Brighton-born crime writer Peter James teamed up with a local school to launch his latest thriller They Thought I Was Dead – Sandy’s Story.
He held the official book launch at Brighton Girls to raise funds for the Friends of Brighton and Hove Hospitals where the school’s head teacher Rosie McColl is a trustee.
The book – the latest in the Grace series – was published last week and went straight to Number One in the UK Bestsellers list after just three days on sale in hardback.
Fans of the series packed out the school to fire questions at the author about his latest book, which tells the story of Sandy, the long-missing wife of fictional detective Roy Grace.
Ms McColl welcomed Peter James to the school, saying: “We feel it is apt that Peter is launching his book here tonight.
“Brighton is central to his work just as everything we do at school is about supporting and celebrating our city.”
The writer spoke about his life and work and recalled studying alongside the late Martin Amis at a Brighton crammer for a place at university. Years later Amis snubbed James at an awards ceremony.
James said: “I asked if he remembered me and he said no and that I only remembered him because he was famous.
“Snubbed, I decided to take my revenge and created a character called Amis Smallbone whose manhood is subsequently ridiculed by a prostitute.”
Fans were also treated to an exclusive excerpt recorded by actress Gemma Whelan who read the part of Sandy Grace for the audiobook.
James said: “The hard bit was going back on all the clues I had planted in previous books and making sure all of it fitted together.
“But it was great fun to write. I have long been receiving emails from people asking me to reveal what happened to Sandy and I thought my readers had waited long enough.”
The event raised money for the Friends of Brighton and Hove Hospitals to help fund a service co-ordinating end-of-life volunteers to help with terminally ill patients in their last days.
Friends chair of trustees Chris Rendel said: “We would like to express our enormous gratitude to Peter for this event. From one Brighton institution to another, please accept our heartfelt thanks.”
The author has spent the past week signing books at various locations from the Ropetackle arts centre, in Shoreham, to Sainsbury’s, West Hove, WH Smith, in Churchill Square, Brighton, and Asda, in Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury.
