Another very good addition to the Roy Grace series. This one centres around the illegal dog smuggling gangs in the UK. The characterisation is excellent, with some real nasty characters, and dog lovers might find it a difficult read. It's action packed, fast paced and filled with tension. One of my favourites of the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Stop Them Dead by Peter James
I give this book 4.5.

At the scene of a crime, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace soon realises this is no isolated robbery gone wrong but the tip of the iceberg of a nationwide crime wave, in which ruthless organised gangs are making more money from the illegal trade in dogs than drugs. A trade which pits him against some ruthless people who will kill anyone who gets in their way, because where there is greed, there is murder.

This is book 19 but can easily be read as a standalone.
I love Peter James and his Roy Grace series, it is a must read for me personally. The plots are always current and the authors research make me feel like I’m actually reading real life not fiction. The dark crime and the sinister criminals are the main focus but the police teamwork/procedures and the glimpses into life outside the station make this a totally enjoyable and engrossing read. As always there’s a glossary at the end with all the police terminology.The book topic is illegal dog trade and I hope this helps raise awareness.
With thanks to Netgalley,Peter James and Pan Macmillan UK for my chance to read and review this book.

Wow another great book from this author . I was hoping the subject matter wasn’t going to be too harrowing but luckily it wasn’t too bad . It really got me involved with the characters in this book and I’m glad it had the ending it did . Ive been a lover of this author right from the start of the Grace books and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint, I hope there will be many more Grace novels to come along with the fantastic tv series . Will highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot or the publisher's blurb - instead I would recommend that you read this for yourself!

I've read and enjoyed many (but not all) of the previous "Roy Grace" novels, and this was no exception. The plotting and writing are spot on as usual, and the characters and dialogue are very believable.

The plot involves the horrible illegal puppy farming trade and associated pet thefts - upsetting to read if you are an animal lover. Hats off to Peter James for highlighting the perils of inadvertently supporting this vile industry though - buyer beware as some such sellers are clearly very plausible and cunning.

There are highly dramatic - and distressing - scenes involving a life-threatening infectious disease. 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.

I look forward to the next book in this series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Peter James always pens a topical crime novel and this latest in the Grace series covers the rise of illegal dog breeding, snatching and selling by criminals.
As with any Grace novel the plot is plausible, with strong characters and some of his meanest villains he has created to date.
If you ever need to define page turner, a Grace novel is the perfect example.

In 'Stop Them Dead' by Peter James, D. I. Ray and his team investigate a murder that happened when thieves broke into a farm to steal puppies. Preferring the illegal dog trade to drugs (and lower prison sentences if they get caught), the novel focuses on the organised crime groups that steal pedigree dogs to breed in unsanitary conditions and transport un-quarantined puppies to sell to people at an exorbitant fee.

I can see this novel being turned into an excellent television adaption. However, in book form I found there was somehow something lacking. I'm unable to put my finger quite on what it was, except I didn't feel like the plot entirely held my attention and it felt slightly empty. This may be because I haven't read James's books before and it is a matter of style. However, the idea behind the novel is very good and I'm sure many will really enjoy it.

Read all the books in the series and I’m always excited when a new one comes. To say I wanted more would be an understatement. This was a delicious page turner right from the start. Everytime I had to put it down, it was all I could think about. I did end up finishing way past my bedtime, just so I would be able to sleep. If you love a quick, immersive thriller, than this is definitely for you! Top marks!

Roy Grace #19

When a young farmer confronts intruders in the middle of the night he has no idea that just minutes later her will be left dying in a pool of blood. What's more chilling is what the perpetrators were willing to kill for. At the scene of the crime, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace soon realises that this is no isolated robbery gone wrong but the tip of the iceberg of a nationwide crime wave, in which ruthless organised gangs are making more money from the illegal trade in dogs than drugs.

This is another fantastic addition to the series. This time DI Roy Grace is after a gang of dog nappers and trafficking. Puppies are being imported from abroad or they are stealing them from locals to supply the increasing demand for dogs.

