Not Dead Enough

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Peter James

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Pages: 400 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0330446126

Pub: Pan Books

Pub date: 2007-12-07

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 946

Editorial Review:

Peter James came to many readers' attention via his immense success as a horror novelist, but his more recent career as a writer of effortlessly ingenious and readable crime novels has - perhaps unfairly -- eclipsed his earlier work. (The author has claimed that he was, in any case, always essentially a crime writer - even in the days of his earlier acclaim).
Not Dead Enough marks another welcome appearance for the author's quirkily characterised policeman Roy Grace (who we've already met in Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead). Here, Grace is investigating the bizarre slaying of a member of Brighton's social elite, Katie Bishop. Her husband, Brian, appears to be in the clear - he was in another town at the time, sound asleep. But Grace begins to suspect the presence of a doppelgänger: is someone else -- nigh-identical to Bishop - involved? As in his previous cases, Grace's diligent exhuming of murky secrets soon demonstrates that the Bishops' outwardly settled lives had darker corners. And as Grace gets close to the truth, he finds - paradoxically - that it's his own beleaguered private life which is on the line.
. With Not Dead Enough, we're soon reminded that Peter James' métier has long been machine-tooled plotting, and that particular skill doesn't desert him here. James himself spends time with the police of the Brighton area (his own beat) and that research is seamlessly freighted into the narrative here.

Readers are confronted with a dizzying variety of tales of murder and deception these days, but this one has an individual strand that marks it out from the crowd. --Barry Forshaw

Reader Reviews:

The Truth abour Not dead enough (0/0 people found this helpful)

Since Peter James came to light (in my mind with Dead Simple), l started reading his books.
I waited for the following 2, and as time grew Grace got better. he was a human, some authors create the most horrible leads, and it puts you off the book. After Not dead enough, l decided to start checking his back catalouge out.
No wonder Mr James writes with such ease, his older work, is to put it simply outstaning. I have just finished the Truth, and the tension so was great l actualy had to put my book down. Buy it and be amazed.
Now about Not Dead Enough.
You know inside Grace knows it might not be this guy, but he cant prove it, and he explores all avenues. In my mind l was sreaming at him, telling him what to do.
No wonder this book has been in the top sellers for the past 8 months (since its release).
Brilliant, if you liked his other work, you will adore this title. Treat yourself at the airport, and read it on the plane...thats the life.

This year seems to be bringing out some brilliant books, and this one falls in that category.
So Mr James....Please sir, Can l have more?

tedious tripe (0/0 people found this helpful)

I read Not Dead Enough having just finished a superb book by Lee Child, whose style is terse and lucid. Found Peter James's style over-wordy and very boring. Am a great fan of crime fiction and some of the police characters: Rankin's Rebus, Billingham's Tom Thorne, Harvey's Charlie Resnick, Donna Leon's wonderful Guido Brunetti but I found Detective Superintendent Grace thorougly irritating. How realistic is it that he is working with a detective sergeant? Where are the detective inspectors and DCIs? The book is far too long and the plot over-complicated. Gave up after about 50 pages and skimmed through the end - that was enough to confirm this author is not for me. I would actually rate the book as 0 but given absence of that choice, have given it 1 star.

Nothing to write home about.... (0/0 people found this helpful)

A guy who was meant to have killed his wife was seemingly elsewhere when the murder took place. Two more murders follow and Detective Superintendent Grace needs to find out what is going on.

I have read James before and rather enjoyed `Dead Simple' because of the well-developed and fast-moving plot, and some good lines (this despite the occasional reference to the paranormal!). This book, again featuring Grace, just didn't seem to be as rich to me, with the story, which is quite long, all sort of fizzling out.

It's actually not difficult to work out what is going on and this therefore removes much of the suspense from the novel. There also appeared to me to be irrelevant material, some loose ends and clearly not enough depth for my liking.

I'll give James the benefit of the doubt and see what he comes up with in his next novel, but I rather hope he delivers his earlier standards next time rather than those in this effort. 7/10

Brilliant - again!!! (0/0 people found this helpful)

I can't add much to the previous reviews, except to say that I have probably never read a better crime novel. The suspense, the detail, the interest factor, the twists, the plausibility, the narrative. It's all great and makes it impossible to put down. I've read loads of Peter James' work, love it all, and can't recommend it highly enough. Looking forward to the next one... Thank you Mr James!

A very satisfying crime read (0/0 people found this helpful)

The third in the series and these books are still as compelling as ever! Knowing Brighton quite well also adds an extra element to the readability for me, being able to picture where a lot of the action takes place. The murder plot at first seems to be impossible, then gradually all starts to become clear, but just when it seems we have solved it, it twists again...the final answer may seem a little far fetched and you can probably see it coming (I always like to use the Sherlock Holmes mantra about eliminating the impossible, so whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth), but is well thought out and put together - certainly far less plot holes than many crime writers. Can't wait for the next one!

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