Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dead Simple | 2005 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 2 | Looking Good Dead | 2006 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 3 | Not Dead Enough | 2007 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 4 | Dead Man’s Footsteps | 2008 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 5 | Dead Tomorrow | 2009 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 6 | Dead Like You | 2010 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 7 | Dead Man’s Grip | 2011 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 8 | Not Dead Yet | 2012 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 9 | Dead Man’s Time | 2013 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 10 | Want You Dead | 2014 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 11 | You Are Dead | 2015 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 12 | Love You Dead | 2016 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 13 | Need You Dead | 2017 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 14 | Dead If You Don’t | 2018 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 15 | Dead at First Sight | 2019 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 16 | Find Them Dead | 2020 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 17 | Left You Dead | 2021 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 18 | Picture You Dead | 2022 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 19 | Stop Them Dead | 2023 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 20 | They Thought I Was Dead: Sandy’s Story | 2024 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 21 | One of Us Is Dead | 2024 | Roy Grace | Buy |
| 22 | The Hawk is Dead | 2025 | Roy Grace | Buy |
The Roy Grace series follows Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Sussex CID as he investigates murders in and around Brighton, England. Peter James launched the series with Dead Simple in 2005, and it has since grown to over 20 novels with new entries arriving nearly every year.
Each book centers on a new case. Dead Simple opens with a stag night prank that goes horribly wrong, setting the tone for the kind of twisty, dark plotting that defines the series. Later books tackle everything from identity theft killings and hit-and-run deaths to crimes involving the dark web. James often bases his plots on real criminal cases and consults with serving police officers to keep the procedural details authentic.
Running alongside the investigations is Roy Grace’s personal story. His first wife, Sandy, disappeared years before the series begins, and the question of what happened to her hangs over the early books. As the series progresses, Grace builds a new life while never fully escaping the past. This balance of standalone cases and continuing character arcs makes the series accessible to new readers while giving long-time fans reasons to keep coming back.