Roy Grace Books In Order
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Publication Order of Roy Grace Short Stories/Novellas Books
| Footloose | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| Wish You Were Dead | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
About Roy Grace:
Author Peter James explains on his official website that Roy Grace is a different and new type of detective. His own personal losses and experiences, including the disappearance of his wife Sandy years before the novels began, leave him open to a variety of methods of police work and allow him to better find the truth about mysteries that he investigates, as well as assisting him in discovering the secrets about what happened to his wife.
This explanation gives a very helpful insight into the mind of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a new kind of detective who is going through turmoil in his own life, as well as trying to prevent it from happening in the lives of others.
Many characters in the Roy Grace books turn to Grace as a kind of shining light in their time of darkness. His personable appearance and kind heart makes him easy for victims to talk to and trust, and Grace delivers on that trust nearly every time.
Based in England in a city known to be full of criminals, Roy Grace’s department focuses on suspicious events and murder mysteries. One of the most popular murder-mystery novelists of his time, Peter James, wanted to give the dark city a personable protagonist who helped make the stories that needed to be told more light-hearted and easy to interpret.
James explained that, in his experience, a majority of policemen and policewomen enjoy their work, even though they have to work insane hours, deal with the bureaucracy, and face horrible tragedies, as well as the internal politics of the system. But he also explains that those experiences are the reason that police workers look at the world differently than everyone else.
Roy Grace is also different in that he will use anything and everything available to him to solve a case. He will use basics like pathology analysis and forensics, to mediums as far off the beaten path as the paranormal, getting input from mediums and clairvoyants about his work. Grace has his own belief system in ghosts and things that go bump in the night, and he brings that into his cases.
James is deeply fascinated by the many different kinds of police work, especially how it tends to change over time. His research on the Grace novels, he claims, has given him insight into the daily life of a detective.
What are the Roy Grace books all about?
The first Roy Grace book, Dead Simple, was released in 2005 by Pan Macmillan. The tagline read, “Four bodies, one suspect, no trace. The first case for Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.” From there, the story begins with a prank gone wrong. Michael Harrison disappears into the big city without a trace.
Michael’s desperate and attractive fiancée, Ashley Harper, seeks Superintendent Roy Grace for his help, hoping to find her husband-to-be before the wedding in three days.
As it turns out, there is one person close to Harrison who should know exactly where he is, but won’t talk to officials. A man who has an awful lot to gain if Harrison never comes back.
It is at this point that Superintendent Roy Grace pulls together his detective intuition and quick wit to bring an end to the mystery.
The sequel to this book, Looking Good Dead, was released in 2006 with the line, “They watch, they choose, they kill.” It begins when Tom Bryce attempts to return a lost CD to its owner and ends up being the witness to a horrible murder. Threatened with death if he should talk, Bryce’s wife talks him into making a statement to the team headed by Superintendent Roy Grace.
Though Grace is dealing with his own frustrations in this novel, including the disturbing disappearance of his wife, he still manages to bring the case together and establish a smooth ending to the story. The second Roy Grace novel reached spot number 2 on the Sunday Times paperback bestseller list, and was published for the first time in the USA in March of 2007.
When James’ publisher, Pan Macmillan, came to him to ask him to create a new detective, James says he wanted to make Roy Grace a very separate kind of officer compared to other fictional investigators. He goes on to explain that much of his time was spent trying to determine what it is that detectives really do, and he discovered that their biggest job is to solve puzzles. How intriguing would it be to have a character that has a personal puzzle their own life?
Who is Peter James?
Peter James, born in 1948, is a bestselling British writer who holds a strong focus on crime fiction. His most popular novels to date remain the Roy Grace series, selling more than 14 million copies around the world. He has placed number one six times in the UK Sunday Times, as well as in countries such as France, Canada, and Russia.
James is very active in his community. He has been involved in twenty-six movies (including The Merchant of Venice), is a chairman of the Brighton and Hove Drugs Commission, helps out with the local neighborhood watch, is an Ambassador for Brighton University, and helps with Action Medical Research. He also donated a police car to the Sussex Police in 2008.
James has also served two terms as Chair of the UK Crime Writers Association, and is also a board member of International Thriller Writers in the United States.
What’s next for Roy Grace?
Peter James recently announced that he signed a deal with ITV Productions for an upcoming Roy Grace television series. James also announced that he will be co-executive producing to help oversee the making of the show and to help keep the plot on track.
The series will begin with Dead Simple and the rest of the novels will follow in order. Assuming the television show is still on the air; James will be creating new stories and adventures to share with the audience. James explains that there are still many hoops to jump through and that there aren’t any set dates for production. ITVP is also still in discussion over how long each program will run.
Casting has not yet been decided for the show.
Roy Grace has been through quite a bit, James has explained. But, even though his professional and private lives haven’t exactly gone according to plan, he is a survivor and a brilliant man in a world that is not so bright.
Book Series In Order » Characters »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I have all the Roy Grace books up to Picture you Dead so We’re does Wish You Were Dead ( short story) come in the running order.
It was published after Left You Dead. I don’t see any notes about it falling anywhere different chronologically.
Have all Roy Grace books, can’t wait for the next one