PETER JAMES: Reveals all about Roy Grace PETER JAMES: Reveals all about Roy Grace Written by Adrian Magson Peter James has written 25 books, the most recent of which feature Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. His books have been translated into 29 languages. In England they are published by Pan Books and in the US by Carroll & Graf Publishers. James has written supernatural thrillers, spy fiction, Michael Crichton-style science-based thrillers, and a children's novel, as well as the introductions for Graham Masterton's collection 'Manitou Man' and Joe Rattigan's collection 'Ghosts Far From Subtle'. Over the course of the Roy Grace series, the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Sandy has always been there as a reminder to us of his troubled past. With 'Dead Like You', you seem to have moved us as readers firmly away from 'Sandy as possible victim' into the possibility that she simply got fed up with Roy not getting the top job and took off for pastures new. Did you originally have that in mind or has it changed over the books? Or was I being dense in thinking something nasty had happened?

About 12 years ago I attended an open day for the Police at the Missing Persons Helpline offices in South London. I was staggered to learn that 230,000 people are reported missing in the UK every year. The majority turn up again within a few days but if they don’t turn up after 30 days, they are unlikely ever to be seen again. At any one time we have 11,500 people permanently missing in the UK, and the figure is the same pro-rata to population around the western world – there are 55,000 permanent missing in the USA, for example. It is a staggering figure. And the big questions is, where are they? Some have been murdered and their bodies never found – under the floorboards of monsters like Fred West. Some have run off with lovers. Some have disappeared deliberately, running away from debt, and reinvented themselves in another country. Some have had accidents. Some have committed suicide. But the one thing in common, is that the families and loved one they leave behind are left in a state of limbo, because they have no closure.

When I was asked about nine years ago to create a new detective, by my publishers Pan Macmillan, I wanted to make Roy Grace different to other fictional detectives. I thought really hard about what it is that detectives actually do, and I realized that first and foremost what they do is to solve puzzles! Every major crime, whether a murder, a rape, a big robbery or a fraud, is a puzzle, to be solved in steady, painstaking steps. I thought it would be intriguing to create a detective who had a personal puzzle of his own that he could not solve, and I came up with the idea that Roy Grace has a missing wife. Almost 9 years before we meet him, we learn that he came home on his 30th birthday to find his wife, Sandy, who he loved and adored, had vanished. My original plan was to reveal the truth about Sandy in the second book. But to my amazement there was such excited speculation by my readers about what might have happened to her, that I decided it would be fun to keep it as an ongoing mystery, and feed a little bit more information about her into each successive novel, so that my readers could start to make their own deductions.

In answer to your question, in the first five novels we have tended to see Sandy only through Roy’s rose-tinted memories. There is a snippet of someone who might be her in Dead Tomorrow but very fleeting. In Dead Like You for the first time we see Roy and Sandy together, twelve years back in time, and we see the relationship is not quiet so perfect as Roy had always imagined. I don’t think you were dense at all thinking something nasty had happened. But equally there is a long way to go yet with this story strand!!!! And I can promise you quite a shock at the end of the next novel, Dead Man’s Grip! Your books are full of threat wrapped up in otherwise ordinary, sometimes mundane situations. Do you consciously consider what kind of threat will play most on peoples' fears as the basis for the book, or does that come later? I have always tended to write about the things that interest and intrigue me. I do a lot of psychology research in addition to the specific research time I spend with the police and on other aspects of each of my novels. I am interest both in what motivates criminals, and in what the fears are that we tend to have.

I once had a valuable piece of advice from a very eminent psychiatrist when I asked him what he thought, in general, was the thing most people are afraid of. I expected him to say terrorism, or war or cancer, but he surprised me with his answer: “Most people are afraid of being alone,” he said. By that me meant totally alone, rejected by all attempts at making human contact, with no family and no friends. I have used that theme of the fear of being alone in different ways in many of my books. In Dead Simple for instance, Michael is trapped in the coffin. In Looking Good Dead the mother is chained up on her own in the dark. In Dead Man’s Footsteps, Abby is alone, a self-imposed prisoner in her own flat. In Dead Like You again being alone in captivity is a major element in the story. But I guess the biggest theme of all, and the one that interests me the most is the innocent person getting into big trouble through no fault of their own. This is Michael, buried alive in Dead Simple. Tom, in Looking Good Dead, who puts his entire family in jeopardy by doing the decent thing, of trying to return a CD he has found on a train.

And in Dead Man’ Grip an innocent woman caught up in an accident in which the grandson of the Mafia capo is killed – and the terrible revenge on everyone involved instigated by the dead boy’s mother… Relationships (good and bad) between victims and perps form an important backdrop to your storylines. Was there anything which made you look towards this aspect of life for your books? I loved crime stories from a very early age, devouring Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle among numerous others. But although very different writers, the structure of the classic English crime novel tends to be the murder at the start and the rest of the story is the puzzle by the police and/or private detective to solve it. Solving the crime is much more important than the actual crime itself, however heinous. Then, when I was 14. I read Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock for the first time - and was just blown away by this novel. Partly because it was set in my home city (a town then) and partly because it was the first time I read a crime novel in which the central characters were the villains and the victims rather than the detective and team – and in fact the Police play a minor role in the book.

I have always been deeply fascinated by human nature, and curious about why we all do the things that we do, and that is what interests me above all else about this genre. For instance, in Dead Like You one of the central characters, Darren Spicer (his surname is a homage to Brighton Rock!) is a career burglar, just released from jail – and very much based on a real life character I interviewed in prison. You've made more of a study of crime probably than most people. Do you think crime occurs because of opportunity and circumstance, or intent? In other words, do people do wrong more easily through temptation or inclination? I was a member of a gym a few years ago and the owner, a really nice guy in his late 30s, a committed family man, told me one day he was writing a book about his life story. I asked him if he had a particular angle and he told me yes, he had done five years in prison for armed robbery! I was intrigued. He was from a good, comfortably off, loving Jewish family, never in trouble as a kid.

