THE VALLEY OF RAVENS by Barbara Erskine is a Top Ten bestseller!

Barbara Erskine’s THE VALLEY OF RAVENS has flown into the Top Ten in the UK hardback Original Fiction bestseller chart, hitting Number Six on chart after just three days on sale. HarperCollins published THE VALLEY OF RAVENS on 30th July – the tenth Barbara Erskine novel to become a Top Ten bestseller, with her previous title, THE STORY SPINNER, reaching Number One as well.

In THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, two women, centuries apart, are bound by fate… In the present, Eve, desperate for a fresh start, arrives in the Valley of Ravens to restore a long-abandoned cottage. Everyone knows the place is cursed. Why else would it be called The Witch’s House? As Eve begins her renovations it becomes clear the place has a secret waiting to be uncovered, if only she can make the connection with the past.

Meanwhile, in Wales in 1260, Alys, a healer living in the depths of the valley, discovers Llewelyn – last true Prince of Wales – lying wounded on the battlefield. She tends him and her fate is forever bound to his. Her vow to keep his final secret will echo through the centuries…

Barbara has a busy roster of events to celebrate the publication of THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, beginning with a very special launch at Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye on publication day. Hay-on-Wye sits on the border with England along the River Wye and is of course the site of Barbara’s debut, the iconic classic LADY OF HAY. THE VALLEY OF RAVENS also features LADY OF HAY heroine Jo Clifford. Fans came from all over the UK to attend the launch, also in family groups – from Edinburgh, York, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham and more. A lively discussion about Barbara’s research and Q&A session was followed by a long signing queue!

You can listen to Barbara talking more about the book on BBC Radio or read more in this fascinating Muddy Stilettos interview. You can see more event dates here, photos of Barbara’s location travel and research on her website here and sign up for her monthly newsletter here, for early news and extra insights.

THE VALLEY OF RAVENS has already garnered praise from early readers and reviewers:

‘Erskine masterfully connects these women across centuries, delivering an atmospheric blend of historical drama and supernatural suspense that explores how deep secrets refuse to stay buried.’ – Woman’s Own

‘Gripping and inspirational… Barbara Erskine never disappoints. She is a master storyteller with a genius for evoking lost worlds, and writes pacy and convincing time-slip novels in which magic and the supernatural abound and menace is always lurking, and this book is no exception. I was riveted, entranced by the poignant story of the last native Prince of Wales, and the brave heroine who risks her all for his sake. It’s a beautifully crafted story, a real roller-coaster ride, and utterly spellbinding.’ – Alison Weir

‘There are few things as exciting as a new Barbara Erskine novel. In fact, I’m beginning to think that she writes especially for me, because her stories, so multi-layered, gliding smoothly from present to past, with intriguing and often quite scary paranormal threads, are exactly what I crave in a book. No one does the paranormal like Barbara and I love her for it. She’s a kindred spirit and I soak up every word with unadulterated pleasure. THE VALLEY OF RAVENS is Barbara at her best – she’s been at her best for years, really, she hits that high pitch of perfection every time. She’s a master storyteller and a wise woman. Long may she continue to entertain, fascinate and give great joy to her many readers! I adored THE VALLEY OF RAVENS so much!’ – Santa Montefiore

'An intriguing time-slip story... With beautiful prose, this atmospheric story is told in dual time frames as ancient events and secrets come to the fore.' – Candis

It was recently announced that HarperCollins have acquired two new books from Barbara Erskine, one being the long-awaited sequel to Barbara’s debut, the multi-million-copy bestseller LADY OF HAY, which has been in print for 40 years. The new novel, also set in Hay-on-Wye, has Jo Clifford again as central character and will be published in 2028, with a further title to follow.

About the Author

Photo credit: Chris Norton

Historian and novelist, Barbara Erskine was the first writer to become a major bestseller with dual time period novels. Her first novel, LADY OF HAY, catapulted her to international success and has been constantly in print for 38 years. Often imitated, never equalled, Barbara’s work is published all around the world in English and in 26 other languages. Her books are regular Sunday Times bestsellers in both hardback and paperback, with millions of copies sold.

Barbara Erskine has 16 novels and 3 original short story collections to her name. Euromedia published ‘The Best of Barbara Erskine’ short story collection in the Czech Republic in October 2020.

