And thank you to Neil Barclay at the library in Thameside, and Mona Banerjee at the library in Pentonville for their acumen, access, and knowledge. Like everywhere, librarians really are the best people you can find. And to Sam Carrington, Jo Angell and Emily Jane Barker for their insider info. And to the men and women of Thameside, Pentonville, Askham Grange, and Downview for their matchless insight. To Clare Mackintosh and Michelle Davies for calmly and patiently walking me through aspects of the UK legal structure, following arrest. And to Rebecca Bradley for cop talk. All errors are most definitely mine.
As with all novels, threads of ideas and story come from a wide range of places and people before they end up in the finished manuscript. Thank you to Gayle Ogier for Jenna and Robert’s first date picnic. Driss Valters for the bloody jumper in the washing machine. Clare Mackintosh for random Bristol gangland insights. And Amanda Jennings for the name HMP Fallenbrook.
I’m grateful to Susi Holliday, Caroline Green, Ed James, Katerina Diamond, Casey Kelleher and Rebecca Bradley for plot-hole brainstorming. And all the mighty cockblankets of the crime world who have helped, encouraged and cheered me on in ways you could only imagine. (No, really, you could only imagine the language they use.)
Thank you to Wendy, Paul, Julie, Becky, Beth, Katie, Sarah and all at Orchard Physiotherapy who patch me up, stretch me out and send me back out fighting every week. I wouldn’t be able to write without you. Literally.
Thank you to the peerless Janie Millman and Mickey Wilson, whose care and hospitality at www.Chez-Castillon.com provided the perfect safe haven within which to write large chunks of this book.
To Aki, Joe and all at The Literary Consultancy who are just aces and so supportive to all writers.
To all the book bloggers, online book groups, online writers’ groups, libraries, booksellers, indie stores and all those who share, shout about and champion my writing: thank you. To all the readers: god, I love you! Thank you!
Extra special thanks to Mary Picken, for her kind and generous winning bid on ‘naming a character in my next novel’ in the TBC Charity Auction for the National Literacy Trust. I hope you approve of the choice!
Thank you to Mum, Dad, my brother, Guy, Han, Ani, Bertie and all the Clarke crew and Ewyas Harold massive for putting up with me and my writerly ways. Sorry about that.
Thank you to Li, Jen, and Hayley, who, as always, listen to me moan, cheerlead me on and generally make my life so much better. To Fleur Sinclair, Claire Burnett, Kate McNaughton, Claira Watson-Parr, Danny Smith, Rosemary and James Harvey, Ben Broomfield, Erica Williams, Lauren Bravo, Lucy Peden, Rowan Coleman and all those who help me and the book tick over.
And to the ever extraordinary, never bested Claire McGowan and Sarah Day, who pretty much do everything that is listed above, for me, every day. Thank you.
And last, but very much not least, to my darling Sammy. Without whose support, love and piss-taking I wouldn’t achieve anything. Except a messier house.
Love you all xx
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