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Roy Grace #15
Dead at First Sight
Roy Grace, creation of the CWA Diamond Dagger award winning author Peter James, exposes the dark side of the internet in Dead at First Sight.You don’t know me, but I thought I knew you . . . A man waits at a London airport for Ingrid Ostermann, the love of his life, to arrive. Across the Atlantic, a retired NYPD cop waits in a bar in Florida’s Key West for his first date with the lady who is, without question, his soulmate. The two men are about to discover they’ve been scammed out of almost every penny they have in the world – and that neither women exist. Meanwhile, a wealthy divorcée plunges, in suspicious circumstances, from an apartment block in Munich. In the same week, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to investigate the suicide of a woman in Brighton, that is clearly not what it seems. As his investigations continue, a handsome Brighton motivational speaker comes forward. He’s discovered his identity is being used to scam eleven different women, online. The first he knew of it was a phone call from one of them, out of the blue, saying, ‘You don’t know me, but I thought I knew you’. That woman is now dead. Roy Grace realizes he is looking at the tip of an iceberg. A global empire built on clever, cruel internet scams and the murder of anyone who threatens to expose them.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2019
1256 people are currently reading
3655 people want to read
About the author
Peter James
247 books3,701 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 592 reviews
May 2, 2019
There are a lot of characters to try and remember in the first part of this story. There also isn't much interaction with Roy Grace's team members as there usually is. The book covers internet dating and how easy it is to scam lonley vunerable people. A woman has also been murdered in Munich and Roy is investigating a suspicious suicide in Brighton. The book focuses initially on the scamming, innocent victims handing over their savings to help out people they genuinely think that they are in love with, who they have never met, with the promise that they will get their money back - with intrest. Cassian Pewe as ever, is on Roy's back. They have a love to hate each other relationship. There is something a bit freaky about Bruno (Roy's eldest son to his first wife), I wish that we would find out what it is. There is also one of Roy's old nemesis back but I don't want to say which one. Another great addition to this series. This book could be read as a standalone but it's best to read this series from the beginning, if you haven't done so already.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author Peter James for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author Peter James for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2021
I’m not sure of the significance of the title but I did enjoy the book. I’ve been following the Superintendent Roy Grace series for some years and was very happy to get the arc of the latest book (number 17). I only had to catch up on two books - this one (number 15) and then number 16, obviously!
I didn’t think this was one of the best books in the series but it still did not disappoint. What I did like about it was that it wasn’t simply a murder investigation. Oh sure, there were some murders but the story was more about romance scams on the internet. This is a very real issue right now and we keep hearing heartbreaking stories of people, many of them elderly, who have been conned out of their life savings by some cruel scammers posing as a genuine love interest - with financial problems. If the mark could just lend them increasing amounts of money they would soon be able to be together yada yada.
In the book, a couple of the victims of the scammers become aware something is wrong and do a bit of sleuthing and warning others. The guy running this particular scam asks a couple of his henchmen to scare the victims into silence, not to death. But one of the henchmen enjoys his work too much and we have dead bodies. Supt. Roy Grace’s team links up a couple of the crimes and they start a taskforce to crack the whole scamming ring. But thing gets complicated when the guy running the scam hires a hit man to teach his wayward henchmen a lesson. The bad guys are literally tripping over themselves!
On the personal side, Grace’s 10 year old son, Bruno, whom he only learned about recently when his ex-wife Sandy died has been struggling to fit in to a new country, a new family and a new school. Bruno was raised in Germany and when his mum died, Grace had to make a decision about what to do with him. He and Cleo are trying to integrate him but he seems odd. I’m starting to wonder if he is a little sociopath but we’ll have to wait for a later book to see how Bruno gets on. DS Norman Potting and DI Glen Branson are their same old darling selves. Assistant Chief Constable (or whatever the title) Cassian Pewe is still a pain in the arse, I’m surprised Grace hasn’t punched him in the nose yet but he does get some satisfaction at the end of the book!
Anyway this was a salutary warning about the risks of internet dating. Enjoy it by all means but if your new love interest starts asking for large sums of money - run!
I didn’t think this was one of the best books in the series but it still did not disappoint. What I did like about it was that it wasn’t simply a murder investigation. Oh sure, there were some murders but the story was more about romance scams on the internet. This is a very real issue right now and we keep hearing heartbreaking stories of people, many of them elderly, who have been conned out of their life savings by some cruel scammers posing as a genuine love interest - with financial problems. If the mark could just lend them increasing amounts of money they would soon be able to be together yada yada.
In the book, a couple of the victims of the scammers become aware something is wrong and do a bit of sleuthing and warning others. The guy running this particular scam asks a couple of his henchmen to scare the victims into silence, not to death. But one of the henchmen enjoys his work too much and we have dead bodies. Supt. Roy Grace’s team links up a couple of the crimes and they start a taskforce to crack the whole scamming ring. But thing gets complicated when the guy running the scam hires a hit man to teach his wayward henchmen a lesson. The bad guys are literally tripping over themselves!
On the personal side, Grace’s 10 year old son, Bruno, whom he only learned about recently when his ex-wife Sandy died has been struggling to fit in to a new country, a new family and a new school. Bruno was raised in Germany and when his mum died, Grace had to make a decision about what to do with him. He and Cleo are trying to integrate him but he seems odd. I’m starting to wonder if he is a little sociopath but we’ll have to wait for a later book to see how Bruno gets on. DS Norman Potting and DI Glen Branson are their same old darling selves. Assistant Chief Constable (or whatever the title) Cassian Pewe is still a pain in the arse, I’m surprised Grace hasn’t punched him in the nose yet but he does get some satisfaction at the end of the book!
