James Mitchell (writer)

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James William Mitchell (12 March 1926, in South Shields – 15 September 2002, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) was a British writer, principally of crime fiction and spy thrillers.

Biography[]

The son of a shipyard worker, Mitchell also wrote under the pseudonyms James Munro and Patrick O. McGuire. He received BA & MA degrees from Oxford. In his own words he , "for some 15 years in almost every kind of institution from secondary modern school to college of art".^[1]

James Mitchell created the British television series When the Boat Comes In (BBC) and Callan (Thames Television),^[2] and wrote many other television scripts, including episodes of The Troubleshooters, the legal drama Justice and The Avengers.

Personal life[]

He married twice. His son had two children, his daughter has two children, and 3 grandchildren.

Bibliography[]

Novels[]

• Here's a Villain! (1957), US Title: The Lady is Waiting
• A Way Back (1959), also published as: The Way Back
• Steady, Boys, Steady (1960)
• Among Arabian Sands (1963)
• Ilion Like a Mist (1969), also published as: Venus in Plastic
• The Winners (1970)
• The Evil Ones (1982)
• Sometimes You Could Die (1985)
• Dead Ernest (1986)
• KGB Kill (1987)
• Dying Day (1988)
• A Woman to Be Loved (1990)
• An Impossible Woman (1992)
• Leading Lady (1993)
• So Far from Home (1995)
• Indian Summer (1996)
• Dance for Joy (1997)

Callan[]

• A Magnum for Schneider (1969), US Title: A Red File for Callan
• Russian Roulette (1973)
• Death and Bright Water (1974)
• Smear Job (1975)
• Bonfire Night (2002)
• Callan Uncovered (2014) and Callan Uncovered 2 (2015) - short story collections edited by Mike Ripley

When the Boat Comes In[]

• When the Boat Comes In
• When the Boat Comes In: The Hungry Years
• When the Boat Comes In: Upwards and Onwards

as Patrick O. McGuire[]

• A Time for Murder (1955)
• Fiesta for Murder (1962)

as James Munro[]

• The Man Who Sold Death (1964)
• Die Rich, Die Happy (1965)
• The Money That Money Can't Buy (1967)
• The Innocent Bystanders (1969)

The hero in his Munro books is a British agent named John Craig, who works, mostly reluctantly, for Department K. Mitchell wrote the screenplay for the 1971 film version of The Innocent Bystanders under his real name.

Death[]

Mitchell died in Newcastle upon Tyne on 15 September 2002.^[3] He was 76.^[4]

References[]

External links[]

• Platzer, David, 'The Man From Department K', Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2008
• James Mitchell at IMDb

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