On, I’m a huge Peter James fan and love the Roy Grace books, but I found this a bit slow and struggled to finish it. Not to say it was a bad read but I just thought it wasn’t one of the best. But o look forward to the next one!!!!#PictureYouDead #NetGalley

Picture You Dead by Peter James
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Publication Date: 29/9/22

NO SPOILERS

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another thrilling instalment in the DCI Roy Grace series which I enjoyed even more after watching the TV series. Set in Brighton, meticulously researched and well plotted, I really enjoyed this story about Art fraud - with the odd murder thrown in of course.

Always leaves me wanting more.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Highly recommended.

Peter James is a best selling author whose books always end up on the best sellers list. For me however I find they have become too formulaic and repetitive. His first book Dead Simple was outstanding a real who done it and what the heck was going on type novel. Over the course of subsequent novels various ideas and thoughts and sayings kept repeating themselves to the point of my finding them tiresome, “ he was reminded of the saying….” “ so and so once said…” obviously it is just me as he still regularly tops the worlds best seller charts.
Meticulous research is done into each book as is the police procedures for handling cases, and this time the research is attributed to the art world. Roy Grace finds his team looking into a cold case from 2015 of the death of a player in the art field who had reportedly come into ownership of a very valuable painting originally thought lost to the world. The case soon is linked to the present day when a young couple purchase a painting at a car boot sale and find the above mentioned painting, Summer by Fragonard, hidden beneath the painting they bought. They take the painting to the Antiques Roadshow to see if it is of any value, and learn that it possibly could be worth millions of pounds. Once the show airs on tv, their lives are in danger from the unscrupulous art dealers who will use any means to get what they want.

#PictureYouDead. #NetGalley

This is a great detective story. I have read and enjoyed this author before and this is no exception. I loved the Sussex setting and all the references which will be so recognisable to anyone from that part of the world. Most enjoyable!

Picture You Dead is the latest in the DS Roy Grace series from Peter James. A series well worth reading with Grace, an honest cop with a conscious, playing the lead in a cast of wonderful characters as they fight crime in the Brighton and Hove environs. It is now a TV series which is as exciting as Peter James’s books and appears faithful to the original story lines.
In this latest installment, Grace and his team are looking into a 5 year old unsolved murder case of an art dealer possibly involving the theft of an old French Masterpiece. The reader is taken expertly into the world of fine art dealing and fine art forgery and Grace’s sleuthing is even given a helping hand by a chance watching of The Antiques Road Show on television.
As always in Peter James’s books, the subject matter is meticulously researched and the plots very cleverly woven together. As well as the familiar cast, there are new characters who are wonderfully constructed and vividly portrayed. The new TV series has modified my image of Grace and the others but in a good way making the reading more easy to picture in ones mind.
I would thoroughly recommend this book and the whole series to any lover of mysteries or Police procedural. Peter James is a master of this genre and always a joy to read.
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing pre publication access.

I have read all of the Roy Grace series of books and am delighted it is now a television drama as well.

Picture You Dead is another great read and the characters feel like I know them having been brought to life on the small screen. Having said that it can easily be read as a standalone.

Harry and Freya Kipling are an ordinary couple who buy at car boot sales. Purely by fluke they discover one of the items bought is a painting from a famous artist and highly sought after. This is something they have dreamed about but the reality is not what they imagined.

Cleverly plotted with numerous twists and turns we delve into the world of fine art, an area Roy Grace knows little about to discover the deception and greed of those who paint and collect the art.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan, NetGalley and Peter James for my ARC in return for my honest review. Highly recommended.

In 2015 art dealer Charlie Porteous thinks he has found the golden ticket out of his financial mess but sadly not. In 2019 Harry and Freya Kipling, both fans of car boot sales, which is where Harry acquires an old picture frame he is certain is worth considerably more than the twenty quid he pays. However the painting it contains gives Freya the creeps!

Meanwhile, DSU Roy Grace, head of Major Crimes in Sussex is also tasked with reviewing cold cases and he takes a look at the Charlie Porteous murder which he reopens in “Operation Canvas“. Does Charlies death link to a potentially high value painting he had in his possession? Perhaps in this case it’s a case of “art is what you can get away with” (Andy Warhol).

It’s hard to believe that this is number 18 in this series and what a good addition this one is! It’s quite a busy plot with a lot of characters to familiarise yourself but it is worth it as I really enjoy the focus on art. There really is never a dull moment in this latest Roy Grace mystery thriller.
There are burglaries and burglars, a master forger, tv programme Antiques Roadshow, obsessive characters and very dangerous cat and mouse games to keep you interested! It’s all told at a brisk pace with plenty of plot twists and turns with an added amounts of mayhem, shenanigans, ruthlessness and sheer greed to keep your reading on . I like the ending where one character does redeem himself and the outcome raises an ironic smile from me!