Anyway this was a salutary warning about the risks of internet dating. Enjoy it by all means but if your new love interest starts asking for large sums of money - run!
September 27, 2019
Having read all of the Roy Grace series I was very excited to start this book and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed, this is every bit as good as his other novels.
Roy Grace is investigating online fraud in internet dating with victims living in Brighton. Roy has calls from Munich and the USA where vulnerable and sometimes elderly people have been conned out of their savings. Roy is also having to deal with his boss from hell Cassian and the behaviour of His son Bruno.
This book really made me think, I never realised how easy online fraud was, exploiting the bereaved, lonely people and conning money out of them.
My advise is if you are thinking about online dating then don’t read this chilling book. It’s enough to put you off for life!!!
As always I was hooked from the start with this fast paced thriller, desperate to find out the ending, but sad that I had finished this great book and desperately waiting for the next one In the series. I have a feeling that Bruno is going to be causing heartache for Roy and Cleo soon.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Roy Grace is investigating online fraud in internet dating with victims living in Brighton. Roy has calls from Munich and the USA where vulnerable and sometimes elderly people have been conned out of their savings. Roy is also having to deal with his boss from hell Cassian and the behaviour of His son Bruno.
This book really made me think, I never realised how easy online fraud was, exploiting the bereaved, lonely people and conning money out of them.
My advise is if you are thinking about online dating then don’t read this chilling book. It’s enough to put you off for life!!!
As always I was hooked from the start with this fast paced thriller, desperate to find out the ending, but sad that I had finished this great book and desperately waiting for the next one In the series. I have a feeling that Bruno is going to be causing heartache for Roy and Cleo soon.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
May 16, 2019
I’m always eager to get my hands on the latest Roy Grace novel ever since I first discovered these books during the series infancy.
Being set in my hometown of Brighton was the initial draw, but I’ve since grown to love the characters.
With this being the 15th novel in the series, it felt like the anniversary was being celebrated with plenty of references to past adventures.
It can be read as a stand-alone but all the little nods added to my enjoyment.
Whilst there’s plenty of throwbacks to past cases the current on is really relevant to today’s evolving criminality, as the main plot focuses on an Internet dating scam and how easy the conmen pray on vulnerable lonely people who are just looking for companionship.
It was really interesting to see how the police can tackle this cyber crime, I found this aspect of the story very informative.
I never knew ‘Google Reverse Image Search’ was possible!
But it was the overall series arc that I really enjoyed the most, how Roy and Cleo deal with family life around Roy’s difficult working hours - especially with Bruno!
I liked the choices they’ve made and excited to see what happens next for them, I’m already itching to read Book Sixteen!
Being set in my hometown of Brighton was the initial draw, but I’ve since grown to love the characters.
With this being the 15th novel in the series, it felt like the anniversary was being celebrated with plenty of references to past adventures.
It can be read as a stand-alone but all the little nods added to my enjoyment.
Whilst there’s plenty of throwbacks to past cases the current on is really relevant to today’s evolving criminality, as the main plot focuses on an Internet dating scam and how easy the conmen pray on vulnerable lonely people who are just looking for companionship.
It was really interesting to see how the police can tackle this cyber crime, I found this aspect of the story very informative.
I never knew ‘Google Reverse Image Search’ was possible!
But it was the overall series arc that I really enjoyed the most, how Roy and Cleo deal with family life around Roy’s difficult working hours - especially with Bruno!
I liked the choices they’ve made and excited to see what happens next for them, I’m already itching to read Book Sixteen!
July 27, 2019
This is the 15th book in the Roy Grace series by one of my favourite authors Peter James.
The story is about vulnerable lonely people been scammed on internet dating sites, some of which end up brutally murdered.
Lots of characters in this one and perhaps less interaction with Roy Grace and his team than I would ideally like but a gripping read all the same. Lots of twists and turns and plenty of excitement and action along the way. Another good addition to this successful series.
The story is about vulnerable lonely people been scammed on internet dating sites, some of which end up brutally murdered.
Lots of characters in this one and perhaps less interaction with Roy Grace and his team than I would ideally like but a gripping read all the same. Lots of twists and turns and plenty of excitement and action along the way. Another good addition to this successful series.
March 11, 2020
3.6 round up to 4 but only just.
I have been a huge fan of Peter James in the past. But lately either his standards are dropping or mine are rising.
This one the 15th in series, seems to be suffering from a similar problem to the last 3-4. Too much extraneous information. It is obvious he has done a lot of research, but seems to me he then typed up his notes and left them intact. With very little editing. I do appreciate the work behind the scenes and I enjoy some new information on what is going on, but for me there is far more than we need. It slows down the pace of the book. Could probably have cut over 100 pages out of this.
I know he needs to set the scene and all the evidence, but I felt there were far too many characters on the first half at least. I was scoring this between 2 and 3 in first half. Fortunately it picked up in last third.
Previously I had eagerly sought out his new books especially the stand-alone books. But now I will read when I get round to it.
Hopefully the next one will be better.
I have been a huge fan of Peter James in the past. But lately either his standards are dropping or mine are rising.
