Peter James: Stop Them Dead, a Roy Grace Novel, Book

When a young farmer confronts intruders in the middle of the night he has no idea that just minutes later he will be left dying in a pool of blood. What’s more chilling is what the perpetrators were willing to kill for.

At the scene of the crime, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace soon realises this is no isolated robbery gone wrong but the tip of the iceberg of a nationwide crime wave, in which ruthless organised gangs are making more money from the illegal trade in dogs than drugs. A trade which pits him against some ruthless people who will kill anyone who gets in their way, because where there is greed, there is murder.

We are so excited to share that author Peter James, the Patron of Sussex North and Brighton Branch and esteemed crime writer, latest crime story, Stop Them Dead, has a plotline that revolves around the cruel and illegal puppy trade, and that he references the work of the RSPCA regularly throughout the book, and also provides advice on how people can avoid being duped by puppy dealers.

Peter spent much time researching his novel by speaking with our Special Operations Unit (SOU) team, and Kirsty Withnall, SOU Case Officer - South, spoke to Peter at length about her work, giving him an insight into some of the illegal puppy trade cases which she and her colleagues have worked on. As a result, he has named a character in the book after her.

Kirsty joined the Inspectorate team in 2001 and became part of the Special Operations Unit in 2015. Renowned for her expertise in animal welfare, equine welfare and investigation, she garnered international attention for cases like Operation Ghoul, exposing cross-border dog fighting. Kirsty's dedication earned her the Sir Colin Spedding Award, recognising her relentless pursuit of justice for equine welfare. Kirsty's passion, commitment, and unwavering pursuit of truth will be deeply missed. RIP Kirsty Withnall - 21.04.24.

Pages 512, Hardback

Product Code: BK0116