Crime author heads for the beat for perfect hols
Best-selling author Peter James – who will speak about his books in Perth on Monday – admits his holiday breaks are a little different from most.
But luckily his wife, Lara, knows what to expect from travel trips away from home these days.
Peter, author of the 13 hugely successful works in the DS Roy Grace series, never turns down the chance to do a spot of research.
And invariably that involves squeezing into the back of a squad car.
He explained: “Whenever I travel abroad, particularly on book tours, I tell my publishers I want to meet local police officers.
“Most people go to art galleries and ancient ruins. I end up in police stations or mortuaries. I have been out on patrol in Russia, India, South Africa, Scandinavia and Australia.
“Lara comes out with me. On Valentine’s Day last year we spent the night in the back of a Met police car in North London.
“Maybe she didn’t realise quite what she was signing up for when we got married!”
Peter, who will be talking about his books at St John’s Kirk, revealed being a victim of crime paved the way to worldwide book sales topping 18 million.
“I got burgled after having my first ever book published, a not very good spy thriller in 1981,” he recalled.
“A young officer, whose wife was also a detective, came to take fingerprints. He said if ever I wanted help with police research to give him a call.
“We became friendly and he invited my first wife and I to a social evening at Brighton police station and then a barbecue at their house.
“Almost all their friends were cops, from homicide to neighbourhood and child protection. I found them fascinating. Nobody sees more of human life in a 30-year career than a cop.
“They see behind the scenes of everything from a cot death to homicide and elderly couples swindled out of their life’s saving. I just became fascinated.
“One of the reasons I try to meet police when I travel is I believe you learn much about a country through the eyes of the police. It is fascinating.” Some of the Adventure Circus team
Author Peter James will deliver a talk in Perth on Monday
‘An Evening with Peter James’ is being held by Culture Perth and Kinross at St John’s Kirk on Monday from 7pm.
Tickets are £8 at the door, and are also available from the AK Bell Library, Waterstones in Perth and online from Eventbrite.
Peter’s latest hardback, “Need You Dead”, is published on May 18 by Pan Macmillan, priced £20.