She lives in an old police station in Hay-on-Wye, the setting of LADY OF HAY and SLEEPER’S CASTLE. The area, near Offa’s Dyke, is a key location in THE DREAM WEAVERS, THE STORY SPINNER and THE VALLEY OF RAVENS too.

Praise for Barbara Erskine

‘Fascinating, absorbing, original. But perhaps the most suitable word is hypnotic.’ – SHE

‘Erskine never disappoints.’ — Historical Novel Society

 'My perfect storm of escapist bliss.' – Saga

 ‘The acknowledged queen of the historical time-slip novel.’ – Daily Mail

‘Whether you class her as historical or supernatural, she is certainly a first-rate storyteller.’ – The Bookseller

Visit Barbara’s website.

Follow Barbara on Twitter.

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Edward Wilson-Lee’s THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS recognised as the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize looks back on 25 years of historical non-fiction

Image: Orlando Myxx

Edward Wilson-Lee, who was awarded the 2019 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS, joined his fellow past prize winners in celebration as the Prize marked its 25th and final ceremony. The prize, funded by and in memory of the late Marjorie Hessell-Tiltman, recognised exceptional works of historical non-fiction, of such literary merit that reached beyond the academic market to connect with all readers.

Image: Orlando Myxx

The event on 16 July at Foyles Charing Cross included Edward and other previous winners Anita Anand, Kojo Koram, Keith Lowe, Diarmaid MacCulloch, Margaret Macmillan, David Olusoga, Richard Overy, David Reynolds, Avi Shlaim, Stephen A Smith, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Jenny Uglow, and Rebecca Wragg Sykes in conversation to consider the past, present, and future of historical non-fiction. The night culminated with Margaret Macmillan being crowned the ‘Winner of Winners’.

THE CATEGORY OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS, Edward’s 2019 winner, told the story of Christopher Columbus' illegitimate son Hernando, who sought to equal and surpass his father's achievements by creating a universal library to harness the vast powers of the new printing presses to assemble the world’s knowledge in one place. ‘THE CATEGORY OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS was a unanimous choice,’ said the 2019 judges Dr Kate Wiles and Stephanie Merritt. ‘We felt it stood out for its combination of compelling original research with elegant writing and a gripping narrative, bringing together histories of exploration, scholarship and personal and national identity. Through the life of Hernando Colón, Edward Wilson-Lee captures a turbulent world in the grip of unprecedented change, geographically and intellectually, and considers what lessons we might take for our own age of rapidly expanding information.’

THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS was published by William Collins in the UK in 2018 and by Scribner in the US in 2019. Rights have been sold in ten translation markets so far: Bulgaria (Colibri), China (Guangxi Normal University Press), France (Editions Paulsen), Italy (Bollati Boringhieri), Japan (Kashiwashobo), Netherlands (Meulenhoff), Romania (ART), Portugal (Bertrand Editora), Saudi Arabia (Madarek) and Spain (Ariel, Planeta). THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS was also shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Biography in 2019.

About Edward Wilson-Lee

Edward Wilson-Lee is 1596 Fellow in English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he teaches Renaissance Literature. After growing up in the US, Kenya, and Switzerland, he studied in London, New York, Oxford and Cambridge and lived in Zimbabwe, Mexico and the United States in between. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two sons.

He has been awarded numerous Fellowships to support his work, including from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Foundation, and most recently a Guggenheim Fellowship. His first book was SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND and THE GRAMMAR OF ANGELS his most recent. In addition to English-language publications in the UK and the US, his work has been translated into another 15 languages and he is regularly invited to festivals abroad.

Praise for THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS

‘Perfectly pitched poetic drama – the closest thing documented history can get to magic realism…THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is a wonderful book, not least in the literal sense of an epic unfolding in a nonstop procession of marvels, ordeals and apparitions… A simile-studded prose that is seldom less than elegant and often quite beautiful… THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is most compelling as a meditation on the response to an explosive expansion of knowledge.’ – Simon Schama, Financial Times

'Wilson-Lee’s main subject… is an intellectual hunger at once dazzling and monstrous: Hernando Colon’s insatiable urge to know and to possess… For lovers of history, Wilson-Lee offers a thrill on almost every page… THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is an intellectual biography, but its beating heart is the tangled love of a son for his father... Edward Wilson-Lee’s magnificent book helps us understand [Hernando’s] obsessive desire to gather and preserve, even in the face of chaos.'  – Irina Dumitrescu, New York Times

