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Thus we have the basis for the latest Peter James Roy Grace crime thriller. Tim Ruddle and his wife fed up living in London buy a farm in Sussex. Overall, Stop Them Dead is a highly entertaining, disturbing, edgy thriller by James that once again highlights his exceptional ability to write police procedurals that have well-drawn characters and timely storylines. It is the nineteenth novel in the Roy Grace series and definitely one of my new all-time favourites. As soon as the story begins, you can feel some horrible things are about to happen. It's very wise Peter James choose to tell us this story without very graphic descriptions of the conditions these poor animals are kept. There are ruthless criminals in this story, but also loving parents, happy children and of course Grace and his team. There is murder and violence, but also love, even in some people you wouldn't expect. There are grim parts and very moving parts in this book, and it all together makes for a great story.
Stop Them Dead – Peter James Stop Them Dead – Peter James
I love the Roy Grace books and have read every single one. This latest instalment was a great read and had me hooked from the very beginning. We have a couple of storylines running parallel to each other, with the investigation into the murder of a farmer who was trying to prevent his puppies being stolen, the subsequent trail into who was illegally importing puppies from abroad and the sad hospitalisation of a young girl. The storylines were gripping and, whilst it wasn’t really a “whodunnit”, I was kept on edge wondering how it was all going to end. It happens in many countries and sadly our local paper is also full of reports about this too, because there are a lot of big farmhouses in the area, perfect for hiding stolen dogs and illegal breeding. The story in this book could have been set here, not far from my home. Other incidents soon come to light of dogs being stolen and also imported illegally and treated badly and Grace knows this is a big case. The Times Sinister and riveting . . . Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world There are highly dramatic - and distressing - scenes involving a life-threatening infectious disease. I learned a lot from reading about that - and again, thanks to Peter James for illustrating why we try to maintain tight quarantine regulations in the UK.A farmer is murdered by intruders on his property. In the middle of the night, 4 men come and steal his dogs and the litter of puppies they have had. This leads Roy and the team into the murky depths of the world of puppy farms, illegal trade, dogs being stolen from their owners and so much more. The people involved will do anything to protect themselves, anything. The main villain is seen infrequently until the final pig slurry fight. The second killer is seen once waking up in bed. The style rarely moves away from sounding like a report except where it sounds like a newspaper article. This book centres around the horrific increase during Covid of puppy theft, with often deadly results. Peter himself is a supporter of the RSPCA in the UK and wanted to highlight the ongoing issues with the exorbitant prices paid for puppies, not only purebreds, which attract those criminals wanting to profit at the cost of the animal. The investigation leads to a nail biting standoff between Grace, Potting and a brutish puppy farmer.
Stop Them Dead review: Roy Grace at the centre of canine capers Stop Them Dead review: Roy Grace at the centre of canine capers
The plot is frightening with many heartbreaking occurrences. The stakes have never been higher for Roy Grace and his committed team of detectives. The race to a result is breathtaking... When a woman linked to the farm they’ve been monitoring is killed in a road accident it soon comes to light that it was not an accident. At the scene of a crime, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace soon realises this is no isolated robbery gone wrong but the tip of the iceberg of a nationwide crime wave, in which ruthless organised gangs are making more money from the illegal trade in dogs than drugs. A trade which pits him against some ruthless people who will kill anyone who gets in their way, because where there is greed, there is murder.
Peter James is a global bestselling author, best known for writing crime and thriller novels, and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. With a total of 16 Sunday Times No. 1s under his belt, he has achieved global book sales of over 20 million copies to date and has been translated into 37 languages. In the story arc, Sandy Grace, Roy's first wife, vanishes before the story begins but now we can find out what happened to her in the next book They Thought I Was Dead - Sandy's Story (out on May 23, 2024).
Stop Them Dead (Roy Grace) by Peter James | Goodreads Stop Them Dead (Roy Grace) by Peter James | Goodreads
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of Stop Them Dead, the nineteenth novel to feature Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex Police. Crimes are solved through a combination of perseverance and perspiration rather than inspiration- just as is the case in real life. As always with this author, the book is well written and expertly plotted. The police investigation is realistically portrayed. I love Roy Grace and his team, who all seem like old friends now., and I can't help having a bit of a soft spot for Norman Potting who has grown on me throughout the series. At one point the case comes a little too close to home for Roy and his family, who are dog lovers, and I loved the way that Cleo dealt with the matter 😁 James honed in on this and his research in Police procedures is so accurately portrayed, in particular gait analysis, and the highly effective use of drone surveillance delivering outstanding results.His stepdaughter is a kennel maid along with two other young girls. The three are suspicious of Jim's behaviour and one, a Ukrainian, disappears. A new Peter James will always jump straight to the top of my reading list, I love the Grace series and have enjoyed them all; I am always engrossed by the imaginative storylines and the criminal acts that he can dream up. Discover the darkness that lurks around every corner in the latest instalment of the award-winning Grace series, now a major BRITBOX series. The minor, but centrally placed, comical thief is switched off long before end. He has nothing to do with the murders. His shop thieving is totally irrelevant and his appearance at the Amex just stretches the word count. Why do we need to hear about Norman's social life?
Stop Them Dead by Peter James | Waterstones Stop Them Dead by Peter James | Waterstones
Grace and Branson head out to investigate and realise the stolen dogs were worth several thousand pounds. When a young farmer confronts intruders in the middle of the night he has no idea that just minutes later he will be left dying in a pool of blood. What’s more chilling is what the perpetrators were willing to kill for. Careful investigation and planning lead to a nail-biting conclusion and I was on the edge of my seat, seriously worried about more than one of the police team. I know that Peter James does meticulous research for all of his novels but he has excelled himself this time.Grace’s investigation into this deadly trade pits him against some of the most ruthless people he has ever encountered; people who will kill anyone who gets in their way, because where there is greed, there is murder. Tim Ruddle is woken by the noise of vehicles in his yard and when he goes down to investigate he is crushed to death by two vehicles as the thieves make good their escape.
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