Interview with Peter James
I met Peter James nearly twenty years ago at a convention in Madison, Wisconsin. What began as a brief introduction—by Will Balliett, who back then was the publisher of Carroll & Graf—turned into a seven-hour marathon of conversations, drinks, parties, and dinner. Peter wasn’t just another crime writer. He was interested in film, history, metaphysics, the paranormal, English heritage, and yes—like me—he had a deep appreciation for Graham Greene. We even argued (good-naturedly) over which of Greene’s works was his best. I remain in the proud, lonely minority who believes Doctor Fischer of Geneva is his most underrated novel.
Another debate we found ourselves returning to is perhaps more familiar among authors: To outline, or not to outline? I’ve often felt that outlining can restrict creativity, stifle spontaneity. Peter, with his razor-sharp instincts and discipline, disagreed. He said that an outline keeps the writer honest, providing a roadmap that ensures you don’t lose the thread halfway through and abandon the story entirely. And I’ve come to respect that. He may have a formula for crafting successful novels—but his formulas are anything but formulaic.
That may be part of the magic of the Roy Grace novels: they’re impeccably researched, grounded in real-life police work, and deliver logical endings that still manage to catch the reader off guard. Roy Grace is a detective who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Harry Bosch and Philip Marlowe—characters defined not by cliché but by authenticity and nuance.
Beyond his novels, Peter James has been a screenwriter and producer for film and television. His production credits include the star-studded 2004 film versions of The Merchant of Venice and The Bridge of San Luis Rey, as well as 2005’s Beowulf & Grendel. He is also a producer on Grace, the TV series based on his famous detective. Among his numerous other pursuits (racecars, anyone?) and accolades, Peter has twice chaired the Crime Writers’ Association and won various awards, including a U.S. Barry Award and CWA Diamond Dagger.
Peter James’s newest Roy Grace novel, The Hawk Is Dead, will be released this fall by Pan Macmillan. It’s already earning praise from early readers—notably Queen Camilla, who named Peter as one of her favorite authors. Not bad company to keep.
Andrew Gulli: Who inspired Roy Grace? And in a field of so many detectives, how did you get Grace to stand out?
Peter James: Roy Grace is based on a real-life homicide detective. In 1997, I was introduced to a young Detective Inspector called David Gaylor, a rising star in Sussex CID. I went into his office and found it full of plastic crates bulging with manila folders. I asked him if he was moving offices, and he explained to me that, in addition to his current homicide investigation work, he had been tasked with reopening cold cases and applying new forensic developments to them. He said something that really touched me: “Each of these crates contains the principal case files of an unsolved murder. I am the last chance each of the victims has for justice, and I am the last chance each of their families have for closure.”
I loved the deeply human aspects of this man. During his work, he saw the most terrible sights imaginable, yet he retained a calm, gentle humanity—and this aspect is one of the key characteristics of almost every homicide detective I have met. They are calm, kind, and very caring people. In many cases, they develop a close relationship with the victim’s loved ones, and solving the crime becomes personal to them. It is the reason why often, even years after they have retired from the force, many detectives still continue to work away on any case they could not solve during their career.
At this first encounter with DI David Gaylor, he asked me about the novel I was then working on and immediately started coming up with creative suggestions involving the policing aspects—and other aspects too. I realized that to be a good homicide investigator, you had to have not only a very analytical mind but also a very creative one. Solving every major crime is a massive puzzle, usually with a key bit missing. From that day onwards, I would discuss the plots of my next novels in advance with him.
At the time Macmillan approached me to create a fictional detective, David had risen to become Detective Chief Superintendent in Sussex Police, in charge of Major Crime Reviews. I asked him how he would feel about becoming a fictional character—and he loved the idea! He now reads every hundred pages as I am writing and gives me his view on how a real detective in Roy Grace’s position would think. It helps to give my novels the authenticity I strive so hard for.
AFG: What are you working on now?
PJ: Right now I’m working on preparation for the publication of the most exciting novel of my career, The Hawk Is Dead. The story begins with Queen Camilla traveling on the Royal Train with her entourage to the south of England to begin a tour of hospices. But the train is derailed inside a tunnel. The Queen helps get injured and shaken people off the train and safely out of the tunnel. But as they emerge from the entrance, gunfire from a sniper rings out and one of the Royal Household is shot dead. Everyone immediately assumes it is a failed assassination attempt on Her Majesty. Everyone except Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who believes she was not the target—but the victim himself was. He finds himself being grilled by King Charles, who is skeptical, and then ends up deep behind the scenes of Buckingham Palace… and in danger himself.
AFG: I know you’ve met Queen Camilla and that she’s a fan of your work. Was it only a matter of time before we had a Queen who loves mysteries—or did Queen Elizabeth also like them?
PJ: I think it’s pretty unique to have someone in such a position of influence as Queen Camilla be so passionate about reading. I remember meeting the late Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace on the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’s birth. I asked her what she liked to read, and rather wistfully, she said she rarely had time to read fiction because she had so many papers to get through every day. When she did have a moment, she said she loved Kipling.
There are two things I particularly love about Queen Camilla. The first is her genuine passion for reading—across all genres. She loves thrillers, literary fiction, historical fiction, and authors both current and long gone. She started her Instagram book club during the COVID lockdown, then called The Duchess’s Reading Room and now called The Royal Reading Room, and I was fortunate enough to have been one of the first authors she interviewed. She interviewed me personally on the set of the television production of Grace, and I realized she knew even more about my Roy Grace novels than I did! I cannot think of any other royal, living or dead, who has done as much to promote the love of reading as she has. The second thing I love about her is that she has publicly stated that Roy Grace is her favorite fictional detective!
For the complete interview please order issue 76 of The Strand.