"A Death in the Family” author James (4)
I believe the answer is:
agee
'a death in the family author james' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for agee that I've seen before include "In Ayr not straight" , "off the straight at Gleneagles" , "American writer" , "off the straight on Princes Street" .)