Detective drama Grace has returned to our screens for its fifth season starring John Simm and Richie Campbell, as Roy has had to juggle the arrival of a son he never knew about, all while continuing to fight crime across Brighton.

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The series has fast become a real staple of ITV's output, and as is the case for its previous seasons, the new instalment will adapt more of Peter James's Brighton-based books.

His best-selling Roy Grace novels are each filled with shocking murders and intrigue, also exploring the personal life of the central detective.

This new run of episodes picks up after the devastating season 4 finale, which brought the central mystery of Roy's wife Sandy's disappearance to a close.

But where will the show go from here, how many more books are there left in the series to adapt, and will the show get through all of them?

Read on for everything you need to know about the Grace books.

Which book series is Grace based on?

Grace is based on the best-selling Roy Grace series of novels from author Peter James (who has filmed multiple cameo appearances across the seasons).

Like the ITV show, the series focuses on Roy and his colleagues as they investigate a series of murders in and around Brighton, all while Roy struggles to solve the mystery of his own wife's disappearance.

How many books are there in the Roy Grace series?

John Simm as DS Roy Grace and Zoë Tapper as Cleo Morey in Grace, both looking at something off screen
John Simm as DS Roy Grace and Zoë Tapper as Cleo Morey in Grace. Tallstory Pictures for ITV

There are currently 21 novels in the Roy Grace series, with another one on the way later this year.

There is also one novella in the series which was released in 2021, titled Wish You Were Dead.

All the titles for both the novels and the novella feature the word dead and are a maximum of five words long.

Here's a full list of the books featured in the series:

Which books are being adapted in season 5 of the ITV series?

This year's season is made up of four feature-length episodes, adapting the next four novels - Need You Dead, Dead If You Don't, Dead at First Sight and Find Them Dead.

The synopses for each book are as follows.

  • Need You Dead: "When the body of a woman is found, Grace is called to the scene. At first it looks an open-and-shut case with a clear prime suspect. That is, until Grace realises there is a darker, far more terrifying alternative."
  • Dead If You Don't: "Roy Grace is brought in to investigate what seems to be a straightforward case of kidnapping. But, very soon, Grace finds himself entering a dark, criminal underbelly of the city, where the rules are different and nothing is what it seems."
  • Dead at First Sight: "Roy Grace is called to investigate the suicide of a woman in Brighton, that is clearly not what it seems."
  • Find Them Dead: "Grace’s investigation draws him into the evil sphere of an utterly ruthless drug dealer on trial. A man prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free from court."

Meanwhile, a sixth season has already been confirmed, although which books this will adapt has yet to be confirmed.

Will the ITV series adapt more of the books?

Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson and John Simm as Roy Grace in Grace stood by a car
Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson and John Simm as Roy Grace in Grace. Tallstory Pictures for ITV

Beyond the fifth and sixth seasons, nothing has been officially confirmed, but Peter James, John Simm and the rest of the show's cast and creatives have expressed an interest in returning for more.

The series is notably getting quite close to catching up with James, despite his prolific output. However, it doesn't seem this will be a problem.

Simm was recently asked whether he could see the show going beyond the books and telling completely new stories, to which he said: "Yeah, we've all talked about this. Peter's got a treasure trove of ideas, so I think we'll be all right.

"And also, we were speaking yesterday about how pleased we are that the show is kind of deviating from the books now, and it has been quietly over the last few years, really.

"For instance, Bella Moy dies quite early on in the books, and we kept Bella Moy alive, and various characters are different and storylines are different. So I think that's quite important.

"I quite like the fact that people that have read all the books, they get the rug pulled from under them when they think they know what's going to happen, but it's completely different. I quite like that. Because it's a different thing. A book is not a TV show and vice versa.

"So, yeah, I'm not really worried about that. I think we've got plenty of cases to solve."

James seemed more than happy with the suggestion that the show overtake his novels, saying that "we've got a hundred more cases lined up at the moment".

Grace season 5 is showing on ITV1 and ITVX, with seasons 1-4 available to stream on ITVX.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

George WhiteSub-Editor

George White is a Sub-Editor for Radio Times. He was previously a reporter for the Derby Telegraph and was the editor of LeftLion magazine. As well as receiving an MA in Magazine Journalism, he completed a BA in Politics and International Relations.

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