(Brighton, UK Police Station)

Recently, my wife and I came across the television crime series GRACE on BritBox.  The series is based on the crime novels written by Peter James who is a master of the crime genre.  James’ work is much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over forty awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger.  Since we enjoyed the television series so much I decided it might be interesting to explore the novels that the series is based on.  James’ has written twenty-one novels in the series, the latest published about a month ago entitled, THEY THOUGHT I WAS DEAD which focuses on Roy Grace’s wife who years before disappeared without a trace.  Grace immediately launched an investigation into his missing spouse, but after years of wondering what occurred as is recounted in the television series, he made little progress.

The first book in the series, DEAD SIMPLE centers on a prank that has gone wrong.  At Michael Harrison’s bachelor party his friends lock him in a coffin with only a few hours of oxygen left. A few hours later, his friends who orchestrated the prank, are involved in a tragic accident, leaving Michael’s distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper desperate for answers. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is brought in to unravel the mystery, but he soon realizes that the one man who ought to know Michael’s whereabouts is maintaining silence since Robbo, Pete, and Luke are killed in the accident with another Josh, hangs on for a few days before he will pass on.  Grace can empathize with Ashley, as he is a man who is haunted by his own missing wife.

James creates an interesting, tangled web as what appears to be a prank gone wrong turns out to be something more sinister.  Mike Warren was also supposed to be part of the prank, but he was delayed and was not present.  However, Warren was Michael Harrison’s partner at Double-M Properties, a real estate developer.  The company was extremely successful due to Warren’s hard work with Michael living his normal lazy, womanizing life.  The reason he was a partner was because he put up more money when the company was founded than Warren.  The standard questions include; is it a coincidence that Warren was not present for the prank which could result in his partner’s death?  Or was it because all of the participants had been victims of Harrison’s pranking in the past and this was just an innocent prank gone horribly wrong because of an accident?  In following the plot line other pertinent questions emerge which the reader probably would not consider.

As James constructs his plot he leaves out no detail.  His portrayal of Harrison trapped inside the coffin is searing as he is unable to communicate with the outside world and water rises in the coffin and his breathing tube disappears.  In dealing with Detective Grace, James creates an interest in the paranormal which possibly could blow up in his face as the defense attorney makes fun of him in court and this carries over to Grace’s boss back at the police station.    In Grace’s defense the use of a “medium” was something he turned to in the search for his wife, so he felt as a last resort in the murder case why not try it once again.  Some would find integrating a “medium” into the story as overkill, but for me it is understandable.

(Peter James, author)

James’ develops his Roy Grace character carefully filling in gaps in his life and career for the reader to get to know him.  Grace is a good detective who wades through a great deal of information – the Cayman Islands account Harrison shared with Warren, the false notes Grace picks up at the canceled wedding, Ashley’s relationship with Michael’s friends, among others.  For Grace it is clear that the situation is more involved than a prank gone wrong.

As James develops his novel a number of characters and scenes stand out.  As to the scenes, the back and forth between Harrison locked in the coffin and Davey, the son of a retired police officer, a young man who is mentally challenged is riveting.  The scenes involving Ashley Harper and Vic Delany are very disturbing.  The scenes involving Grace’s “team” reflect on how good policing should be approached.  There are many others as James knows how to create actions and conversations which draw the reader in.  As to characters Ashley Harper or Alexandra Huron or possibly Anne Hampson is fascinating as we really do not know who they are.  Max Candille and John Stempe, both mediums who Grace relies upon.  The relationship between Mark Warren and Michael Harrison is a key to the plot.  Lastly, is Vic Delaney or Bradley Cunningham who supposedly is Ashley Harper’s uncle, lover, etc.  In all cases you must read on to determine what is real and what is not.

James’ novel is rather mundane for the first one third of the story.  The author then drops an explosive change to the plot which the reader would never expect, allowing the last two thirds of the book to be hard to put down.  After reading DEAD SIMPLE it is obvious that James’ reputation is well deserved, and I look forward to continuing with the Grace series.