Peter May, the Scottish author whose crime novels brought the landscapes of the Hebrides to readers around the world, has died at the age of 74.
May died on Friday night, September 25, 2026, at his holiday home in southern France, according to his publisher, Riverrun. His wife, writer Janice Hally, announced his death, with French publisher Éditions du Rouergue and AFP subsequently confirming the news.
For decades, May moved between journalism, television, fiction and music, building an international career that eventually made him one of Scotland’s best-known crime writers.
From Glasgow Journalism to Television
Born in Glasgow on December 20, 1951, May began his working life in journalism. His talent was recognized early, and at 21 he was named Young Journalist of the Year.
His first novel, The Reporter, appeared while he was still in his mid-20s. The book was later adapted into a BBC television drama, helping open the door to a much longer career in television.
May went on to write and produce for Scottish television, including work on the long-running drama Take the High Road. He later became closely connected with Machair, the Gaelic-language series he co-created with Hally.
Filmed on the Isle of Lewis, Machair gave May an intimate connection with the island and its communities. That experience would later influence some of the most successful fiction of his career.
After roughly 15 years in television and work connected with more than 1,000 episodes of drama, May eventually returned to writing novels full time.
The Book That Changed His Career
May’s international literary reputation grew significantly with The Blackhouse, published in 2011.
The novel took readers to the remote Isle of Lewis and introduced a setting that would become closely associated with May’s name. It was followed by The Lewis Man and The Chessmen, completing what became known internationally as the Lewis Trilogy.
The books combined crime mysteries with the history, landscape and complicated relationships of the Hebrides. They also helped May develop a particularly large readership in France.
His work eventually extended well beyond the Lewis books. He wrote the China thriller series and created the Enzo Files, which follows forensic scientist Enzo Macleod through investigations largely connected with France.
With more than 30 novels to his name, May’s books were translated and published in numerous countries.
A Career Recognized Across Borders
May’s contribution to crime fiction earned recognition in Britain and internationally.
Among his honors was the CWA Dagger in the Library Award in 2021. He also received literary recognition in France, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States.
France became particularly important in the later part of May’s life. He and Hally eventually settled in southwest France after leaving Scotland, and May became a naturalized French citizen.
His publisher remembered him not only for his writing but also for his warmth and generosity toward colleagues and readers.
His Final Novel Is Still to Come
Even after saying he intended to retire from writing novels, May completed another book.
Riverrun announced in August 2026 that it had acquired Island of the Dead, his final novel. The book is scheduled to be released in January 2027.
Its planned publication will allow readers to encounter one final piece of May’s fiction after his death.
Marriage to Janice Hally
May and Janice Hally met while working in Scottish television. Their professional relationship developed into a personal one, and they married in 1990.
The couple worked together on Machair and later made their home in southwest France.
Hally also built a career as a television writer and novelist, with extensive drama credits of her
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