But, he told me, he got into financial trouble at the age of 22, was at a gym opened the wrong locker in the men’s changing room and found a handgun. He took the gun and held up a building society! That is a real instance of an opportunity and circumstances. However, I don’t think there is any short answer to your question and you’ll get a different answer for theft than you will for murder: I think the majority of thieves/burglars are victims of circumstances. Crap parenting, broken homes, no moral values, prison life and its resulting recidivistic spiral, and above all, almost certainly today an expensive drug habit. However killers are altogether different: Some years ago I spent a day with the chaplain of Broadmoor. To be an inmate there you have to be classed as “violently criminally insane” and have committed an act of severe violence or murder. I asked him if he believe from his experience at Broadmoor whether people were born even or just became evil. He told me that roughly 50% of the inmates were schizophrenics – people born with a chemical imbalance in their brain.

These cold be treated with medication and many, provided they continued to take their medication, could go back into the community safely. The Yorkshire Ripper is a classic schizophrenic, who said he had been informed by voices in his head to do his slayings. However the other 50% were sociopaths – or psychopaths – (thesame thing). A psychopath is someone born wired differently to other people – someone who has no “conscience” as most of us have. As a child it would not bother him to steal his best friend’s favourite toy. As an adult he could kill or rape and not lose a wink of sleep. These are them most dangerous of all criminals – and often the most clever. Think of Harold Shipton here in the UK, or charming (genuinely charming) Ted Bundy in the USA… Over the years you've covered subject as diverse as transplants, 9/11, surrogacy, genetics, pharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence. Is there a particular subject you've been waiting to use, but haven't yet, and if so, what? I like to explore and write about issues that can or do affect our lives, and which may shape all our futures.

In my Roy Grace series, there are several themes responsible for major crimes that I have not yet written about but certainly will – one of them being lover’s jealousy. At the moment I’m writing about revenge in my new book, Deads Man’s Grip – a subject that has long fascinated me. Not that I’m a vengeful kind of guy…!!! Is the advance in DNA testing a good or bad thing for crime writing, and do you think it will make crime writers lazy and readers too expecting of a scientific solution every time? As technology progresses, criminals progress too. Ten years ago the first place Police would look for stolen goods would be antique shops, today the first place they checkout is eBay! The murder clear up rate in the UK is 90% and I don’t see that getting any higher. As science progresses, criminals get more forensically aware, too. As criminals are caught because they make a mistake as they are through good detection. What is interesting is there’s a major shift from the days of Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie to now in the importance of the crime scene. The crime scene is still today vitally important but the mortuary and the path lab are equally important.

I wonder today, if a smart defence brief were to walk up to Poirot or Miss Marple and say, “OK, show me the forensic evidence to back this up,” just how many last pages of Agatha Christie novels - and many others of her era – would need to be rewritten… You spend a lot of time with the Brighton police force, and see an aspect of life most of never do. Does anything about Brighton and its 'seedier underbelly', to use a PR phrase, surprise you anymore? The one thing that never ceases to surprises me is the way some people live – and I’m not talking just at the poorer end of the scale. I often go into people’s homes with the Police, whether on a raid, or sorting out a domestic dispute or because of a missing person, or because they’re suspected of running a brothel – and a whole myriad of other reasons. The sheer slovenly way in which so many people live shocks me. Recently, I learned a new expression: I was with two police officers called to a domestic fight in a low-rise apartment block in a pleasant area Brighton. We entered the flat and it stank to high heaven. Out shoes literally stuck to the carpet as we walked across.

There were soiled nappies on the floor, old MacDonald’s and Chinese takeaway cartons lying around covered in fungus and mould. Naturally, there was a 50” plasma TV screen on the wall… The two officers calmed the situation down – the couple were going hammer and tongs at each other, with a baby screaming in a cot. As we left, one of the officers turned to me and said, “Peter, this is the kind of place where you need to wipe your feet on the way out!” As a follow-on, does the Brighton Tourist Board worry, do you think, about your next book, or do they enjoy the exposure? The Tourist Board love the exposure! We’ve been having discussions about Roy Grace tours of Brighton. I think the one thing that that would prefer me not to mention too much is that for 9 years running Brighton has had the unwelcome title of “Injecting Drug Death Capital Of The UK”. We actually lost the title in 2008 to Liverpool – but unhappily for the Brighton Tourist Board, we got it back again last year!

Does your writing energise or drain you, and how do you (if you have to) cope with momentary obstacles in working on each book? My writing totally energizes me, especially when I’ve had a good session. I constantly come up against obstacles because of my complex plotting, and I find in the daytime that a short – or sometimes long walk, either in the country or around the streets of London, helps me to think clearly. My other big boost is my 6pm treat of a drink – normally a vodka martini! My best writing time is from 6-10m, fuelled by a moderate amount of alcohol and music – mostly jazz during the first two thirds of a book and opera arias during the last. I love setting myself puzzles when I am writing and then working out the solution. I think the hardest one of all for me was when I wrote Dead Simple, in how I was going to create a credible way of getting my character, Michael, out of the grave he had been buried in. It took weeks of slog and long walks and stiff drinks (!) before it finally came to me…. Poor old Roy Grace; he's been through the grinder, privately and professionally.

Should we feel sorry for him, or is the old adage that a policeman's lot is not a happy one just grist for your mill? In my experience the vast majority of police officers do genuinely love their work, despite the often crazy hours of the job, the bureaucracy, the horrific sights they see and the internal politics. The police look at the world in a different way to the rest of us. I don’t just mean physically, but culturally too. Last year, I was driving through Sussex on a sunny July day with a Detective Inspector, on our way to a crime scene. I asked him if he felt that as a police officer he viewed the world differently to other people. He smiled and said, “You’re looking through the windscreen at a beautiful summer day. I’m looking at a man who is standing in the wrong place.” There is however something different about major crime detectives, particularly on homicide. I would say they get more personally involved with their cases than any others in the force, save those working with rape victims. Murder is the ultimate horrific crime, because it can never be reversed.

