by James, Peter
Inspector James Biggs, PC Matt Colburn, Financial Investigator Emily Denyer, DC Jenny Dunn, PC Philip Edwards, Inspector Mark Evans, CSI James Gartrell, CSI Chris Gee, Aiden Gilbert in Digital Forensics, DCI Rich Haycock, Inspector Dan Hiles, Chief Digital and Information Officer Joseph Langford, Chief Superintendent Nick May, Sergeant Russell Philips, Chief Constable of Kent Alan Pughsley QPM, Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police Robin Smith, James Stather in Forensic Services, PC Richard Trundle, and Police Chaplain Fr Richard Tuset. Also Beth Durham, Suzanne Heard, Jill Pedersen and Katie Perkins of Sussex Police Corporate Communications.
And retired officers: Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, Detective Superintendent Nick Sloan, DC Pauline Sweeney, DS Mark Taylor and Detective Superintendent Jason Tingley.
A big thank you also to Theresa Adams, Julian Blazeby, Mike Canas, Neil Chapman, Jeanie Civil, Sean Didcott, Tim Griffiths, Victoria Grogan, Anna-Lisa Hancock, Phil Homan, Haydn Kelly, Rob Kempson, Dr James Mair, Dr Adrian Noon, Ray Packham, Richard Parsons, Graham Ramsden, Judith Richards, Julia Richardson of Galen Myotherapy, Kit Robinson (role model for Noah Grace!), Alan Setterington, Helen Shenston, Lucy Sibun, Carolyn Smith, Sam Smith, Steve Soper, Orlando Trujillo, Derek Warwick and Mark Willmett.
A very special thank you also to my mentor Geoff Duffield, my amazing editor Wayne Brookes, and the team at Pan Macmillan – to name just a few: Sarah Arratoon, Jonathan Atkins, Lara Borlenghi, Emily Bromfield, Stuart Dwyer, Claire Evans, Samantha Fletcher, Anthony Forbes Watson, Elle Gibbons, Hollie Iglesias, Daniel Jenkins, Rebecca Kellaway, Neil Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sara Lloyd, James Long, James Luscombe, Holly Martin, Rory O’Brien, Guy Raphael, Alex Saunders, Jade Tolley, Jeremy Trevathan, Toby Watson, Charlotte Williams and Leanne Williams. And my brilliant structural editor Susan Opie.
Thanks also to everyone at my fabulous UK literary agency, Blake Friedmann: Lizzy Attree, Isobel Dixon, Sian Ellis-Martin, Julian Friedmann, Hana Murrell, James Pusey, Daisy Way and Conrad Williams. My US agent, Mitch Hoffman, at the Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency. And a big shout-out to my fabulously gifted UK PR team at Riot Communications: Caitlin Allen, Preena Gadher and Emily Souders.
While writing is a lonely job, I have an amazing support team around me. I’m blessed with two incredibly hardworking people – my wife Lara and former Detective Chief Superintendent David Gaylor – who head up Team James. The other invaluable members of the team are: Sue Ansell, Kate Blazeby, Dani Brown, Erin Brown, Chris Diplock, Jane Diplock, Martin Diplock, Lyn Gaylor, James Hodge, Sarah Middle, Amy Robinson, Mark Tuckwell and Chris Webb.
David Gaylor not only has the patience of a saint, in answering my queries about policing and other aspects of my stories at any time of the day or night; he also has an incredibly creative mind, and contributes so much to every aspect of my novels, and now to the Grace TV series also. I owe him enormous thanks. I’m extremely excited about this series: the scripts by Russell Lewis, based on the novels, are brilliant and the cast, headed by John Simm as Roy Grace and Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson, are more than I could ever have wished for.
And my most special thanks of all are reserved for my beloved wife. I’ve always believed that, while novels are above all stories, they are also so much about how they make you feel. Lara is incredibly in tune with that, and gives me vital help with the emotions of my characters, as well as the storylines and with every aspect of our lives. She has also been of immense help with so many aspects of the Roy Grace TV series.
