just isn't for me at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2021
4,5 Stars
rounded up to 5 Stars.
Well, at least in this book we discover some more details about the "Where in the World is Sandy Grace? Munich? Rio de Janeiro? Miami?" saga in that their marriage was not as picture perfect as denoted by Roy Grace in the early books. The fact that Sandy was definitely not happy with Roy's job taking up too much of his time and in the last book we discovered she is quite kooky with her being a "Free Spirit" and a "Flame in the Wind" attached to no wick or matchstick. What the heck is that? Interesting but still unfulfilling as far a subplot goes. I mean most of the men in this series are clueless about the women in the lives including Grace, Branson and Potting. They are so ad nauseum in love with their woman (as so stated by their POV's) and yet have no clue as to what their wives really think or refusing to admit what is blatantly obvious to others. Just makes you wonder how long Grace's new squeeze Cleo will last before things turn south.
Well, at least in this book we discover some more details about the "Where in the World is Sandy Grace? Munich? Rio de Janeiro? Miami?" saga in that their marriage was not as picture perfect as denoted by Roy Grace in the early books. The fact that Sandy was definitely not happy with Roy's job taking up too much of his time and in the last book we discovered she is quite kooky with her being a "Free Spirit" and a "Flame in the Wind" attached to no wick or matchstick. What the heck is that? Interesting but still unfulfilling as far a subplot goes. I mean most of the men in this series are clueless about the women in the lives including Grace, Branson and Potting. They are so ad nauseum in love with their woman (as so stated by their POV's) and yet have no clue as to what their wives really think or refusing to admit what is blatantly obvious to others. Just makes you wonder how long Grace's new squeeze Cleo will last before things turn south.
June 10, 2014
This is a larger book than the previous ones I have read featuring Roy Grace and while it was a pleasant read it wasn't as gripping as I would have hoped. The more recent books of this series I've found to be a bit slow and this was the slowest so far and at almost twice the size of some of his books, I did find myself fast reading in places.
The book started well and then the last quarter was good as we started to narrow down the suspects and look for a conclusion as to who was guilty and was it one man of two? The middle part was less engaging.
I live in Brighton and enjoy the local settings, which are all very real and I will read the rest of the books in the series because I want to know what happened to his wife!
I would strongly recommend you only read this if you have read the earlier books in the series featuring Roy Grace.
The book started well and then the last quarter was good as we started to narrow down the suspects and look for a conclusion as to who was guilty and was it one man of two? The middle part was less engaging.
I live in Brighton and enjoy the local settings, which are all very real and I will read the rest of the books in the series because I want to know what happened to his wife!
I would strongly recommend you only read this if you have read the earlier books in the series featuring Roy Grace.
October 9, 2023
I do enjoy this series. This ones a bit grizzly though with the crime being rape, so it did make for some uncomfortable reading at times, possibly not helped by the fact one of the perfumes mentioned is one I wear! I’m always super cautious about what I post on social media and this really highlights the fact you can be stalked if your not careful. This seemed like a bigger book than previous ones, but the short chapters make it easy to pick up and read even if you only have 5 mins. It does keep looking back to a crime committed 12 years earlier, although not in a confusing way. This also gave glimpses into the relationship he had with his wife that disappeared which was interesting as in previous books we know about her disappearance but I don’t remember getting insight into the relationship. Looking forward to the next one.
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