Good homicide detectives, in particular the Senior Investigating Officers become involved with the victim’s loved ones, and rapidly feel a massive sense of responsibility – and caring for these people – and for the victims. They become all that stands between the victim and justice – and between the loved ones and closure. That is why so many homicide detectives go on privately working on unsolved cases long after they have retired. Roy Grace has indeed been through the grinder, in his private life, both with his beloved Sandy’s disappearance and now Cleo’s perhaps endangered pregnancy… and professionally with a boss who disliked him, largely for his maverick behaviour and tried hard to undermine him. But he’s a survivor, and above all, he is a good man in a dark world. Dead Like You by Peter James is published in paperback by Pan on 14th October at £7.99 Dead Man's Grip (Detective Superintendent Roy Grace): Peter James: 9780312642839: Amazon.com: Books Dead Man's Grip (Detective Superintendent Roy Grace) Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items.

In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Next Special Offers and Product Promotions Praise for Dead Like You “Possibly the most engrossing thriller since The Silence of the Lambs.” —Washington Post Book World “Sinister and riveting . . . Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world.” —Lee Child “A terrific thriller . . . Dead Like You is a haunting page-turner that seamlessly blends psychological suspense with police procedure, echoing the heart and voices of such authors as P. D. James and Ian Rankin at their best.” —Jeffery Deaver “Peter James creates worlds as familiar as your backyard, but doubly spicy, smart, and entertaining. Danger and drama leap from every page, as the master delivers precisely what every reader wants: plenty of sizzle and emotional clout. Dead Like You makes for a terrific read. Don’t miss this one.” —Steve Berry “U.S. readers deserve to know what the rest of the world has known for years—Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.” —Karin Slaughter “Thrilling . . .

will leave readers eager for the next installment.” —Publishers Weekly Read more About the Author PETER JAMES is the #1 international bestselling author of the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series with more than 13 million copies sold all over the world. His novels have been translated into thirty-four languages and three have been filmed. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in-depth research. He has produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Joseph Fiennes. He lives in England. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . New York Times best sellers Browse the New York Times best sellers in popular categories like Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Books and more.

See more Product Details Series: Detective Superintendent Roy Grace (Book 7) Hardcover: 416 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (November 22, 2011) Language: English Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.4 x 9.4 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds By Midnight on May 31, 2011 Format: Kindle Edition I had pre-ordered this as I am always waiting for Peter James' books to be published. It was delivered to my kindle just after midnight on publication day so I couldn't wait for the opportunity to read it. It's the seventh novel in the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series and once again is set around Brighton, Hove and surrounding areas. I hate it when reviews give away the storyline so a very brief synopsis: A teenage student has been killed in a fatal multiple car accident. Other drivers involved in the accident are later found tortured and murdered. DS Roy Grace and his team investigate and try to protect another driver involved in the crash. Roy's problems in his personal life continue.......... Peter's books are always well researched and give readers a detailed and enthralling tale.

I find his style of writing highly readable as he gently leads you through the story and transports you into a world of intrigue and drama. This latest offering is well worth the read and I certainly recommend it. If you haven't already discovered the thrill of reading the Roy Grace series, this is a list of the order: 36 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By BCB & More on September 19, 2011 Format: Kindle Edition Now the first thing I want to point out is that I am a huge Peter James fan and in particular of this series. Roy Grace is a fantastic character who I have studiously followed in each book. Peter James has always done a fantastic job of creating stories that capture you and the recurring characters that I have slowly fallen in love with. However, this book failed to leave me with the same satisfaction as others in the past. The story itself starts off with quite a dramatic car accident. We have a short introduction of the main characters and then the accident itself is described in all its horrific detail.

The beginning set the pace and as usual with a Peter James book the pace stays that way usually to the very end. This new book is as usual over 500 pages long and I felt that around the halfway mark my interest was becoming far less that it usually is. The main storyline is centred on Carly Chase who was involved in the traffic accident that involved the death of a young man. It now seems that Carly's life is in danger by a killer that has already murdered the other two people involved in the accident. I think the main let down for me was the killer themselves; there was a certain air of disbelief that Peter James had taken this route and I found it lessened my enjoyment of the book. His writing style is as ever fantastic which makes a book ten times easier to read and as usual his characters are all very strong and make a lasting impression. The appearance of the much loved characters is again a sign of how good a writer he is, so from that perspective he cannot be faulted. Roy Grace along with Glenn Branson and some other recurring characters are as ever brilliantly written and people I want to continue seeing. Read more › 1 Comment 18 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Kaye on February 20, 2012 Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase For anyone that has read PJ's Roy Grace books this one was far too predictable. Just after the first few chapters it was obvious what was going to happen. I'm afraid Mr. James has fallen into the trap that so many successful writers fall into after churning out so many books of the same genre, the worst sin of all, predictability! With the very last pages of the book I can guess where the next book will go in regards to Roy Grace's personal life. I won't say here and may never know for sure as I think I will give Roy Grace a rest for a bit. Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By prisrob TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE VOICE on October 31, 2011 Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this?

