Thanks also to my meticulous copy editor, Sam Matthews.
I did, belatedly, realise the importance of non-family first readers. I appreciate just what a commitment this involves. Some of them have read the evolving drafts as many times as I have. Thanks, in no particular order, to: Taryn Tomlinson, Lottie Chesterman, Mimi Steward, Charlotte Peach and Geoff Steward. I realise that your criticisms – however hard to take sometimes – were justified and have made this a better book.
Finally, I am grateful to my family for living with me through this. Not just Julie, but also our sons, Elliot and Caden (aka Zog). This book was finished during the first Covid-19 lockdown, and many hours were spent with them tramping through the Surrey Hills on our government-prescribed exercise, debating character motivations and potential plot holes.
Thank you, all.