James William Mitchell was a British writer of crime fiction and spy thrillers. Mr. Mitchell also wrote under the pseudonyms James Munro and Patrick O. McGuire. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from Oxford.

James Mitchell created the BBC television series When the Boat Comes In and Callan and wrote many TV scripts, including episodes for The Troubleshooters and The Avengers.

The hero in his Munro books is a British agent named John Craig, who works, mostly reluctantly, for Department K. The books, The Man Who Sold Death; Die Rich, Die Happy; The Money That Money Can't Buy; and The Innocent Bystanders were tough-minded, well-written, and well-plotted. They had a genuinely heroic (and intelligent) protagonist, an eccentric M-type boss, and menacing villains.