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Revision as of 20:08, 29 August 2020
, 20:08, 29 August 2020no edit summary
Of all the current fictional detectives, Roy Grace is one of the more modern, realistic ones. Although he does rely on good old-fashioned detective work, he is also perfectly capable of using modern technology and delegating work to his juniors - something that many 'maverick' cops prefer not to do. This does make him much more believable and, when combined with all the descriptions of the administration he is forced to do, the book could often be considered to be a documentary of a real case. Thankfully, the author keeps these sections short enough, so that there is never time for it to become boring.
Grace himself is a likable likeable enough man. In previous books, he has been chained to his work; his only goals being to hunt down whatever criminal he is after and to find out what happened to Sandy. By this book, he has settled down with Cleo, a mortician, and they are expecting a baby. This softens him a great deal and makes him much more human - although there is always the hint that all this could come crashing down around him if Sandy ever comes back into the picture. It's a refreshing side to Grace though and it helps to develop his character further.
The main plot is not the best plot that I have come across in this series. Previous plots have been very intricate and modern - involving Internet crime and the selling of body parts on the black market, for example. This is much more traditional crime fiction; there's a serial rapist, possibly murderer, on the loose and it could be a selection of three or four different suspects. That isn't to say it is a bad plot, it just feels a bit like a cop -out after previous ones, simply because we've been spoiled. Perhaps Peter James is running out of ideas, or perhaps he is being pushed to get his books out as quickly as possible, but I do hope that he will be allowed to put a little more thought into his next work.
The aspect that really keeps this book going is the Sandy one. For a few books now, there has been a suggestion that her disappearance will eventually be explained, even though Grace is seeking advice from a solicitor so that he can marry Cleo. Here, because the 'shoe man' case reminds him of the time he was married to Sandy, clips of the story involve her, so we are beginning to put together a picture of what their relationship must have been like. All of this really whets the appetite, although it is rather frustrating that the situation doesn't move along as quickly as it could have done. No doubt that is to hook the reader in for the next book in the series.
