They Thought I Was Dead by Peter James

 

Sandy Grace, wife of detective Roy Grace, simply disappears one day. There are no clues and at one point suspicion even falls on her husband. As the story unfolds, we discover her reason for disappearing and what happens to her over the next decade.

To date, Dead Simple, the first book in the Roy Grace series, remains my favourite. At the start of the series Roy’s wife, Sandy, is already missing. Over the next decade, and the proceeding books, author Peter James kept his fans wondering about exactly what happened to Sandy. We had possible sightings but nothing concrete until the twelfth book in the series, Love You Dead.

They Thought I Was Dead is Sandy’s story. We find out about her upbringing and early years married to Roy. More importantly, we discover exactly why she disappeared. Sandy was a gambling addict and had run up debts with an unauthorised money lender. Worried about the repercussions and the shame she would bring to Roy she felt the only solution was to disappear.

Sandy was fortunate that she met a rich man with the connections she needed to escape, including changing her identity. What she didn’t realise was that she was exchanging one life-threatening situation for another.

As a long-time fan of the Roy Grace series, I’ve always wondered what happened to Sandy, and why she would leave what appeared to be a happy marriage. They Thought I Was Dead answers those questions and Sandy doesn’t come out of it well. Author Peter James has done a fantastic job writing from Sandy’s perspective, giving her a distinct voice, unfortunately, I found her to be shallow, self-absorbed, ungrateful and weak. Sandy never seemed to be content with what she had, always wanting more.

We are given a glimpse into the personality of Sandy’s son, Bruno. In the Roy Grace series, it is obvious that he isn’t a “normal” child and we discover exactly why. I was hoping for a little more about Bruno, particularly as I was always on edge when he was featured in the Roy Grace books.

Overall, the book gives us answers and what I consider to be a satisfying, and suitable, conclusion.

They Thought I Was Dead by Peter James will be published on 9^th May 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.

Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger.

To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 19 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. His books are also often adapted for the stage – the most recent being Looking Good Dead.