The crime-writing community is endlessly kind and supportive and I must thank Claire MacLeary, Dawn Geddes and the remarkable Ray Banks for their help and encouragement in the early days of this book. Thanks also to my dear friends David Murtagh and Ruth Darbyshire who ploughed manfully through the early drafts.
For technical information I cannot thank my brothers, Iain, Stuart and Kenneth and good friends Alan Rankin and Richard Renwick enough. They fielded endless questions from me with seemingly inexhaustible patience. Any errors and inaccuracies in these matters are entirely mine.
I was so lucky that Diane Banks at Northbank Talent Management liked the manuscript for See Them Run and that she placed me with my incredible agent Hannah Weatherill who has made this whole process such a thrill. I’m also so grateful to my amazing editor Louise Cullen whose insight and skill has helped me craft a better book.
I must apologise to the good folk of St Andrews, Strathkinness and the surrounding area for taking some liberties with this most beautiful part of Scotland. I hope they will forgive the occasional geographical inaccuracy and the worrying body count! Likewise, to Police Scotland whose procedures I have tweaked for literary convenience.
Finally, to my wonderful children, Ally, Euan and Alicia, and to Peter, my long-suffering other half: thank you for bearing with me and for believing in me. Without your love and patience, DI Clare Mackay would still be a vague idea.