by Peter James
Q word – short for ‘quiet’. Emergency services personnel never say the word ‘quiet’, as it invariably is a bad omen, causing chaos to reign!
Shit magnet – slang for a police officer who seems to attract trouble and around whom disaster invariably reigns.
Shout – slang for an emergency (999) call. All emergency services use this term.
Slow time – the term given to an investigation or enquiry that has passed its critical stage and can be undertaken at a reduced pace.
Stinger – a device used to impede or stop the movement of a vehicle by puncturing its tyres. Usually used to end a pursuit when deployed by trained officers at the roadside ahead of the target vehicle, causing it to stop quickly yet in a controlled manner.
Stop-stick – another version of a stinger.
CHART OF POLICE RANKS*
Police ranks are consistent across all disciplines and the addition of prefixes such as ‘detective’ (e.g. detective constable) does not affect seniority relative to others of the same rank (e.g. police constable).
* Note: these can vary between forces
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There’s the sense that being an author is a solitary profession. But as my acknowledgements show, there is a vast, largely invisible team behind every book, without whom it simply would not exist. I am enormously grateful to every single person listed below, and to those I may have missed erroneously, my apologies. A single word, a single thought, can sometimes have as profound an effect on a book as pages of criticism. So to all of you who are mentioned, I owe each of you a debt and I can never ever thank you enough for your kindness and willingness to help me.
So very key to the authenticity I seek for my novels are the many officers, former officers and support staff of Surrey and Sussex Police, the Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, Munich Police and other forces. A big thank you to:
Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne; Chief Constable Giles York QPM; Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp; Chief Superintendent Steve Whitton; Detective Superintendent Mike Ashcroft; Detective Superintendent Nick Sloan; Superintendent James Collis; Superintendent Jayne Dando; Superintendent Jason Tingley; DCI Miles Ockwell; Chief Inspector Katherine Woolford; DI Mick Richards; DI Bill Warner; DI Andy Wolstenholme; Inspector Roy Apps; Inspector James Biggs; Inspector Gareth Davies; Inspector Keith Ellis; Inspector Adele Tucknott; Sgt Lee Alvin; Sgt Dave Groombridge; Sgt Russell Phillips; DS Phil Taylor; Sgt Andy Newman; Sgt Chris Thompson; DS Peter Billin; Kelly Nicholls, Accredited Financial Investigator; PC Hilary Bennison; PC Philip Edwards; PC Andy Eyles; PC Jason Hill; PC Maz Knight; PC Graham Lewendon; PC Dale Nufer; PC Fran Parsons; PC Matt Smith; PC Nick Smith; PC Paul Smith; PC Richard Trundle; PC Mark White; PC Pete Williams.
Katie Perkin, Jill Pedersen, Oliver Lacey, Suzanne Heard.
Maria O’Brien, James Stather, Chris Gee, James Gartrell, Crime Scene Services, Annabel Galsworthy, Call Taker. Julian Quigley, Peter Johnson & Jolene Thomas of LGC Forensics. Commissioner Adrian Leppard of the City of London Police; Commander Christopher Greany, Economics Crime Unit, City of London Police; Superintendent Paula Light, Metropolitan Police; DCI Mick Neville, Scotland Yard Super Recognizers Unit; Detective Inspector Richard Haycock, Surrey Police; DI Matt Mountford, City of London Police; Inspector Paul Davey; DS Grant Webberley; PC Jonathan Jackson; DC Martin Light, Metropolitan Police.
Mark Howard, Michelle Websdale, Sean Didcott.
Former Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, Detective Chief Inspector Trevor Bowles and Inspector Andy Kille.
Further key background research came from: the Beachy Head Chaplaincy; Gail Gray, Rise; Anne Goddard and Graham Hill, Victim Support; Ross Birch; Jeanie Civil; Andrew Collins; Sigrid Daus and Klinikum Munich – Krankenhaus Schwabing; Andy Dickenson; Chris Diplock; Mike Gilson; Jon Goddard; James Hodge; Anette Lippert; Ian and Georgie Maclean; Lee Marshall; Rachel Millard; Gordon Oliver; Mike Parish; Judith Richards; Moira Safaer; Richard Skerritt; Hans Jurgen Stockerl; Reverend Stephen Terry; Ian Tompson, IG Segmantics; Stan Tingley; Stuart Young.
There are numerous people in the background working on the editing, sales and marketing, who are as vital as all my research helpers. My agents Isobel Dixon and Julian Friedmann and the team at Blake Friedmann. My publisher, Jeremy Trevathan, my fabulous editor, Wayne Brookes, my wonderful mentor and mate, Geoff Duffield, and all at Pan Macmillan, singling out just a few: Sarah Arratoon, Jonathan Atkins, Anna Bond, Stuart Dwyer, Daniel Jenkins, Sara Lloyd, Charlotte Williams, Alex Saunders and Jade Tolley. Brooke O’Donnell and all at Trafalgar House in the USA. Elena Stokes, Tanya Farrell & Taylan Salvati of Wunderkind and all the rest of Team James Stateside. My editor Susan Opie. My publicists, Tony Mulliken, Sophie Ransom and Alice Geary.
