First and foremost I’d like to thank you – the reader. Without an enthusiastic UK audience who have taken Cassie Raven to their hearts I wouldn’t be able to continue her story and to discover where life will take her next. And without you, the series wouldn’t have found an even wider audience in eleven different countries as diverse as Estonia and China, where a tattooed Camden Town mortuary tech seems to have caught the imagination of readers.
I am only sorry that you have a bit of a wait between books – that’s partly a function of publishing slots but also down to the need for a ton of research into forensics and post-mortem processes. (Not many authors have a well-thumbed copy of Knight’s Forensic Pathology on their bedside table . . .) If you’d like to be kept up to date with my news and be entered in the odd prize draw, you can sign up for my occasional newsletter here: www.anyalipska.com
I also owe huge thanks to an ever-lengthening ‘panel’ of experts from the world of sudden unexpected death.
The key person on the research front for Case Sensitive has been super-smart pathologist Nic Chaston – a patient sounding board for my half-baked ideas, a diligent checker of facts, and a new friend with whom to discuss gruesome CODs over Aperol spritzes . . .
Award winning APT and friend Barbara Peters has been on the Cassie journey from the start, and continues to be a huge help with mortuary practice, HTA rules, and the like, as well as a great source of insights into the toughest part of the job – dealing with the newly bereaved.
Former murder DI Paula James has once again been there to patiently put me right on police practices and procedures and now that she’s left the Job for exciting pastures new I hope to spend more time with her picking her brains – and putting the world to rights over a bottle.
Former coroner turned North Wales sheep farmer Alison Thompson is a patient and thoughtful resource for my many questions re coronial practice – and also enlivens my writing day with photos of her favourite ram . . .
Psychologist – and dear friend of thirty-five years – Kate Gauci continues helping me to navigate the highways and byways of the human psyche and the long-term effects of bereavement.
My most recently recruited expert is Cheryl Kynaston, a Crime Scene Manager for the Met for thirty-eight years, who I met at my local gym. I have much enjoyed chatting to her about forensic crime scene practice, the intricacies of DNA and tox testing, and look forward to many more of our post-workout coffees.
And a very special thank you to the charity Tommy’s, which advised me on stillbirths and which does such a wonderful job supporting bereaved parents. Anyone wishing to donate or needing their support can find them at: www.tommys.org
It’s a pretty cool job that allows me to hang out with such an impressive list of women. Any mistakes that have snuck into the text (or occasional bits of artistic licence) are of course entirely down to me.
Much gratitude is also due to a bunch of people on the writing and publishing front: the fabulous community of crime writers in what can be a tough and lonely job, but especially to these uber-talented and supportive women: Domenica de Rosa aka Elly Griffiths, Jane Casey, Susi Holliday, and the legend that is Val McDermid. Special thanks go to my dear friend Isabelle Grey, AKA the superb author V B Grey, who did me the great favour of wading through an early draft and assuring me that no, it wasn’t unadulterated rubbish.
I was heartbroken this year to lose my agent and publishing-world legend, Jane Gregory, who has unaccountably abandoned me for a sun-soaked retirement on the south coast . . . She was the first person to spot Cassie’s potential and has been a wise adviser – and a good friend – over the years.
Jane’s insights will be much missed, but I must also thank her for introducing me to my new agent, Veronique Baxter. I knew from our very first meeting that she would be a rock – straight-talking and smart, but also kind and supportive. I’m looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with her, and everyone at David Higham Associates – especially their energetic and impressive foreign rights team.
Finally, huge thanks go to the lovely Kelly Smith, my talented, hard-working editor at Zaffre Books. She is the best possible cheerleader for the Cassie Raven series, brings great insights to my manuscripts, and is incredibly patient with my endless text-tinkering . . . Thank you, doll!