In Conversation with Peter James

From concierge desks to crime scenes, Peter James has always followed his curiosity. With his next novel set in a hotel, we spoke to him about the places, people and moments that continue to shape his writing.

What first drew you towards crime fiction?

I was 14 when I first read Brighton Rock by Graham Greene and it completely blew me away. Up until then, crime fiction had largely meant the Golden Age tradition – writers like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Arthur Conan Doyle. Brighton Rock was entirely different. Greene used crime to explore much bigger issues – faith, guilt, morality. I remember thinking I would love, one day, to write something even 10% as powerful.

Did your early years in other genres feel like an apprenticeship?

Very much so. I tried different genres – thrillers, supernatural stories, speculative fiction, even a children’s novel about cyber-terrorism long before most people had heard of the internet. Some books were published. Many did not sell. Looking back, it was invaluable. I was learning discipline, structure and resilience. The turning point came after my ex-wife and I were burgled. A young detective invited me to observe police work, and that led to years embedded with Sussex Police. I realised I had found a world that fascinated me.

When you created Roy Grace, did you imagine he would be with you for decades?

Not at all. I had a two-book deal. I wanted to avoid the cliché of the detective with a drink problem and a broken marriage, so I gave Roy Grace a different kind of puzzle – the disappearance of his wife, Sandy. I intended to resolve it quickly. But when Dead Simple became a success, readers wrote from all over the world with theories about what had happened. In the end, that storyline ran for fourteen or fifteen books. What has surprised me most is how much readers care about the emotional lives of the characters, not just the crimes.

How do you keep the series fresh?

By following curiosity. I want to spend my time writing about things that genuinely interest me. The next Roy Grace novel is set in a hotel, a world I have always found fascinating. For research, I spent a day working as a concierge at The Grand Brighton, in full uniform. I even earned a £5 tip. I also went behind the scenes at The Royal Yacht Hotel, seeing how everything really works. What fascinates me is the contrast between the front-of-house glamour and the hidden machinery behind it. That duality is gold for a crime writer.

What does your writing routine look like?

I am mentally programmed to write a thousand words a day. These days it is still a rhythm – write, revise, walk the dogs, then return to it. When I finish a book, I feel slightly lost for a while. You have lived in that world for so long.