Book number 16 in the Roy Grace series, Find Them Dead, is a great read as expected. However, Roy Grace is less evident in this book as the story mainly follows a court case where a local solicitor is charged as a drug dealer and it is not Roy's case.

I have one niggle with this book. Early on in the book there is a scene where a man with a prosthetic arm has a fight with border control officials. Several mentions are made of an official holding onto his prosthetic arm and in my head, I had a vision of the arm having come away. He goes on to steal a left hand drive, german registered car and has a high speed chase with the police. Throughout I was doubting how this could have happened given that the disability would have hampered changing gear etc. I've since reviewed this section again and it doesn't actually say that the arm came away - so this could have been down to my imagination! But it played on my mind throughout the rest of the book and spoiled things every so slightly - enough to rate it as 4 star rather than 5!

Putting my niggle aside, the storytelling is great as usual. As well as the main plot, there are other sub plots running alongside which weave from one book to another - family situations, changes at work, tensions with others at work. The ending leaves a big question about what might happen next, so well set up for number 17.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Find Them Dead
Author: Peter James
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Publication Date: 15 September 2020

This is the 16th book in the Roy Grace series, although this could easily be read as a stand-alone as it’s main focus is a court case. I found it started slowly but once the court action started, I was really gripped. I have a particular interest in the law and crown court trials so this was right up my street it was meticulously researched and the writing is, as always, first class.
Roy Grace and the other ongoing characters feature much less than usual in this book but I really enjoyed it. and there were a few surprises along the way.
4.5 ⭐️ out of 5. Highly recommended for well written crime story lovers.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This is book #16 in the Roy Grace series. Whilst it can be read as a standalone book, I would advise reading the books in order so not to spoil any of the other storylines! This book was originally due to be released in May 2020, but publication has been put back until September 2020 in the UK. I’ve read all of the Roy Grace books and enjoyed them all, some more than others though! I much prefer the books that feature Grace doing what he does best – solving crimes!

Whilst this book had a really good storyline which followed the arrest and trial of a crooked solicitor involved in a major drug smuggling case, we didn’t really see much of Roy throughout the book. The times you did see him though were great and it was good to see him battling against his nemesis, Cassian Pewe, although it wasn’t so good for Roy at times! I loved though how the storyline for Grace and Pewe has been left open for the next book in the series and sincerely hope it will be as good as it suggests!

With regards to the drug smuggling case, it was a good solid storyline which went into the intricacies of a court case and what may happen if you find yourself sat on the jury of a high-profile case. I, for one, wouldn’t wanted to have been in the shoes of Meg, a juror singled out by the connections of the accused to try and influence the rest of the jury into a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict. Meg’s story was sad enough without finding herself being blackmailed, and the subsequent story was gripping and held my attention throughout. The procedures of a court room were really interesting as well, and it was fun to read how it all worked!

On the whole, this isn’t your typical Roy Grace book. It is, however, good to have a change of direction every now and then, and this definitely bought a welcome change to a long running series. I will, not only, look forward to the next book to see what happens with Roy’s superior, but also to see how Roy’s personal life pans out with his troublesome teenage son, who hasn’t really settled since he arrived. Would definitely recommend!

Ok I’m not going to be popular but I found this a bit dreary. Don’t get me wrong I love Peter James and especially the Roy Grace series but there was not much of him in this book and also mostly court action which I find a bit dull. I’m desperate to find out more about Graces son Bruno and I think I was disappointed that there wasn’t much going on there. All told it was in the high quality reading that you expect from the master that is Peter James! #NetGalley#FindThemDead

Possibly my favourite Roy Grace story to date, which may appear strange as Roy Grace only appears in approx. 25% of the book but that certainly doesn't take away from the story. It is a gripping court room drama and you never know what is going to happen until the very end.
A really great read and a fantastic addition to this series. A welcome return to form.
5 stars

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#FindThemDead #NetGalley

A new Roy Grace novel is always a treat for fans of the series, so, I delved into this book in eager anticipation of another absorbing thriller from the master craftsmen of this genre, Peter James. This is not your usual Roy Grace novel, however, with the heavy emphasis on police procedure jettisoned in favour of a more gritty courtroom drama. This may not be to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed the temporary change of direction from the usual winning formula that has made this series such an enduring one. This maybe an heretical statement to some, but I found the last few Grace novels lacking in their usual lustre. Well, welcome back Peter James, because 'Find Them Dead' is emphatic evidence of a return to form. This book has it all: crooks, drug dealers, the proverbial 'Mr Big' and a number of attempts to nobble the jury in a trial involving a far-reaching conspiracy to import Class A drugs into the UK. The very fact that Grace is unaware of the crime beneath crime - the attempts to 'fix' the jury - as well of the explicit charges of drugs smuggling, gives this novel an added edge. Indeed, the story was all the more absorbing and nuanced with Grace on the periphery of events, rather than an intrinsic part of them. So, all in all a compelling read from the legendary Peter James. There is a minor niggle with the dialogue, however. Although this has never been the strongest aspect of James' authorial repertoire, it was particularly stilted - and dare I say, a little stale in this book.. The verbal interactions between Branson and Grace, in particular, felt like reruns of conversations from other books. Other than this, I can safely say I would recommend this highly to all lovers of crime fiction.

