Peter James Books in Order
Peter James is a British author of crime and thriller novels, best known for the Roy Grace series.
This page lists all Peter James books in order, including his series, standalone novels, short stories and collections, organized primarily by publication order.
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Roy Grace Series (Books in Order)
The Roy Grace series follows a Detective Superintendent with the Sussex Police in Brighton as he leads major crime investigations across the region.
Reading Order
- Dead Simple (#1), 2005
- Looking Good Dead (#2), 2006
- Not Dead Enough (#3), 2007
- Dead Man’s Footsteps (#4), 2008
- Dead Tomorrow (#5), 2009
- Dead Like You (#6), 2010
- Dead Man’s Grip (#7), 2011
- Not Dead Yet (#8), 2012
- Dead Man’s Time (#9), 2013
- Want You Dead (#10), 2014
- In the Nick of Time (#10.5), 2014
- You Are Dead (#11), 2015
- Love You Dead (#12), 2016
- Need You Dead (#13), 2017
- Dead If You Don’t (#14), 2019
- Dead at First Sight (#15), 2019
- Find Them Dead (#16), 2020
- Left You Dead (#17), 2021
- Wish You Were Dead (#17.5), 2021
- Picture You Dead (#18), 2022
- Stop Them Dead (#19), 2023
- One of Us Is Dead (#20), 2024
- The Hawk Is Dead (#21), 2025
Roy Grace Spin-off Novels
Max Flynn Series (Books in Order)
The Max Flynn series follows a British intelligence officer based in London who becomes involved in high-risk espionage operations.
Reading Order
- Dead Letter Drop, 1981
- Atom Bomb Angel, 1982
Cold Hill Series (Books in Order)
The Cold Hill series is a set of interconnected storied featuring haunted locations in the Sussex countryside.
Reading Order
- The House on Cold Hill, 2015
- The Secret of Cold Hill, 2019
Standalone Novels
- Billionaire, 1983
- Possession, 1988
- Dreamer, 1989
- Sweet Heart, 1991
- Twilight, 1991
- Prophecy, 1993
- Host, 1994
- Alchemist, 1996
- The Truth, 1997
- Denial, 2000
- Faith, 2000
- Perfect People, 2011
- Absolute Proof, 2018
- I Follow You, 2020
Novellas and Short Stories
- The Perfect Murder, 2010
- Christmas Is For the Kids, 2011
- Footloose, 2017 (with Val McDermid)
Short Story Collections
- A Twist of the Knife, 2014
Anthologies
- Dark Voices 4, 1992
- Narrow Houses, 1992
- Cyber-Killers, 1997
- Dancing with the Dark, 1997
- Criminal Tendencies, 2009
- The Sounds of Crime, 2010
- The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 7, 2010
- Guilty Consciences, 2011
- The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 9, 2012
- Venice Noir, 2012
- The Killer Cookbook, 2012
- Suspense Magazine October 2012, 2012
- Deadly Pleasures, 2013
- OxCrimes, 2014
- Terror Tales of the Ocean, 2015
- FaceOff, 2017
- MatchUp, 2017 (edited by Lee Child)
- Ten Year Stretch, 2018
- Afraid of the Shadows, 2021
- Writers and Artists Yearbook 2022, 2022
Non-Fiction Books
- Death Comes Knocking, 2016 (with Graham Bartlett)
- Babes in the Wood, 2020 (with Graham Bartlett)
Peter James Biography
Peter James is a British author whose work includes crime thrillers, standalone novels, and short stories.
Official website: peterjames.com
Peter James was born in Brighton, in 1948. He started writing at an early age and won a national short-story competition that was hosted by the BBC. He attended Charterhouse School and later Ravensbourne Film School in London, where he studied film and broadcasting.
In 1970, he moved to Canada where he worked as a gopher and then a writer for the Polka Dot Door television show. Before returning to the UK, he worked extensively as a screenwriter and film producer.
His literary breakthrough came with Possession (1988), followed by Dreamer (1989), two standalone novels. The novel Dead Simple, which he published in 2005, introduced Roy Grace, which would become the main character of his primary series. He also wrote additional series and wrote standalone novels across several genres, including suspense, supernatural fiction and spy-themed thrillers.
Peter James is also known for his early involvement in electronic publishing. In 1994, his novel Host was released simultaneously in print and digital format, becoming one of the earliest commercially published electronic novels.
He lives in the United Kingdom, dividing his time between London and Brighton.
