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The Hawk Is Dead

Roy Grace Returns In This Royally Pulse-Pounding Crime Thriller From The Multimillion-Copy Bestselling Author

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The Hawk Is Dead

By: Peter James
Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
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About this listen

Read by Daniel Weyman (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and featuring an author's note read by Peter James

'What a fool I've been not to have read Peter James until The Hawk Is Dead! A great story' – James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross series

Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes – the train is derailed.

A tragic accident or a planned attack?

When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.

Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.

Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe – and in mortal danger.

Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again . . .

Roy Grace is back with his most difficult case yet in the gripping new instalment from number one bestselling author Peter James.

You can listen to Peter James discussing the Roy Grace series with Her Majesty Queen Camilla on The Queen's Reading Room podcast.

*****

23 million books sold.

Now a major ITV/BritBox show starring John Simm as Roy Grace.

Creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s favourite fictional detective.

‘A great story’ – James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross series

'Fast-paced and gripping, I couldn’t put it down!' – Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of the Confessions of a Forty-Something series

'Classic Peter James' – Rachel Abbott, bestselling author of the DCI Tom Douglas series

'A right royal page-turner' – Angela Rippon, award-winning broadcaster

'Peter James is one of the best British crime writers and therefore one of the best in the world' – Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business' – Karin Slaughter, bestselling author of the Will Trent series

'One of the world’s most popular detective series' – The Guardian

 Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Suspense Thriller & Suspense Royalty Crime Murder

Critic reviews

What a fool I’ve been not to have read Peter James until The Hawk is Dead. A great story (James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross series)
I’ve never read a detective novel before but what better place to start than this thumping new thriller from Peter James . . . Fast-paced and gripping, I couldn’t put it down! (Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something)
The Hawk Is Dead is classic Peter James, combining the trademark intricate plotting of his acclaimed Roy Grace series with a fascinating, behind-the-scenes exploration of life within the royal household (Rachel Abbott, bestselling author of the Tom Douglas series)
Roy Grace swaps Brighton for Buck House to unravel a conspiracy of murder, revenge and betrayal. It all makes for a right royal page-turner (Angela Rippon, award-winning broadcaster)
Endlessly fascinating, riveting and wildly entertaining! For the Anglophiles among us, a must-read (Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series)
The Hawk Is Dead is classic Peter James, combining the trademark intricate plotting of his acclaimed Roy Grace series with a fascinating, behind-the-scenes exploration of life within the royal household. (Rachel Abbott, author of Whatever It Takes)
A majestic treat!
An utterly compelling thriller, this is James at his masterful best - one of the best writers around
Packed with detail about the workings of the modern monarchy, the plot thunders along, underlining just how consummate a crime novelist James is
One of the world's most popular detective series
All stars
Most relevant
I've read and enjoyed all the others. I think Mr. James is now taking his audience for granted. There's a lot of plot but it's all paper thin really. The royal set are straight out of Spitting Image and I could do without all the royal 'goo'. Grace seemed to solve this on his own. Branson, Potting and the rest were there but I'm not sure why. Cassian Pewe was being reinvented, which is a bit of a cheap way to introduce some antagonism before Roy triumphs and gets canonised.

All in all I suspect this was a bit of a vanity project. It sounds as though Roy hasn't got much more to offer. The next one is going to be a bit pedestrian after all the glitz and tugging of forelocks in this one. Very disappointing!

A Plot Too Far

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I normally love Peter James books but this story couldn't hold my interest. involving the hierarchy of royal servants I found monotonous. Gave up after 5 chaptersl

Very disappointed

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what a excellent read loved every minute of it. such insight. l felt l was walking around Buckingham Palace. well done Mr James.

excellent

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Diving back into Roy Grace's world is always a pleasure, even though it’s filled with murder and treachery. As someone who’s walked past Buckingham Palace many times, I found Peter James’s insights particularly captivating—I almost wish Camiella had been the thief!

The book’s stronger emphasis on the plot was a welcome change, and seeing Roy and Cleo still happily married brought a smile to my face. Roy’s certainly earned some peace. The author's meticulous attention to detail, from the train to the palace roof, makes the story feel vividly real.

When Roy and Glenn Branson investigate why someone took a shot at Camiella but missed, the situation raises questions—a professional sniper wouldn’t usually miss and hit a royal entourage member instead. The effort to derail the Royal Train only deepens the mystery.

I tore through the chapters, eager for answers. It’s a fantastic story, brilliantly narrated by Daniel Weyman (who deserves full marks for his King Charles impression). I wonder if the Surveyor of the King's Works of Art is taken notes?

5/5

The Royal seal of approval.

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As always PeterJames has written an excellent, thriller. The narration too is top notch! King Charles could have been narrating himself, it was so good!

Best Roy Grace Yet

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