Dead at First Sight (Roy Grace #15) by Peter James
Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller, Police procedural
Read: 10th November 2024
Published: 14th May 2019
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
You don’t know me, but I thought I knew you . . .
A man waits at a London airport for Ingrid Ostermann, the love of his life, to arrive. Across the Atlantic, a retired NYPD cop waits in a bar in Florida’s Key West for his first date with the lady who is, without question, his soulmate. The two men are about to discover they’ve been scammed out of almost every penny they have in the world – and that neither women exist.
Meanwhile, a wealthy divorcée plunges, in suspicious circumstances, from an apartment block in Munich. In the same week, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to investigate the suicide of a woman in Brighton, that is clearly not what it seems. As his investigations continue, a handsome Brighton motivational speaker comes forward. He’s discovered his identity is being used to scam eleven different women, online. The first he knew of it was a phone call from one of them, out of the blue, saying, ‘You don’t know me, but I thought I knew you’.
That woman is now dead.
Roy Grace realizes he is looking at the tip of an iceberg. A global empire built on clever, cruel internet scams and the murder of anyone who threatens to expose them.
MY THOUGHTS:
You don't know me...but I thought I knew you...
This is my first foray into reading Roy Grace, though my first was actually Sandy's Story "They Thought I Was Dead". I fell in love with the TV series and while I have way too many books on my TBR list I just went and added Roy Grace because he is just so lovely. Nothing at all like detectives that we normally come across. So maybe this wasn't the best book to begin with but as I have seen all four series so far and I read that this is one of those they are adapting in Season 5, it intrigued me so I thought I would begin with it. Some of the characters revisit with us, such as Tooth, the contract killer that has eluded Grace on a number of occasions...no thanks to his superior ACC Cassian Pewe, who is just as detestable here as on TV.
There are soooo many characters in this one that does make it hard to keep up with them. But I love James' short snappy chapters which helps keep the pace moving and at over 500 pages, that is some feat! I can't compare it to previous Grace mysteries as I have yet to read them. But what intrigued me was the romance fraud storyline scamming lonely vulnerable people online.
We meet Johnny Fordwater, retired Major with the British army who was widowed four years previously, who waits in the arrival lounge at Gatwick Airport, awaiting the love of his life Ingrid Ostermann who is due to arrive from Munich at any moment. In his arms is a ridiculously oversized bouquet of pink roses as she had said they were her favourite.
Across the Atlantic, retired NYPD cop Matt Sorokin sits in a dive of a bar awaiting his true love Evelyne with whom he'd arranged to meet after arriving from Sao Paolo. He had booked the honeymoon suite in a nearby hotel with petals scattered over the bed spelling out her name. He can't wait to meet her.
In Brighton, Toby Seward is cooking up a storm for his husband when he receives a phone call from a Suzy Driver who claims that she, along with ten other women, are in love with him - or rather the man they thought he was though with different names.
Also what does a murdered woman in Munich have to do with a suspected suicide in Brighton?
This book is jam-packed with lots going on while Grace juggles caseloads from previous investigations as well as what is looking suspiciously like an internet dating scam where innocent people's identities and photos are used to scam lonely vulnerable people out of their life savings. We see the return of contract killer Tooth but will Grace be able to outsmart him once and for all?
Despite its length and complex web of happenings, I still managed to read it in a day...but only just. It is a compelling police procedural that is gritty opening our eyes to the disturbing underworld of cybercrime.
I think going forward I should begin at the beginning with "Dead Simple". Only reason I didn't is because I'd seen all those stories in the TV series. But I think it might be easier to follow from the beginning plus from what other reviewers have said, some say that this isn't as good as previous ones.
Still, a compelling enough read that is intriguing, fast paced and gritty throughout.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Peter James (born 22 August 1948) is a British writer of crime. He was born in Brighton, the son of Cornelia James, the former glovemaker to Queen Elizabeth II.
Peter James is an international best-selling crime thriller novelist who has had his books published in 36 languages. His series featuring Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has sold 17 million copies worldwide and has given him eight consecutive UK Sunday Times number ones.
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 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger.
During his childhood Peter attended Charterhouse School and then, in later years went on to study at Ravensbourne Film School. As a result of his training there, he travelled to North America, and spent several years as a screenwriter and film producer. It was in 1994 however, that Peter’s name became known worldwide due to the controversial publication by Penguin of his novel, Host, officially “the world’s first electronic novel” on two floppy discs (a far cry from a Kindle!). Peter has since become a media spokesperson for electronic publishing. When he’s not writing his international bestselling stories of Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, Peter has many hobbies, one of which means that Peter holds an international racing licence and often competes in the Britcar Racing Series!
Peter currently divides his time between his Sussex home, a Victorian Rectory, and his apartment in Notting Hill.
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