What I am doing in fiction bears no relation to JRR Tolkien

Simon Tolkien

His first novel, provisionally entitled The Stepmother, is, says the paper, a "psychological mystery aimed at the American mass market".

His book deal comes 28 years after the death of his grandfather and on the eve of the world-wide release of the film version of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

Mr Tolkien's thriller is said to concern the teenaged son of a politician who suspects that his father's second wife may have conspired to murder his wife.

'Talent'

The author told the paper that he will not be entering the fantasy genre and said he had found it "quite difficult" being related to the famous writer.

"I would never write a fantasy book. What I am doing in fiction bears no relation to JRR Tolkien.

Peter Jackson directed all three movies

"I think I've got a talent for dialogue and a lot of expertise of what happens in the courtroom, which is very useful for this kind of book."

Simon Tolkien and his father, Christopher, have fallen out over the film adaptation of JRR Tolkien's famous series, reported the paper.

The grandson has given his blessing to Peter Jackson's film project, describing it as "well done".

But Christopher Tolkien said he felt the books to be "peculiarly unsuitable to transformation into visual dramatic form".