'Superb biography... THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS affords an intriguing glimpse into the Renaissance mind and its rage for order, as well as a beguiling preview of the modern library and, very possibly, what lies beyond.' – Ernest Hilbert, Wall Street Journal

‘An elegantly written, absorbing portrait of a visionary man and his age.’ – Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)

'A gripping study of heroic endeavour and family rivalry; it's a tour de force of sifting through dusty fragments and of vivid biographical storytelling, as well as a delicious, Borgesian dream for all bookworms and lovers of libraries and print ephemera.' – Marina Warner, New Statesman

‘Edward Wilson-Lee’s THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is an utter joy, the story of the first internationally important library and the man whose vision it was. It will remind everyone who reads of it of how wonderful libraries and the people who work in them are.’ – Joseph O’Connor, Irish Times

Praise for Edward Wilson-Lee

‘Wilson-Lee combines literary flair with deep historical insight.’ – Paul Lay, The Times

‘Wilson-Lee has the rare knack of re-visiting even the most familiar places as if they were being discovered for the first time. His prose is rich, fluent, absorbing. He guides his readers through a kaleidoscope of detail, interrelating various themes with consummate skill.’ – Fernando Cervantes

‘Autodidact catnip. He’s a gifted chronicler of the odd, the interesting and the esoteric. Think non-fiction Umberto Eco.’ – Ian Sansom, The Spectator

Deon Meyer’s SKORPIO pushes on to the shortlist for the SA Book Awards Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction Prize

SKORPIO, the latest Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido investigation by bestselling crime sensation Deon Meyer, has advanced to the shortlist for the 26th annual SA Book Awards, in the Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction category.

Booksellers from across South Africa were invited to vote for their favourite South African-authored books of the year from a longlist of the bestselling titles of 2025, with SKORPIO recognised following an epic 9-week end-of-year run at the top of the South African bestseller lists, claiming the Christmas #1. The awards, powered by NielsenIQ BookData and supported by the Publishers’ Association of South Africa and the SA Booksellers’ Association, strive to celebrate books written and published in South Africa, as voted for by South African booksellers. Each category winner will be awarded ZAR 5,000.00 and an overall winner – awarded to Deon in 2024 for previous book LEO – receiving the highest number of votes, who will be presented with ZAR 20,000.00. The winners will be announced at a special virtual award ceremony on 8 September 2026.

The other books on this year’s Adult Fiction shortlist are:

• BINNERYM VAN BLOED by Antje Krog

• DÉJÀ VU by Chanette Paul

• DIE BY THE SWORD by Tony Park

• SWEETIE by Nataniël Nataniël

First published last year in Afrikaans by Human and Rousseau, English-language readers won’t have to wait long to enjoy the thrills of SKORPIO for themselves: last week, Pan Macmillan unveiled the cover of their edition, the first to be published by Pan Macmillan following a six-figure swoop for the UK and Commonwealth English-language rights. Titled SCORPIO RISING (translated by K.L. Seegers), it will be published in South Africa in October this year, and in the UK on 11 February 2027, alongside Grove Atlantic in the US and Canada. Rights have further sold in France (Editions Gallimard), the Netherlands (A W Bruna) and Germany (Aufbau).

In SKORPIO/SCORPIO RISING, when two seemingly disparate investigations collide, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido must race against time to solve both before it is too late.

When Detective Benny Griessel is assigned the case of a private eye crushed under a BMW in his garage, it looks a lot like suicide. But Benny’s partner, Vaughn Cupido, knew the deceased, and he says it’s murder. Benny would love to have Vaughn’s help on the case, because so far it’s going nowhere. But his partner is stuck wasting his considerable talents investigating the arson of a remote shepherd’s hut.

Then a caravan explodes on a nearby farm, and the identity of the body inside drives the media into a feeding frenzy just a week before an international security forum comes to town. Suddenly, Griessel and Cupido’s dead-end cases are burning red-hot, and the flames threaten not just their careers, but those dearest to them.

