P. D. James has passed away at the age of 94, a spokesperson for the crime novelist announced on Thursday. Tributes for the writer, who rose to fame for her books depicting sleuth Adam Dalgliesh, immediately flooded in on social media. "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, a much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother," the statement read. "The family have requested privacy at this time." Born Phyllis Dorothy James, the novelist didn't publish her first work Cover Her Face until she was 42. She penned more than 20 books throughout her life, some of which were adapted for television and the big screen.
P. D. James passed away in her home in Oxford
Her most famous projects include Children of Men and Death Comes to Pemberley, which later became a hit BBC programme and was inspired by classic author Jane Austen. P. D.'s publishers Faber and Faber paid tribute to the queen of detective fiction, releasing a statement that read: "This is a very sad day for us at Faber. "It is difficult to express our profound sadness at losing P. D. James, one of the world's great writers and a Faber author since her first publication in 1962. "She was so very remarkable in every aspect of her life, an inspiration and great friend to us all. It is a privilege to publish her extraordinary books. Working with her was always the best of times, full of joy. We will miss her hugely."
P. D. James penned more than 20 books in her life
Prime Minister David Cameron led the tributes online, taking to Twitter to share his message: "Saddened to hear of the death of P.D. James, one of the UK's greatest crime writers, who thrilled and inspired generations of readers." Fellow authors echoed the politician's sentiments with US crime writer Patricia Cornwell tweeting: "RIP #PDJames & thanks for encouraging me when I was getting started." "So sad about PD James. Every event I did with her was a joy. Sharp intellect, ready wit. She will be missed," posted Ian Rankin. He then retweeted a photo of the late author alongside the caption: "Very sad to hear of the passing of PD James. We are remembering her amazing event with @Beathhigh at DBF 2012."