The Hawk Is Dead: Roy Grace Returns In This Royally Pulse-Pounding Crime Thriller From The Multimillion-Copy Bestselling Author

Read by Daniel Weyman (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and featuring an author's note read by Peter James

'What a fool I've been not to have read Peter James until The Hawk Is Dead! A great story' – James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross series

Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes – the train is derailed.

A tragic accident or a planned attack?

When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.

Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.

Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe – and in mortal danger.

Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again . . .

Roy Grace is back with his most difficult case yet in the gripping new instalment from number one bestselling author Peter James.

You can listen to Peter James discussing the Roy Grace series with Her Majesty Queen Camilla on The Queen's Reading Room podcast.

*****

23 million books sold.

Now a major ITV/BritBox show starring John Simm as Roy Grace.

Creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s favourite fictional detective.

‘A great story’ – James Patterson, bestselling author of the Alex Cross series

'Fast-paced and gripping, I couldn’t put it down!' – Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of the Confessions of a Forty-Something series

'Classic Peter James' – Rachel Abbott, bestselling author of the DCI Tom Douglas series

'A right royal page-turner' – Angela Rippon, award-winning broadcaster

'Peter James is one of the best British crime writers and therefore one of the best in the world' – Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business' – Karin Slaughter, bestselling author of the Will Trent series

'One of the world’s most popular detective series' – The Guardian

© 2025 Macmillan (Audiobook): 9781529090109

Release date

Audiobook: 21 October 2025