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.

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

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.

You know what you’re going to get with a Peter James police procedural. Another instalment featuring a bunch of well drawn characters we have got to know well and empathise with, layer upon layer of often interlocking crimes, an evil perpetrator and the certainty that good will overcome evil in the end.

What is more, the writing is excellent, the pace nonstop, the descriptions of Brighton accurate and the minutiae of police procedure is second to none.

Crimes are solved through a combination of perseverance and perspiration rather than inspiration- just as is the case in real life.

I won’t add spoilers by describing the plot in his latest book, just to say that it’s a shaggy dog story in every meaning of the term - and I really enjoyed it - as is invariably the case with this excellent series.

I have loved all of the Roy Grace series and Stop Them Dead was no exception.
After the murder of a young farmer DS Grace and his team are on the hunt for a gang of criminals who are trafficking dogs.
Stop Them Dead returns the reader to Brighton and Hove and the familiar cast of supporting characters. I love the location which the author always brings to life and I've come to know and love the characters. It's a compelling fast paced novel and the short chapters kept me reading. James is excellent at characterisation and plot, which I felt was original and opened my eyes to the trade in stolen and trafficked dogs. An excellent thriller which I would highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
4.5 stars

A new Peter James will always jump straight to the top of my reading list, I love the Grace series and have enjoyed them all; I am always engrossed by the imaginative storylines and the criminal acts that he can dream up.

'Stop Them Dead' tackles a subject that I've never seen in fiction before, I suppose because its so new - this time Grace and his team are involved in the world of illegal puppy farms, and illegal dog importing, where you dont know the history of the puppy but may be told that it is a pedigree.

Starting with a brutal murder at a remote farm in the East Sussex countryside, where 7 valuable puppies are stolen and the farmer left for dead, we quickly move into the murky world of puppy farming, fake paperwork and vaccinations, and keen owners often all too willing to turn a blind eye to dodgy dealings. Grace's own family become involved as their son Noah is keen to get a puppy but Grace soon realises that the breeder they're meeting may not be who he says he is.

This felt a lot more realistic and likely than some of the other Grace novels (which I have loved nevertheless) - but we have all become much more aware of puppy farms and the prices some people are willing to pay for a 'pedigree' . It isnt always an easy read, some of the settings for the puppies are heart-breaking and all too real.

The story is told in the typical Grace style, racing through the revelations and trying to stop anything else happening before its too late. The usual crew of Branson, E-J and Potting are there, along with some new faces who hopefully will feature in future stories.

Definitely a must buy for keen Grace fans like me and for newcomers to the series!

I was so excited to receive an arc of this book from NetGalley and would like to thank the author and publishers for the opportunity. This is a cracker of a book, Grace and all the gang are on top form investigating a puppy smuggling ring. This is very timely, as I know there have been many cases of dog napping reported recently. As always, the story is beautifully woven together from different viewpoints. I honestly think this is one of his best so far, the heartache and humour balance each other out nicely. Peter James is, deservedly, a titan among crime writers and is certainly keeping up the quality.

Stop Them Dead by Peter James

You know your in for a great treat when Peter James releases another title In the D.S Roy Grace series , and this one is no different , a joy to read.
An isolated farm , a farmer that comes across a gang out to rob him , and a muder. Add In that the robbers are out to steal dogs will add to the horror of it all and pull at your heartstrings.
Grace soon realises that this is not a one off .
Can't wait until this one makes it to the tv series.
Brilliant.

A young farmer is brutally killed after confronting intruders who are trying to take his valuable puppies in the middle of the night.
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace realises this is no robbery gone wrong but a nationwide crime wave,with organised gangs making more money from illegal dog trading than drugs,and they are willing to kill anyone getting in their way.
Peter James attention to detail and an amazing plot has made for another great read in the series.
The regular characters are so well written it's like catching up with old friends,I love the added humour and the short chapters make for an easy read.
Peter James is one of the best crime writers this country has.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillian for the ARC.

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.

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….