Need You Dead

Lorna Belling's lover Greg assures her he will divorce his wife and take Lorna away from her abusive husband, Colin. However, as Lorna views a customer's vacation photos, she recognizes Greg, lovingly gazing into his wife's eyes. Realizing Greg has been lying to her, Lorna vows to ruin him and at their next tryst advises him of her intentions. In a fit of rage, he bashes her head against the bathtub wall, blood spurting everywhere. Unsure if Lorna is dead, he flees. Returning later to a corpse, Greg plots to incriminate Colin. Brighton DS Roy Grace appoints Guy Batchelor to cover the case as senior investigating officer, partly because Grace will be in Germany meeting Bruno, the ten-year-old son he never knew he had from his first marriage. James's 13th Roy Grace mystery (after Love You Dead) packs a punch. Suspects and red herrings abound, and the investigative team follow plentiful leads. Grace's attention alternates between the murder and the psychological impact on Bruno of his mother's suicide and his subsequent move to England.