Local and international threats become perilously entwined in this tautly constructed thriller from a master of the form, as Griessel and Cupido race against time to uncover a plot that could challenge global politics at the highest level…

Credit: Will Punt, Peartree Photography

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in 31 countries, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. His latest novel LEO, a new Benny Griessel thriller, enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for SKORPIO

‘Even if he writes a book where Griessel and Cupid just go on holiday without any crime to solve, I will still buy it, read it and add it to my collection… Meyer needs no introduction… I don’t even want to think what he has meant to the Afrikaans book and film industry as a whole. He showed everyone what is possible, and SKORPIO shows how everyone still listens when he speaks. In 2025, a wealth of good suspense literature was published; SKORPIO is the icing on the cake.’ – Stefan Coetzee, LitNet

‘It’s the characters, the humanity and the humour that keeps me devouring Deon Meyer’s novels.’ – Deborah Steinmair, Netwerk24

‘In terms of depth, it is Meyer’s penetrating consideration of the nature of criminality that is surprising… In Meyer we notice the necessary awareness of South Africa’s social diversity. This makes the story nuanced and credible. What is also striking is the compassion with which Meyer treats the characters. This is a novel that is marked by humanity. Even the characters and suspects do not lack the author’s compassion… Ultimately, it is the scope of the story that surprises both the detectives and the reader. The evil that is systemic corruption is strikingly exposed. With the unmistakable Deon Meyer trademark, precise and powerful, SKORPIO is prime crime fiction that captivates to the end’ – Francois Bekker, Netwerk24

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

Follow Deon on Twitter

Deon Meyer’s SKORPIO longlisted for the SA Book Awards Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction Prize

Bestselling crime sensation Deon Meyer has been longlisted for the 26th annual SA Book Awards in the Favourite Bestselling Adult Fiction category with SKORPIO. The awards, powered by NielsenIQ BookData and supported by the Publishers’ Association of South Africa and the SA Booksellers’ Association, strive to celebrate books written and published in South Africa, as voted for by South African booksellers.

SKORPIO earned its place on the longlist following an epic 9-week end of year run at the top of the South African bestseller lists, claiming the Christmas #1. In 2024, Deon took home not only the Best Fiction prize but also the overall Book of the Year prize at the SA Book Awards, for his previous Benny Griessel title LEO.

This year’s longlist was made up of the bestselling titles published in South Africa by South African authors, as measured by NielsenIQ BookScan South Africa in 2025, with South African booksellers invited to vote for their favourite to determine the shortlist and winners. Each category winner will be awarded ZAR 5,000.00 and there will be an overall winner, receiving the highest number of votes, who will be presented with ZAR 20,000.00. The winners will be announced at a special virtual award ceremony later in the year.

SKORPIO was first published in South Africa, in Afrikaans, by Human and Rousseau in October 2025. The English-language edition, titled SCORPIO RISING (translated by K.L. Seegers), will be published by Pan Macmillan in South Africa in October this year, and in the UK in Spring 2027, alongside Grove Atlantic in the US and Canada. Rights have further sold in France (Editions Gallimard), the Netherlands (A W Bruna) and Germany (Aufbau).

In SKORPIO/SCORPIO RISING, when two seemingly disparate investigations collide, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido must race against time to solve both before it is too late.

Aishah Fernandez, distinguished former Deputy Director General of South Africa’s nuclear power regulatory agency, is brutally attacked in her hotel room in Moscow. Four months later, Benny Griessel and his partner Vaughn Cupido – their rank as captains happily restored – find themselves investigating two tragic but seemingly unrelated cases: two small explosions and the suspicious death of private investigator Brandon Maarman.

At the same time, Benny is desperately trying to repair the damaged relationship with his son Fritz. As the connections between the cases become frighteningly clear, the race to save the country from an international disaster is on, with stakes higher than a father’s bond with his son.

Credit: Will Punt, Pear Tree Photography

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in 31 countries, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. His latest novel LEO, a new Benny Griessel thriller, enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for SKORPIO

‘Even if he writes a book where Griessel and Cupid just go on holiday without any crime to solve, I will still buy it, read it and add it to my collection… Meyer needs no introduction… I don’t even want to think what he has meant to the Afrikaans book and film industry as a whole. He showed everyone what is possible, and SKORPIO shows how everyone still listens when he speaks. In 2025, a wealth of good suspense literature was published; SKORPIO is the icing on the cake.’ – Stefan Coetzee, LitNet

‘It’s the characters, the humanity and the humour that keeps me devouring Deon Meyer’s novels.’ – Deborah Steinmair, Netwerk24

