Although writing is a solitary task, there are numerous people in the background working on the editing, sales and marketing, without whom there would, quite simply, be no book. My agent, Carole Blake, and her team. My publishing director, Wayne Brookes. Geoff Duffield, Anna Bond, Sara Lloyd, Sarah Arratoon, Fraser Crichton, Neil Lang and all at Pan Macmillan. Elena Stokes, Tanya Farrell and all the rest at Team James USA. My editor Susan Opie. My brilliant publicists, Tony Mulliken, Sophie Ransom and Becky Short.
And last of these but also first, my close friend and Roy Grace alter-ego, former Detective Chief Superintendent David Gaylor, the career role model for Roy Grace.
I’m fortunate to have a brilliant support team who help me to hone the manuscript long before it reaches my agent and publishers, and to help with the management of Team James UK: my amazing and brilliant PA, Linda Buckley; my terrific book-keeper, Sarah Middle; Anna Hancock; Helen Shenston; Martin and Jane Diplock; Sue Ansell; Ken Owen.
My biggest thank you of all is to my wife, Lara. She has added so much to this book in so many ways, from character insights, to wise editorial suggestions, and brilliantly creative ideas of her own. She’s accompanied me on numerous research trips, including a few of the more scary ones, and she’s been a tireless help in the endless promotion of my work both in the UK and abroad.
Oscar, our rescue Labrador, Bull-Mastiff and Parsons Jack Russell cross, is convinced he’s the model for Humphrey (and I’m not going to disillusion him!), and our Labradoodle, Spook, rather wishes I would spend less time writing and more out walking with her in the fields.
Finally a sad farewell to my good mate: RIP Tony Omotoso of the Sussex Police Road Policing Unit, who has appeared in several of my books as himself. Gone far too young, but will never be forgotten because he made so many people smile!
Above all, thank you, my readers! Your emails, Tweets, Facebook, Instagram and blog posts give me such constant encouragement. Keep them coming, I love to hear from you!
Peter James
Sussex, England
scary@pavilion.co.uk
www.peterjames.com
www.facebook.com/peterjames.roygrace
www.twitter.com/peterjamesuk
www.instagram.com/peterjamesuk
ENDNOTE
1. Note: these can vary between forces
By Peter James
The Roy Grace Series
DEAD SIMPLE LOOKING GOOD DEAD
NOT DEAD ENOUGH DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS
DEAD TOMORROW DEAD LIKE YOU DEAD MAN’S GRIP
NOT DEAD YET DEAD MAN’S TIME WANT YOU DEAD
YOU ARE DEAD LOVE YOU DEAD
Other Novels
DEAD LETTER DROP ATOM BOMB ANGEL
BILLIONAIRE POSSESSION DREAMER
SWEET HEART TWILIGHT PROPHECY ALCHEMIST
HOST THE TRUTH DENIAL FAITH
PERFECT PEOPLE THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL
Short Stories
A TWIST OF THE KNIFE
GETTING WIRED!
Novella
THE PERFECT MURDER
Non-Fiction
DEATH COMES KNOCKING:
POLICING ROY GRACE’S BRIGHTON
(with Graham Bartlett)
Peter James was educated at Charterhouse, then at film school. He lived in North America for a number of years, working as a screenwriter and film producer before returning to England. His films include The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. His novels, including the Sunday Times number-one bestselling Roy Grace series, have been translated into thirty-six languages, with worldwide sales of seventeen million copies. Three novels have been filmed and two, The Perfect Murder and Dead Simple, have been adapted into highly successful stage plays. All his books reflect his deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in-depth research, as well as his fascination with science, medicine and the paranormal. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London, and near Brighton in Sussex.
First published 2016 by Macmillan
This electronic edition published 2016 by Macmillan
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-5582-6
Copyright © Really Scary Books / Peter James, 2016
Jacket photograph © Neil Lang
Author photograph by Stephen Lawrence
Roy Grace®, Grace®, DS Grace® and DI Grace® are registered trademarks of Really Scary Books Limited.
The right of Peter James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Map artwork by ML Design
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