) Detective Superintendent Roy Grace may be one of my favorite characters in a mystery, police procedural thriller. It is difficult at times to define Peter James's writings, at times mysteries, combined with police procedural and both thrillers. I have followed DS Roy Grace,who works in his beloved, Brighton, about an hour outside of London, and in this novel discovered that his fiancee thinks he looks like Paul Newman. Yes, he is one of those policemen that you want on your side, good looking or not. He is thorough, effective, looks at every detail, and will do whatever it takes to get his man. A horrific accident involving three vehicles and a bicyclist lead to a series of events that cause more murders and mayhem, and it takes all of DS Roy Grace's wiles to put everything in place. Carly Chase, a divorce lawyer, newly widowed and with a teenage son, Tyler, is driving to her office after a night of heavy drinking. Stuart Ferguson, a driver for a Scottish salmon farm, is driving to Brighton to deliver his wares. Ewan Preece, on the cusp of being released from prison is driving a stolen white van.

All of them arrive at the same place,at about the same time, and one of them kills a young man who was bicycling to his graduate class. In the midst of this tragedy, DS Roy's fiancee, Cleo, is having difficulty with her pregnancy. Those of you who have read all of the novels involving Roy Grace, know that his first wife, Sandy, has gone missing and it is now 10 years. We are given a glimpse of what may occur in future novels with the missing Sandy, but that is enough of that. The young college student who was killed, turns out to be the grandson of the King of the Mafioso in New York. Read more › Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Dead Simple (Ds Roy Grace 1): Amazon.co.uk: Peter James: 9780330546010: Books Dead Simple (Ds Roy Grace 1) Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items.

In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Apple To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. or Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Product details Mass Market Paperback: 478 pages Publisher: Pan; Main Market Ed. edition (7 Oct.

2011) Language: English Product Dimensions: 13 x 3 x 19.7 cm Average Customer Review: Product Description Review 'This is the first in a new crime series which promises to be both fascinating and destined for the bestsellers.' --Independent on Sunday Book Description By Kindle Customer on 14 May 2012 Format: Hardcover I started reading the novels of Peter James last year and found that just by the down-to-earth well written stories with the confident understanding of characters, he has taken me at times to such a state of suspense that I just couldn't stop reading them, it is no wonder that he has become one of Britain's best-loved crime writers. All his stories are located in Brighton, just an hour's train ride from London, and over the sequence of his novels, Peter James is establishing himself to be as skilful a story-weaver as G. K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, and Elmore Leonard. His central character is the resolute police officer Roy Grace who I find to be quite unorthodox and a very likeable character.

It took me just one day to read this book; I just could not put it down it was so gripping and the fact that the story is set in and around Brighton made it that little bit more special British if you like. "Dead Simple" is fast and thrilling a real rollercoaster of a book full of twists and turns sometimes a bit mind-boggling but the story has hold of you right up to the end. You can tell that Peter James has researched his subjects well and I got the feeling that he has spent some time with members of the Sussex police force it would be interesting to see if he has based the character of Roy Grace on a few of that police force? If you haven't already discovered the thrill of reading the Roy Grace series, this is a list of the order: Dead Simple (2005) Buy Dead Man's Grip Book Online at Low Prices in India | Dead Man's Grip Reviews & Ratings - Amazon.in Product Description Review Praise for DEAD LIKE YOU: Peter James creates worlds as familiar as your backyard, but doubly spicy, smart, and entertaining. Danger and drama leap from every page, as the master delivers precisely what every reader wants: plenty of sizzle and emotional clout.

"Dead Like You "makes for a terrific read. Don't miss this one." --Steve Berry, "New York"" Times" bestselling author of THE PARIS VENDETTA "U.S. readers deserve to know what the rest of the world has known for years--Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business." --Karin Slaughter, "New York"" Times" bestselling author of BROKEN and UNDONE"A terrific thriller. . ." Dead like You" is a haunting page-turner that seamlessly blends psychological suspense with police procedure, echoing the heart and voices of such authors as P. D. James and Ian Rankin at their best."--Jeffery Deaver, "New York Times" bestselling author of ROADSIDE CROSSES"Sinister and riveting ... Peter James is one of the best British crime Book Description Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Apple Dead Mans Grip: Peter James: 9780330535489: Amazon.com: Books Dead Mans Grip Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Next Special Offers and Product Promotions Editorial Reviews Review Praise for "Dead Like You""Possibly the most engrossing thriller since "The Silence of the Lambs."" --"Washington Post Book World" "Sinister and riveting . . . Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world." --Lee Child "A terrific thriller . . . "Dead Like You" is a haunting page-turner that seamlessly blends psychological suspense with police procedure, echoing the heart and voices of such authors as P. D. James and Ian Rankin at their best." --Jeffery Deaver "Peter James creates worlds as familiar as your backyard, but doubly spicy, smart, and entertaining.

Danger and drama leap from every page, as the master delivers precisely what every reader wants: plenty of sizzle and emotional clout. "Dead Like You "makes for a terrific read. Don't miss this one." --Steve Berry"U.S. readers deserve to know what the rest of the world has known for years--Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business." -- Read more About the Author Peter James was educated at Charterhouse then at film school. His novels, many of which have been Sunday Times top 10 bestsellers, have been translated into thirty languages and three have been filmed. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill in London and Near Brighton in Sussex. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Ignite your imagination with these editor's picks from Kindle books. See more Product Details Publisher: Pan MacMillan Paperback Omes; Open market ed edition (October 1, 2011) Language: English Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.3 x 7 inches Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces By Elgin W.

Wyatt on March 10, 2015 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase A young American student in Brighton is horribly killed in an accident when he turns his bike into the wrong lane. A woman with a high blood alcohol content swerves to miss him but he is clipped by a white van into the path of a large truck drive by a man who has exceeded his maximum hours. The boy is the son of a powerful American mafia family who swears revenge on all the drivers.When they begin to die in horrible executions, DSI Grace is desperate to prevent further murders and find the clever perpetrator. The plot creates great tension, the murders are inventive and gruesome, and the resolution is gripping. Well written. By booksrme on August 7, 2012 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Another great read from Peter James. I couldn't put this book down. I feel like I know Roy Grace and some of the others after reading about them in other books but I didn't have to know them to get drawn in to this story. A car accident, an everyday occurence, turns into a nighmare for those involved. This begins an unpredictable and fast paced novel that will keep you page turning far into the night.