So I’ve just finished Find them dead, as always it is a privilege to read an advance copy of Peter James's books and I always look forward to the Roy Grace books as they tend to coincide with my birthday, but like this years birthday being a damp squib because of COVID 19 so I’m afraid was this latest instalment, I don’t want to read 300 pages of what is basically a court case, I want to read about Roy Grace and his creepy son Bruno, the police team and how Roy will finally see the demise of his sneaky boss Cassian Pew, the remaining pages had promise but unfortunately the only thing I have decided after reading this is, is I really don’t fancy jury duty. Roll on next year.

Detective inspector Roy Grace is back and this time he’s part of a case involving the smuggling of drugs through international borders, using decoy sports cars.
The case goes to court and on the jury is Meg. But soon she’s being blackmailed to persuade the jury to reach a not guilty verdict, with her daughter’s life in the balance if she fails:
The narrative flips pleasingly between the defendants - a bent solicitor and his gofer - as well as Meg and the police.
It’s fast-paced and compelling and keeps you guessing.
The ending feels just a little rushed but the rest of the novel more than makes up for it.
Recommended - I love a Roy Grace novel and this is a good one.

I loved it - one of the best in the Roy Grace series. I found it tense and exciting and kept wondering how it could ever have a happy ending as I was approaching the 100% mark. A truly amazing book and I can't wait for the next one!

Another fabulous instalment of the Roy Grace series. I love how this series gives just enough of Roy Grace's personal life to maintain the human interest, but still manages a brilliant crime story. This particular story is different to the previous ones in that it is mainly set in the court room. A great plot as always and eagerly awaiting the next.

I couldn’t wait to read the next instalment of Roy Grace and was not disappointed. The main drama takes place in the courtroom with a solicitor charged with being a drug kingpin. Meg gets called up for jury service and then finds herself blackmailed to influence the verdict.
All the main characters are in play and Roy Grace starts a murder investigation. The story did not unfold how I thought it would which kept me guessing.
Can’t wait for the next instalment!
Thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#FindThemDead #NetGalley

Another excellent addition to the Roy Grace series this time concentrating on a Mr Big in a drug tale. DI Grace takes a backseat in this story of attempted jury nobbling but his absence doesn’t affect the drama. It all ticks along splendidly with the large ending we have come to expect and the final hint of the potential downfall of ACC Pewe to come in the next episode!

What an absolute treat of a read!

I am an ardent fan of the Roy Grace series written by Peter James who has managed to give us a book with a definite courtroom drama feel, whilst not losing any of the traits that have had me entranced through the previous fifteen books in the series.

Drug dealing and the associated violence is not something that translates particularly well in my opinion, to crime fiction but Peter James just goes to prove that with skill and interweaving sub-plots, it can be far more intriguing than I thought possible.

We meet an array of characters, respectable legal aid solicitor Terence Gready, drug importer, Mickey Starr as well as a member of the jury Meg Magellan. Meg has a tragic back story and her only child Laura is about to embark on travelling before taking up a place at Edinburgh University leaving Meg in charge of her menagerie of animals.

Because the centre of the action is on the trial and not one Roy Grace is appearing in as a witness we see his secondment to the Met to deal with the issue of knife crime and the moped bandits whose presence became a phenomenon that we can do without. We also get a glimpse into his and Cleo's life with their two sons as well as having a brief update on the lives of Cassian Pewe, Glen Branston and Norman Potting.

A thoroughly enjoyable fast-paced and fresh feeling novel that was as always read with utter delight.


