Acclaimed crime novelist Peter May has died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 74, following an evening walk with his dog. The bestselling author passed away on 25 September at his home in southern France after a stroll with his pet, Daftie.
Final novel set for posthumous release
May's final novel, Island of the Dead, which he had previously declared would be his last before retiring, is set to be released posthumously in January. His wife, playwright and television scriptwriter Janice Hally, wrote on Facebook: "Peter, my soulmate, my partner, my greatest love, has died. There was no warning, we had just spent a perfect day together after giving Daftie his evening walk. Paramedics and doctors arrived quickly and fought for an hour to revive him but to no avail. I have no words to express the loss."
Tributes from fellow writers
Fellow crime writer Liam McIlvanney wrote: "Very sorry to hear that Peter May has died. A terrific writer, an absolute titan of the genre, and a top human being." The Bloody Scotland crime festival tweeted: "We're very sad to hear of the death of Peter May, he was a wonderful writer and a generous and gracious presence at the festival over the years."
May, whose novels have sold around 15 million copies, was most renowned for his Lewis trilogy, set on the isolated island off the west coast of Scotland. The first novel, The Blackhouse, hit the shelves in 2011 and won awards in the US and France before becoming a bestseller.
Career from journalism to television
May's debut novel The Reporter, published in 1976 when he was just 26, drew inspiration from his early career as a journalist and was transformed into a TV series by the BBC. Over the following 15 years, he evolved into a scriptwriter and producer, with work including Take the High Road.