This one the 15th in series, seems to be suffering from a similar problem to the last 3-4. Too much extraneous information. It is obvious he has done a lot of research, but seems to me he then typed up his notes and left them intact. With very little editing. I do appreciate the work behind the scenes and I enjoy some new information on what is going on, but for me there is far more than we need. It slows down the pace of the book. Could probably have cut over 100 pages out of this.
I know he needs to set the scene and all the evidence, but I felt there were far too many characters on the first half at least. I was scoring this between 2 and 3 in first half. Fortunately it picked up in last third.
Previously I had eagerly sought out his new books especially the stand-alone books. But now I will read when I get round to it.
Hopefully the next one will be better.
August 4, 2019
After a few cracking entries in the Roy Grace saga, last year’s ‘Dead If You Don’t’ saw the quality control dip slightly. In this new novel, it nosedives. James has never been a prose stylist, so the sloppy writing comes as no surprise, but he can normally be depended on to deliver a pacy narrative with some effective twists. Here, the narrative is sluggish, disjointed and unengaging. Repetition proliferates. Tautologies and grammatical errors abound. Subplots disappear entirely. ‘Dead at First Sight’ is the weakest entry in the series. If things continue in this vein, future volumes might include ‘Dead Loss’, ‘Dead Horse’ and ‘Dead from the Waist Down’.
June 30, 2019
Dark, devious, and pacey!
Dead at First Sight is a sharp, compelling, police procedural that immerses you into the gritty, disturbing underworld of cybercrime, specifically online dating, and highlights just how easy it is to prey on humanity’s insatiable need to love and be loved.
The writing is complex and intense. The characters are a mix of ruthless, vulnerable, and tenacious. And the plot is a suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, action, duplicity, manipulation, intrigue, power, greed, violence, and murder.
Overall, Dead at First Sight is another timely, insightful, action-packed tale by James that highlights just how exposed the internet actually makes us and how easy and quickly it is for those with nefarious tendencies to commit crimes and destroy lives worldwide.
Dead at First Sight is the fifteenth novel in the Roy Grace series and even though there are some references to cases and events from the previous books, it can certainly be read as a standalone if desired.
Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dead at First Sight is a sharp, compelling, police procedural that immerses you into the gritty, disturbing underworld of cybercrime, specifically online dating, and highlights just how easy it is to prey on humanity’s insatiable need to love and be loved.
The writing is complex and intense. The characters are a mix of ruthless, vulnerable, and tenacious. And the plot is a suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, action, duplicity, manipulation, intrigue, power, greed, violence, and murder.
Overall, Dead at First Sight is another timely, insightful, action-packed tale by James that highlights just how exposed the internet actually makes us and how easy and quickly it is for those with nefarious tendencies to commit crimes and destroy lives worldwide.
Dead at First Sight is the fifteenth novel in the Roy Grace series and even though there are some references to cases and events from the previous books, it can certainly be read as a standalone if desired.
Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2021
This book terrified the life out of me. I've read in the papers about phishing scams and people being cat fished and so on but I never realised how big & global internet fraud is. The Ghanian Sakawa schools mentioned in are terrifying & if the book achieved nothing else I've changed all my passwords!
The story itself started off a with an awful lot of people in various countries but as the story comes together it all starts making sense as they are either victims or part of the sakawa schools. It takes place over a surprisingly short amount of time Grace and his team are trying to find these scammers who have now added murder to their resume. We also have a return of an old foe who has somehow managed to get mixed up in this.
There's multiple points of view which I love in books and also for me that make books feel more like page turners. There is a lot to take in but it does all start making sense. I'm not sure how much every single character was needed. The private detective felt a bit surplus to the plot & the Jersey take down (no spoilers) felt a bit rushed but overall it worked. The book is fast paced, a real page turner and all the other cliches. I loved it and can't wait to pick up the next one
The story itself started off a with an awful lot of people in various countries but as the story comes together it all starts making sense as they are either victims or part of the sakawa schools. It takes place over a surprisingly short amount of time Grace and his team are trying to find these scammers who have now added murder to their resume. We also have a return of an old foe who has somehow managed to get mixed up in this.
There's multiple points of view which I love in books and also for me that make books feel more like page turners. There is a lot to take in but it does all start making sense. I'm not sure how much every single character was needed. The private detective felt a bit surplus to the plot & the Jersey take down (no spoilers) felt a bit rushed but overall it worked. The book is fast paced, a real page turner and all the other cliches. I loved it and can't wait to pick up the next one
August 10, 2023
After spending so much time away from the Roy Grace books I was a little hesitant when jumping back in. I need not have been. As soon as I started getting into the story I clearly remembered all the characters, how much I enjoy their stories and my enjoyment of reading a really well written book.
I love the way the story flows drawing you in to the plot with believable characters living everyday lives.
This book was especially interesting as it highlighted the dangers of online dating in this case to the extreme. I also liked the way the story explained police procedure in a way that made it interesting.
To sum up a very well written story in the series with lots going on to keep you interested, looking forward to the next book.
I love the way the story flows drawing you in to the plot with believable characters living everyday lives.
This book was especially interesting as it highlighted the dangers of online dating in this case to the extreme. I also liked the way the story explained police procedure in a way that made it interesting.
To sum up a very well written story in the series with lots going on to keep you interested, looking forward to the next book.
