4+

“I cant get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try …. etc’

“I certainly do try, but perhaps equally the proverb the grass is always greener applies to me. I’m Sandy Grace, my husband is Detective Roy Grace of the Sussex police force. This is my story, the story of why I disappear from his life, and I’m sure he’ll find the truth of what happens to me hard to equate to the woman he thinks he knows. I find that my life has got somewhat difficult, getting entangled with people I most definitely shouldn’t.” It’s true, Sandy learns she has supped with devils, no wonder she runs and there’s the other odd sordid detail or two that it’s best Roy doesn’t know about. However, escaping the tricky present, for what??? Is she escaping the bad for the infinitely worse?

As a big fan of the Roy Grace series, the story of Sandy has been a recurring theme, and I think this is a book that we hadnÂ’t necessarily realised we needed. However, we so do, with lines drawn and all that and whatÂ’s more, itÂ’s a cracking read and engaging from start to finish.

ItÂ’s fair to say that Sandy is lively company, she has a dark sense of humour, thereÂ’s never a dull moment, but itÂ’s not an easy story although much of it she does bring upon herself. The wheels of her life come off on more than one occasion, but sheÂ’s resourceful if nothing else. The true Sandy sure wears a mask when sheÂ’s married to Roy. SheÂ’s full of envy, dissatisfaction, is a seeker of excitement, well, she gets more than she bargains for. Is she able? No, she has many issues which leads her down a very dark path, sheÂ’s reckless, and gets herself into mess after mess but she also has a share of luck when she lands on her feet. However, it seems in this reflective novel that she is being honest and comes to many a realisation.

The novel is fast paced, itÂ’s full of twists, itÂ’s very intriguing and colourful to say the least.
ItÂ’s gritty and dark principally because there are numerous villains to contend with and some violence. It definitely enters weird territory on occasions. ItÂ’s never dull thatÂ’s for sure. As well as filling in gaps in SandyÂ’s subsequent life when she leaves Roy, along with the story of Bruno, her son, takes many an interesting direction.

I thoroughly enjoy this and I love the way itÂ’s written. You donÂ’t have to have read the Roy Grace books as it can easily be read as a standalone.

There are 19 Roy Grace books, thereÂ’s a 20th due to be published later this year.

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Pan Macmillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.32 s21 comments Jannelies1,120 95

There is just one thing I didn't about the book: after finishing it, I felt I had to re-read the whole Roy Grace series again. Immediately. Frustratingly I have so many books on my TBR shelf I will have not time for this in the foreseeable future. And some of the earlier books I only read in Dutch so I would have to buy the original ones first.
This is how I felt after reading this very, very interesting story about Sandy. It's not just about Sanday of course. It's also about Roy but it is also about people making bad decisions without being able to pinpoint why they made them. Gambling, drugs? It's easy to say 'this will never happen to me' but are you sure? Sandy was safe in a loving marriage and it happened to her too. Sometimes I wanted to shake some sense in her, sometimes I wanted to hold her and comfort her.
I'm happy Peter James decided to write this book. Although it can be read as a stand-alone it is a part of Roy's story too, a part that explains a lot about him.
Some of the characters are rather creepy and unfortunately the nice characters don't play a big role in Sandy's life but I admired her in the places where she tried to stick to her resolves - even at the terrible costs.

Thanks to PanMacMilland and Netgalley for this review copy.
five-stars netgalley-202422 s Mandy White (mandylovestoread)2,333 668

So happy to finally know what happened Sandy and why! after all these years, the author has out fans out of their misery and told this story.

I was shocked! so much went wrong for her in such a short space of time. She is no longer just a name in the Roy Grace novels, fans will love getting to know RoyÂ’s first wife.

The audio was excellent, narrated by Gemma Whelan. Highly recommend to fans of the series. It will give you the chance to know the truth.audible read-in-202415 s2 comments Sharon1,736

I've followed the Roy Grace series right back from the beginning so I knew the story (from Roy's side) of his wife Sandy. I didn't think I would hearing Sandy's story from her side though, and thought I would miss having Roy and an investigation in the book. How wrong was I?! I really enjoyed this book. Having known of Sandy for so long, it was really interesting to hear her side of the story and see what really happened between her and Roy and why she left. I have to say though, you probably do need to have read the other books in the series to fully understand Sandy's story.

I never d Sandy - I mean, she left Roy!! But, this book made me look at her in a different light. Her storyline confirms some things which we probably knew, made sense of other things that we didn't know and told us what she was doing for those missing 10 years. The thrills of the casino, the fear of the debt and the sadness of a questionable relationship kept me hooked to her story throughout and I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished it.

