Love You Dead

Publisher's Summary

An ugly duckling as a child, Jodie Bentley had two dreams in life - to be beautiful and rich. She's achieved the first, with a little help from a plastic surgeon, and now she's working hard on the second. Her philosophy on money is simple: you can either earn it or marry it. Marrying is easy; it's getting rid of the husband afterwards that's harder. That takes real skill. But hey, practice makes perfect....

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is feeling the pressure from his superiors; his previous case is still giving him sleepless nights; there have been major developments with his missing wife, Sandy; and an old adversary is back. But worse than all of this, he now believes a black widow is operating in his city. One with a venomous mind…..and venomous skills. Soon Grace comes to the frightening realization that he may have underestimated just how dangerous this lady is.

©2016 Macmillan Digital Audio (P)2016 Macmillan Digital Audio

another fantastic listen

And started tying up a lot of loose ends, now downloading next book. very intense ending

Enjoyably Unpredictable

My first book by this author, I enjoyed the many intertwined subplots as much as the main storyline. The narrator had to enunciate many different accents, which he managed very well. I could not put the book down after the mid-way point. I expect that I will be buying a few more by this author.

I liked it better than other James Books

If you think this series is for you then start with a book from the beginning of the series rather than the middle or end. The main character, Roy Grace's personal life is a big part of all the books in the series, as well as the lives of the secondary characters as well.

The story's twisted black widow helped me enjoy this book better than the other James book I have read in the Roy Grace series. I find the series however to much life a soap opera so I've given up on reading more.

The dialogue at times is cheesy and just does not ring true. There is a lot of thoughts and phrases are are repeatedly over and over again in most of the James books I've read. The narration is good and the recording is good. The book is a crime fiction that's NOT gritty, gory or dark.

A Fitting Last Book in the Roy Grace Series ...

Have enjoyed every one of the twelve books in the Roy Grace series and this last book tied up most of the loose ends and was an admirable finale.

Danial Weyman great; "Roy Grace" not even "OK"

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

SPOILER ALERT: This is the second Roy Grace (Peter James) book I got, just because of Weyman's superb narration. Listening to him is such a pleasure that I managed to avoid thinking about the logical flaws in the first one (Book 11 in the series.) And BTW, "Roy", the next time you decide to track a serial killer into a tunnel, you might avoid being blasted by a shotgun, if you were armed yourself! Unfortunately, this book ( Book 12) is so absurd, that even Daniel Weyman can't make up the deficits. Among the dozens of irritating things that made me sigh, roll my eyes, or utter unladylike language to myself, are these: So Roy is an astute detective, famed for his methodical approach...and he didn't notice his previous wife was a drug abusing adulterer who couldn't stand being married to him? And instead of getting a divorce, she decided it would be easier to "disappear", go live in Germany, have Roy's child that he didn't know about, etc. Then... in spite of being so sickeningly "sensitive" to his current wife (the annoying, controlling, needy Cleo) that he worries incessantly about changing their baby's nappies and not waking Cleo when he gets out of bed to go to work, so she can rest from taking care of an infant who sleeps 18 hours per day... he displays no interest in finding out whether he, in fact, has another son in Germany, who is essentially an orphan, with no family or money to keep him going. And that's just the stuff that has nothing to do with the ridiculous aspects of the criminal investigation, such as the miraculous conversion of his sidekick from near soccer-lout status to undercover operative, as a suave, billionaire with an American accent.The time spent on this book was almost "worth it" in the sense that it kept my extremely active, identifying the gross flaws in every 10 minutes of this book's plot and characters. But, not enough to endure the blood pressure problems associated with having to endure the accompanying agony.

Would you ever listen to anything by Peter James again?

No.

What about Daniel Weyman’s performance did you like?

Everything.

Did Love You Dead inspire you to do anything?

Yes, avoid any more books by this writer.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

I enjoyed my first Audible.

This was my first Audible book. I was a little disappointed in the text. Peter James' use to make his books "Nail Biters" but I can tell along with myself as we grow older we lose a bit of ourselves. I wanted a little more of Roy Grace and his action and adventure. This was a little bit predictable. But I will always look forward to Roy Grace's next adventure, which I hope a little more Roy Grace. A lot in this book has finalized the sub stories that kept me reading. Bring those back Peter.

Tying loose ends

Great addition to the series. Ties up past loose ends and creates new opportunities for the characters in the future.