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Find Them Dead is something a bit different for Peter James in his ever-popular Roy Grace series. For once Grace plays almost a peripheral part and the main plot-line is something he is not aware of,let alone directly involved in.
Career villain Mickey Starr is caught by Customs trying to smuggle Cocaine into the country hidden in the panels of a replica Ferrari. Police investigate and arrest the person they suspect of being the mastermind behind the smuggling operation,local lawyer Terence Gready. Behind the mild-mannered facade Gready is part of a vicious and ruthless organisation who not only smuggle drugs but distribute them through a County Lines network.
With evidence very much stacked against Gready the organisation decide that their only chance of getting him acquitted is to "nobble" the jury at his trial. They decide that recent widow Meg Magellan is the weak link and put pressure on her by threatening the life of her daughter Laura,who is on holiday in South America with a friend. To concentrate Meg's mind they send her pictures proving that one of their number is tracking Laura and reminding her in various ways of how vulnerable she is at home.
Grace enters the story when an attempt to prevent Mickey Starr from turning Queen's evidence goes too far and ends in murder.
The bulk of the book takes the form of a courtroom drama and is an interesting insight into to Court procedures ,much of it reads more like a John Grisham book. I really enjoyed it, it's pacy and doesn't lag, the intricacies of the Justice system are concisely covered and don't bog down the story-line.
Meg's dilemma is expertly woven,she wants to do the right thing but sees no way out of doing what she's been told to do. One thing I particularly enjoyed was that the book shows how much the verdict in any trial can be down to the vagaries of the Jury, some take it seriously,others just want to go home and sometimes the verdict is as much down to perceptions as much a solid evidence .
Roy Grace's private life doesn't feature as much in this book as in others but there are some momentous events ,good and bad. Son Bruno appears to be finally veering towards normality while Humphrey the dog plays more of a part than usual.
Another great read from Peter James .

Thanks to Peter James, Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I have read all of the books in the series of Roy Grace, while I don't feel they are as compelling as the first 5-6 books this was one of the better latter ones. I like the interaction between Grace and his colleagues, he is obviously a very popular boss. This was all about the judicial system. When Gready a solicitor is in court charged with drug offences his barrister tries to stop him being found guilty while "nobbling" some of the jurors - I skipped through the technical court jargon as it was quite hard to follow. The ending seemed a bit rushed and not very likely which is something I find hard. A good read overall

Great to return to these familiar characters. Another complex story full of twists and turns .Continuing the story through the courtroom was different but just as exciting and involving.

Absolutely love s new toy grace book & this one was amazing as always. If highly recommend this book & in the whole series to anyone. A must read!

‘Find Them Dead’
by Peter James, served as my introduction to the world of Roy Grace, a long serving member of the of Sussex police force and currently on secondment to the Metropolitan Police in London. A best-selling author, James is perhaps best known for the Roy Grace series and for his 16th outing, Grace is faced with several challenges. A local lawyer is arrested and charged with several drugs offenses; could be really be the kingpin that Grace and his team have been hunting for years? Little does Grace know but several members of the jury have been threated to ensure that they provide the preferred verdict of the suspect! Meanwhile, a young man with Down Syndrone is brutally and he may be connected to the trial.
This all coincides with several cases from his past, not forgetting some family issues that he must not ignore.
Grace is a likeable character and James has been careful to ensure that his character does not fall into the caricature of many fictional detectives by having gambling or alcohol issues etc. Grace is supportive to his colleagues and determined to solve all of his cases without damaging the careers of those around him.
The story moves at a rapid pace and there are several elements to always hold the reader’s attention, but somehow, I struggled to complete the story. I would not blame the storyline for this, rather that I was just not in the humour at present for this type of book.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Macmillan and Netgalley, in return for an honest review.

Always excited about a new Roy Grace book being released and this was no different. Thanks to netgalley I had early access to Find Them Dead and it did not disappoint. The reason I love these books so much is there is always a thread being unravelled slowly within Grace's personal life too. As a reader you want to pull the thread and reveal it straight away but Peter James is the master when it comes to cliffhangers so you are desperate for the next book. You are left wanting to shout a warning to Grace! This book took a different direction from usual as we followed a court case where one of the jury is being coerced into delivering a not guilty verdict and as such I really felt for Meg as she struggled with what best to do. I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes as it read like a British John Grisham. Really gripping read but over to fast now I have ages to wait til the next one!

Another winner from the supremely talented Peter James. Can I start by saying how much I love the character of Roy Grace, a real 'copper' with none of the destructive and fairly implausible character traits that other crime authors employ. This is a departure from the usual style of find the killer book, and is even more interesting because of it. I have been on jury duty and it is so well described, from the procedural points to the discussions that occur amongst jurors. Maybe not enough Roy, Cleo and family in here, but that's a very minor complaint. Such good characterisation here, from the snooty members of the legal profession to the wonderful Norman Potting, who very much comes into his own in this book. The fear of the jury spokesman was really well described and her interactions with her daughter struck very true. Of course this will be a bestseller as it's by Peter James, but if this had been written under a pseudonym, with the characters changed obviously, it would still be a stunning read.