Dead Man's Footsteps

The fourth in his DS Roy Grace series, Dead Man’s Footsteps by Peter James continues the high standard of the series. Although so far none of the books has matched the high suspense level that the first book delivered, this one comes close. The series is classed as a police procedural, but these have the added bonus of being fast paced with thrilling plots that keep the pages flying by.

Roy Grace is a complex character with a strong work ethic and although he has his problems with one superior, and jealousy is an issue with another, overall he is a well respected member of the Sussex Police. Working and living in Brighton, Roy’s main issues stem from his past and his wife who disappeared without a trace over nine years ago. Although show more he is trying to move on and develop new relationships, having a missing person case of this nature plays havoc with his personal life.

Dead Man’s Footsteps deals with how Ronnie Wilson, a shady businessman, took advantage of having scheduled a meeting at the World Trade Center in New York on the morning of September 11, 2001. Now, years later, bodies are beginning to surface - one in Brighton and one in Australia - that have connections to Ronnie Wilson. DS Grace and his team are beginning to suspect that perhaps Ronnie survived 9/11. Meanwhile, a young woman is in hiding in Brighton, but her nemesis has found her and now she is fighting for her life. As the tension mounts, the police seem to be moving ever so closer to putting the pieces together and we can see these storylines start to merge.

I felt a little like I was riding a rollercoaster as the book seemed to move faster and faster as we drew to the end. With many a twist and turn this is a genuine thriller and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. show less

British con man Ronnie Wilson is in New York for a critical meeting at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. As the towers collapse, his shock turns to fury. How could this be happening to him on the day his ship was finally going to come in? As he gets drunk and rages a moment of inspiration occurs to him. Moving forward to 2007 Abby Dawson is in the final stages of a plan that will set her up for the rest of her life when she gets stuck in her apartment elevator. The next few hours will turn into a nightmare for her. Across town Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called out to investigate the discovery of a woman's body stuck in a storm drain. As he begins the investigation of a two-year-old corpse, Grace has show more no idea he is embarking on a case that will span three continents. The story, set in 2007, flashes back regularly to 2001 and the 9/11 tragedy which is critical to the events happening in 2007.

I really enjoy the DS Roy Grace series and the fascinating side characters he interacts with. He's a bit different than some of the other detectives in similar series. His wife, Sandy, disappeared without a trace nine years ago and, even though he's involved with the woman of his dreams he can't seem to let Sandy go. I know she's the “hook” to the series but I wish he would realize she's probably not worth his devotion. I've read the first four books in order and I think that's helpful for the furtherance of the missing wife plot as well as multi-character development. I'm on my way to find Book #5, Dead Tomorrow. That last two words in this book are somewhat of a cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what's next. show less

British con man Ronnie Wilson is in New York for a critical meeting at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. As the towers collapse, his shock turns to fury. How could this be happening to him on the day his ship was finally going to come in? As he gets drunk and rages a moment of inspiration occurs to him. Moving forward to 2007 Abby Dawson is in the final stages of a plan that will set her up for the rest of her life when she gets stuck in her apartment elevator. The next few hours will turn into a nightmare for her. Across town Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called out to investigate the discovery of a woman's body stuck in a storm drain. As he begins the investigation of a two-year-old corpse, Grace has show more no idea he is embarking on a case that will span three continents. The story, set in 2007, flashes back regularly to 2001 and the 9/11 tragedy which is critical to the events happening in 2007.

I really enjoy the DS Roy Grace series and the fascinating side characters he interacts with. He's a bit different than some of the other detectives in similar series. His wife, Sandy, disappeared without a trace nine years ago and, even though he's involved with the woman of his dreams he can't seem to let Sandy go. I know she's the 1Chook 1D to the series but I wish he would realize she's probably not worth his devotion. I've read the first four books in order and I think that's helpful for the furtherance of the missing wife plot as well as multi-character development. I'm on my way to find Book #5, Dead Tomorrow. That last two words in this book are somewhat of a cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what's next. show less

Number four in the Roy Grace series. Three and a half stars, rounded up. This book is very fast-moving as it spans six years and three continents. I must admit that I found myself getting lost, caught between the three time-Frames. I have never read a book with quite so many odious and unlikeable people in it. I got so caught up in trying to figure out which awful person I hated most, and strangely enough, I think it turned out to be Cassian Pugh, Roy’s nemesis who won that dubious title. The storyline with Cassian and with the endless references to Roy’s missing wife, took my mind away from the actual mystery of the book. The chase at the end of the book redeemed a lot of the frustrations I was experiencing while listening to the show more book. I enjoyed the side characters like Branson and the rest of Roy’s team, and thought that they held the plot together. Roy Grace goes down a few too many rabbit holes for my liking, it’s time to take a bit of a breather from Roy Grace. Maybe after a period of time I’ll be ready to board the Roy Grace roller coaster again.
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2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. This was a really convoluted way to play out this mystery. Bouncing around between different characters and cases on 3 different continents, taking place in 3 different timelines. That's not inherently terrible, but none of them felt all that strong on their own, and all felt weakened by the split attention. And it seemed like it wasn't done because that's how the story was strongest, but as a personal challenge for the author to try to pull off, or because he couldn't come up with a way to make the main story interesting enough to carry on its own. But really, you can just reference a previous case and tie it into the current one, I don't need to see all the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body show more play out, and also even earlier scenes of this otherwise pretty inconsequential character before they died as well. Sometimes just telling is plenty. But I will still try the next one. show less

Remains are found in a storm drain which leads Grace to another discovery in Australia. The tragic events of 9/11 have allowed Ronnie Wilson a new life. All of these events are connected and Roy Grace needs to find that connection.

This story is told two timelines and is set in Brighton, United Kingdom and New York.

The events surrounding 9/11 were well covered by the author in a very respectful way. There was enough imagery to visualise it and having already seen this event on TV, he was true to the event. The plot was well structured and it came together really well at the end. The only criticism would be the number of characters names which was often confusing and I had to keep a notebook of who was who. There are two scenes show more incorporating claustrophobia and vertigo which were so well written, my heart rate went up and I started to sweat. Grace continues to lament the disappearance of his wife Sandy too even though he has found new love.

Bring on the next one. show less

Sometimes it pays to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Dodgy British businessman Ronnie Wilson can't believe what he is witnessing. It is nearly 9 am on September 11, 2001. He is seriously late for his meeting with Donald Hatcook on the 87th floor of New York World Trade Center's South Tower. And the South Tower is disintegrating before his eyes. But he doesn't see tragedy. He sees opportunity.

Six years on, October 2007, in Brighton, England, a female body has turned up in a storm drain on Detective Superintendent Roy Grace's patch. It bears an uncanny resemblance to Grace's missing wife Sandy. Almost simultaneously, half way across the world, a second female body is discovered in a lake near Melbourne, Australia.

In an echo of show more what must have happened ever so briefly on 9/11, Abby Dawson is trapped in a malfunctioning lift in Brighton. The lift feels as if it is dangling by a single cable and her cries for help are going unheeded.

Before long Roy Grace, newly promoted to head up Major crimes finds himself managing an investigation that spans three continents. This is #4 in the series that focuses on the English seaside town of Brighton, although in DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS, the town merely provides the background. These four books really are a series with continuing characters, and narrative threads that bind them together. James is truly creating a world about DS Grace: the threats to his authority, the people he has to work with, his personal life. I'm the sort of reader who likes to read a developing series in order, but this novel could also be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. show less