TO MY PARENTS, for their infinite kindnesses over the years—and especially to my mother, who critiqued the opening chapters of this book—and liked ‘the bit about the hat’.
With love and eternal gratitude to John and Kelly, Laura and Stewart and Baz and Titi, who managed to keep me sane over the last ten years.
Thank you to my friend Rosie Green for inspiration, and James Beasant for donating his surname.
I am obliged to Jack Lenox and, more generally, the brilliant writing community at jottify.com for their help, support and encouragement.
A tipped hat to Kris McManus; and everyone at Inroad Media.
Thanks as well to Simon Waller for his generosity, and for allowing me to bask in the reflected glory of his genius.
I could eulogise practically unceasingly about my publishers Dan Kieran, John Mitchinson and Justin Pollard—and everyone at Unbound—but shall defer that pleasure until some drunken night in Soho.
Though she will naturally treat the blandishments of authors with a degree of suspicion, I will praise my design & production manager, Cathy Hurren. Had it not been for her harangues, threats and casual cruelty, nothing would have ever have got done.
I am hugely indebted to Isobel Frankish, my editor at Unbound. Without whose insight and unswerving enthusiasm, this book would never have seen the light of day. And, even if it had done, would have comprised almost entirely of commas.
Most of all, I would like to thank Katie Rawlins, who is remarkable in just about every way. And whom—during the process of writing this novel—I realised I could not live without.