It was different to the other books in the series, but definitely still one which should be read if you are a Roy Grace fan. Would recommend.netgalley-2024 netgalley-books peter-james ...more5 s Julie Lacey1,789 112

I love the Roy Grace series and when I saw this book, I just had to read it.
Sandy disappeared from RoyÂ’s life suddenly and with no explanation. For years throughout the crime series she has been in the back of his mind and itÂ’s great to finally find out what happened.
I wonÂ’t say too much here as you need to discover for yourselves what happened and the issues she faced, but itÂ’s definitely an eye opener.
This is a great insight into SandyÂ’s life.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. 2 s Leanne547 16

4.5??2 s Caroline770 17

Throughout the Roy Grace series by Peter James, for me the burning question has been where is Sandy? I wondered if she had left of her own free will, and if so, why? If not, what happened to her? Did Roy kill her and get away with it? As each new book came out, I eagerly read it in the hopes of having those questions answered.
There was closure of sorts, eventually, but no back story. No insight into why Sandy did what she did. Until now.
They Thought I Was Dead is very much Sandy's story, and it's not a pretty one. It's a story of bad choices followed by more bad choices. It's the story of someone who believes the grass is greener on their neighbours side of the fence, only to discover when it's too late that this is not the case.
I devoured this book. Although Sandy is not a very able person, her story was still interesting and engaging. There were plenty of twists and turns and one or two "oh my god!" moments.
You don't have to have read the Roy Grace series before reading They Thought I Was Dead, but it adds context.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.net-galley-shelf2 s Leanne Cramond181

You don't have to have read all 18 Roy Grace novels by this author before you read this as this story could be read as a standalone or as a companion novel to the series.
In the first book in the series, the main character is tormented by his wife who has been missing for 7 years and wound through each subsequent book are bits and pieces of Sandy's story as Roy gradually learns what happens to her. This new book is written totally from Sandy's perspective and is a mystery on its own.

For those of you who have read the series it adds a new dimension to what has been happening to Roy, but while it does explain her disappearance I don't believe it will spoil the series for a reader who hasn't read it as it would be just reading two different people's point of view.2 s Michael Neill46 4

Followers of Peter James’ “dead” series featuring Detective Roy Grace are very familiar with Sandy, Roy’s wife who suddenly went missing prior to the start of the first book and is presumed dead….until she makes an appearance in book 11 or 12. We find out she is alive and has been living in Germany with her son but we only get snippets of her life’s tale, Now, in book 21 we finally get to hear the story of what happened to her and why, with no warning, she disappeared on Roy’s 30th birthday leaving no explanation effectively condemning him to prolonged anguish as he sought clues of her disappearance, enduring suspicion that he might have disposed of her himself and many years with his life on hold reluctant to abandon hope of her return. I was certainly curious to find out what had happened to her and whether there was any reasonable explanation for her having put our friend Roy through such pain and suffering.
It turns out Sandy has quite the story to tell!
Peter JamesÂ’s has long demonstrated his skill at creating interesting and unpredictable characters though this is usually reserved for the most villainous of villains. In this book Sandy is the star character whose actions and decisions and thought processes are presented to the reader for close scrutinyÂ…Â…and they are nothing short of chaotic! Perhaps this is because Sandy, who is being treated by a Psychiatrist in the story, demonstrates a lot of psychotic behavior and the Author is trying to creates a real picture of the world inhibited by someone with such illness. Or perhaps it is just that he is portraying her as the villain? Certainly from RoyÂ’s perspective that could be the case. Some would say, the day she disappeared was his lucky break!
Apologies for being cryptic with this review but I do not want to give anything away! I did find it yet another page turner from Peter James and his wonderful gift at story telling. I would recommend this book to most readers even if you have not read any of the series. In fact, this book might be a good place to start!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing access to this pre publication edition.1 Chris Sagar28 5

A very welcome addition for loyal fans of the Roy Grace series, They Thought I Was Dead is a very clever tale of the back story surrounding the disappearance of Grace's wife, Sandy; a disappearance that became a long-running feature of the series, weaving in and out over the years, as both Grace and, by default, the reader, learnt a little of how and where, but never really why.

The title of this story gives us one huge clue, so it's not exactly a secret even to newcomers to the series that Sandy Grace didn't die when she vanished - so what did exactly happen and, more importantly, why? So much has happened to the recurring characters in the intervening years and numerous plot threads have given hints, but here Peter James has very cleverly (extremely cleverly, in fact) been cunning enough to now take those hints one more time, throw them in the air, and drop them in perfect order, as well as create a pretty darn memorable story about what Sandy Grace did that led to her disappearance all those years ago.

