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Since first airing on ITV in 2021, Grace has become a primetime TV favourite – following the cases investigated by Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and presenting his stories to a new audience.<\/p>\n
The show, starring John Simm, is based on the bestselling crime novels written by Peter James, one of the UK\u2019s most prolific thriller writers.<\/p>\n
Famed for his sharp plotting and real-world procedural detail, James has, since 2005, published over 20 Roy Grace novels.<\/p>\n
Before you dive deeper into the original stories behind the hit show, – or if you\u2019re a longtime fan – here is a guide to what the 10 most popular ones are about – each with just the right mix of suspense, drama and character complexity.<\/p>\n
9,255 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n When Niall and Eden Paternoster stop at a supermarket, she vanishes without a trace while he waits in their car. Niall then becomes a suspect even though he insists she went in alone – but no CCTV backs his story. As Grace investigates, he\u2019s pulled into a case filled with secrecy, manipulation, and a chilling look at how far someone will go to start over.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 9,721 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n Jodie Bentley is beautiful, wealthy – and a black widow. Her victims rarely see her coming. As Roy Grace investigates a string of suspicious deaths, he finds himself on the trail of a woman with deadly intentions and an obsession with reptiles. The book is one of the series\u2019 most character-driven, centring on deception and predation in both personal and criminal spheres.<\/p>\n 10,052 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n A woman vanishes from an underground car park. Soon, more bodies are discovered – all following similar patterns, and all with long brown hair. Grace then slowly uncovers a disturbing link between present-day crimes and disappearances dating back decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n 10,877 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n After a fatal cycling accident, the victim\u2019s mother promises revenge. Soon, people connected to the crash start dying in brutal fashion, and Grace races to find a killer who believes in justice served outside the law.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 10,935 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n Two rapes in Brighton, both with the same chilling signature – high-end women’s shoes left behind. Grace suspects a link to a cold case from the ’90s, and, as the investigation unfolds, he must confront the terrifying possibility that a serial offender has returned.\u00a0<\/p>\n 10,833 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n A teenager\u2019s body washes up in Brighton, with her organs are missing. Meanwhile, a desperate mother considers buying a black-market transplant for her dying daughter. In this ethically complex instalment, Grace uncovers a grim network of human trafficking and organ harvesting.\u00a0<\/p>\n 12,057 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n A suspicious death – again in Brighton – is tied to a man who supposedly died in the 9\/11 attacks. When skeletal remains are found beneath a demolished building, Grace follows a trail of fraud, mistaken identity, and betrayal. The novel skilfully weaves past and present, building suspense around what really happened on a fateful day in New York.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 13,685 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n A man is found covered in his wife\u2019s blood, but he has an alibi: he says he was asleep at home. In this one – adapted into one of the plots of the ITV series – Grace must unravel a twisted love triangle involving obsession, secrets, and psychological control.<\/p>\n 16,129 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n When Tom Bryce finds a USB on a train, he opens it, and sees a murder tape. Soon, he and his family are in danger, and Grace must uncover a darknet operation linked to gruesome snuff films. This instalment touches on a more modern, tech-savy way of solving the cases, and involves digital forensics.<\/p>\n 29,673 ratings<\/em><\/p>\n The gold medal goes to the book that started James\u2019 acclaimed series. In it, a prank sees a groom buried alive – ideally temporarily – just days before his wedding. But when the friends who planned it die in a car crash, Grace must work against time to find a man no one knows is missing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Peter James has also released short stories, standalone novels, and smaller series, but is mostly known for his Roy Grace saga. Here is the detective\u2019s journey, in chronological order:<\/p>\n Dead Simple<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Looking Good Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Not Dead Enough<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead Man’s Footsteps<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead Tomorrow<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead Like You<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead Man’s Grip<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Not Dead Yet<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead Man’s Time<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Want You Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n You Are Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Love You Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Need You Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead If You Don’t<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dead at First Sight<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Find Them Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Left You Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Picture You Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Stop Them Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n They Thought I Was Dead: Sandy’s Story<\/p>\n<\/li>\n One of Us Is Dead<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n9. Love You Dead (Roy Grace #12)<\/h3>\n
8. You Are Dead (Roy Grace #11)<\/h3>\n
7. Dead Man\u2019s Grip (Roy Grace #7)<\/h3>\n
6. Dead Like You (Roy Grace #6)<\/h3>\n
5. Dead Tomorrow (Roy Grace #5)<\/h3>\n
4. Dead Man\u2019s Footsteps (Roy Grace #4)<\/h3>\n
3. Not Dead Enough (Roy Grace #3)<\/h3>\n
2. Looking Good Dead (Roy Grace #2)<\/h3>\n
1. Dead Simple (Roy Grace #1)<\/h3>\n
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