One of Us Is Dead by Peter James @panmacmillan @peterjamesuk#NetGalley #OneOfUsIsDead #bookreview

 

One of Us Is Dead by Peter James

Published by PanMacMillan

Publication Date: 24th September 2024

Happy publication day to Peter James! My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book via the NetGalley platform.

Book Description:

Hunting him would be murder . . .

When James Taylor arrives late for a funeral, he has to stand at the back of the small church. But as the service progresses, Taylor notices a man six rows in front of him. At first he thinks he must be mistaken, but the more he looks at him, the more convinced Taylor becomes that this is his old schoolfriend, Rufus Rorke.

Except it couldn’t be him, could it? Because two years ago, Taylor attended Rufus Rorke’s funeral. He even delivered Rufus’s eulogy. . .

On the other side of Brighton at Police HQ, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has been alerted to a number of suspicious deaths that he can’t get out of his mind. But how are they linked? And how could they possibly be connected to Rufus Rorke?

Roy Grace is about to find out just how dangerous a dead man can be . . .

My Thoughts:

The first book in the 'Dead' series, Dead Simple, was the one that got me started with police procedurals and thriller books, the grittier side of fiction after many years of reading either horror stories or "fluff" (aka chick-lit). Regular readers of my blog will know that I only occasionally dip back into the lighter side of fiction as a palette cleanser these days so I'd say Mr James has been substantially influencial when it comes to my reading tastes.

This, the 20th instalment in the 'Dead' series, I am delighted to say is equally as good - if not better - than that first instalment all those years ago. Few series manage to last the test of time but this one just keeps on giving and feels like it still has plenty more to offer.

This book starts with a funeral service. It's for the second of a group of school friends who branded themselves the Three Musketeers back in the day. Barnie sadly passed away after a mix up with some mushrooms he was cooking for his culinary blog. The last of the trio, James Taylor, is in attendance to pay his respects despite not having been close to Barnie for a good while. He is however shocked when he becomes convinced one of the other mourners at the church that day is the other member of their crew, Rufus Rourke. But it can't possibly be, because James read his eulogy after his tragic passing two years previously. It soon transpires that James isn't the only one who believes that Rufus is alive and well, living and "working" in the vicinity of their old stomping ground near Brighton.

Peter James has as skilfully as always interwoven the current storyline among the backstory of the team of detectives investigating the potential re-emergence of Rufus. The politically incorrect, but somehow loveable rogue, Norman Potting makes a predictable reappearance in the team, as well as Roy Grace's reliable sidekick Branson. Roy's slimy adversary Cassian Pewe also gets a chapter but I was pleased that this part of the story didn't take up too many pages whilst not being forgotten about.

Huge kudos to Peter James for keeping the momentum going - at no point have I ever felt it was time to close the series down. The characters have continued to grow and develop without ever getting tired or boring. The cases they investigate are relevant to today's society and the forensics and other investigative tools have moved with the times as the books have been released. The detail in the scenes building to the climax of this story is exemplary, and had my heart racing at one particular point. Just how many bodies would Roy and the team be visiting at the mortuary as part of this investigation??

How does Peter James keep up the quality of this series? Who knows? 5 stars once again, sir.

About the Author:

Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.

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. In 2024, it was announced that he is the creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla's favourite fictional detective.

To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 20 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. His books are also often adapted for the stage, with his six stage shows grossing over £17 million at the box office – the most recent being Wish You Were Dead.