Kate Burke, my superstar agent at Diane Bank Associates: thank you for lifting me out of the slush pile. Thank you for your advice, your help, your infinite patience and for all the pancakes at Bill’s.
Diane Banks: you are a force of nature and I would be lost without you. Thank you for always being at the end of the phone or computer and for your sterling wisdom and advice.
Chloe Seager: thank you for all your help behind the scenes, and making me laugh out loud with your own incredible book.
I have counted my lucky stars ever since signing with Hodder & Stoughton; the whole team have made me feel so welcome and I still have to pinch myself to believe this has really happened.
Emily Kitchin, my incredible editor: you have made this novel better than I ever dreamed it could be. You’ve taught me so much and your insight is second to none. You really are bloody awesome.
Simon Hall, my mentor and my dear friend: how can I ever thank you enough? Thank you for your kindness and your help and your unwavering friendship. I hope I’ve made you proud. I wouldn’t be here without you.
Hazel Prior: we’ve been on this journey together and you’ve always had my back, I hope to always have yours in return. Where would I be without your emails, coffee and cake?
To Judith Heneghan and all those at the Winchester Writers’ Festival: you set me on the right path, taught me many valuable lessons and helped me overcome my nerves around public speaking. It was in the halls and classrooms at Winchester that I found my writer’s voice. Thank you.
I’m lucky to live in the technological age of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and blogs. Who would have thought such genuine support and goodwill could exist through social media? So, thank you to all the book bloggers for reading, sharing and reviewing. Thank you to the network of writers I have met online; Helen Cox in particular; you’ve provided amazing support and advice in so many areas of life!
Thank you to those kind souls who gave up their time to help in the research of this novel. All mistakes are most definitely my own.
Kevin Chilton: your expertise in crime and policing is invaluable. You gave so much of your time and your experience, and this book is a far better one because of it. Thank you.
Leanne Godwin at Avon and Somerset Police: thank you for guiding me through the emotional world of family liaison. I have a new-found respect for all you guys do as a result.
My very kind local fireman, R.W: thank you for helping me with the fire scenes and explaining the technicalities so well.
My friend and fellow Take Thatter, Rebecca Knaresborough: thank you for sharing your experience of growing up in a pub, for reading early versions of the book and for generally being ace.
My family, whose support and understanding I am so lucky to have. Dad: you have inspired me, spurred me on, believed in me and said those magic few words, four years ago: ‘Why don’t you start writing again?’ And I did. Thank you, so much.
I am supremely lucky in that I have two mothers. Sarah: thank you for all your advice, your help and your answers to my most peculiar of medical questions. Whereas your expertise in pathology is incredibly useful, it’s your love and encouragement I couldn’t do without.
And Mum: you were my very first reader and remain my most trusted reader today. Your enthusiasm for the story and my writing made me really believe I could do it.
Alex, Hannah and Alice: the best siblings one could hope for.
To all my friends and cheerleaders. Special thanks to Elie Sharratt, Lauren Cable, Nicola Harrop, Heidi West-Newman, Clare Thomas, Rebecca Fothergill and Sasha Lithgow: thank you for the boozy evenings, the millions of cups of coffee, and the patience and forgiveness you have all shown when I have forgotten to reply to messages, answer phone calls or have failed to be in any way sociable, because I was writing. I will get better, I promise.
And to Ian Jones: my very favourite grammarian, my proof-reader beyond all compare, my extraordinary master of language. Thank you for your encouragement, your pride, your pedantry and making me fully appreciate that the world really is our oystery lobster. Here’s to many more adventures.
Most importantly, thank you to my children, Aoife and Ruadhán. It is not easy being the child of a writer, but you two put up with it remarkably well. I may not have taken you to Disneyland yet or spent as many hours as we would have liked romping about on the hills, but hopefully, I’ve taught you that you can make your dreams come true if you strive, strive, strive and believe. This has all been for you, kiddoes.
Lastly, thank you to the makers of Haribo Golden Bears and Lavazza Qualita Rossa: there is no way I would have gotten through those late-night writing sessions without your wares.
And to you, reader, whoever you may be. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and thank you for picking this book up and giving it, and me, a chance.
Order the next book from Rebecca Tinnelly today
Some family secrets long to be told . . .
Buy Don't Say A Word now
Never Go There Page 29