April 24, 2020
I was interested in staring a new series, wanted a PI or detective with a nice juicy backstory, love interests, superiors who never listen to him although he's always right, etc. etc. All the usual tropes.
Well this has it, but this book was so full of characters cross-pollinating each other, a confusing plot, and an MC I didn't really care about, however...
It's timely, though, involving the fleecing of elderly persons - or those who are just plain stupid - into turning over vast amounts of money to those they meet online. In this case, it's a romance scam, or whatever they called it in the book. A person is slowly seduced/groomed/flimflammed into believing the sexy/alluring/intelligent/online individual who: is always-in-need-of-cash-for-their-elderly-mother-in-the-hospital; or to-get-out-of-debt-which-happened-due-to-divorce; or maybe to-buy-a-new-car-which-was-recently-wrecked or so on and so on, ad infinitum. Yes, there are persons stupid enough to believe this nonsense, and unfortunately the police are the ones who have to sort it out. And yes, I understand that dementia or mental illness or just plain 'being not very bright' can lead a person to believe all this happy horse-sh*t and cause them to - willingly - fork over vast amounts of cash or property to the one doing the flim-flamming.
(Seriously, I've seen this attempted in my own family except for the fact that other family members jumped in and stopped the whole charade. Helped, too, that we had a police officer friend who came to the house and said to the person involved: "DON'T DO THIS." And then we started throwing out all her mail. And watched said person like a hawk. So I'm not totally unsympathetic to the whole scenario. I know how bad it can get.)
Rant over, but that's the basic backdrop to the story itself. What munges this up a bit is that two of the flim-flammers have left the huge online enterprise that funded the romance scam and that makes the top guy - the BIG CHEESE-FLIM-FLAMMER - very, very annoyed. So, naturally, he decides to have the two traitors offed. (Killed, hit man, etc.) This really muddies up the details for Roy Grace and his staff of investigators/police officers/old contacts who are there to help sort out this mess.
Suffice to say this book was all in the details: who killed whom and why; who's this guy in the car watching the guys we police officers are watching; and who's running the entire show, front to back and forward, sideways, etc.
Like I said, I read it as I want to find a new series, but this one, complex, intricate and long as it was, isn't it. Sorry, Mr. James. A satisfactory, yet sometimes dullish-read.
Three stars.
Well this has it, but this book was so full of characters cross-pollinating each other, a confusing plot, and an MC I didn't really care about, however...
It's timely, though, involving the fleecing of elderly persons - or those who are just plain stupid - into turning over vast amounts of money to those they meet online. In this case, it's a romance scam, or whatever they called it in the book. A person is slowly seduced/groomed/flimflammed into believing the sexy/alluring/intelligent/online individual who: is always-in-need-of-cash-for-their-elderly-mother-in-the-hospital; or to-get-out-of-debt-which-happened-due-to-divorce; or maybe to-buy-a-new-car-which-was-recently-wrecked or so on and so on, ad infinitum. Yes, there are persons stupid enough to believe this nonsense, and unfortunately the police are the ones who have to sort it out. And yes, I understand that dementia or mental illness or just plain 'being not very bright' can lead a person to believe all this happy horse-sh*t and cause them to - willingly - fork over vast amounts of cash or property to the one doing the flim-flamming.
(Seriously, I've seen this attempted in my own family except for the fact that other family members jumped in and stopped the whole charade. Helped, too, that we had a police officer friend who came to the house and said to the person involved: "DON'T DO THIS." And then we started throwing out all her mail. And watched said person like a hawk. So I'm not totally unsympathetic to the whole scenario. I know how bad it can get.)
Rant over, but that's the basic backdrop to the story itself. What munges this up a bit is that two of the flim-flammers have left the huge online enterprise that funded the romance scam and that makes the top guy - the BIG CHEESE-FLIM-FLAMMER - very, very annoyed. So, naturally, he decides to have the two traitors offed. (Killed, hit man, etc.) This really muddies up the details for Roy Grace and his staff of investigators/police officers/old contacts who are there to help sort out this mess.
Suffice to say this book was all in the details: who killed whom and why; who's this guy in the car watching the guys we police officers are watching; and who's running the entire show, front to back and forward, sideways, etc.
Like I said, I read it as I want to find a new series, but this one, complex, intricate and long as it was, isn't it. Sorry, Mr. James. A satisfactory, yet sometimes dullish-read.
Three stars.
July 26, 2025
3.5 🌟. Love the Roy Grace series so much. This was probably the one I’ve liked least so far.
There wasn’t a lot of Roy in this book and I particularly love his home life. I also found the money scamming crime went on for too long. About 1/2 way through it picked up with some great graphic moments and I really liked the way this one did wrap up 😊. Looking forward to number 16 👏🏻
There wasn’t a lot of Roy in this book and I particularly love his home life. I also found the money scamming crime went on for too long. About 1/2 way through it picked up with some great graphic moments and I really liked the way this one did wrap up 😊. Looking forward to number 16 👏🏻
January 3, 2020
An enjoyable read,but not quite up to his usual standard.
May 25, 2023
4* už istoriją. Rekomenduoju perskaityti visiems, ieškantiems laimės pažinčių portaluose.
Labai aiški aferistų veiklos schema, tad perskaityti verta vien pažintine prasme.
Kiek pinigų išviliojo tie internetiniai sukčiai, net sunku įsivaizduoti tų aferų mastą...
