Alex May

I’ve read all the Roy Grace books to date: I race through them and only one of them had me feeling that the series was in danger of taking a downturn. Unfortunately, I must echo reviews that express disappointment with the casting. John Simms has been my favourite TV actor for many years starring in The Lakes, State of Play, Crime and Punishment and even a role in Doctor Who. However, I never imagined him as Roy Grace and he seems very one-dimensional in this role. DI Branson is fine but I’m sure that in the book he is tall and bald. I don’t recall that DI Vosper has ever been described as black but in TV dramas we must have disproportionate levels of diversity. Norman Potting seems like he should look like Tosh Lines from the bill but you would never have guessed his character on screen. Very disappointing.