Peter James: Novelist and Film Producer: Dead Tomorrow - The Argus Newspaper Serialisation!

Peter's blog

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Dead Tomorrow - The Argus Newspaper Serialisation!

I've always been a massive fan of the Sussex daily newspaper, The Argus, right from when I was 15 years old and they gave me my first holiday job. I was working for the late Jack Tinker (who rose to become one of the most revered theater critics in the country) when he was working as the paper's film critic. I had been there just two days and was very excited, as the following morning I was to accompany him to the Brighton press screening of In Search Of The Castaways, starring Maurice Chevalier and Hayley Mills.

At 7am the following day I had a call from Jack, his voice all croaky, saying he was terribly sorry but he was down with the lurgy - I would have to go to the press screening all on my own and interview Hayley Mills! So, I went along, shaking like a leaf, trying to look all grown up and trying to pretend I went to these things every day of the year... I turned up with my reporter's spiral notepad and a pen; after the film was over, and we were all assembled in the manager's office of Brighton's Regent Cinema, I plucked up the courage and walked over to the teenage movie star. On screen in the film she had been breathtakingly beautiful. But in real life, although still beautiful she was flawed - to my amazement, just like me, she had zits!!!! Somehow, to me, that made her human rather than a goddess. She was utterly delightful, and instantly put me at my ease, although I still pretended that doing an interview like this was something I did everyday, and I scribbled hard with my pencil, trying to make it look as if I was writing shorthand. The downside was that afterwards I couldn't read a word I had written!

Since then the Argus has featured fondly in my life in many ways, and it appeared in some detail in my novel Twilight, in which the central character is a young female crime reporter working there. It appears, of course, in all the Roy Grace novels, with its fictitious crime reporter, Kevin Spinella, being both a thorn in Roy's side but also, at times, a big help to him.

Now, I'm delighted to say, the Argus now features in my life prominently in a new way; from June 1st to the 5th my new novel, Dead Tomorrow, is being serialised. You can sneak a preview at the book either by buying the newspaper, or online at http://www.theargus.co.uk/competitions/deadtomorrow/

posted by Peter James at 7:37 PM 12 comments

Comments:

It's funny Peter, but when somebody does you a good turn in life, and you don't expect it, your loyalty to that person/thing grows to an admiration status, and you would also defend that person/thing.
Several people have done that in my life, and you are 1 of them.
I fully understand what you saying.
It must also be a sad state of affairs, if have no one to put in such adulation

Robert P Splaine
(aka vaspian)

By Anonymous, at 7:45 AM

I never get over what an interesting life you lead and have always lead. I am in the process of reading Twilight and looking forward to Dead Tomorrow. Jacqueline

By Jacqueline Twamley, at 2:56 PM

Thanks Jacqueline! Mind you, an intersting life is not necessarily a good thing... how does that old Chinese curse go - "May you live in interesting times..." !!!!

Hugely hope you will enjoy Dead Tomorrow.

All best

Peter

By Peter James, at 11:04 PM

I agree with Jacqueline, Peter you lead an amazing life, and I would love to read your Biography. I think you have more than enough stories to fill a decent sized book! Maybe when Roy retires that is something else to do???
In the meantime, I am not sure when Dead Tomorrow is released in UK, but not in NZ until August. I feel confident it will go straight to N0.1. Roy Grace just gets better and better.

Linda
xx

By Anonymous, at 3:40 AM

Thanks Linda - you are so wonderfully kind and supportive - I really appreciate it. Maybe one day I'll write it... although of course it does appear bit by bit in some of the Roy Grace novels....!!!!

Book published officially here on Thursday, but as bestseller charts in UK run from Sat midnight to Sat midnight this will be a short week for sales, so best hope for a high chart position is the following full week... Nervous - moi? I'm always nervous as hell when a new book comes out. Gulp!!!!

By Peter James, at 7:26 PM

I love all your books, now reading the Alchemist :) hope all of them will be translated into polish one day (or have they already been translated?) so my polish friends can ejoy them too :) best regards, Jo

By szafa_godżilli, at 10:44 PM

Hi Szafa

Thanks so much for your kind words!

So far it is the Roy Grace series that is translated into Polish, but I sincerely hope they all will be, eventually.

All my best

Peter

By Peter James, at 7:04 PM

Hi Peter

I've read most of your work apart from the first 3 novels. Do you think they will be published again? I must have visited every charity shop 'up north' but to no avail. I'm saving Dead Tomorrow for my forthcoming holiday.

I haven't been to Brighton for 30 years but had a great fortnight there when I first started work in the travel industry, seems like a lifetime away, but I remember seeing Elkie Brooks at the Pavilion!

regards

Chris

By Chris S, at 10:26 PM

Hi Peter

Thanks so much for your enthusiasm for my work. These three books will be published again at some point, but probably not for another couple of years or so. I will post details on my website.

All very best

By Peter James, at 11:48 AM

Congratulation, Peter. “Dead Tomorrow” is more than a crime novel, it is a manifest-book which may very easy touch the heart of everyone! Exposing the traffic ring of human organs, involving people born in Ceausescu’s Romanian system but with no real reason to act so monstrous… except money… always your novels teach something, I was purely delighted and breathless to read this book, I was happy for Detective Superintendent Roy Grace finding the true love and I love him more for his final message: the right of every child in this world to have a decent life, no matter his nationality. I was afraid that at one moment, Roy will give up his love for a Sandy-dream, again! (Will be there any new surprise?) Not easy to forget strong characters like Caitlin and Lynn And Beckett, her mother. I was really amazed by two “important” Romanian words: “spaga” (subcomisar Radu Constantinescu) and “futu-i…”(!) (Vlad Cosmescu). How did you learn these words?!... Thanks a lot for: “… this strange but beautiful city, in this strange but beautiful country”. Thank you indeed for a new masterful novel.
Paula

By paula, at 9:56 PM

Thank you Paula for this really lovely email!

I spent some time in Romania doing research for the book, which is where I learned these words...!

All my best and thank you so much for taking the time to do these posts.

Peter

By Peter James, at 1:24 PM

Hi Peter, Thanks so much for joining Claudia Winkleman on her Arts Show and letting people like myself know about you and your novels. I was delighted to hear you on the show and am looking forward to reading Dead Tomorrow. I'm an English Literature teacher in Colombia (Colombian, brought up abroad) and as I listened to you I was thinking of how much my students would enjoy and benefit from listening to an author like you explaining the process of writing and the development of plots. I am especially struck by what you say - that organ trafficking in Colombia is producing larger revenues for the mafia than drugs! I didn't know this and I'm Colombian! I look forward to incorporating your novel in my program, first as a way to enjoy an exciting read and also to stimulate the students awareness of our country's problems and challenges. I thank you for bringing such an important issue to us in a way that can foster deep reflection. Lina Cifuentes, Bogota, Colombia.

By Lina Paola, at 9:28 PM