There's so much going on in this book. The story has been descriptively written, it's action packed, and it has some humour to lighten up this dark read. The characters are well developed, and we learn more of their backstories with each new book. This is a compelling and fast paced read. I have read every book in this series, and this is my joint favourite book alongside Dead Simple.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PanMcmillan and the author #PeterJames for my ARC of #StopThemDead in exchange for an honest review.

Stop Them Dead by Peter James
Published by; Pan MacMillan
Publication Date 24/10/23

NO SPOILERS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my favourite detective series, I’ve read every book and this one does not disappoint. Intricate plotting, but never boring or too complex to follow, with characters I’ve grown to love this is one of the best so far. A very modern tale for our times, disturbing but never gratuitous, I could not read this quickly enough.
Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is book #19 of the Roy Grace series. Whilst it is part of the series, it can easily be read as a standalone book. We are back with our favourite South Coast detective and are caught up in a murder investigation where puppies were also stolen. 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.

I love the Roy Grace books and have read every single one. This latest instalment was a great read and had me hooked from the very beginning. 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. The storylines were gripping and, whilst it wasn’t really a “whodunnit”, I was kept on edge wondering how it was all going to end.

We are treated to some great pieces of detective work by Grace and his team, and it was fun to have all the usual team together for this case – my favourite still must be Norman Potting who was there with his usual drole wit! I also loved the storyline of Bluebell, a young girl whose parents brought her a puppy. This was a sad turn to the case, but interesting watching it unfold.

19 books into the series and it’s still going just as strong as it was at the beginning! If you know the South coast area, Brighton & Hove in particular, you’ll love some the place-dropping that happens throughout. This was an excellent read with plenty of tension! I shall certainly be holding onto the dog’s lead tighter when I go out in future! Would recommend!

I love it when a new Peter James book hits the shelves and Stop them Dead is a classic Roy Grace novel with Covid and the rise in dog prices being the inspiration behind book 19 where illegal puppy farms are on the increase because of the exorbitant amount that can be charged for a puppy and the demand from the public but when a couples dogs and puppies are stolen with tragic consequences Roy has his work cut out trying to find the culprits. This story had just about everything, drama, horror and humour and what I love about the novels versus the new TV series is how the characters are depicted, Roy and Glens friendship shines through and I love the politically incorrect but heart of Gold Norman Potting, Roll on book 20.

4.5*

I am such a big fan of this series so this was very high on my list of must-reads for 2023!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting back into the Roy Grace world. I found it so gripping that I didn’t want to put it down. With the topics that have been written in great detail in this book, I can imagine that a lot of time has been put in to it for researching every little thing and it really has paid off!

Such a fantastic addition to the series and I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out in the TV series!

#StopThemDead #NetGalley This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. Covering various subject such as theft and murder, the exploitation of puppy farming and dubious breeding and the heartbreaking discovery of a young child contracting rabies, there was so much going on in this book, that I could not put it down! Excellently written with lots of action and a good smattering of humour to lighten some of the darker story lines. I look forward to the next in this series. A well deserved 5 stars.

This book ... stirred up a whole host of emotions for a variety for reasons. For one thing, it is set during the time of the pandemic, when various lock downs and restrictions on visiting people and travel were still in place. as the author has acknowledged, he has had to stretch some of that truth a little for the benefit of the story, but the basic facts of this particular case hold a ring of truth about them and are focused, in part, around a new obsession that arose during the pandemic, one which lent itself to a new breed of criminal activity. And when you read the book - I apologise. honestly no pun intended.

This book has two crucial threads which are linked by a tragic and scarily plausible set of circumstances. The first is the murder of a farmer who tries to prevent a theft from his farm in the dead of night. His killers are ruthless, their merciless aggression quite impactful given that there is little actual violence and yet complete and utter devastation wrought in the space of a few short pages. Peter James creates a really emotionally charged situation, and not just because of the murder, but also because of what the thieves have chosen to take. This is not the only theft in the book - some of opportunity, others by design, and not all even remotely successful, but they are the kind of thefts that are commonplace but which can have a massive emotional impact on the victims, far more than the loss of a TV or laptop. It's one of those kinds of books where it is very easy to put yourself in the position of the victim and understand the extent of loss they feel.

