With the Grace books you usually know who the culprit is, but it's how they will be caught that the story centres on. This is a horrible stalking story and sadly probably too close to reality. I enjoyed it mostly. ( )

Crime

Want You Dead by Peter James is the 10th book in his Roy Grace series, and this one finds Roy and his team searching for an obsessive psychopath who is ruthlessly destroying everything and everyone in his ex-girlfriend’s life. It’s only a matter of time until he comes directly after her. The secondary story involving Roy’s now declared dead first wife, finally comes to a head and I am sure there will be consequences to deal with in the next book.

The stalker story was dark and intense and I found it a little unbelievable as this stalker seemed a little too good at his obsession even though at the end of the book I read an author’s note that said that this story was inspired by a real life case. On the other hand, as with all of Peter James’ books, it was a dark and intense story, a definite page turner. I am not sure where I stand with the secondary story, I was hoping for a big reveal when his ex-wife finally declared herself but at this point I think Roy will simply have to deal with the fact that he has another son, one who has been brought up in Germany and doesn’t know anything about his father.

I am a huge fan of this series. His life changed a lot in this book with his marriage to Cleo, adjusting to their baby son, and a new boss who is a former enemy but there is more change on the horizon and I look forward to finding out what is next in the life of Roy Grace. ( )

Swedish Review

Red Cameron träffar stiliga och charmiga Bryce Laurent via en dejtingsida på nätet, och blir omedelbart attraherad. Men samtidigt som kärleken växer visar sig Bryces mörka sida. Red upptäcker att ingenting Bryce har sagt är sant, och hennes förälskelse förvandlas snart till skräck. 

Hon kastar ut honom ur sin lägenhet, men hennes mardröm har bara börjat. Bryce är besatt av Red och han har för avsikt att förstöra allt och alla i hennes närhet. Och sedan henne. Kriminalintendent Roy Grace måste hindra honom, innan det är försent.

Peter James serie om kriminalintendent Roy Grace är en som jag velat läsa länge och jag var verkligen glad när jag fick chansen att läsa den senaste släppta boken. Detta är en av mina kära mors favoritbokserier så jag anade att jag skulle gilla boken för vi har rätt lik smak.

Trots att detta är bok 10 i serien så var det inga som helst problem att komma in handlingen. Jag har i och för sig fått höra en hel del om Roy och hans saknade fru Sandy från moderskapet när hon läst böckerna så jag visste redan att Roy har i år och dar letat efter sin fru som lämnat honom och nyligen har han fått henne dödsförklarat så han kan gå vidare i livet och gifta om sig med Cleo som han har sonen Noah ihop med.

I vanliga fall så brukar jag inte gilla att veta vem gärningsmannen är utan jag föredrar att försöka lista ut det själv. Men i denna bok så gjorde det absolut inget att jag visste att Bryce Laurent var bakom allting, däremot ville jag verkligen att de skulle sätta dit det svinet och at han skulle få det han förtjänade i slutet. Maken till obehaglig karl får man leta efter. Däremot tyckte jag att Red Cameron trots allting hon utsattes för ändå slogs tillbaka när hon fick chansen. Jag gillar kvinnliga karaktärer som inte låter sig besegras, inte ens av en psykopatisk galning.

En mycket bra bok, jag ser fram emot läsa boken som kommer efter denna för att få se vad som hände härnäst för Roy Grace. Sedan har jag turen att ha tillgång till 9 olästa Roy Grace böcker...  

Tack till Massolit Förlag för recensionsexemplaret! 

English Review

In Peter James' Want You Dead, thirty-year old Red Cameron meets handsome, charming and rich thirty-five year old Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, and is instantly attracted to him. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past begins to emerge, and with it his dark side. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror.

Within a year, and under police protection, she evicts him from her flat and her life. But far from being over, her nightmare is only just beginning. For Bryce is obsessed and besotted with her. He intends to destroy, by fire, everything and everyone she has ever known and loved—and then her, too. It's up to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace to stop him before it's too late...

I have long wanted to read Peter James series about Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, so I was quite happy when I got the chance to read the least one, despite not having read the previous 9. But, this is one of my dear mother's favorite series and we have almost the same taste in books so I was quite sure I would like the book.

I did not have any problems getting into this series, despite this being the 10th book in a series. I do know a lot of about Roy and his missing wife Sandy (thanks to mom) and that Sandy had left Roy 10 years before and that he has been looking for here since then. Recently he had her declared dead so he could be ale to move on with his life and marry his girlfriend Cleo, mother to his son Noah.

I usually don't like to know the identity of the suspect when I read a book. I prefer to try to figure it out myself, but I didn't mind it a bit when it came to this book. However, I really wanted to police to nail the bastard and that he would get what he deserved in the end. It's hard to find a more unpleasant man. I did like that Red Cameron, despite everything she was put through still fought back when she got the chance. I like female characters that, despite everything that happens still stay strong, especially against psychopathic maniacs.

This was a very good book and I'm looking forward to reading the book that comes after it to find out what will happen next to Roy Grace. I'm also happy that I have nine unread Roy Grace books to read...

Thanks to Massolit Förlag for the review copy!
( )

Firstly I should point out that although 'Want You Dead' is the tenth book featuring the detective Roy Grace I have read this as a one off rather than working my way through the series. As such I cannot really comment as to whether or not this is better or worse than those that have gone before.

The book opens with a pretty graphic description of the torture and murder of Brighton GP Karl Murphy. It takes a while for young estate agent Red Westwood, who has been dating Karl, and hence the police, to realise what we as a reader already knows, that she is being stalked by her violent ex-boyfriend Bryce Laurent.

Despite the book opening in a blaze I found the first half of the story a bit of a slow burner, not helped by a rash of 'had he but known' lines at the end of chapters which made any sense of tension that had preceded it feel artificial as if even the author didn't really believe in what he was writing. The second half did pick up but for me the damage had already been done, I was left feeling that it too contrived and overly long. The inclusion of Roy Grace's upcoming nuptials seemed pretty pointless as well.

Whilst I found Red a generally feisty and likeable character I didn't find her particularly believable, the less said about the implausible Super-human, multi-skilled, elusive villain with a liking of setting fires is probably for the better. The texts that were supposedly sent between the two when they were in a relationship were pretty laughable. I mean I know this is Brighton but really does everyone living there have names like Red, Bryce and Raquel and are either having fabulous, mind-blowing sex or are divorced/ widowed? Come on!

As I said at the beginning of this review I read this book as a one off and in that regard it just didn't work for me but cannot say whether or not that this is because it is better or worse that the author's usual output. It certainly won't make me rush out and seek any others but at least it was a relatively quick read. ( )