Book #60: Want You Dead by Peter James
This one was difficult to review without dropping spoilers for this book and several of the previous titles, so it's behind a cut.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Want You Dead by Peter James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The tenth Roy Grace novel is refreshingly simple to follow, in that it only has two main storylines, rather than several mysteries that eventually dovetail into each other.
The main plot involves a man who is kidnapped, and murdered by being burned to death. Only, the reader is told exactly who the killer is. Bryce Laurent is angry that he had started dating her ex, Red, and has decided that if he can't her, no one can. Thus, he starts on a gradual quest to kill Red, after also attempting to kill all the people she cares about (including an apparent attempt to kill her parents).
There is a second plot, which involves Grace and his fiansee Cleo getting married, having planned it for the last few books. Of course, Grace is unaware that his supposedly dead wife, Sandy, is very much alive, and living in Brighton.
This plot surprised me, because I had been anticipating Sandy to show up the wedding, and object to it on the basis that the groom is still married to her. In fact, the book teases us with his happening, but then turning out to be Grace's nightmare. When Sandy shows up with her son, with the intention of objecting, she ends up saying nothing. To be honest, I've found Sandy impossible to like because of her behaviour in some of the recent titles, and I still didn't find it possible to sympathise with her.
Overall, I thought this was one of the better titles in the series. The main plot was thrilling, as I was constantly waiting to see what Bryce (one of the creepier villains in the series) was going to do next. The final chapter was very satisfying.
Also, this book has at least one recurring character death, which I won't spoil here. One is confirmed, and it will be interesting to see how the character's death will affect Grace's colleagues in future books. The second one comes quite late on, and is quite sudden, but the audience is somewhat left hanging. Without spoiling who dies, I am hoping it turns out to be a fakeout, as it felt like an abrupt end to a plotline that I've been enjoying. Needless to say, it gave me a good incentive to read the next book.
View all my reviews
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Want You Dead by Peter James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The tenth Roy Grace novel is refreshingly simple to follow, in that it only has two main storylines, rather than several mysteries that eventually dovetail into each other.
The main plot involves a man who is kidnapped, and murdered by being burned to death. Only, the reader is told exactly who the killer is. Bryce Laurent is angry that he had started dating her ex, Red, and has decided that if he can't her, no one can. Thus, he starts on a gradual quest to kill Red, after also attempting to kill all the people she cares about (including an apparent attempt to kill her parents).
There is a second plot, which involves Grace and his fiansee Cleo getting married, having planned it for the last few books. Of course, Grace is unaware that his supposedly dead wife, Sandy, is very much alive, and living in Brighton.
This plot surprised me, because I had been anticipating Sandy to show up the wedding, and object to it on the basis that the groom is still married to her. In fact, the book teases us with his happening, but then turning out to be Grace's nightmare. When Sandy shows up with her son, with the intention of objecting, she ends up saying nothing. To be honest, I've found Sandy impossible to like because of her behaviour in some of the recent titles, and I still didn't find it possible to sympathise with her.
Overall, I thought this was one of the better titles in the series. The main plot was thrilling, as I was constantly waiting to see what Bryce (one of the creepier villains in the series) was going to do next. The final chapter was very satisfying.
Also, this book has at least one recurring character death, which I won't spoil here. One is confirmed, and it will be interesting to see how the character's death will affect Grace's colleagues in future books. The second one comes quite late on, and is quite sudden, but the audience is somewhat left hanging. Without spoiling who dies, I am hoping it turns out to be a fakeout, as it felt like an abrupt end to a plotline that I've been enjoying. Needless to say, it gave me a good incentive to read the next book.
View all my reviews