Something that puts a huge smile on my face is to hear from you, my readers – I owe you so much for your support. Do keep your communications coming, the whole team loves hearing from you by email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube – and of course by traditional snail mail. We learn from your views, and it is always helpful to know if I’ve made an error in my research, so I can correct it. A special thanks to the reader who informed me that brass does not rust, it corrodes. And to the one who sent me an eight-page letter explaining the difference between cement and concrete, complete with diagrams! I think I now know the difference, but I’m sure you’ll correct me if I get it wrong again . . .
Above all, stay well and stay safe.
Peter James
www.organdonation.nhs.uk
[email protected]
www.peterjames.com
@peterjamesuk
@peterjames.roygrace
Peter James TV
@peterjamesuk
@peterjamesukpets
@mickeymagicandfriends
OUT NOW
Peter James’s first two books in the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead, have been commissioned by ITV. They have been adapted for television by screenwriter Russell Lewis and star John Simm as Roy Grace.
OUT NOW
I Follow You is a spine-tingling thriller
of obsession from the number one
bestselling author Peter James.
LEFT YOU DEAD
Peter James is a UK number one bestselling author, best known for writing crime and thriller novels, and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. Globally, his books have been translated into thirty-seven languages.
Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career – which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over forty awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an executive producer. Many of Peter’s novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.
www.peterjames.com
@peterjamesuk
@peterjames.roygrace
Peter James TV
@peterjamesuk
The Detective Superintendent Roy Grace books in order:
DEAD SIMPLE
In the first Roy Grace novel, a harmless stag-do prank leads to deadly consequences.
LOOKING GOOD DEAD
It started with an act of kindness and ended in murder.
NOT DEAD ENOUGH
Can a killer be in two places at once? Roy Grace must solve a case of stolen identity.
DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS
The discovery of skeletal remains in Brighton sparks a global investigation.
DEAD TOMORROW
In an evil world, everything’s for sale.
DEAD LIKE YOU
After thirteen years, has the notorious ‘Shoe Man’ killer returned?
DEAD MAN’S GRIP
A trail of death follows a devastating traffic accident.
NOT DEAD YET
Terror on the silver screen; an obsessive stalker on the loose.
DEAD MAN’S TIME
A priceless watch is stolen and the powerful Daly family will do anything to get it back.
WANT YOU DEAD
Who knew online dating could be so deadly?
YOU ARE DEAD
Brighton falls victim to its first serial killer in eighty years.
LOVE YOU DEAD
A deadly black widow is on the hunt for her next husband.
NEED YOU DEAD
Every killer makes a mistake somewhere. You just have to find it.
DEAD IF YOU DON’T
A kidnapping triggers a parent’s worst nightmare and a race against time for Roy Grace.
DEAD AT FIRST SIGHT
Roy Grace exposes the lethal side of online identity fraud.
FIND THEM DEAD
A ruthless Brighton gangster is on trial and will do anything to walk free.
LEFT YOU DEAD
When a woman in Brighton vanishes without a trace, Roy Grace is called in to investigate.
Also by Peter James
DEAD LETTER DROP ATOM BOMB ANGEL
BILLIONAIRE POSSESSION DREAMER
SWEET HEART TWILIGHT PROPHECY
ALCHEMIST HOST THE TRUTH
THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL ABSOLUTE PROOF
THE SECRET OF COLD HILL I FOLLOW YOU
Short Story Collection
A TWIST OF THE KNIFE
Children’s Novel
GETTING WIRED!
Novella
THE PERFECT MURDER
WISH YOU WERE DEAD(A Roy Grace Quick Read)
Non-Fiction
DEATH COMES KNOCKING: POLICING ROY GRACE’S BRIGHTON (with Graham Bartlett)
BABES IN THE WOOD (with Graham Bartlett)
First published 2021 by Macmillan
This electronic edition published 2021 by Macmillan
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
The Smithson, 6 Briset Street, London EC1M 5NR
EU representative: Macmillan Publishers Ireland Limited,
Mallard Lodge, Lansdowne Village, Dublin 4
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-5290-0428-1
Copyright © Really Scary Books / Peter James 2021
Jacket images: picture frame © Arcangel, stairs © Millennium, wedding photo & glass shards © Shutterstock
Design by Neil Lang, Pan Macmillan Art Department
Roy Grace®, Grace®, DS Grace®, Detective Superintendent 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.
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 damage.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Map artwork by ML Design
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