Seven-figure deal for Peter James' next three novels

Pan Macmillan has acquired a further three titles in Peter James’ Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series in a seven-figure deal.

Associate publisher Wayne Brookes concluded the deal with Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann for world English rights including audio, with the first publishing in May 2020. The 14th book in the Brighton-based crime series, Dead If You Don’t, will publish on 17th May this year.

James said he loved the challenge of keeping Roy Grace "fresh and topical" 15 years on and praised his publisher Pan Macmillan for being "wonderfully professional, totally joined-up, and always, very crucially, huge fun!"

"I find it hard to believe that 15 years have passed since David North and Geoff Duffield first spoke to my then agent, the late Carole Blake, asking her if I would ever consider writing a crime novel - and I am now starting the fifteenth," said James. "It is an immense thrill to be signing this deal for three further Roy Grace novels. Pan Macmillan is a terrific publishing house to be with, wonderfully professional, totally joined-up, and always, very crucially, huge fun!  I love the challenges of keeping Roy Grace fresh and topical and know that I am very lucky to have so many great readers around the world, and such a wonderful publisher."

Brookes, who has worked with James for eight years now, called him "a dream author" and promised 2018 was "set to be his biggest year yet". Also publishing this year is Absolute Proof, a novel James has been working on since 1993 that asks what would happen if someone had absolute proof of God's existence. It comes out in October.

"I cannot imagine a year without having Peter James and Team Roy Grace in my life ... I could not be happier that our relationship is set to continue," said Brookes. "Peter is a dream author and 2018 is set to be his biggest year yet. Not only do we have our 14th Roy Grace Dead if You Don't hitting the shelves in May, but we also have Peter's biggest standalone novel to date, Absolute Proof coming out in October. Dead if You Don't also heralds the beginning of a whole new re-package for the Roy Grace backlist."

Pan Macmillan c.e.o. Anthony Forbes Watson added: "Peter has created an extraordinarily textured and rich world around Roy Grace and the underside of Brighton, which resonates ever more deeply with every book he writes in this magnificent series. I'm thrilled to be able to look forward to three more - and long may this story continue!"