Peter James once again brings Detective Roy Grace alive in You Are Dead. The story draws us in quickly, introducing us to a woman, named Logan, who begins to tell us about her relationship with her fiancé, Jaimie. With such a speedy character identification, you become instantly invested in the life of this woman and where he story line may lead. Reading on, the plot quickly takes ahold and James leaves you with more questions than answers when unsuspecting Logan is viciously taken on her way home. This disappearance truly starts the wild ride that is Peter James’ You Are Dead.
Roy Grace is a man whose life has not always been easy. With an ex-wife either dead or missing; a wife, Cleo; small son, and a new house, Grace struggles to keep work and personal life balanced. Just as he and Cleo start to settle into a new house, Grace is called in on a missing person’s case. Following lead after lead, Grace starts to suspect that this may be more than the case of a typical fleeing fiancé and begins to find similarities between killings from thirty years ago and recent murders he has seen around town. Young women in their late teens and early twenties are being kidnapped and killed, the words U R DEAD written on their decaying bodies.
Denial can play no role in this case as these women are not only similar in age but the near likenesses of one another. Where will these dangerous inquisitions find Grace? Will he have stumbled across a serial killer’s plot that has spanned through decades?
You Are Dead is not only well written but connects its audience with its characters’ lives, as well as their perilous struggles. The plot easily flows chapter to chapter, never disappointing, throwing a major climactic element into the mix that keeps readers engaged and invested in the story. Will Logan survive? Why is this mad man or mad men desecrating women, leaving a trail of death in their wake? Will Grace once again be able to solve the case? Will he be able to keep his life in tact while also delving so deep into the darkness? You will have to read to find out! This book is equally pleasing for lovers of crime novels and mystery novels alike.