Peter May (writer)
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Peter May (born December 20, 1951) is a Scottish crime writer.
May was born in Glasgow. From an early age was intent on becoming a novelist, but first started writing professionally as a journalist and was named Scotland's Young Journalist of the Year at the age of 21. He quit journalism soon afterwards and his first novel The Reporter, was published in 1978 when he was 26.
May was asked to adapt the book as a television series for the BBC, and swiftly became one of Scotland's most successful and prolific television dramatists. By the age of 30 he had created two major TV series, The Standard and Squadron, for the British television network, the BBC. He went on to gather more than 1000 TV credits in fifteen years, creating and writing major drama serials for both BBC and ITV in the UK: including the ground-breaking Gaelic serial "Machair", which he also produced.
Returning to novels, his "China Thrillers" series of books have been published around the world. To research the series, Peter May makes annual trips to China. With an extraordinary network of contacts, he has gained unprecedented access to the homicide and forensic science sections of Beijing and Shanghai police forces and has made a painstaking study of the methodology of Chinese detectives and pathologists.
As a mark of their respect for his work, The Chinese Crime Writers' Association made him an honorary member of their Beijing Chapter. He is the only Westerner to receive such an honour.
Peter May is married to writer Janice Hally and lives in France.
[edit] Publications
The China Thrillers:
- The Firemaker (1999)
- The Fourth Sacrifice (2000)
- The Killing Room (2001)
- Snakehead"(2002)
- The Runner (2003)
- Chinese Whispers (2004)
The Enzo Files
- Extraordinary People (2006)
Television Drama:
- The Standard (1978)
- Squadron (1982)
- Take The HIgh Road (1980 - 1992)
- The Ardlamont Mystery (1985)
- Machair (1992-96) Creator and Producer
Standalone novels:
- The Reporter (1978)
- Fallen Hero (1979)
- Hidden Faces (1981)
- The Noble Path (1992)