The police team of Roy Grace are familiar now but they’re not as ebullient as they once were which is very understandable after all they’ve been through over the last few years. Even Norman Potting, maybe especially Norman, is not quite so perky as he once was but still capable of the odd moment of un-PC! He makes me laugh! Probably shouldn’t!

Overall, this is a highly entertaining read with an especially enjoyable focus on art which has me intrigued throughout.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan MacMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Another fabulous instalment in the Roy Grace series, book 18 and they just keep getting better! I enjoyed the plot for this book as it delves into the lives of the mega rich and the lengths they will go to for what they want.

Jump right into the world of unscrupulous art dealings in this the latest in the latest offering in the Roy Grace series. It will not disappoint. The Murder of an art dealer in 2015 links neatly into the current scene of wheeling and dealing to extract as much money as possible from art fanatics wishing to procure masterpieces. Caught up in this are the Kiplings who bought a painting because they liked its frame only to discover that under its uninspiring overpainting lay a possible rare painting .
A thoroughly enjoyable foray into the art underworld and a welcome back to the array of characters Pete James has collated around Roy Grace

Peter James is the gift that keeps on giving!! Seen as this is book 18 in the Roy Grace series you think surely this will be the one where it starts going downhill... however that couldn't be more wrong! Brilliantly written as always and had me gripped the whole way through! I couldn't read it quick enough. If you have piked this book up not realising its part of a series, don't worry you can still read it but I can assure you of one thing - you are going to want to go back and read all the rest once your done!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of Picture You Dead, the eighteenth novel to feature Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Major Crime Unit for Surrey and Sussex Police.

Harry and Freya Kipling buy an old, ugly painting for its frame at a car boot sale. An accident reveals another painting underneath, one which could be potentially extremely valuable and one collector is determined to have it, no matter the human cost.

I enjoyed Picture You Dead to a certain extent, but the art world doesn’t really interest me. It seems greedy and self obsessed to me and this novel reinforces that viewpoint. It’s such a first world obsession for rich people only.

Rant over. The novel is well constructed, although it took me a while to settle in. It starts with various voices setting the scene, switching from one to another to present the wider picture. I didn’t find it compulsive until I got a good grasp of the players and where it was going.

Roy Grace slowly builds a case, linking a cold case murder with present day events, and I found it fascinating the way it comes together and the tools he has to do so. I would have been happy with this as the sole focus of the novel, but the author has chosen to expand on this and incorporates various characters, including the psychopathic collector. This allows the reader to see all facets of crime, the perpetrators, the victims and the investigators. Personally, I don’t find that this approach offers an immersive read, but I always like the idea of it.

Picture You Dead is a good read that I can recommend.

A gripping and unpredictable read that I finished in one sitting. Twisty and full of mystery and susopense. I loved it.

I have read and loved every book in this series and each one leaves me eager to read the next one and to discover more about the characters. I really enjoy the way the background, very human, stories are interweaved with the detective mystery. The reader has a choice of two levels on which to enjoy the story: follow the police procedures and unravel the villainy, or enjoy the developing relationships between Grace, his colleagues and his family. Or, as I do, thoroughly enjoy both. One of my favourite detective series. It has that little bit extra that sets it apart and keeps me intrigued. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

What can I say about Peter James? His books just get better and better over time and I loved this one. They are never long enough to find out more about the latest from Grace and Cleo and all the other characters' lives. This storyline was very absorbing and detailed about the artworld and it is totally recommended.

I couldn't wait to read this and I was not disappointed. What a fantastic read, Roy Grace is such a believable character, after the ending of the previous book I was looking forward to this one! A couple go to a car boot and buy a painting....could it be a lost masterpiece worth a small fortune? We can all identify with that...like wining the lottery. As Roy Grace discovers greed gets in the way and someone will stop at nothing to get what they want !! With violent consequences. Peter James has given us yet another fantastic story.

