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A few books back, I was convinced that Roy's German son Bruno was going to kill Humphrey, the Graces' black lab. 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.
Stop Them Dead by Peter James | Waterstones Stop Them Dead by Peter James | Waterstones
This book has two crucial threads which are linked by a tragic and scarily plausible set of circumstances. And the plot is an ominous, compelling mix of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deduction, mayhem, manipulation, malicious intentions, illegal trafficking, violence, and murder. Cleo especially made me chuckle when she takes a little well deserved revenge on someone who tries to 'blackmail' the pair, and that is in inverted commas for very good reason. Two vehicles and several men are here to steal valuable puppies and what ensues is a nightmare scenario.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" is a must-read for fans of suspenseful crime fiction, showcasing Peter James at his finest. The story has been descriptively written, it's action packed, and it has some humour to lighten up this dark read.
Stop Them Dead – Peter James Stop Them Dead – Peter James
Whilst from the moment a particular even happened, I knew that it was going to have a very pertinent, and as it turns out poignant, impact on the story, but I wasn't quite expecting where the author took this. Grace is not only following investigative leads but ensuring the reader understands what trail of evidence is required for any subsequent convictions. The investigation begins to point to there being a puppy smuggling ring operating on Grace’s patch, and it’s up to Grace and his team to find who is responsible. 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. The character descriptions all seem shallow, the dialogue doesn't ring true, and there seem to be a lot of characters whose only role is to explain things to us.
Yes, some of them frustrated me - the irrational decisions made that could, and do, have very dire consequences, but all of them elicit some kind of emotion which is key for a story so driven by character. Emotions are put through the wringer when a child contracts rabies through contact with a puppy that has been imported illegally. It's a tough case with heartless and ruthless bad guys behind it all, and innocent victims in the midst of it all that have the capacity to break your heart, or perhaps even make a very life changing decision but hopefully a little better informed than the people in this book. When the crimes come close to home, it is the quick thinking Cleo, Grace’s wife, who supplies the vital information that gives her husband the proof that he is on the right track. 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.
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