UK and Commonwealth rights to two standalone novels by bestselling author crime author Peter James have been acquired by Wayne Brookes, Associate Publisher (Fiction) at Pan Macmillan. The deal was negotiated by James’ agent Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann, and will be published in hardback in October 2021 and October 2022 respectively.
Pan Macmillan have published Peter James’ Detective Superintendent Roy Grace novels since 2005. To date James’ books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. His most recent standalone novel, ABSOLUTE PROOF, about what would happen if we had incontrovertible proof that God exists, was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club 2019. It was released in paperback in July and has sold more than 50,000 copies in its first five weeks.
Wayne Brookes says:
‘It’s been almost a decade since I started working with the extremely talented Peter James on his bestselling Roy Grace series. However, I was a fan of Peter’s earlier non-Grace novels long before I became his publisher. With Absolute Proof riding high in the charts right now we know Peter’s fans are hungry for new thrillers as well as Roy Grace novels, and I am more than happy to give the reading public exactly what they want.’
Peter James says:
‘I love writing my Roy Grace novels and I’m constantly asked by my fans if I could write more than one a year! But there are some themes that deeply interest me which I can’t explore as fully as I’d like within a long-running series. I love the refreshing challenge of tackling different subjects while entertaining my readers and I’m delighted that Pan Macmillan are signing up two more standalones now – I can’t wait to share them!’
Isobel Dixon says:
‘Every Peter James standalone opens up fascinating new avenues, as we saw with his bestselling PERFECT PEOPLE, THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL and ABSOLUTE PROOF. He’s already hard at work on the next eye-opening page-turner, taking us to more intriguing – and chilling – places. I’m so pleased that Wayne Brookes and the Pan Macmillan team are keeping up the pace for Peter James fans each year, with a summer Roy Grace, and an autumn thriller. Double delight!’
Praise for Peter James:
‘Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business’ — Lee Child
‘Peter James, Britain’s closest equivalent to Stephen King’ — Sunday Times
‘What sets James apart is his extraordinary attention to detail and sheer authenticity of his police procedurals’ — Daily Mirror
‘James has been compared with Stephen King, but in many ways he's better’ — Daily Express
About the Author:
Peter James is an international bestselling crime and thriller writer. He has a total of 14 Sunday Times No. 1s and has been translated into 37 languages. In addition to his career as a novelist, he has produced several films, including THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. He also co-created the hit Channel 4 series BEDSITCOM, which was nominated for a Rose d'Or.
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.
His next book, THE SECRET OF COLD HILL, is a follow-up to THE HOUSE OF COLD HILL, and will be published by Pan Macmillan on 3 October 2019. It gives readers another dose of 21st century ghosts, with spirits taking over contemporary tech – from sophisticated, voice-operated home command systems to self-parking cars – to make their malevolent presence felt.
Visit Peter James’s website