Ech, kokie mes vieniši ir kaip ilgimės meilės, jei taip lengvai patenkam į tokias pinkles...
Taigi, knyga iš serijos perduok draugei, kad ir ji žinotų...
Trumpi skyriai, daug veikėjų, sakyčiau net perdaug, bent jau man. Toks įspūdis, kad paskubom papasakota istorija. Šiaip tai laba geras siužetas filmui, bet jei tokį detetyvą lietuvių autorius pateiktų leidyklai, abejoju, ar spausdintų, nes čia tokie siužeto griaučiai su minimumu literatūros, bet, nežiūrint į tai perskaičiau per dvi dienas.
Labai aiški aferistų veiklos schema, tad perskaityti verta vien pažintine prasme.
Kiek pinigų išviliojo tie internetiniai sukčiai, net sunku įsivaizduoti tų aferų mastą...
Ech, kokie mes vieniši ir kaip ilgimės meilės, jei taip lengvai patenkam į tokias pinkles...
Taigi, knyga iš serijos perduok draugei, kad ir ji žinotų...
Trumpi skyriai, daug veikėjų, sakyčiau net perdaug, bent jau man. Toks įspūdis, kad paskubom papasakota istorija. Šiaip tai laba geras siužetas filmui, bet jei tokį detetyvą lietuvių autorius pateiktų leidyklai, abejoju, ar spausdintų, nes čia tokie siužeto griaučiai su minimumu literatūros, bet, nežiūrint į tai perskaičiau per dvi dienas.
May 16, 2019
The inimitable Peter James returns with Dead at First Sight, his best thriller to date, and the fifteenth instalment in the Roy Grace series, with a plot ripped from today's headlines it's a timely and very scary exploration of the type of scams that are been carried out on a daily basis by evil, manipulative fraudsters for monetary gain. This is three parts techno-thriller and one part traditional police procedural with the authorities beginning an investigation of the fraud and deception initially, which then looks into possible foul play been involved in certain highly suspicious deaths. It all makes for an utterly riveting and wholly absorbing read and once I had started I simply had to continue until I had finished it all and knew what had happened. It certainly didn't disappoint.
James provides so many twists in the tale that they were even capable of shocking me despite reading thrillers every day of the year. This was indeed refreshing. The author has clearly taken care to ensure the portrayal of both the police procedure and the way the romance scams operate was accurate; this added authenticity to it all. Spanning several continents these scammers have destroyed lives, now Superintendent Grace aims to give them a taste of their own medicine. No mercy.
The plot is complex and intricate, with non-stop action and murder 'n' mayhem aplenty. The last important ingredients of fast-pace and a cast of memorable characters and criminals are also fulfilled exceptionally. A five-star read—I 'd give it more if I could. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
James provides so many twists in the tale that they were even capable of shocking me despite reading thrillers every day of the year. This was indeed refreshing. The author has clearly taken care to ensure the portrayal of both the police procedure and the way the romance scams operate was accurate; this added authenticity to it all. Spanning several continents these scammers have destroyed lives, now Superintendent Grace aims to give them a taste of their own medicine. No mercy.
The plot is complex and intricate, with non-stop action and murder 'n' mayhem aplenty. The last important ingredients of fast-pace and a cast of memorable characters and criminals are also fulfilled exceptionally. A five-star read—I 'd give it more if I could. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
June 18, 2019
I always look forward so much to the new Peter James - Roy Grace, Brighton and another story with the word 'dead' in the title! This had me hooked from the off. It deals with the sinister world of romance fraud, where gullible, often elderly, people are conned out of large sums of money by online lovers. I'd heard of this, but this story goes into incredible details, spinning a story involving operatives in Munich, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Far East. We hear the personal backstories of four of the victims - how two of them get suspicious and come a sticky end and how the other two determine to fight back, thinking the police haven't the resources to rise to the challenge of online crime. We see the movements of two of the main villains (and very violent they are too) and how they are being trailed by a contract killer employed by the mastermind behind the operation. It's all very exciting with a fantastic denouement, where the police, vigilantes and the contract killer all home in on massive cash handover to one of the fraudsters.
I love the way James balances explaining the detail of police work with the action - the police officers he has created, from Cassian Pugh (Roy's arch enemy) and the politically incorrect Norman Potting, and Roy's domestic life with his troubled son Bruno who has just joined his family. There is some lovely banter between Roy and his best pal Glen Branson and some hilarious management speak from Cassian Pugh, which go to lighten what is quite a dark subject. And it's thought-provoking too - the African villains have suffered abuse during the war in Sierra Leone and they believe they are entitled to the riches of older people in the South East to redress wrongs done to Africa in the colonial past. The story also draws attention to the problem of loneliness and the role played by internet romance bringing a little hope and joy into the lives of those who are desperate for love and companionship. And James sets the scene very nicely for the next book - Roy is being head hunted for a major role tackling knife crime in London, while Bruno's behaviour is becoming increasingly bizarre, so I can see developments coming there.
