Bestselling crime writers have often said that they reference real life for their writing. I, perhaps naively, often hope that the characters they create are simply the result of their brilliant imaginings. But in many stories, disturbingly, it turns out that the grisly incidents conjured up by crime writers have indeed been inspired by real atrocities, and more than a few of the perpetrators are walking among us.

In this 12th outing in the long-running series featuring Detective Inspector Roy Grace, it seems that the DI’s personal life has finally settled into domestic bliss with his wife, Cleo, and baby son, Noah, who bring long-overdue peace and contentment.

But, naturally, this state of calm is not to last, and not only must Grace deal with an escaped serial killer from a previous case but there is also a significant development in the long-running saga of his missing first wife. And he has just been alerted to the possibility that a woman wanted for the murder of at least two of her husbands is residing in his patch. He needs to track her down before she strikes again.

As with all Peter James’s crime stories, the plot races along at a breathtaking pace and his characters, even those who are terrifying, are realistic and genuinely believable, which underscores my earlier point about the disquieting nature of good crime writing.

Long-running series can run out of puff, but DI Roy Grace definitely has some life left in the old legs yet.

Reviewed by Maryanne Vagg