The second thread is linked to one particular family who fall foul of this new crime wave but in a completely unexpected and potentially devastating way. 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. Perhaps unlikely but not entirely impossible, and it has made me think very differently about all of the one line websites trading in this particular kind of commodity. We hear the horror stories, and perhaps, in this case, the author has pushed it to the worst possible scenario, but it did make me stop and think and the possibilities are really rather frightening.

I do love the cast of characters in this series and they are all back in style, with Roy Grace once again at the helm. There is a moment when this case becomes very personal, and to that extent the way in which the characters emotions drive their actions really brought a smile to their face. 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. But the more I read of the series, the more I realise that I like, Roy, I have a bit of a soft spot for DS Norman Potting. Yes, he's a bit old school, probably nowhere near PC enough (again - no pun intended) for modern day policing, but there is just something about him. He really throws himself into this case, literally in one particular scene, and I find that he always makes me smile. Peter James has a knack for creating authentic and yet sometimes larger than life characters who you can either love, or love to hate, and it makes these books a joy to read. 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.

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. A very emotional, believable case which drew me in and held my attention to the very end. Loved (and hated parts of) it. Recommended for fans of the series.

Enter the dark world of unscrupulous individuals importing puppies from abroad or stealing from locals to supply the increasing demand for dogs due to the pandemic . Roy Grace and his team get hot on the rails of these dark characters wreaking havoc in the area and potentially introducing rabies to UK. Grace’s team has its familiar mix of individuals we have learned to love through the series. A welcome addition to this addictive series

This new Roy Grace novel focuses on the horrific lengths that criminals will go to in order to steal dogs from owners and breed puppies for money. In the middle of the night at an isolated farm, a farmer is crushed to death as he tries to stop a gang from stealing his dogs and his brood of new born puppies.This investigation hits a little too close to home as Roy becomes the victim of the dog knappers they are hunting.

Stop them Dead is the 19th Roy Grace novel and was as excellent a read as I have come to expect from this great series.What’s wonderful about a new Roy Grace novel is from page one it’s like you’re catching up with old friends, and that you are seated at the table as each of the now familiar detectives gather for their daily briefings. Cannot wait for the next novel in this fabulous series.

When a farmer is murdered trying to stop his pedigree dogs being stolen, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is drawn into a world that is far more dangerous than he could have imagined.
As Grace and the team begin to investigate it soon becomes clear that dognapping is big business and there is a lot of money at stake for unscrupulous breeders and dealers who will do anything to protect this lucrative source of income.
This is one of my favourite Grace books so far. The subject it relevant and topical, you can feel the tension of the team as they try to stop any more killings. A master at work!

The nineteenth Roy Grace crime procedural sees the detective and his team investigate a brutal case of dog napping and trafficking. A very topical subject and as always the attention to detail is focussed and authentic. I look forward to next year's outing. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I have always found the Roy Grace series enjoyable, with sympathetic characters, a great setting and satisfying plots. However, I was disappointed with Stop Them Dead; the story involves the theft and smuggling of dogs, which in itself is interesting enough, but the extraneous storyline seems a distraction and there are far too many coincidences to be plausible.

Stop Them Dead" by Peter James delivers another thrilling addition to the acclaimed Grace series that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Set in a world where darkness lurks at every turn, this book plunges readers into a heart-pounding race against time. When a seemingly routine confrontation turns deadly for a young farmer, the story takes an ominous twist. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace uncovers a sinister underbelly of crime beyond the initial robbery, revealing a nationwide wave of illegal dog trade controlled by ruthless organized gangs.
Peter James masterfully weaves a tale that's both gripping and haunting. The intricate plot unfolds with a relentless pace, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. The author's skillful portrayal of characters and their motivations adds depth to the narrative, while the chilling backdrop of greed and murder adds layers of intrigue. "Stop Them Dead" is a must-read for fans of suspenseful crime fiction, showcasing Peter James at his finest. Prepare to be captivated by this twisted and enthralling story that solidifies its place as a new favorite in the series.