I love the way James balances explaining the detail of police work with the action - the police officers he has created, from Cassian Pugh (Roy's arch enemy) and the politically incorrect Norman Potting, and Roy's domestic life with his troubled son Bruno who has just joined his family. There is some lovely banter between Roy and his best pal Glen Branson and some hilarious management speak from Cassian Pugh, which go to lighten what is quite a dark subject. And it's thought-provoking too - the African villains have suffered abuse during the war in Sierra Leone and they believe they are entitled to the riches of older people in the South East to redress wrongs done to Africa in the colonial past. The story also draws attention to the problem of loneliness and the role played by internet romance bringing a little hope and joy into the lives of those who are desperate for love and companionship. And James sets the scene very nicely for the next book - Roy is being head hunted for a major role tackling knife crime in London, while Bruno's behaviour is becoming increasingly bizarre, so I can see developments coming there.
December 19, 2019
Only four stars? Yes, well... The story is very interesting and I really love the way Peter James leads the reader through all the twists and turns. But I noticed a few things that kept nagging at me. The man on page 92 did not want to change his age because of a job. He wanted it because he is a pathological attention-seeker. Then the fact that we get small snippets of information on people who do not play and active role in the story. So why do we have to know about their background? And Roy's family life... it's not going well on all fronts but I cannot help but think that Roy and Cleo should be more firm parents.
I finished the book in two days because it is always very hard not to want to read a Peter James as fast as you can; I'm actually looking forward to the next one in this series.
Thanks to Edelweiss for this digital review copy.
I finished the book in two days because it is always very hard not to want to read a Peter James as fast as you can; I'm actually looking forward to the next one in this series.
Thanks to Edelweiss for this digital review copy.
June 11, 2019
Not a bad read but didn't hold me like most of Peter James. A bit tired and predictable, i was glad to finish it. Maybe this series has run its course.
January 10, 2021
I always forget that I don't really enjoy this series.
'Dead at First Sight' has a gripping plot, though, which is why I finished the book. Peter James writes well but his prose is full of clichés which I suppose make it amusing. I tend to lose sight of all the characters, particularly in this story because there are a number of strands to the plot which can be very confusing. His tendency to use characters' surnames also throws me every time he refers to 'Grace' near the beginning of the books, and I automatically think a woman has come into the story. I must be getting old...
Conclusion: Three and a half stars, because I couldn't wait to finish it, but the plot kept me going to the end. Would I read it again? No.
'Dead at First Sight' has a gripping plot, though, which is why I finished the book. Peter James writes well but his prose is full of clichés which I suppose make it amusing. I tend to lose sight of all the characters, particularly in this story because there are a number of strands to the plot which can be very confusing. His tendency to use characters' surnames also throws me every time he refers to 'Grace' near the beginning of the books, and I automatically think a woman has come into the story. I must be getting old...
Conclusion: Three and a half stars, because I couldn't wait to finish it, but the plot kept me going to the end. Would I read it again? No.
May 21, 2019
It's always good to spend time with Roy Grace, one of my favourite fictional detectives. Dead at First Sight, which features a topical case, is a meticulous police procedural. Although I think the pace stalls on occasion and there is far too much cheesy banter (not to mention some ineffectual baddies), I really enjoyed the way in which the book places the victim at its heart. Not the best in the series but still a good read. Having given this further thought, revised down from 3.5 to 3 stars. Review to follow very shortly on For Winter Nights.
February 15, 2020
“Dead at First Sight” by Peter James is book fifteen in the Roy Grace series, but new readers can easily follow the characters and the story. James seamlessly provides any needed information about past events as part of the storyline. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, Head of Major Crime for Sussex Police, encounters the emotional devastation wrought by internet scammers, and uncovers the dark and sometimes lethal side of online identity fraud and internet romance deception, something that has cost victims over a billion dollars in the last year.
James tells the stories of participants on all sides of the internet swindle. The stories are emotionally and financially devastating; people lose life savings and self-respect. The characters are complex and multi layered. Readers get to them well, the victims, the perpetrators, the ruthless, and the avenging. Actions are told from various points of view so readers picture the whole chain of events and the consequences of internet treachery.
James entices readers with hints of what is to come. “Had he known the consequences that were to follow, he would never have picked the phone up.” Events take place over just a few weeks, and the story and people are complex on many levels. Victims go public and lay traps to catch offenders; villains hunt victims who discover the swindle to shut them up, and online scammers protect their business by hunting rogue offenders to kill them. Everyone is after someone else, and DS Grace and his team have to sort all this out, catch the criminals, protect the innocent, and keep both groups from imploding and killing each other.
Police actions are interspersed with everyday events to remind readers that characters are people after all, with normal joys and problems both at work and at home. There is also humor in the midst of trauma and monetary disaster including the chance of recovering lost money when pigs fly and people as inconspicuous as two sharks in a toddler’s paddling pool.
“Dead at First Sight’ is a compelling story with social importance, compelling characters, and lessons for this digital age; guard your privacy; do not believe everything you see online, except great book reviews.
James tells the stories of participants on all sides of the internet swindle. The stories are emotionally and financially devastating; people lose life savings and self-respect. The characters are complex and multi layered. Readers get to them well, the victims, the perpetrators, the ruthless, and the avenging. Actions are told from various points of view so readers picture the whole chain of events and the consequences of internet treachery.
James entices readers with hints of what is to come. “Had he known the consequences that were to follow, he would never have picked the phone up.” Events take place over just a few weeks, and the story and people are complex on many levels. Victims go public and lay traps to catch offenders; villains hunt victims who discover the swindle to shut them up, and online scammers protect their business by hunting rogue offenders to kill them. Everyone is after someone else, and DS Grace and his team have to sort all this out, catch the criminals, protect the innocent, and keep both groups from imploding and killing each other.