I can't pretend to remember each and every Grace novel word for word, having read them more or less as they were published, but I do remember enough to suggest that They Thought I Was Dead works so well as both a standalone novel as well serving the purpose of answering some "Sandy" questions that the reader didn't know they had. Yes, some of the events seemed just a tad implausible at times, considering we're not talking about a career criminal, but run with it and just enjoy the antics.1 Clive Hodges71


Sandra “Sandy” Christina Grace, wife of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, went missing on 26th July 2007. In June 2017, a notice appears in various publications informing the public that a court declaration is to be sought that she is legally dead. Over the years, fans of Peter James’ novels have urged the author to let them know what happened to the detective’s wife. This is the book they’ve all been waiting for.

'They Thought I Was Dead' is narrated by Sandy. The author throws in a chapter now and again that gives us some essential background information.

Unbeknown to Roy, Sandy got into serious trouble with Albazi Debt Recovery International, was fed up playing second fiddle to her husband’s job, and drifted into an occasional fling with a charming detective on secondment to the Sussex Police from the ‘Met’. She and Roy had now reached the third stage in their relationship. The first: falling into lust; the second: falling in love; and the third; contentment. She does not want companionable silences; she wants excitement. She packs her bags and leaves.

She travels; she meets rogues and rotters; there’s blood, murder, drugs, booze; and she falls in love. Then falls out of love. She's involved in smuggling, drives fast cars; and encounters over-sexed heterosexuals and lesbians who try to seduce her. She eats sparingly, has trouble sleeping, wears fabulous clothes, never puts on any extra weight and is ‘noticed’ when she enters a room. Psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists do their best to quieten her demons. She’s having a ball, but, eventually …

'They Thought I Was Dead' is thrilling, exciting and over-the-top. I loved it; couldnÂ’t put it down.
1 Dave7

Fans of Peter James' long-running Roy Grace series will be familiar with the saga of Grace's ex-wife Sandy. Only legally "ex" after being declared dead 10 years after she'd disappeared ,leaving Grace with no clue as to where or why she'd gone and even briefly under suspicion of murdering her.
Sandy's whereabouts was an ongoing backstory in several books, Grace's efforts to find her and some very odd behaviour that he didn't know was her handiwork. An end did come that I won't reveal for those who don't already know and readers were no wiser than Grace as to her full story.................until now.

Finally Peter James has decided to reveal all,and the story of Roy Grace's deeply-flawed ex is an enthralling one.
Bored and feeling neglected ,as her husband's career continually takes priority over their marriage and social life, Sandy looks for thrills and makes a series of bad decisions that escalate until one becomes potentially life-changing......or ending. Straight from the frying pan into the fire she constantly has to move on,finding herself in strange situations,often with equally strange people.

Roy Grace fans will love this,finally some "closure" on the story of his errant wife. They'll also recognise many other characters and events from the series that are skilfully knitted into the tale, Sandy is a complicated person to put it mildly and I doubt I'll be the only reader to be left thinking that the best thing that happened in Roy Grace's life was her leaving.

An excellent read,and an overdue "reveal" of the events behind Sandy's disappearance. Kath2,675

First a confession. Much as I love a series arc story, I have to admit that I got so annoyed with the lack of resolution of "what happened to Sandy" that I actually quit reading the Roy Grace series of books. Each book filled me with hope that I would finally learn the truth, only to have it teased out for just a bit longer... And it annoyed me. That said, I did go back recently and revisit the books I have missed out on. I guess knowing there is no resolution before you start is a great healer... So... why am I boring you with this guff. Well, to set the scene of how much I wanted to know. With this book, which got me so excited, I would finally find out... Hear Sandy's story.
Maybe I was too excited. Maybe I wanted too much. Or maybe the book was indeed too incredible that I gave up counting the number of times I rolled my eyes at something that happened. Skirt credibility...? No the author went far far beyond skirting it. Sorry. I just couldn't buy some of the things that either Sandy did, or that happened to her.
That said, it was a quick, easy read which I read start to finish in a day so there's that on the positive side. And it's (hopefully) all done now... Also it was quite clever insofar as the main story and chronology matched the teasers in the series books....
And, also sadly, it's a reminder of the moral of wanting something so much that when you finally get it, it disappoints.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. Bev DulsonAuthor 12 books12

Loved, loved, loved this.

Raced through it, but also didn't want to end.

Sandy is a character who has 'appeared' in every Roy Grace novel as he dealt with his wife one day being there, the next day vanished. We, as loyal readers have been there as his garden was dug up as he was suspected of her murder, false leads and then finally declaring her dead after 10 years enabling Roy to finally move on and remarry.

We think we know Sandy, we think we'll hate her for what she put Roy through... We know nothing!

I found myself strangly rooting for Sandy as she finds herself in an unimaginable position. Almost understanding why she did what she did and the reason that caused her disappearance. We are then taken on a whirlwind journey of what her life without Roy was... It's dark, it's hard hitting and at times you feel so much sympathy for Sandy and wonder how she manges to keep that sarcastic humour.

This is a must for any Roy Grace fans... Just one comment though... Cassian Pewe, just ew, ew ew!
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