There are also some personal things going on in Supt. Grace's life that even he doesn't know about that I believe are setting us up for the next book and if so I can't wait. Write fast Mr. James I'll be waiting! Characters in this novel are richly developed and leave you feeling like you are in this story. You won't just want to know what happens to them you will need to know. I think I held my breath through much of this novel and to me that's a good book. By Kaye on February 20, 2012 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase For anyone that has read PJ's Roy Grace books this one was far too predictable. Just after the first few chapters it was obvious what was going to happen. I'm afraid Mr. James has fallen into the trap that so many successful writers fall into after churning out so many books of the same genre, the worst sin of all, predictability! With the very last pages of the book I can guess where the next book will go in regards to Roy Grace's personal life. I won't say here and may never know for sure as I think I will give Roy Grace a rest for a bit.

By Burr C Hartman on March 18, 2013 Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase Peter James has again demonstrated his ability to grip the reader with a tautly written mystery thriller. The book starts with a seemingly unfortunate death of a university student on a bicycle in a hoorible traffic accident in a rainstorm. It then devolves into awful unintended connections with the American and British underworld and parts of Brighton Hove that none of us, the uninitiated, might otherwise never know existed. I can't say more. It would spoil the suspense. Readers simply must read this book. PS: Once you're about halfway through, don't plan on anything else. You won't put it down. Unstoppable on the page and the track (Business Day) – Peter James Charity Unstoppable on the page and the track (Business Day) Bestselling crime writer Peter James finds the side effects of his car-racing more agonising than writing, writes Sue Grant-Marshall It amuses international bestselling crime-thriller novelist Peter James that on his most recent visit to Joburg, he was warned he would be “mugged getting into a taxi and mugged getting out of it”.

No wonder he chuckles, for he was born and raised in Brighton, England, variously described as “the crime capital of the UK and the murder capital of Europe”. He counts himself lucky that the coastal city has this reputation, “for a little known fact about it which three chief constables have told me”, and his voice drops to a stage whisper, “is that it is the most favoured place in the UK for ‘first division’ criminals to live.” He has set all nine of his detective-superintendent Roy Grace novels in the seaside town and some aspect of it, usually its iconic pier, adorns the front covers of his successful series. The latest, Dead Man’s Time (Macmillan), is subtitled, “Some will wait a lifetime to take their revenge” and, in this case, the vengeful person is a 95-year-old man, Gavin Daly. The book opens in 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, with five-year-old Daly being told a story about the Man in the Moon by his father, who is a dock worker and head of the Irish Mafia there. It is a ritual.

Every night, Daly’s father takes his Patek Philippe watch out of his pocket, the top half of which has a section showing the different phases of the moon. Story done, his dad stomps off to bed. The boy wakes to the sound of shattering glass and, minutes later, his mother is shot dead and his father is dragged off into the darkness. The orphaned boy and his sister are subsequently sent to Ireland to be raised by their extended family. Their father’s pocket watch piques the boy’s interest in antiques and, as the years pass, he makes his considerable fortune in the trade. The scene switches to a vicious robbery in a secluded Brighton mansion in 2012. Millions of pounds worth of valuables, including antiques, are stolen. The elderly victim, Aileen McWhirter, is tortured to obtain the details of the combination of her safe as well as her bank account details. Roy Grace, who heads the investigation into the robbery – and now murder – learns that there is one priceless item of sentimental value that the dead woman’s powerful family cherishes more than anything.

Daly doesn’t believe that Grace, or the police, will be able to get the watch back “so he turns to his 50-year-old thug of a son and says he must take whatever action is necessary”, says James. It is obvious from the start that the old man actively dislikes his son, so we have all kinds of scenarios in which people are played off against each other. Grace who, like all good fictional cops, has problems at home, one of them being a wife who has been missing for nine years, has to follow a murderous trail. It takes him from the shady antiques world of Brighton, across Europe and all the way back to the New York waterfront of 1922. He is chasing a killer driven by the force of one man’s greed and another man’s fury. This is classic James and we are wound up, like the antique watch on its chain, to a tense face-off that will have you gnawing your knucklebones as I did. “I’ve always wanted to have an elderly person as an heroic character in a book and as we are all, touch wood, living longer, healthier lives, I was quite pleased with Gavin Daly as a creation.” There is a pause.

“Well, even though he’s an old rogue, he’s a multimillionaire and has some morals, unlike his son.” James who is an extraordinary character himself, has been writing books full-time since 2005. His first book, Dead Letter Drop, was published in 1981. Since then, he has written 14 novels, a children’s book, a novella and a short story collection, in addition to his Roy Grace series. Over the years, he has had shareholdings in businesses, co-founded an entertainment company, produced 13 films and written TV programmes. In 1980, he began buying the rights to all of the 93 Biggles books – “Biggles” is the title character and main hero of the Biggles series of adventure books (he is a pilot and adventurer) written by WE Johns and aimed at young boys – and was closely involved in taking the film, Biggles, to the screen in 1985: “It had a royal premiere in the presence of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.” His family has a connection to British royalty for his mother, Cornelia James was, until her death in 1999, glove maker to Queen Elizabeth.

“British designer Hardy Amies asked my mother to make gloves for Princess Elizabeth’s going away outfit for her wedding in 1947.” Cornelia James ran the business with her husband and today the author’s sister, Genevieve, and her husband run the firm. “They still supply the royal family, including Kate Middleton (now the Duchess of Cambridge).” James, a popular after-dinner speaker, has lived in “a haunted Georgian manor house”, and is not dismissive of cops who visit psychics for help in solving difficult cases. His “maddest passion”, as he puts it, “is motor racing. My first car was a 1929 Rolls-Royce hearse”. He has his very own police car, which he donated to the Sussex police five years ago. “The livery, alongside the police markings, changes each year to match the jacket of my latest Roy Grace novel.” His passion has had side effects. While the 64-year-old was racing two months ago at Brands Hatch in England, in a 1965 BMW, he was hit from behind “at 85 miles an hour and I barrel-rolled four times”. He broke three ribs and suffered three slipped discs.