Police actions are interspersed with everyday events to remind readers that characters are people after all, with normal joys and problems both at work and at home. There is also humor in the midst of trauma and monetary disaster including the chance of recovering lost money when pigs fly and people as inconspicuous as two sharks in a toddler’s paddling pool.
“Dead at First Sight’ is a compelling story with social importance, compelling characters, and lessons for this digital age; guard your privacy; do not believe everything you see online, except great book reviews.
March 3, 2021
**Spoliers - for my memory of the series only**
Tired, predictable and I couldn't wait for it to end. Didn't care enough about any of the characters. I stuck with this series even thought the Sandy plotline really dragged and became annoying but I think enough is enough.
There are lots of books out there and I want a story to move on. This is slow, with lots of padding. Lots of competition for my money at bookshops - Peter James is losing the appeal of me spending money on his books.
Lots of characters. Short chapters but lots of them don't move the story along.
When Suzy phones the bloke who has had his identity pinched they keep a conversation going about their love and what each other said to the other one. No they didn't. It's not him. She knows it. He knows it. Waste of several pages.
Soldier goes to USA to see fellow victim only to learn the centre of the war on romance fraud is his home town Brighton. Why bother with this part ? The character asks the same and the response is we needed to do this face to face. Do what exactly ? Nothing happens.
Soldier comes back on a plane and bloke in front lays his chair back cramping his space. The point of this chapter ? Nothing happens.
Next chapter - Grace can't sleep and gets up kisses Cleo and leaves. That is all that happens. Point of this ? Noting happens
How many pages are devoted to Mr Tooth not doing anything other than sitting in his car and sweating from a snake bite? Nothing happens lots of times.
A chapter where police on a watching brief talk about a cat. Northing happens.
Cassian Pewe - just get rid of this character. Pointless. Nonsense bit about helicopter view from Grace to which Pewe just hangs up. Nothing happens. Pewe is pointless. And annoying.
Norman Potting. Adds nothing other than supposed witticisms that wouldn't have been funny in The Sweeney.
I think you could skim read this in less than two hours and not miss out on anything.
I'm giving up on this series after book 15. I gave up on DCI Banks after this number in that series too. Perhaps that's my limit...but no, Rankin's Rebus and Connelly's Harry Bosch continue to want me to pick up the next book in the series. .
Tired, predictable and I couldn't wait for it to end. Didn't care enough about any of the characters. I stuck with this series even thought the Sandy plotline really dragged and became annoying but I think enough is enough.
There are lots of books out there and I want a story to move on. This is slow, with lots of padding. Lots of competition for my money at bookshops - Peter James is losing the appeal of me spending money on his books.
Lots of characters. Short chapters but lots of them don't move the story along.
When Suzy phones the bloke who has had his identity pinched they keep a conversation going about their love and what each other said to the other one. No they didn't. It's not him. She knows it. He knows it. Waste of several pages.
Soldier goes to USA to see fellow victim only to learn the centre of the war on romance fraud is his home town Brighton. Why bother with this part ? The character asks the same and the response is we needed to do this face to face. Do what exactly ? Nothing happens.
Soldier comes back on a plane and bloke in front lays his chair back cramping his space. The point of this chapter ? Nothing happens.
Next chapter - Grace can't sleep and gets up kisses Cleo and leaves. That is all that happens. Point of this ? Noting happens
How many pages are devoted to Mr Tooth not doing anything other than sitting in his car and sweating from a snake bite? Nothing happens lots of times.
A chapter where police on a watching brief talk about a cat. Northing happens.
Cassian Pewe - just get rid of this character. Pointless. Nonsense bit about helicopter view from Grace to which Pewe just hangs up. Nothing happens. Pewe is pointless. And annoying.
Norman Potting. Adds nothing other than supposed witticisms that wouldn't have been funny in The Sweeney.
I think you could skim read this in less than two hours and not miss out on anything.
I'm giving up on this series after book 15. I gave up on DCI Banks after this number in that series too. Perhaps that's my limit...but no, Rankin's Rebus and Connelly's Harry Bosch continue to want me to pick up the next book in the series. .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2021
This was my first time reading James in english, I had hopes it would be less things to be annoyed about. And while I didn't constantly second-guess any translations (because there aren't any), I did notice that the author is in fact guilty of repeating himself. Good to know.
For some reason, this book took a insane long time to get through. I guess in part because it was in English and the language-change for some reason kept throwing me off. But mostly I think it was due to the lack of sympathy I felt for these victims, because who sends crazy amount of money to someone they have never met in person? What makes these people so incredibly gullible? And I don't believe it was "love". I wouldn't even lend my friends that kind of cash.
I still haven't decided which language I'll continue on, I have until February to decide.
For some reason, this book took a insane long time to get through. I guess in part because it was in English and the language-change for some reason kept throwing me off. But mostly I think it was due to the lack of sympathy I felt for these victims, because who sends crazy amount of money to someone they have never met in person? What makes these people so incredibly gullible? And I don't believe it was "love". I wouldn't even lend my friends that kind of cash.
I still haven't decided which language I'll continue on, I have until February to decide.
April 22, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of Dead at First Sight, the fifteenth novel to feature Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Suffolk police.
