Wayne Brookes, Associate Publisher at Pan Macmillan, has acquired world English language rights for five new Roy Grace books by UK number one bestselling author Peter James from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. The significant deal follows a spectacular year for the crime writer and his most famous creation, which included the premier of an ITV adaptation starring John Simm as Grace.

The first title in this new five-book deal is scheduled to be published in hardback in May 2023, with one new case for Roy Grace to crack every year up until 2027. This will take the series to a total of 23 full-length novels, plus a shorter Roy Grace story, called WISH YOU WERE DEAD, which was written for the Reading Agency’s 2021 Quick Reads initiative. To date, Peter James has secured an impressive total of 18 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. He has been published by Pan Macmillan since 2005.

The seventeenth Roy Grace book, LEFT YOU DEAD, is published on 14th October 2021, and is one of the top ten pre-ordered Super Thursday books on Amazon.

Wayne Brookes, Associate Publisher at Pan Macmillan, said: ‘My partnership with Peter James has been one of the most rewarding of my career. Roy Grace and his team are like family to me and knowing that I’ll be sharing in their adventures for five new books is simply wonderful. Peter has gone from strength to strength with 2021 being an exceptional year topped off with Roy Grace finally coming to the small screen. Having this new deal in place feels like a whole new and very exciting chapter is just beginning.’

Roy Grace hit TV screens around the world for the first time this year when ITV’s much-anticipated adaptation GRACE, written by acclaimed screenwriter and Endeavour creator Russell Lewis, premiered in March. Two episodes have been filmed so far, with a second series consisting of a further three episodes currently in production. The stellar cast includes John Simm, best known for his roles in Life on Mars and Doctor Who, as Roy Grace, and Top Boy actor, Richie Campbell, as Detective Sergeant Glenn Branson. The first episode, based on the first Roy Grace book DEAD SIMPLE, was watched by 8.8 million viewers in the UK and has since aired in countries including the USA, Canada, Japan, Norway and Finland.

Peter James said: ‘I couldn’t be more delighted to continue working with the brilliant team at Pan Macmillan. Despite its size, it still feels like being part of a warm and welcoming family and these past seventeen years with them have been extremely happy ones. 2021 has also been an incredible year for my good mate Roy – my dream was always a TV adaptation that was faithful, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the production team who captured the spirit of the books so perfectly. And that makes me even more excited to start researching and writing new cases for Roy to get to grips with!’

Isobel Dixon, Managing Director and Head of Books at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, said: ‘Peter James is a power-house storyteller, who keeps surprising and delighting readers around the world – including his agent and editorial team! We love working with Peter and are thrilled to confirm that there are still many more ingenious plots and surprises in store for Roy Grace, and for us, stories that will transfer with such brilliance to the screen as well.’

The stage play of the second Roy Grace novel, LOOKING GOOD DEAD, starring award-winning author and EastEnders icon Adam Woodyatt and star of the stage and screen Gaynor Faye, is currently touring the UK. The highly-anticipated Gala Night takes place in Brighton on 12th October 2021.

About Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels, repeatedly occupying the Number One slot on the Sunday Times bestseller charts in both hardback and paperback. Peter writes both thriller standalones and the hugely popular Brighton-set Roy Grace series, now adapted for ITV.

Peter’s books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, with worldwide sales of over twenty-one million copies and his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has given him 18 consecutive 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. Peter James has also written two books based on true crime stories, with former senior detective Graham Bartlett.

The 16th Roy Grace, FIND THEM DEAD, was a UK Number 1 in both hardback and paperback, spending four consecutive weeks at Number 1 in paperback, and reaching Number 5 in Australia and Canada too. In 2021 Peter James repeated the hardback and paperback Top Ten double with LEFT YOU DEAD and standalone thriller I FOLLOW YOU.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015,) NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017) and THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019) have packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. The stage play of LOOKING GOOD DEAD is currently touring the UK. Several other Peter James novels are optioned for film and in further development.

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.’ – 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

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