‘In terms of depth, it is Meyer’s penetrating consideration of the nature of criminality that is surprising… In Meyer we notice the necessary awareness of South Africa’s social diversity. This makes the story nuanced and credible. What is also striking is the compassion with which Meyer treats the characters. This is a novel that is marked by humanity. Even the characters and suspects do not lack the author’s compassion… Ultimately, it is the scope of the story that surprises both the detectives and the reader. The evil that is systemic corruption is strikingly exposed. With the unmistakable Deon Meyer trademark, precise and powerful, SKORPIO is prime crime fiction that captivates to the end’ – Francois Bekker, Netwerk24

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

Amazon Original Stories acquires ‘thrilling and surprising’ short story from No.1 bestselling crime writer Peter James

Credit: Max Young

This summer Amazon Original Stories will publish a brand-new story from no.1 Sunday Times bestselling crime and thriller writer Peter James, acquired by editor Maisie Lawrence from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

Publishing on 1st August, JOHN GREBBLE IS GONE follows the eponymous John Grebble, who wakes up to discover he’s been declared dead. His bank account is frozen, his car repossessed, and his entire existence erased. Someone wants him gone – permanently. Can he discover who would go this far to destroy him before it’s too late?

Peter James says: ‘I love to write short stories – in which I can explore ideas and themes very different to my Roy Grace crime thrillers.  The team at Amazon have been both huge fun and truly inspirational to work with, and I can honestly say that JOHN GREBBLE IS GONE is one of my very favourite stories I have ever written.’

Maisie Lawrence says: ‘I was so excited when Peter James said yes to writing an Amazon Original Story. JOHN GREBBLE IS GONE is an incredibly fast-paced, darkly comic thriller about a man whose entire existence is wiped out overnight and the result is a short that sent shivers up my spine. Peter brings all of his trademark thrilling pace and ability to surprise. It’s wickedly entertaining and I know readers are going to love it.’

Isobel Dixon says: ‘The indefatigable Peter James is a twisty plot powerhouse and it’s such a pleasure to share his bestselling work – series and standalone – with the world in so many formats. Thanks now to Maisie Lawrence for this opportunity for Peter to have some more short-form storytelling fun – providing great entertainment to even more readers worldwide.’

Michael Buchsteiner, Senior Manager at Amazon Books Europe, says: ‘Peter James is one of the UK’s most iconic crime writers, and we’re thrilled to bring his brilliant storytelling to Amazon Original Stories. ‘John Grebble Is Gone’ is a gripping, inventive short that showcases Peter’s extraordinary ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. We’re proud to connect his work with even more readers across Europe and beyond, and to champion the short story format as a home for bold, compelling fiction.’

Peter’s next full length novel, DEAD IN THREE TWO ONE, will be published on 20th October by Pan Macmillan. It will be the 22nd in Peter’s ever popular Roy Grace series, but as with all the Grace titles, readers can dive in at any stage!

About Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over 24 million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 21 Sunday Times Number Ones. In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award and in 2024 he won four Silver Nielsen Bestseller Awards. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

The opening episode of GRACE, based on the first Roy Grace novel, DEAD SIMPLE, was broadcast in March 2021 with John Simm starring in the lead role as the tenacious detective. It was a TV Pick of the Day across all the major UK newspapers, appeared on ITV 1’s prime Sunday night slot and viewing figures quickly reached more than 8.8 million, with glowing reviews. In May 2025 it was in the top ten of ITVX’s most streamed shows.

Peter took part in the launch podcast of the Queen’s Reading Room in January 2024, having had the Grace series featured on the Royal Reading Room previously. He appeared on the podcast again in June 2024, where he was named one of Her Majesty’s favourite crime writers and Roy Grace her favourite fictional detective!

In 2026, Peter was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List, in recognition of his services to literature and to charity.

Praise for Peter James

‘Superior plotting and edge-of-the-seat suspense.’ – The Guardian

‘Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business’ – Karin Slaughter

‘A master plotter who cunningly tunes into contemporary concerns. Peter James cannot fail to thrill.’ – The Daily Mail

‘Memorable characters and nail-biting tension.’ –  Kathy Reichs

‘Peter James creates a world we can smell, touch and feel for his Brighton detective Inspector Roy Grace.’ – The Times

‘Probably the closest we’ll get to a British Stephen King’ – The Financial Times

‘With echoes of Thomas Harris, the closer analogue is to Jeffrey Deaver’s clock-racing thrillers… James delivers the goods.’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘James just gets better and better and deserves the success he has achieved with this first-class series.’ – Independent on Sunday

Visit Peter’s website

Follow Peter on Facebook and Instagram