No one could accuse Peter James, the author of the series of novels on which ITV crime drama Grace is based, on being slow or limited with his output.
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Since the book series started in 2005, there have been 21 Roy Grace books published, with a 22nd novel on the way this year.
However, with the ITV series making its way through them at pace, adapting one book for every episode, it seems the show will soon run out of material to adapt and overtake the books.
The show's sixth season, which has already been confirmed for 2026, is set to take the series up to the 20th novel, leaving just two more to adapt - however, speaking at a Q&A for the upcoming fifth season, Roy Grace actor John Simm has revealed talks have already begun about how the series could continue.
With regards to going beyond the books, Simm 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."
John Simm as DS Roy Grace and Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson in Grace. Tall Story Pictures for ITV and ITVX
He continued: "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".
So it seems fans don't need to worry just yet - Roy Grace may be sticking around and bringing justice to the streets of Brighton for some time to come.
Grace season 5 will air this spring with seasons 1-4 available to stream on ITVX.
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.