“It has been agony” he admits. “I will know how to torture someone in a future book.” But not for James, it seems, the agony endured by many an author who sits down to write. His “working day” starts at 6pm, when “I make myself a stiff vodka martini, put on music, light a fag and get in the zone”. He writes until 10pm, when he has a TV supper in front of “something easy on the telly”. He is up early to run anything between 5km and 12km before he checks “if what I wrote the night before makes any sense”. He deals harshly with his book critics: “One ended up being autopsied on a postmortem slab, while others have had their names slapped on mortuary fridge doors.” His deadpan delivery has us both roaring with laughter. He promises that when he returns to SA next year, he will discuss his other interests, which range from medicine to science and the paranormal. The joie de vivre of this multifaceted author is, it seems, unstoppable.

Related posts The House on Cold Hill Published October 2015 Interviews – Page 8 – Peter James Bestselling Roy Grace author Peter James discusses adapting Dead Simple for the stage at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre (News Shopper) by Jim Palmer, leisure editor When your books have sold more than 15 million copies all over the world, it is difficult to imagine you would be jittery about your most popular one being adapted for the stage. Especially since the first stage adaptation of your work – last year’s The Perfect Murder – was… WHSmith Exclusive Interview with Peter James Having sold over 15 million copies of his Roy Grace novels worldwide, several of which went straight to #1 on the Sunday Times Bestseller list, it’s safe to say that Peter James is one of the most successful and well-loved crime thriller writers in the UK. As well as winning multiple literary awards in both… BooksLive Q&A: Ten Questions with Peter James 1. What is the last thing that you read that made you laugh out loud? Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a book I re-read whenever I feel in need of either smiling or laughing out loud.

It manages to mix so many emotions, and contains so much wonderful, simple philosophy. 2. What is… Writers Write Interview with Peter James We had a wonderful time with Peter James, the British best-selling author of the Detective Roy Grace novels.. Peter was in South Africa to promote his latest novel, Want You Dead, as part of The Bloody Book Week. The guests were instantly taken by his opening declaration that the people in Johannesburg were the nicest… English writer’s latest crime thriller reprises popular Roy Grace character (The National) The British crime author Peter James is back with Want You Dead, the latest thriller to feature his popular detective Roy Grace. He speaks to us about his newest work and dark inspiration. You have published a new book annually for the past 10 years, not to mention regularly visiting literary festivals. When do you… Dead Man Talking (Mail on Sunday) He’s sold 14m ‘DS Roy Grace’ books (with their iconic ‘Dead’ titles). Now Peter James is preparing a seasonal thriller…specially for MoS readers. Peter James: The Books Interview. Bestselling British crime novelist Peter James is holding court. ‘I’m a stickler for accuracy,’ he says.

‘A lot of writers say accuracy doesn’t matter. But, besides entertainment,… Suspense Radio Suspense Radio brings you the best authors of today in the suspense / thriller / mystery / horror genre. Today’s ninety minute show will have just that, the best authors today, including Peter James talking about his latest book ahead of the launch of the hardback copy of Dead Man’s Time in the US and… Peter James: rolling a car is like being in a tumble dryer Author Peter James talks about the joy – and pain- of racing classic cars. Peter James – writer of the best-selling Roy Grace crime novels – talked to Motoring at the Goodwood Festival of Speed about his love of classic car racing. He explained what he finds so addictive about it, but also discussed the… Your Interview: Author Peter James (The Argus) In our new weekly feature your Interview, we give you, our readers, the chance to ask key figures across Sussex the questions you want answered. This week best-selling author Peter James answers your questions. Gary Collins: How on earth do you think up your plots? They’re so gripping.

Is it a long process to develop… On the chairlift with… Peter James (Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard) Crime writer Peter James is working on his ninth Roy Grace book, the best-selling series about a fictional Brighton detective. Each book takes the best part of a year to write, but Peter always makes time for at least one annual skiing holiday When did you first take up skiing and how did you get… Holding Millions of Readers Hostage (Suspense Magazine) Internationally bestselling author, Peter James was born in Brighton, Sussex, England and educated at Charterhouse and then Ravesnbourne Film School. His mom, Cornelia James, was Glovemaker to Her Majesty the Queen, running the business with his late father who was a chartered accountant. Their firm is today run by his sister, Genevieve and her husband,… Author Peter James And Sidekick Track Seaside Crime (NPR Books) Listen to the storyMorning Edition [7 min 20 sec] Correction Aug. 7, 2012Earlier Web versions of this story, as well as the audio, included a description of a scene in one of Peter James’ books, and gave the wrong title of the book in which the scene is included.

Any tour of Brighton, England, has… An Interview with Peter James (Living Poitou-Charentes) Top British crime author, Peter James, was recently interviewed by Sandie George. He has just published ‘Not Dead Yet’, the 8th in the Roy Grace series based in Brighton and reviewed in our last issue. Last year he won the ITV3 People’s Best Dagger Crime Writer, beating David Baldacci into second place. Your latest novel,… Peter James: “Nobody with a drink problem is going to last 24 hours in the modern police force” (The Big Issue) Interviews | Thomas Quinn | Jul 5, 2012 The crime novelist on overnight success, acting as a Sussex police researcher and solving puzzles If you want to know how to write a bestselling crime novel, ask the expert. The author currently on top of the bloody heap in Britain, arguably, is Peter James. He bagged… Peter James Interviews Jo Nesbo (We Love This Book) Genre: Crime, thriller Jo Nesbo is one of the biggest names in crime fiction thanks to books such as Headhunters and The Snowman – soon to be a Scorsese film.

