Dead Simple - Peter James Review
Mystery Novel - Four bodies, One Suspect, No Trace
A cracking mystery tale with all the essential elements - love, sex, greed, money and betrayal. Try it you'll like it.
This is a great and gripping novel that takes unexpected twist and turns to keep you on your toes and turning the pages. Peter James weaves an intriguing tale that just keeps on pleasing right up to the last word.
Dead Simple is a tale of suspense, greed, seduction and betrayal all pull together to make a cracking mystery story that will have you thinking you know where it’s going only to find it swerves yet again.
James paints great images and what was meant as a harmless, get-your-own-back prank on a stag night to remember turns into four deaths; one buried alive groom and a lot of detective work to do.
The story
The stag night of Michael Harrison, several days before the wedding has the reader on the edge with a pay-back prank that turns into a nightmare for the groom. The deaths of his mates in a head-on collision after leaving him buried means he’s left in his tomb, with no-one else aware of his whereabouts. But one man’s problem can be turned into an opportunity for others. But who are the others?
The groom of course is completely unaware of all the happenings above ground and the two hours he’d been told he’d be in his grave turned into days. Michael was left with a bottle of whiskey, a torch and a men’s magazine for company. Sinking in and out of consciousness with only fear for company he begins to doubt that he will be alive by his wedding day.
Ashley Harper the bride-to-be along with the grooms’ mother keep the wedding plans rolling along refusing to believe that Michael won’t show up. They keep believing up to the church appointment, when the vicar has to be the one to say the wedding won’t happen. The wedding buffet still takes place, but instead of a celebration it’s more like a wake.
Detective Superintendent Grace has a bad gut feeling, a very bad feeling but is unsure of which direction to pursue first. The best man who says he didn’t know the plans and was delayed on the stag night?
The Bride-To-Be a Little Too Perfect?
James keeps his plates spinning and the reader guessing all the way along the detectives’ trial. This book is a hook, a page turner and a great introduction to his new series of mystery novels.
With great reviews, this one should definitely make your mystery books to read list and any subsequent novel by James too.
Dead Simple was plublished in 2005 by Macmillan with ISBN 0 - 330- 434 19-5
