PD James dead: Detective novelist behind Death comes to Pemberley dies aged 94

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Celebrated British novelist PD James has died.

The author famous for her series of detective novels passed away at her home in Holland Park this morning, her publicist confirmed.

“It is with great sadness that the family of author P D James, Baroness James of Holland Park OBE, FRSL, FRSA, announce that she died peacefully at her home in Oxford on the morning of 27 November 2014, aged 94,” they said in a statement.

“A much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

“The family have requested privacy at this time.”

Born in Oxford, England on 3 August 1920, James started a career as a civil servant at the age of 16. She married and became a mother before she started penning crime and mystery novels when she was in her late 30s.

She had also written the acclaimed novels Children of Men and Death Comes to Pemberley.

Among her literary heroes, she cited George Eliot, Evelyn Waugh and Anthony Trollope, alongside the Queen of Crime and her longtime friend Ruth Rendell, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham.

She is survived by her two daughters with late husband Ernest Connor Bantry White, Clara and Jane.