Peter James Book Adaptations
- Host – adapted into the movie Virtual Obsession (1998)
- Prophecy – adapted into the first episode of the Chiller series (1995)
- Roy Grace series – adapted into the ITV series Grace (2021 – present)
Peter James Awards and Honors
Awards
- Charterhouse School Poetry Prize (1967)
- Esquire Magazine International College Film Festival – The Island (1969)
- Sitges International Horror Film Festival – Best Foreign Film – Dead of Night (1974)
- Honorary Fellowship (FHS Emeritus Award), Hypnotherapy Society (1999)
- Krimi-Blitz – Best Crime Writer of the Year, Germany (2005)
- Le Prix Polar International – Comme Une Tombe (French edition of Dead Simple) (2006)
- Le Prix Cœur Noir – Comme Une Tombe (2007)
- Sounds of Crime Award – Dead Tomorrow (2010)
- Quick Reads Readers’ Favourite Award – The Perfect Murder (2010)
- Sounds of Crime Award – Dead Like You (2011)
- ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards – People’s Bestseller Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year (2011)
- Barry Award – Dead Man’s Grip (2011)
- Sussex Police Outstanding Public Service Award (2012)
- Argus Outstanding Contribution to Sussex Award (2013)
- Sainsbury’s eBook of the Year Award – Want You Dead (2014)
- WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time (2015)
- Honorary Mastership, Open University (2015)
- Dead Good Readers Dr Lecter Award for Scariest Villain – You Are Dead (2015)
- CWA Diamond Dagger Award (2016)
- Dead Good Readers Tess Gerritsen Award for Best Series – Roy Grace (2016)
- Lubimyczytac.pl Book of the Year (Horror) – The House on Cold Hill (2017)
- Rheinbach Glass Dagger Award for Crime Fiction, Germany (2017)
- Sussex Life Hero Award (2017)
- Specsavers Honorary Platinum Award for Book Sales Over 5 Million (2018)
- Brighton & Hove Business Awards – Outstanding Brightonian of the Year (2021)
Nominations and Shortlists
- Public Awareness of Science Award – Alchemist (2000)
- BAFTA – The Merchant of Venice (2004)
- Rose d’Or, Montreux Television Festival – Bedsitcom (2004)
- Richard & Judy Galaxy British Book Awards – Looking Good Dead (2007)
- Prix SNCF du Polar – La Mort Leur Va Si Bien (French edition of Looking Good Dead) (2007)
- Grand Prix de Littérature Policière – La Mort Leur Va Si Bien (2007)
- Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year – Not Dead Enough (2008)
- ITV Crime Thriller Author of the Year – Not Dead Enough (2008)
- Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year – Dead Man’s Footsteps (2009)
- CWA Dagger in the Library (2009)
- Galaxy British Book Awards – Popular Fiction Book of the Year – Dead Like You (2010)
- Wellcome Trust Book Prize – Perfect People (2012)
- Specsavers National Book Awards – Crime Thriller of the Year – Perfect People (2012)
- Specsavers National Book Awards – Crime Thriller of the Year – Dead Man’s Time (2013)
- CAMEO Award – Book to Stage – Not Dead Enough (2017)
- Specsavers National Book Awards – Audiobook of the Year – Absolute Proof (2018)
- CrimeFest Audible Sounds of Crime Award – Find Them Dead (2021)
I came across Dead Man’s Footsteps among some books I’d been given, and after reading I was hooked!
I’ve now read all the Roy Grace novels, The 2 spy thrillers (Dead Letter Drop & Atom Bomb Angel), and Twist Of The Knife. I have a fair few of the stand alone books, which I’m starting on next!
Definitely recommend, but read the Roy Grace ones in order if possible!
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively useful and it
has helped me out loads. I’m hoping to contribute & aid other customers like its helped me.
Good job.
Roy Grace series is excellent. Best to tead them in order though.
Does Dr.Crisp get away or is their a follow up book to You Are Dead
I have just read You Are Dead and they did not get that sicko killer so i wonder if his next book will be a continuation or is it just a bad ending with the bad guy getting away.Anyway love the Roy Grace series very good.
I havejust read You Are Dead and they did not get that sicko killer so i wonder if his next book will be a continuation or is it just a bad ending with the bad guy getting away.Anyway love the Roy Grace series very good.
It is best to read them in order because of the story in the background regarding his wife. The main stories, in each book, have nothing to do with his wife
Peter James’s books are the best. The Grace Series are fantastic. Very easy to fall in love with Roy, Cloe and Glenn. You will be hooked.
Ann
I have just read the 3rd in the Roy Grace series and I am hooked dont normally read crime fiction but would recommend
Peter James.
I have just finished ,& thoroughly enjoyed YOU ARE DEAD. I can’t wait for the next book in the Roy Grace series any idea when it going to be published?