I’m fortunate to have a brilliant support team who help me to hone the manuscript into shape long before it reaches my agent and publishers, and to help with the management of Team James UK. My brilliant PA, Linda Buckley, who manages calmly to keep my head above water! My terrific bookkeeper Sarah Middle, and my crucial first-look editorial team who give me so much guidance: Anna Hancock; Helen Shenston; Martin and Jane Diplock; Susan Ansell.
I’m not sure if I would have ever created the character of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace if it had not been for my chance meeting with then DI David Gaylor back in 1995. He’s not only become the role model for Roy Grace, but one of my closest friends, utterly selfless, dependable and seemingly indefatigable. He takes me to task on every police detail of every book – and many other details besides – and makes sure that to the very best of his ability, I get it right. My gratitude to David is just enormous.
My biggest thank you of all is to my wonderful wife, Lara. She sustains me, through the long and often antisocial hours writing takes, always with encouragement, enthusiasm and wise criticism of the pages as I write them. In addition, brilliantly assisted by lovely Danielle Brown, she has the massive task of running all the growing strands of our social media. Not to mention looking after our expanding menagerie – with our latest additions being three emus!
Oscar and Spook, our gorgeous dogs, would prefer I spent more time walking with them out in the fields than writing, and our five alpacas, Al Pacino, Jean-Luc, Fortescue, Boris and Keith, would prefer I spent more time feeding them carrots and apples.
A big shock has been the unexpected and sad farewell to my amazing agent and close friend for sixteen years: RIP Carole Blake. A star that will forever shine bright in the publishing firmament.
A huge thank you to my readers! Your emails, Tweets, Facebook, Instagram and blog posts and YouTube comments give me such constant joy. Keep them coming, I love to hear from you!
Peter James
Sussex, England
[email protected]
www.peterjames.com
www.youtube.com/peterjamesPJTV
www.facebook.com/peterjames.roygrace
www.twitter.com/peterjamesuk
www.instagram.com/peterjamesuk
www.instagram.com/peterjamesukpets
ABSOLUTE PROOF
By Peter James
COMING SOON
Investigative reporter Ross Hunter nearly didn’t answer the phone call that would change his life – and possibly the world – for ever.
The elderly man at the other end sounded cranky, but sincere. ‘Mr Hunter, I’m not a lunatic, please hear me out. I’ve been told you are the man who could help me to get taken seriously. I have absolute proof of God’s existence and I need to come and see you, I need your help.’
What would it take to prove the existence of God?
And what would be the consequences?
These questions and their answers lie at the heart of Absolute Proof, the new international thriller from bestselling author Peter James.
The false faith of a billionaire evangelist, the life’s work of a famous atheist, and the credibility of each of the world’s major religions are all under threat. If Ross Hunter can survive long enough to present the evidence.
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Promising intrigue, action and conspiracy on a global scale, this electrifying novel will have you hooked from the first page to last.
Keep up to date with the latest news, exclusive content and much more at www.peterjames.com.
Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. His Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has been translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over eighteen million copies and has given him eleven consecutive Sunday Times number ones. In 2015 WHSmith customers publicly voted him the Best Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he became the recipient of the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. Peter has also written a short story collection, A Twist of the Knife, and his standalone titles include Perfect People and The House on Cold Hill. The Perfect Murder, Dead Simple and Not Dead Enough have all been turned into smash-hit stage plays. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police. Three of his novels have been filmed and before becoming a full-time author he produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and near Brighton in Sussex.
By Peter James
The Detective Superintendent Roy Grace Series
DEAD SIMPLE LOOKING GOOD DEAD
NOT DEAD ENOUGH DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS
DEAD TOMORROW DEAD LIKE YOU DEAD MAN’S GRIP
NOT DEAD YET DEAD MAN’S TIME WANT YOU DEAD
YOU ARE DEAD LOVE YOU DEAD NEED YOU DEAD
Other Novels
DEAD LETTER DROP ATOM BOMB ANGEL
BILLIONAIRE POSSESSION DREAMER
SWEET HEART TWILIGHT PROPHECY ALCHEMIST
HOST THE TRUTH DENIAL FAITH
PERFECT PEOPLE THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL
ABSOLUTE PROOF
Short Stories
A TWIST OF THE KNIFE
Children’s Novel
GETTING WIRED!
Novella
THE PERFECT MURDER
Non-Fiction
DEATH COMES KNOCKING:
POLICING ROY GRACE’S BRIGHTON
(with Graham Bartlett)
First published 2017 by Macmillan
This electronic edition published 2017 by Macmillan
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-5098-1634-7
Copyright © Really Scary Books / Peter James 2017
Jacket image © Getty Images/Laurence Cartwright Photography
Figure © Shutterstock
Author photograph by Stephen Lawrence
Roy Grace®, Grace®, DS Grace®, DI Grace® and Detective Superintendent Grace® are registered trademarks of Really Scary Books Limited.
The right of Peter James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Map artwork by ML Design
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