By Claire Evans.

The thrillers of multi-million No.1 best-selling author Peter James, adapted for the stage by Shaun McKenna and featuring DS Roy Grace are becoming quite a fixture of the Summer Play Festival at the Manor Pavilion, and this year he is back in Looking Good Dead.

No good deed goes unpunished as Tom Bryce, played by Dominic McChesney, finds when he discovers a discarded USB stick and inadvertently becomes witness to a vicious murder.

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace tries to crack the case and save the lives of Tom Bryce and his family. It opens on Monday 19 August 2024 and runs to Saturday 24 August.

Eoin Lynch will be reprising the role he debuted last year in James’s Not Dead Enough. Eoin said, “It is great to get another chance to delve into this iconic character again, alongside Emily Outred who is back playing DS Bella Moy. This year’s story is even more suspenseful, and there are some connecting storylines to keep fans of Grace intrigued. We are all very excited about about the show which is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.”

The shows synopsis says: "Hours after finding a discarded USB memory stick, Tom Bryce inadvertently becomes witness to a vicious murder. Reporting the crime to the police has disastrous consequences, placing him and his family in grave danger. When detective Superintendent Roy Grace becomes involved, he has his own demons to contend with, while he tries to crack the case in time to save the Bryce family's lives.

This play showing is part of the annual 2024 Sidmouth Summer Play Festival.

The play is directed by Jason Marc Williams, who directed Party Piece in the first half of the Season. Full details can be found at the Manor Pavilion website. Tickets are £22, £9 for people under 16 years old.