A woman is murdered in Munich and Roy Grace is investigating a suspicious suicide in Brighton. At the same time a couple of men in different parts of the world are disappointed when their lovers don’t turn up. The link? The internet scamming of lonely people.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead at First Sight which is a complicated tale of greed and financial ruin. The opening chapter describing Johnny Fordwater’s wait for his new love at the airport grabs the reader immediately as it turns from anticipation to disappointment. I was hooked and drawn in by the vivid, realistic description and after that the novel never lets go. It has multiple points of view and I initially found it difficult to keep track of all the characters but it all quickly makes sense as the narrative progresses and the characters slot into place. I found it to be a compulsive read.
The plot centres around these dating scams and while it would be easy to dismiss the victims as gullible fools Mr James presents a complex scenario of smart scammers preying on the loneliness and essential niceness of the targets. It’s a much more sophisticated operation than the well known Nigerian prince scams. The novel is both scary and informative in this respect.
Grace is suffering from a touch of burnout with having to deal with his boss, the odious, glory hunting Cassian Pew and the realities of modern day policing, but, despite this, he still runs an excellent investigation. I like the operational detail in these novels and the personality clashes which add realism to the narrative. I also like the way Mr James moves his characters on from novel to novel. There are more changes coming in Grace’s life, not least facing up to his son Bruno’s strange behaviour.
Dead at First Sight is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
A woman is murdered in Munich and Roy Grace is investigating a suspicious suicide in Brighton. At the same time a couple of men in different parts of the world are disappointed when their lovers don’t turn up. The link? The internet scamming of lonely people.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead at First Sight which is a complicated tale of greed and financial ruin. The opening chapter describing Johnny Fordwater’s wait for his new love at the airport grabs the reader immediately as it turns from anticipation to disappointment. I was hooked and drawn in by the vivid, realistic description and after that the novel never lets go. It has multiple points of view and I initially found it difficult to keep track of all the characters but it all quickly makes sense as the narrative progresses and the characters slot into place. I found it to be a compulsive read.
The plot centres around these dating scams and while it would be easy to dismiss the victims as gullible fools Mr James presents a complex scenario of smart scammers preying on the loneliness and essential niceness of the targets. It’s a much more sophisticated operation than the well known Nigerian prince scams. The novel is both scary and informative in this respect.
Grace is suffering from a touch of burnout with having to deal with his boss, the odious, glory hunting Cassian Pew and the realities of modern day policing, but, despite this, he still runs an excellent investigation. I like the operational detail in these novels and the personality clashes which add realism to the narrative. I also like the way Mr James moves his characters on from novel to novel. There are more changes coming in Grace’s life, not least facing up to his son Bruno’s strange behaviour.
Dead at First Sight is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
May 6, 2019
Dead at First Sight is the latest offering in the Roy Grace Series. I have read several others in the series and enjoyed them and this one doesn’t disappoint.
This latest offering sees Roy Grace investigating internet dating fraud. Where, men and women of a certain age are swindled out of their life savings never to be seen again. But a few them soon realise what’s going on and end up dead.
This is another great edition to the series. The quality of Peter James’ writing does not falter. It has an original plot, great characters and lots of twists and turns. It also made think about internet dating and how gullible people can be when looking for love. I also liked how it showed the softer side of Grace with his family life.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this books
This latest offering sees Roy Grace investigating internet dating fraud. Where, men and women of a certain age are swindled out of their life savings never to be seen again. But a few them soon realise what’s going on and end up dead.
This is another great edition to the series. The quality of Peter James’ writing does not falter. It has an original plot, great characters and lots of twists and turns. It also made think about internet dating and how gullible people can be when looking for love. I also liked how it showed the softer side of Grace with his family life.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this books
May 23, 2024
3.5 ⭐️. A solid book from James. Set around internet scams used by people on dating apps. Different men and women become caught up giving hundreds of pounds to what they believe to be the love of their life. Grace investigates and tries to track down, two African scammers who are embroiled in defrauding elderly people. This book was consistent, fast paced and kept me gripped to the end. Definitely a good summer read.
May 13, 2023
Another great crime read lots of twists and turns in this one and I’m sure Bruno is hiding something
February 13, 2020
This was my first read of a Peter James novel. I'd previously been aware of him, but only really because, at the bookshop and library, his books always sit beside those of my great favourite P.D. James! "Dead at First Sight" was recommended to me by a local librarian (#Pingel Sisters' 2019 Reading Challenge No. 48) from the new releases shelf, on the basis that I enjoy crime fiction and in particular Val McDermid's work. And I really enjoyed it! Roy Grace is a realistically-drawn yet likeable central character, who brought to mind Morse and Frost, with his continual struggles against an unsupportive police hierarchy. The action moves between Munich, Jersey, Florida, New York and London, but is primarily based around Grace's native Sussex, in particular the city of Brighton and Hove. A gang of Ghanian cyber-criminals, responsible for fleecing numerous British retirees of their life savings through online romance scams, are simultaneously pursued by Grace's team, a gaggle of middle-aged vigilantees and a hard-boiled hitman hired by their former business associate. Despite the steadily rising body count over the course of the story, I didn't find the book to be overly macabre or graphically violent. The characters were well-written and believable, while the underlying subject matter (the ease with which apparently intelligent people can be separated from vast sums of their own money) was rather frightening. Highly recommended for those seeking a relatively undemanding but entertaining and stimulating read.
July 26, 2024
Mmhh...første boka jeg leser i serien, dette er den 15...tviler på jeg starter på nr 1...
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