Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans - John Lennon.
Why do we use the phrase ‘touch wood’? To ward off any misfortune that could have been attracted by some statement uttered by us, especially when it involves a celebration; because life is unpredictable. Hence it is said, "One cannot write his autobiography in advance!"
Peter James- He is a British crime fiction writer and the author of 25 books till now including supernatural thrillers. He is also a film writer and producer. Dead Simple is his first book which came in 2005 and is the thinnest of all his books stacked in my library (457 pages :P). Short chapters, simple language- that’s his style. A character featuring in 7 of his novels is the brilliant detective superintendent Roy Grace.
Story- Michael and four of his close friends are having a bachelor’s party three days before his wedding. They drink till they almost drop and are not in their senses. The four friends are now all set to take playful revenge on Michael for all the pranks that he has played on them. They put him into a coffin, throw in a walkie-talkie and a beer bottle, nail it down, fix a narrow breathing tube through an opening in the coffin and bury it in the woods. They burst into laughter and drive off to enjoy at another pub. They keep in touch with the shocked Michael and mention that they would be back in two hours to free him. Is it so ‘Dead Simple’? No sooner do they set off in their car; than they meet with a terrible accident and all of them die. This is just the first chapter! This one sets the ball rolling and there’s no stopping after that.
Meanwhile, Michael tries desperately to reach his friends on his walkie-talkie. He calls out and he curses them. Incessant rain starts bringing up the water level in the coffin. Will he be on time for his own wedding?
Mark, Michael’s business partner and childhood friend, knows all about this prank but will not speak since he has a lot to gain from Michael’s death than from his life - his share in business, more power and Michael’s fiancée Ashley! He just needs to keep shut- ‘Dead Simple’ for him!
Roy Grace starts investigating this case and the way he infers, understands human nature and interrogates suspects is immensely interesting. His wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances 9 years back and he still hopes that she would return soon. He has a keen eye and leaves no stone unturned in his investigations. One of the methods he uses is the lie detection technique- There are 2 parts of the brain- one part is used for remembering facts (memory mode) and the other part is creative which is used for making up fake answers (construction mode). If a person is right handed, while asked a question involving memory usage, his eyes will automatically move to the right side before answering. But if he is lying, eyes move to the left.
He sometimes becomes the ridicule of his peers since he has a strong belief on occult mediums for finding the truth. Will Roy’s vigilance and intelligence save Michael?
My Opinion- Working towards fulfilling my ‘new year resolution’ of reading books of 10 authors that I have never tried, I picked up a book by Peter James this time. The story is gripping, narration vivid and the flow amazing. There is no dearth of unexpected twists in this story. I could almost hear the screeching cars and police sirens in the climax! The meaning of ‘Dead Simple’ changes in each phase of the book as perceived by different characters. Seasoned readers would be able to distinguish the superfluous characters and their details that would not be required in the story later, those parts could be skimmed. ‘Looking good dead’ is a sequel to this story.
I have recommended this book, but this could be called as a selective recommendation; for those who love Hollywood movies. I guess teenagers would enjoy it very much. For those who crave for paced and a bit violent fiction, Peter James would be a good choice. His books are a strict no-no for those who look forward to subtle, mature reads of rich literature and for those who look forward to improve vocabulary!