Peter's Blog

“ Keep up-to-date with Peter’s regularly-updated Blog ”

Listen To PJ's Favourite 5 Records - And The One He Loathes!

Recently I did the popular Gordon Astley lunchtime show on Southern Counties Radio, which included picking five of my favourite records, and one I really hate!!! To find out which, click and listen to this MP3 file. It's a 10 MB download, so it might take a little while.

PJ on Southern Counties Radio MP3

Waterstones Lincoln Date Change

Just a note to say that my appearance at Waterstones in Lincoln has been changed from the 17th July to the 16th July - 1 day earlier. I will be there from 7pm onwards - do come and say hello!

You can see my complete list of scheduled appearances here

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008 - Shortlist!

I've just heard the wonderful news that I have been shortlisted for this award - huge thanks to the wonderful voting support from so many of you.

The winner will be announced on July 18th, so a white knuckle ride until then, especially as I am up against immensely talented competition:

The full shortlist, drawn from the original longlist is:
Beckett, Simon - The Chemistry Of Death
Billingham, Mark - Buried
Brookmyre, Christopher - A Tale Etched In Blood And Hard Black Pencil
Hill, Reginald - The Death Of Dalziel
Hurley, Graham - One Under
James, Peter - Not Dead Enough
Kernick, Simon - Relentless
Macbride, Stuart - Dying Light
McCall Smith, Alexander - Blue Shoes And Happiness
Penney, Stef - The Tenderness Of Wolves
Robinson, Peter - Piece Of My Heart
Sansom, C.J. - Sovereign

So fingers crossed - but win or lose, I'm thrilled to have been shortlisted in such esteemed company. And thank you all so much again.

The Official Peter James Police Car!

To celebrate the publication of Dead Man's Footsteps, it gives me great pleasure to announce that my publisher Pan Macmillan have sponsored one of Brighton and Hove Police's patrol cars! You can see how the jacket design of Dead Man's Footsteps has been incorporated into the body work below. Eagle eyed readers might also have seen this article in the Mail On Sunday about the car too. UPDATE: Here's some photos of PJ and the car together.

Under guard by Sgt Matt Bellfield - the first officer to drive the car.

PJ hands over the keys to Chief Superintendent Paul Pearce,
Commander of Brighton and Hove

Coco Makes A Big Splash

We have a new addition to our canine family, the hugely delightful, 12 week old Coco, bringing the strength back up to three hounds after the sad losses of Sooty and Bertie last year.

Coco is a cross between a Shitzu and a Poodle. Apparently the breed is known as a Shipoo, which sounds only marginally less rude than leaving the "t" in!!!! Named for her elegance after Coco Chanel, rather than chocolate! But she is so light, I've nicknamed her Diet Coke.

And digressing on the subject of Coco Chanel, here is your interesting fact for the day, told to my by my late mother, who had met her. Apparently the mystery behind why her most famous perfume is named "Chanel No 5" is a very simple one: When the great couturier decided to produce a perfume under her name, she went to a large 'parfumier' factory in Grasse, where a row of different scents were laid out in tester jars along a shelf, and numbered from 1 - 50. She liked number 5!