He tells fellow crime writer Peter James how it all happened Britain has long been used to Viking invasions. So common were they between the… ‘Make my day!’ Fact stranger than fiction as top author ‘outs’ his own real life stalker (The Argus) The truth is often stranger than fiction, as bestselling author Peter James discovered when he was developing the plot of his new crime thriller Not Dead Yet, which was published yesterday. In auctioning off the right for someone to have a dead body found in their business as part of the plot, Mr James became… Peter James makes Brighton rock (Specsavers Magazine) Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards Winner Talks About His Thrilling Life. Not many people know this but in Russia, British crime author Peter James is a bit of a literary rock star! Six or seven hundred people will turn up for a book signing when he tours with the latest in his hugely popular Roy Grace… Interview: Author Peter James (Huffington Post) Ben FalkEntertainment journalist Peter James is the best-selling author of the Roy Grace series of crime novels including Dead Man’s Grip and Dead Like You, as well as several stand-alone books.

Formerly a movie producer, James’s saga about the Brighton-based detective whose wife Sandy mysteriously went missing have sold over 11 million copies worldwide. The… 7 Fragen an Peter James (Lesekreis) This interview is in both German and English (scroll down). Peter James, geboren am 22. August 1948 in Brighton, ist Drehbuchautor, Filmproduzent und Schriftsteller. Seine Schulzeit verbrachte er an der Charterhouse School und studierte anschließend am Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. Danach lebte er viele Jahre in den USA.

Seine erste Begegnung mit Hollywood… Peter James’ double whammy (Postmedia News) Author of two bestsellers has come a long way since Polka Dot Door By Jamie Portman, For Postmedia News January 4, 2012 LONDON – Back in the days when he was working in a lowly position at the Toronto-based children’s TV show, Polka Dot Door, Britain’s Peter James knew he wanted to be a writer.… Playing God: the birth of a new world order (The Irish Examiner) By Declan Burke Saturday, December 10, 2011 CRIME author Peter James says the concept of what makes us human will change dramatically in the next 100 years. “Bionics, memory, artificial intelligence, the length of the human life span … it’s all to play for,” he says. James is the bestselling and prize-winning author of the… Peter James on Crime Fiction (FiveBooks) The best crime novels grip you right from the first sentence and don’t let go.

We asked a bestselling crime author to tell us about his favourite examples of the genre Before we discuss your five book recommendations, I wanted to find out more about what got you interested in writing crime fiction. What got… One Minute With Peter James (The Independent) Where are you now and what can you see? I’m in my Portakabin; my temporary office in my new house in Sussex – a Victorian rectory we are restoring. I can see seven ducks on the lake, which is worrying as yesterday we had nine … definitely a case for Detective Superintendent Roy Grace! What… Peter James talks to World of Books.com about his career, crime and Brighton. Crime writer Peter James was born 22nd August 1948 in Brighton (that’s near us!). The son of Cornelia Jones (the former glove-maker to Queen Elizabeth II no less!) During his childhood Peter attended Charterhouse School and then, in later years went on to study at Ravensbourne Film School. As a result of his training there,… Peter James interviewed by Len Wanner (The Crime of it All) What are your thoughts on the current state of crime fiction?

I get very annoyed at the snooty literary ‘establishment’ that sneers at all commercial fiction, and quite forgets it is the commercial fiction of the past 3000 years that has survived, not the elitist stuff. Three years ago the Chair of the Booker Prize… NEW CRIME NOVEL CO-WRITTEN BY 26 AUTHORS (THE GUARDIAN) Alison Flood guardian.co.ukTuesday 5 July 2011 16.33 BST Luminaries including Jeffery Deaver, Kathy Reichs and Faye Kellerman have contributed to No Rest for the Dead It’s the literary world’s version of consequences: from Alexander McCall Smith to Kathy Reichs, 26 bestselling crime writers have teamed up to create the multi-authored mystery No Rest for the… Dead Man's Grip (Ds Roy Grace 7): Amazon.es: Peter James: Libros en idiomas extranjeros Libros en idiomas extranjeros AÃ±adir a la Lista de deseos Â¿Tienes uno para vender? Volver atrÃ¡s Ir adelante Escuchar Reproduciendo...

Interrumpido EstÃ¡s escuchando una muestra de la ediciÃ³n de audio Audible. Ver las 2 imÃ¡genes Dead Man's Grip (Ds Roy Grace 7) (InglÃ©s) Tapa blanda – 29 sep 2011 de Tapa blanda, 29 sep 2011 — DescripciÃ³n del producto Críticas Praise for "Dead Like You""Possibly the most engrossing thriller since "The Silence of the Lambs."" --"Washington Post Book World" "Sinister and riveting . . . Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world." --Lee Child "A terrific thriller . . . "Dead Like You" is a haunting page-turner that seamlessly blends psychological suspense with police procedure, echoing the heart and voices of such authors as P. D. James and Ian Rankin at their best." --Jeffery Deaver "Peter James creates worlds as familiar as your backyard, but doubly spicy, smart, and entertaining.

Danger and drama leap from every page, as the master delivers precisely what every reader wants: plenty of sizzle and emotional clout. "Dead Like You "makes for a terrific read. Don't miss this one." --Steve Berry"U.S. readers deserve to know what the rest of the world has known for years--Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business." -- Reseña del editor I WANT THEM TO SUFFER, AND I WANT THEM DEAD ... Carly Chase is still traumatised after being in a fatal traffic accident which kills a teenage student from Brighton University. Then she receives news that turns her entire world into a living nightmare. The drivers of the other two vehicles involved have been found tortured and murdered. Now Detective Superintendant Roy Grace of the Sussex Police force issues a stark and urgent warning to Carly: She could be next. The police advise Carly her only option is to go into hiding and change her identity. The terrified woman disagrees - she knows these people have ways of hunting you down anywhere. If the police are unable to stop them, she has to find a way to do it herself. But already the killer is one step ahead of her, watching, waiting, and ready ...

