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.
The show, starring John Simm, is based on the bestselling crime novels written by Peter James, one of the UK’s most prolific thriller writers.
Famed for his sharp plotting and real-world procedural detail, James has, since 2005, published over 20 Roy Grace novels.
Before you dive deeper into the original stories behind the hit show, – or if you’re 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.
10. Left You Dead (Roy Grace #17)
9,255 ratings
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’s pulled into a case filled with secrecy, manipulation, and a chilling look at how far someone will go to start over.
9. Love You Dead (Roy Grace #12)
9,721 ratings
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’ most character-driven, centring on deception and predation in both personal and criminal spheres.
8. You Are Dead (Roy Grace #11)
10,052 ratings
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.
7. Dead Man’s Grip (Roy Grace #7)
10,877 ratings
After a fatal cycling accident, the victim’s 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.
6. Dead Like You (Roy Grace #6)
10,935 ratings
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.
5. Dead Tomorrow (Roy Grace #5)
10,833 ratings
A teenager’s 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.
4. Dead Man’s Footsteps (Roy Grace #4)
12,057 ratings
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.
3. Not Dead Enough (Roy Grace #3)
13,685 ratings
A man is found covered in his wife’s 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.
2. Looking Good Dead (Roy Grace #2)
16,129 ratings
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.
1. Dead Simple (Roy Grace #1)
29,673 ratings
The gold medal goes to the book that started James’ 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.
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’s journey, in chronological order:
Dead Simple
Looking Good Dead
Not Dead Enough
Dead Man’s Footsteps
Dead Tomorrow
Dead Like You
Dead Man’s Grip
Not Dead Yet
Dead Man’s Time
Want You Dead
You Are Dead
Love You Dead
Need You Dead
Dead If You Don’t
Dead at First Sight
Find Them Dead
Left You Dead
Picture You Dead
Stop Them Dead
They Thought I Was Dead: Sandy’s Story
One of Us Is Dead