End of a series?

This book tied up many lose ends in the story of Roy Grace. Read the others in the series first

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another engrossing Roy Grace story

Loved this! The story is, as always, beautifully told, with the different strands being interwoven skilfully. I was hooked from the word go and wonder where Peter James will take his hero next after the events in Grace's personal life take such an interesting turn.
Daniel Weyman's narration is first class. His ability to voice different characters so cleverly, and his mastery of so many different accents, was superb and very much enhanced my enjoyment of the tale. Highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Inventive plotting that kept me gripped

I’ve read/listened to Peter James’ entire series featuring detective Roy Grace and am amazed how the author keeps coming up new scenarios. The present book has one of the most imaginatively plotted: involving snakes, spiders and scorpions that will give some listeners nightmares. A rapacious young widow preys on elderly, rich men and who, once hooked, she murders in outlandish ways. One has to suspend belief that the men would be so gullible, the murders so elaborately contrived, and the coincidences as far-fetched, but this is fiction and it certainly kept me listening eager to find out what she got up to next.

Two criminals on the run from previous novels re-appear and tracking them down is woven into the main story. Those who have followed the series will also know that there is a back-story of Grace’s first wife, Sandy, who disappeared over 10 years earlier. She reappeared in the previous novel and there is a certain resolution in this book, but there will obviously be further ramifications revealed in future novels.

The narrator is excellent and a fine mimic of different accents, ages and genders to bring to life the larger than life characters inhabiting the story.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Roy Grace at his best

Love you Dead: Excellent tale with great characters. Totally enjoyable listen. Will recommend to friends.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Another enjoyable Grace book

If you could sum up Love You Dead in three words, what would they be?

Love the narrator

What was one of the most memorable moments of Love You Dead?

The last hospital scene in Germany, very moving

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The surfacing of the truth after so long

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Love you dead but, life will go on

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Enough is Enough, Peter!

I have read all 12 of peters, Roy Grace books, and it has been a bit of a roller coaster, several up's and down's. i have however stayed with them, through the good days and the bad days. Love You Dead, I'm struggling with. The story line has holes everywhere, the characters, outwith the regular ones, are hard to connect with. Now, I know, its fiction and as such, the stories can and do push the boundaries of believable. On occasions, this is what makes for good reading, but come on Peter, Prisoners walking out of prison's without anyone noticing or realising that the Warden has been missing for 10 hours. Now the Black Widow, what can I say. The Police can not find her, yet she lives in the town, the Husband she killed, has a family with her contact details, the Coroner has her details, even the Undertakers have her details, yet the Police, fail to follow these up. Instead they set up a complex and expensive and to be honest very unbelievable honey trap. To add to this a Hit Man from an earlier book, who lives 100's of miles away, just happens to get signed up by the Russian Mafia and guess what, yes the target just happens to live in Brighton. Not only that, Roy has history with him and not only does his target live in Brighton, but its the Black Widow.

Its a shame, the story could have been so good, but its as if peter, just could not be bothered. Plot holes and missed opportunities everywhere. I am now going to give it a rest and move onto other writers, sorry peter, but enough is enough.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A gripping as ever!

Another tip top Roy Grace masterpiece. Totally gripping from the get go. I simply couldn't put it down.
The ongoing thread with Sandy is genius.
Can't WAIT for the next one!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Gripping - Best so far

The best so far in the Roy Grace series. Gripping. Loved the character Jody and the return of Tooth and the Roy Grace Team.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Possibly the best Roy Grace book - to date!

This is a book of journeys. And to be honest, it could have had another 2 or 3 chapters added to it & still not have been too long.

I loved that we got to know & learn more about each of the characters - not just the regulars. I so want Roy's boss to get his come up-pence, which I suspect he will in the next book.

This was a very enjoyable 'read' and takes me back to why I love these books, much more so than the last one, if I'm honest.

Enjoy!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great Read

Good further chapter in Roy Grace's life. Can't wait for the next installment in 12 months time

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A much looked toward to, but disappointing book

I've loved the Roy Grace series from book one, but perhaps it is time for him to retire gracefully. Without spoiling the plot for others, the actions of the main female character and her apparent ability to avoid detection were not really believable, and the Sandy thread rather drawn out and predictable. So, sorry Mr James, I shall take great pleasure in re reading all the previous Grace books, but not this one.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful