I have read all 18 previous b0oks in the series of Roy Grace series and I was so happy to be given an advance e-copy to review. I couldn't wait to catch-up with Roy and his team. This book was all about dog crime - dog thefts, dog bites, deaths relating to dogs you name it. I really enjoyed this book and flew through reading it. The book was action packed with dog drama and it was a very interesting read to learn about the police procedural parts that go on nationwide. As usual I loved the Brighton based element to it and have visited many times so felt like I knew where they were and was part of the action. I will be recommending this book to others and of course looking out keenly for the next book!

Another brilliant book from this author whom I have followed since his first book Dead Simple. It was well written as always, slightly different to his others but a very topical storyline, Roy Grace his just great I love all his team and there are a few lol quips.

I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end and I think this is one of his best reads for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan UK for this brilliant ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Absolutely brilliant. I devoured this latest installment by Peter James in a single day, only to find myself deeply disappointed when it ended.

I really enjoyed in reuniting with the familiar and beloved characters, who I've come to know intimately over the years. The balance struck is ideal – offering just enough glimpses into their pasts for newcomers or those who may have forgotten, without vexing the dedicated fans,

The incorporation of current themes like Covid, the exploitative dog breeding trade, criminal syndicates, the underworld, and rare diseases was enthralling. The depiction of a young child's illness was handled with candidness and sensitivity.

As usual, the meticulous portrayal of police procedure and forensic aspects was on point and immensely gratifying to delve into. The contemplation of life and death was executed flawlessly. A touch of humour is also present, It's really is incredibly good.

Stop them Dead by Peter James is book 19 in the Roy Grace series and another brilliant addition to it.
When a young farmer get brutally killed on his own farm by intruders and a bitch and seven puppies worth 3 thousand pound each are stolen. Detective Grace and his team are only on the hunt for the killers, but they are involved in Drugs and the trafficking and operation of illegal puppy farms. Anyone trying to stop them gets killed. The result of these puppy farms lead to dire consequences for some people that buy them. Little are aware the truth behind these loveable puppies.
Thank you, the publisher, for Peter latest offering. This is another brilliant episode in the series. The author never disappoints. The story is relevant to what has been happening with dogs/puppies in the country today and the consequences behind it. Like others in the series, I wonder if this will be televised. It would be interesting to see how it pans out. 5 stars from me.

Stop Them Dead is the annual outing for Peter James’ DS Roy Grace and it is another excellent & entertaining police procedural.

As usual the author uses a modern issue as a crime with the story having a few twists and turns that keep the pages turning.

Peter James undertakes a lot of research before writing his books and this shows through with the story feeling authentic. He also manages not to overwhelm the reader with his knowledge which is a great skill to have.

So another excellent outing for Roy Grace and colleagues.

Great to see Roy Grace and the team back. This time for quite an unusual investigation. A farmer is woken in the night by his dogs barking, and is killed by the intruders whilst defending the puppies they are stealing. Meanwhile, young dog lover, Bluebell is promised a puppy by her parents and when viewing the puppies, she is nipped on the nose by one. Bluebell then falls ill and is hospitalised, the doctors are amazed to learn she has contracted rabies, an eradicated disease.
Whilst Grace and Branson are investigating the farmers death, his own dog, Humphrey is taken. They are led to a dubious character called Grecko who has a trait of dognapping and stealing dogs to order from his boss.
The investigation leads to a nail biting standoff between Grace, Potting and a brutish puppy farmer.
Though not the usual killer storyline, a very thought provoking and eye opening plot on topics which are not always brought to the forefront.
Nothing to fault on this book, a perfect 5 star score.

wow, just loved this book, however, when I started reading it and discovered it was about dog-knapping and puppy farms, I nearly stopped reading. I know the author can be very discriptive and I love dogs and thought it would be too descripitive for me. But I couldnt put it down. A brilliant story which is very currant at the moment, I love the characters too.

I have read and loved every single Roy Grace book and this was as brilliant as all the rest. A slightly different storyline with the infectious disease but still as gripping. I flew through the book and am a little sad now as don’t know how long we will have to wait for the next instalment. Hopefully not too long!! A solid 5 stars. If you haven’t read this series you must do, you will not be disappointed.

Just brilliant. I’ve read and enjoyed the whole series and knew that I wasn’t going to be disappointed and I certainly wasn’t, in fact I finished this in a day but then was gutted that it had ended.
I loved picking up with all the characters I know and love so well, there is a perfect level of reminders of their pasts for the uninitiated or forgetful so as not to irritate the die hard fans but enough to help any newbies.
I loved the current themes of covid, dog breeding exploitation, criminal gangs and underworlds and rare diseases. The illness of a young child was presented honestly and sensitively and was edge of the seat stuff.
As usual the police procedural and forensics aspects were spot on and up to date and very enjoyable to read and the themes of life and death and the pragmatic approach to anyone’s journey through it was perfect. There is also a dash of excellent humour and the reader is a hundred per cent left wanting more. Can’t really praise this enough, so so good….

Another excellent and engrossing read in this series featuring Detective Roy Grace. Very topical, this book has everything.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of Stop Them Dead, the nineteenth novel to feature Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex Police.

A farmer is killed when confronting intruders who complete the successful robbery of some unusual items. Organised criminal gangs have identified a new market and are willing to do what it takes to make money. Roy Grace is determined to stop it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Stop Them Dead as a police procedural, but I can’t say I was overly enthusiastic about the new market as it’s not something I’m all that interested in and tend to think that some of the customers bring their misfortune on themselves with their lack of due diligence and desire for ownership outdoing good sense.

I will honour the author’s desire for surprise and not mention what this new market actually is, even if it’s difficult to write a review without identifying it. Suffice to say that I was incredibly impressed by the author’s research and the easy way he makes all the pitfalls and the most extreme consequences realistic. This novel is not a wake up call, it’s a howling klaxon.

I really liked the investigation. It starts with a murder and then runs through some lesser crimes that eventually come together to solve the murder. It isn’t overly intricate, but it is compulsive reading as Roy Grace tries to tease a coherent narrative and prime suspect out of all the disparate pieces of information he has. The reader is better informed as the perpetrators’ actions are given an airing. When the crimes come close to home, it is the quick thinking Cleo, Grace’s wife, who supplies the vital information that gives her husband the proof that he is on the right track. The final showdown is imaginative and disgusting at the same time - I certainly didn’t see it coming.

It is a feature of the author’s writing that his characterisation is strong and realistic. The petty criminal, Gecko, is a case in point. He doesn’t have many morals and lies shamelessly, but he loves his girlfriend and wants to please her. Like life nothing is black and white.

Stop Them Dead is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I’ve read all the Roy Grace books and this one is as good as all the rest. The story centres around the rise in dog crime - stealing and supplying puppies to unsuspecting people. The dogs appear to have all the right paperwork but it’s fake so no proof that they are healthy - and that has serious consequences. How far will the criminals go to make money? The answer is murder. Roy’s back story underpins his work as a Detective Superintendent, his family life is very important. In this story, his family are drawn in to the criminal world unwittingly. This could be read as a stand-alone but I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series 18 books before! You won’t be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a prepublication ebook.

Amazing as expected! I've dipped into the series throughout the years and coming across this new release was like being reunited with an old friend. This is the kind of book that all other thrillers/ police procedural aspire to be! The characters are well written and humanised. The plot is so original and unique. The writing style just flows so naturally and the plot is always moving forwards at a good pace. This book single handedly made a 3hr flight delay pass by in seconds and my sanity stay intact. I'd advise anyone and everyone to pick up a copy

What a thoroughly enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the different subject content, and I found it a real eye opener. I must confess to being a fan of Peter James and have read all the series, and I think this one ranks amongst the best storylines. There was murder, theft, fraud and also contact with infectious disease. Put all these factors together, wrap a story around them and you have a cracking read.

if You have read Peter James in the past, then you know what to expect and you will certainly not be disappointed. Read this over a couple of days and enjoyed it as much as the previous titles from the south coast. Hard to put down.
Recommend

Roy Grace is sucked in to the world of illegal dog breeding and trafficking when a farmer is killed trying to stop his dogs and a litter of puppies from being stolen. With pets being stolen from people in local parks and a young girl ending up fighting for her life Grace and his team undertake a complex investigation working with several different units in the police force as well as the RSPCA and DEFRA.

Thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Peter James for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Number 19 in Peter’s Roy Grace addictive crime series and they just keep getting better.
This book centres around the horrific increase during Covid of puppy theft, with often deadly results. Peter himself is a supporter of the RSPCA in the UK and wanted to highlight the ongoing issues with the exorbitant prices paid for puppies, not only purebreds, which attract those criminals wanting to profit at the cost of the animal.
As always there are the usual cast of nasty and ruthless baddies and more in Roy’s own personal saga that flows through each book in the series. This is fast paced and as usual has a good tight plot, and some great twists, but I would warn dog and animal lovers it will get emotional as you follow the horrendous things involved in the illegal dog trade. I personally find it heart breaking reading about things like this, but I applaud Peter for highlighting this horrible and highly cruel business.

I just don't know how Peter James does it!!! Book number 19 in the Roy Grace series and it was still as brilliant as the first! I have read all of the previous books but don't feel that you have to - yes there are things that are referred to in the book that have happened in previous books but he always gives you enough info to understand what's happened without going all through the full story. I can however say that if you read this as your first book you will 100% want to go back and read all of the previous ones!!

Back to this one - it is once again brilliantly written and I couldn't put it down, I needed to see how it ended. The storyline was really relevant to what had been happening during the covid 19 pandemic regarding puppy theft and there was some extra elements that were brilliantly added! Fantastic read and I recommend to everyone.

Roy Grace #19

It’s March 2021 and Tim Ruddle lies awake, he’s a worried man as the farm is not paying and they’ve tried diversifying. When the dogs start barking and he hears the sound of engines coming down their rutted track, the sound getting louder and louder, he becomes very concerned, if not fearful. Two vehicles and several men are here to steal valuable puppies and what ensues is a nightmare scenario. PC Eldhos Matthew, a new Sussex police recruit and just out of his probationary period, is the first responder summoned to Old Holmestead Farm, Balcombe. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, the Head of Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team is called to the scene and he in turn calls his partner DI Glenn Branson.

At the heart of the plot of the latest in this popular series lies an issue that becomes a genuine problem during Covid lockdowns and so has such a ring of authenticity to it. However, that is always a feature of the Roy Grace series and by now his excellent Brighton based team definitely feel like old friends and so it’s always good to catch up with them. Roy is as ever a steady away character, a safe pair of hands and I like how Peter James gives just the right blend of the investigation with the personal. I have always enjoyed following the Roy/Cleo/ children and their progress, Cleo is a great character and perfect for Roy.

In this latest instalment we meet some nefarious, unpleasant and ruthless characters and I’m not going to pretend it’s an easy read for dog lovers. The case goes from bad to worse, danger levels rise and we follow one emotional storyline which drives home the reality of the horrific trade/ importation of dogs. It’s always solidly reliable storytelling, the plot is well thought out and the ending is a good one. There is plenty of tension and some suspenseful moments with some good twists.

My only reservations are it’s a bit over explained especially at the start and there is some repetition, however, once it gets going this issue fades away. I do have a little titter because as per usual the author gets gait analysis into the plot. - he sure loves that!

Overall, another very good and thoughtful addition to an excellent series.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Having read all of the Roy Grace series, this book was like revisiting old friends. Great catching up with Roy and all the gang - my favourite has to be Norman Potting!

The storyline for this particular book is very harrowing and centres on puppy farming and stealing.

Brilliant fast paced story and another fabulous instalment in this series.