Monday 1 May 2023

Book Review: Picture You Dead by Peter James

 Picture You Dead

by

Peter James

The ultimate find.  The ultimate price.
 
 
Publisher: Pan Macmillan 
 
Publication date: 26th July 2022
 
Series: Roy Grace #18 
 
Genre: Crime / Thriller
 
Pages: 448
 
RRP: $34.99AU Trade paperback
 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 

My review of Picture You Dead 

Peter James' eighteenth Roy Grace novel brings his readers right into the high stakes world of antique art.

Roy Grace and his team are working on the four year old cold case murder of an art dealer.

Harry Kipling and his wife uncover what may be a long lost Fragonard painting after picking it up from a car boot sale. If it is genuine it could be worth millions!
Roy Grace and his team soon find themselves plunged into the deadly world of fine art and the Kipling's world will be changed forever but it may not be the dream they envisioned.

Peter James has excelled in his research for this book. I was totally drawn into the world of fine art and art forgery and found myself googling the masterpieces and famous forgers.
Drawing inspiration from a real life art forger James has delivered a story that is as fascinating as it is engrossing. The deadly world of fine art involves underhanded dealings, forgery, theft, double crossing and even murder. Some collectors will stop at nothing to get the piece they want!

Whilst Picture You Dead is a compelling police procedural, James also builds on the development of his main group of characters and the reader attains a peek into their personal lives and their ups and downs.

A few things I loved about this book were; the short paragraphs, the inclusion of advances in forensics and DNA identification, the use of technology from onboard car computers, the backstory came in short bursts, the scene at Antiques Roadshow (I love that show), the inclusion of a character with type 1 diabetes, the criminals are purely evil.
 
I have no qualms about recommending this series to all crime readers. 
All Peter James' Roy Grace novels read well as standalone.

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Peter James is a UK number one bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper. Peter has won over forty awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger.
To date, Peter has written an impressive total of nineteen Sunday Times number ones, and his books have sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-eight languages. 

Other books by Peter James I have reviewed

 

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