No es necesario ningÃºn dispositivo Kindle. DescÃ¡rgate una de las apps de Kindle gratuitas para comenzar a leer libros Kindle en tu smartphone, tablet u ordenador. Apple ObtÃ©n la app gratuita: o Â¿No tienes un Kindle? Consigue un Kindle aquÃ­ o descarga una aplicaciÃ³n de lectura Kindle GRATUITA. Detalles del producto Tapa blanda: 512 pÃ¡ginas Editor: Pan; EdiciÃ³n: Main Market Ed. (29 de septiembre de 2011) ColecciÃ³n: Ds Roy Grace 7 Idioma: InglÃ©s ISBN-13: 978-0330515566 ValoraciÃ³n media de los clientes: Â¿Quieres actualizar la informaciÃ³n sobre un producto o dar tu opiniÃ³n sobre las imÃ¡genes ?

Amazon Premium: EnvÃ­o 1 dÃ­a GRATIS y mucho mÃ¡s Los clientes Premium disfrutan de EnvÃ­o 1 dÃ­a GRATIS en mÃ¡s de un millÃ³n de productos, Acceso Prioritario a Amazon BuyVIP y Ofertas flash, Almacenamiento de fotos gratis e ilimitado y acceso a las series Amazon Originals, entre otras pelÃ­culas y series. Por LabijoseBooks en 21 de octubre de 2016 Formato: VersiÃ³n Kindle This may be, so far, one of my favourite books from The Roy Grace series. I jumped from number five to number seven, so I can not judge the previous one, but this was another good thriller, fast-paced and interesting. What starts as a road traffic collision leads to mafia-related plot, keeping you on edge. As usual, short chapters and well defined characters and locations. I haven’t been to Brighton, but yet it feels as though I am a local, such are the descriptions of the place. No doubt I will continue with Grace books. Good stuff. Will he finally find out what really happened to his ex?

Â¿Esta opiniÃ³n te ha parecido Ãºtil? SÃ­ No Enviando comentario... Gracias por tu opiniÃ³n. Lo sentimos, no hemos podido registrar tu voto. Vuelva a intentarlo 4.0 de un mÃ¡ximo de 5 estrellas Peter James, Dead Man's Grip 10 de marzo de 2015 Por Elgin W. Wyatt - Publicado en Amazon.com Formato: VersiÃ³n Kindle Compra verificada A young American student in Brighton is horribly killed in an accident when he turns his bike into the wrong lane. A woman with a high blood alcohol content swerves to miss him but he is clipped by a white van into the path of a large truck drive by a man who has exceeded his maximum hours. The boy is the son of a powerful American mafia family who swears revenge on all the drivers.When they begin to die in horrible executions, DSI Grace is desperate to prevent further murders and find the clever perpetrator. The plot creates great tension, the murders are inventive and gruesome, and the resolution is gripping. Well written.

Por booksrme - Publicado en Amazon.com Formato: VersiÃ³n Kindle Compra verificada Another great read from Peter James. I couldn't put this book down. I feel like I know Roy Grace and some of the others after reading about them in other books but I didn't have to know them to get drawn in to this story. A car accident, an everyday occurence, turns into a nighmare for those involved. This begins an unpredictable and fast paced novel that will keep you page turning far into the night. There are also some personal things going on in Supt. Grace's life that even he doesn't know about that I believe are setting us up for the next book and if so I can't wait. Write fast Mr. James I'll be waiting! Characters in this novel are richly developed and leave you feeling like you are in this story. You won't just want to know what happens to them you will need to know. I think I held my breath through much of this novel and to me that's a good book.

3 de 3 personas piensan que la opiniÃ³n es Ãºtil 3.0 de un mÃ¡ximo de 5 estrellas Dead Man's Grip 20 de febrero de 2012 Por Kaye - Publicado en Amazon.com Formato: VersiÃ³n Kindle Compra verificada For anyone that has read PJ's Roy Grace books this one was far too predictable. Just after the first few chapters it was obvious what was going to happen. I'm afraid Mr. James has fallen into the trap that so many successful writers fall into after churning out so many books of the same genre, the worst sin of all, predictability! With the very last pages of the book I can guess where the next book will go in regards to Roy Grace's personal life. I won't say here and may never know for sure as I think I will give Roy Grace a rest for a bit.

5.0 de un mÃ¡ximo de 5 estrellas Exceedingly well written murder mystery thriller 19 de marzo de 2013 Por Burr C Hartman - Publicado en Amazon.com Formato: Tapa blanda Compra verificada Peter James has again demonstrated his ability to grip the reader with a tautly written mystery thriller. The book starts with a seemingly unfortunate death of a university student on a bicycle in a hoorible traffic accident in a rainstorm. It then devolves into awful unintended connections with the American and British underworld and parts of Brighton Hove that none of us, the uninitiated, might otherwise never know existed. I can't say more. It would spoil the suspense. Readers simply must read this book. PS: Once you're about halfway through, don't plan on anything else. You won't put it down.

5.0 de un mÃ¡ximo de 5 estrellas Another enthralling book in the Roy Grace series 10 de agosto de 2014 Por clarkduck - Publicado en Amazon.com Formato: VersiÃ³n Kindle Compra verificada Roy Grace is baffled by a couple of gangland styled "hits" in his English seaside resort hometown. Peter James makes his detective Roy Grace come to life as we get to know him with each turn of the page. Peter Robinson was my favorite British murder mystery writer, but with each novel I like Peter James' work more and more--this is a work well worth your time if you like British murder mysteries, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Question: Who has written several successful novels about DS Roy Grace of the Brighton force?
Answer: Peter James