This is the 18th book in the DS Roy Grace series and I have loved every one. The novel starts with the murder of Charlie Porteous, a Brighton art dealer in 2015. In 2019 Grace is reviewing cold cases and decides to reopen the Porteous case. At the same time a Brighton couple, Harry and Freya buy a framed painting at a car boot sale. They soon discover that another painting lies beneath it and this may well be a highly collectible 18th Century masterpiece worth millions. The novel is set in the Brighton art collecting world of fraudsters, forgers and rich collectors who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
It was great to be back in the world of Roy Grace and his team. The novel is set very shortly after the events of Book 17 and so the team are still coming to terms with previous events. I love the characterisation in this series and the relationships between Grace and his team. I love the setting and James brings Brighton and the surrounding area to life. The author is such a skilled storyteller and a genius plotter. I always wonder in this series how the seemingly unconnected threads of the story will come together but these are gradually weaved together for a very satisfying ending. Can be read as a standalone but I'd definitely recommend starting at the beginning of the series. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Harry and Freya Kipling love wandering around car boot sales looking for interesting items. One day Harry comes across a picture. The picture itself is hideous but the frame is perfect for something he has in mind. Once home the picture is put to one side and forgotten about until an accident damages the painting. Upon inspecting the damage they discover that there is another painting underneath. There is a possibility that the picture underneath is a long lost old master and worth millions. Unfortunately this attracts the attention of a collector who wants the painting but isn't prepared to pay millions for it.



This is book number 18 in the Roy Grace series. I've long been a fan of this series and eagerly await each new book in the series. Fans of the series will not be disappointed by the story line.

The book opens in 2015 with the murder of an antiques dealer, Charlie Porteous, a murder that has never been solved. We then jump to 2019 and Roy Grace is reviewing the cold case of the murder of Charlie Porteous. With ever improving scientific methods it's hoped that they may discover clues to help solve the murder.

We have the usual supporting characters working alongside Grace, including the totally un-PC Norman Potting. Since the events in this book take place almost immediately after the ending of book 17, Left You Dead, there is a subdued air to the characters as a result of events which happened in the previous book.



I am always amazed that Peter James still manages to come up with new story lines having written seventeen previous books in this series. The depth of research is astounding, however James writes so well that the reader gets a clear understanding. I almost feel like an expert myself on artists of the fete galante style of painting. The other really interesting aspect of this story though is the way in which almost any painting can be faked so well that it is virtually impossible to tell the difference.

As the story progresses we meet a range of criminals and discover that they fall in to two categories. Those who have a moral code and those who don't. Those who have a moral code tend to be a dying breed; the old lags who hold their hands up when caught and avoid violence. Set alongside these are the newer breed of criminals, mainly involved in drugs or internet crime, who will do anything to get what they want. This story features a couple of particularity nasty versions of this new breed, they certainly made my skin crawl.

As we race towards the conclusion the sense of menace increases and you wonder if Grace and his team will be able to solve the crimes in time and protect the victims. At no point do you feel that everything is going to work out ok, the tension never lets up until the very end.

This is without a doubt one of Peter James’ best novels in his long-running Roy Grace series. The storyline involving the murder of an art dealer and forged paintings is riveting and believable. James depicts a recognisable middle-class society of antiques shops, vegans and art lovers, and his knowledge of current police procedure is always on point.
As ever, Peter James writes in short, snappy chapters, much like James Patterson, which give a palpable sense of urgency to the story. Just as Ann Cleeves uses the same team of characters in her books, so to does James; all the old favourites are back and James lets the reader into their personal lives.
The plot is original, sometimes complex but always gripping and readable. “Picture You Dead” is recommended for Peter James’ legion of fans and anyone who loves a cracking crime story.

The 18th book in the Roy Grace series marks a spectacular return to form for Peter James. Since book thirteen, the series has been turning into a soap opera with unbelievable plots and, at times, poor writing. The stand alone novels have been even worse. However, Picture You Dead is up there with the best of the earlier titles in the series. The plot revolves around a painting bought in a car boot sale, art collectors and art fraud. There is the usual background of Grace's private life (do read the previous book before starting this one if you want to avoid a huge spoiler).

Characters are better drawn in this book than has been the case recently, with a cast of the usual suspects - Cleo, Potting, Branson et al. This time there is more of a separation between each, with clear water between each of their personalities.

Perhaps the main flaw here, as in many of James's other titles is the complete lack of redeeming features in any of the villains - and in every novel, a basic error catches out a villain who has supposedly been at the top of his profession for years.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable book and an excellent addition to the Roy Grace canon.

It is hard to keep a long established series fresh but Peter James has managed to do soon this, the 18th Roy Grace place procedural. Yes, all the old characters are there in all their glory, but that is fine, as you really like and root for them and take a real interest in their lives.

James knows Brighton and environs like the back of his hand and his knowledge of modern policing is also accurate and up to date.

The plot is original, complex at times and beautifully described.

What more can you ask from a book?