Join best-selling thriller writer PETER JAMES as he introduces THE HAWK IS DEAD: A KILLER IN THE PALACE, which sees Roy Grace gain access to the heart of Buckingham Palace, when he is called upon to solve a murder and what looks to be a royal assassination attempt.
Roy Grace is Queen Camilla’s favourite fictional detective and now she plays a leading role in his latest thriller The Hawk is Dead! Combining Peter’s classic fast-paced action with extensive behind-the-scenes research at Buckingham Palace, The Hawk is Dead is the not-to-be-missed publishing event of the autumn and the perfect entry point into the world of Roy Grace for anyone yet to meet him.
We are delighted to welcome Peter back to Steyning on Wednesday 22nd October – the day after publication – for what is sure to be a highly entertaining evening! Peter will discuss how Queen Camilla and King Charles came to feature in the book and share his fascinating research into the inner workings of the Royal Household and Buckingham Palace.
Peter will be in conversation with an interviewer (TBC) EVENT FORMAT
Doors open 7pm, Author interview starts at 7.30pm followed by audience Q and A and then book-signing / meet and greet.
There will be a licensed bar selling alcoholic and soft drinks. Tickets: Single ticket: £22 INCLUDING a copy of The Hawk is Dead / Couples Ticket: £32 Admits 2 people with just 1 copy of the book included
Tickets available online via button below (small booking fee applies) or in person from the shop / by phone on 01903 812062
ABOUT PETER JAMES
Peter James is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author best known for his crime thrillers featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who Queen Camilla recently named as her favourite fictional
detective. Praised by critics and much-loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern-day policing, he has won more than 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger. His books have sold over 23 million copies worldwide, achieved
21 Sunday Times No.1s, and have been translated into 38 languages.
His Roy Grace novels are currently filming their 6th season for the hit ITV drama, Grace, starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper and available to view on ITVX and on Britbox. Seven of his novels have been adapted into phenomenally successful stage plays, with his most recent, Picture You Dead, now on national tour in the UK. His plays have been named as the most successful stage franchise since Agatha Christie.
Join us for an evening with best-selling thriller writer Peter James, as he celebrates the release of his latest thriller, Picture You Dead – the 19th book in his well-loved DS Roy Grace series – now a hit ITV series starring John Simms as Grace. Picture You Dead finds Roy Grace plunging into the rarified world of fine art, pitting his wits against a deadly collector who’ll stop at nothing to get his hands on the rare landscape painting that Harry and Freya Kipling discovered hidden beneath a drab portrait they purchased at a car boot sale. Beneath the gentlemanly veneer, this is a world of greed, deception and violence… We are so excited to welcome Peter James back to Steyning, and can’t wait to hear all his intriguing research and inspiration from the cloak-and-dagger world of international art dealing! Event tickets are £20 per person which includes a hardback copy of Picture You Dead, or £27 for a couple, to include one copy of the book. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine / soft drink upon arrival, and of course, the chance to get your copy personally signed & dedicated by Peter after his talk! Peter’s backlist titles will also be on sale and available for signing at the event, payment by cash / card will be accepted.Peter will not have time to sign books purchased elsewhere or brought from home.
We are delighted that best-selling thriller writer Peter James is once again coming to Steyning, celebrating the release of ‘Need You Dead’, the thirteenth novel in his hugely popular ‘Roy Grace’ series.
In ‘Need You Dead’ D.I Inspector Roy Grace faces his most mysterious case yet, when he is called to investigate the body of a woman found in a bath in Brighton. Unfortunately for Grace, what initially appears to be an easy, open-and-shut case soon becomes a labyrinth of sinister possibilities….
Peter is always an immensely entertaining speaker and we can’t wait to hear the grisly details and amusing anecdotes behind his latest work!
Ticket price of £15 INCLUDES a hardback copy of ‘Need You Dead’.
Tickets available direct from the shop or from TicketSource https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/355194
Drinks will be on sale from a licensed bar before and after the event.
Doors open at 7 pm, talk starts at 7.30 pm.
We will have the full range of Peter’s other books on sale, and Peter is always happy to sign books at the end of the event.
To celebrate the publication of his book ‘Death Comes Knocking; Policing Roy Grace’s Brighton’, co-written with Peter James, we are delighted to welcome Graham Bartlett to the bookshop, on Thursday 28th July at 7.30 pm.
Fans of Peter James will know that Graham Bartlett is an advisor for Peter’s most well-loved character, Inspector Roy Grace. Graham was a long-serving detective in the city once described as Britain’s ‘crime capital’, and will be sharing stories from his years on the force, looking behind the scenes at some of the city’s most gripping and challenging cases.
Tickets are £10 to include the book, wine/soft drinks and nibbles.
Ticket are available from the bookshop on 01903 812062.
Graham Bartlett
Upcoming events
An Evening with PETER JAMES for The Hawk is Dead – the new Roy Grace thriller!
22nd October, 2025, Coombe Court Room at the STEYNING CENTRE BN44 3XZ
