This book wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated support, insight, expertise, and occasional cupcake administration of agent (provocateur) Diana Beaumont. My thanks must also be extended to Aneesa Mirza, who keeps on top of the admin, manages a mountain of incoming post, and always has a smile on her face at United Talent Agency. Thank you also to Juliet Mushens, Sarah Manning and all at UTA.
Thank you for the time, skills, and patience of editor Kate Stephenson, and all the luscious lovely hardworking, uber-talented, sell-billions-of-books blinding team at Avon. Special thanks to Phoebe – The Fixer – Morgan, Helena – GIF slinging – Sheffield, Hannah – Tescotastic – Welsh, Natasha – The Editor – Harding, Louis – Boom Knockout – Patel, Natasha Williams, Kate McKay, Katie Reeves, Julie Fergusson, Jo Marino, Oli Malcolm and Helen – Killer Smiles – Huthwaite. You guys are seriously aces.
Thank you to brilliant author and former cop Rebecca Bradley, and the incomparable Amy Jones, and Amy Jones’ (a different one: keep up) partner Garry Jones, for letting me pick their police brains. All errors are totes mine. Obvs.
Aaron Ross for tech support and the microwave from Argos idea (criminally genius).
Chris Clarke for knowing way more about Silk Road and the FBI than a brother ought to.
Dr Hayley King, for her suggestions of various ways to effectively kill people. And for having the conversation while avoiding all the bad words, because her two young children were in the room. If they start asking about heroin, tell them you said herons. (Massive heron overdose – still my best typo EVER.)
Thank you to Dr Erica Williams and Dr Nick Williams, for twenty-four-hour callout (via text) medical knowledge, and, most notably, the intracutaneous insulin. (I REALLY want to work sarin into a future project now.) See how brilliant the NHS is? Not only do they save lives, they also save the arses of crime writers. They’re basically super heroes. #supportjuniordoctors
The first rule of thanking the secret group of CSers, is not to mention the secret group of CSers. Well cockblankets to that. You are a font of information, support and filth. And I’m very lucky not to be allowed to mention you.
Thank you Graeme Cameron (see above).
Thank you to the incredible book bloggers who love books as much as authors do. I don’t know where I’d be without you. A special thank you to Anne Cater and all at Book Connectors, Tracy Fenton and all at TBC, UK Crime Book Club, Crime Book Club, Facebook Book Club The Book Club, and UK Book Club. All excellent people to hang out with.
Thank you to Wendy, Paul, Julie, Beth, (Miranda), and all at Orchard physiotherapy for keeping me writing. Without you guys I’d be stuck in bed. Or the bath.
Thank you to the brilliant Kate McNaughton for excellent calm words, and for letting me bounce plot issues off of her first thing in the morning (you should all buy her book). Thank you to smart, funny, joyous Fleur Sinclair, who has done the impossible and managed to make herself even more impressive by running an indie bookshop. Visit her in Sevenoaks Bookshop and tell her how dazzling she is. (They also serve cake.) Thank you to Lucy Peden for cheerleading, philosophies, pun times, puff support and the best laugh in the business (I can’t wait to read your novel). To Jake Kerridge and Gareth Rubin for answering all my random questions, and suggesting excellent books to read. And to Eleanor Dryden for believing in Freddie and Nas to begin with: without you there would be no Watch Me.
Thank you to James Harvey and Rosemary Harvey for continued support, buying and voting – you guys go above and beyond, and I’m very grateful.
Thank you to Li Wania and Jenny Jarvis for still listening to me talk about myself, even though you now have much more important things to do, like raising your children (cuddles).
To my partners in lime Claire McGowan and Sarah Day: you guys read, listen, contribute, and take the piss perfectly. I couldn’t get through the next twenty-four hours (and/or bottle of Prosecco) without you. May our stream be deleted from history, but our books live forever. (Everyone should buy the Paula Maguire books and Mussolini’s Island.)
Thank you to mum and dad for putting up with me still. And letting me ask you a million questions. About everything. Always. I love you very much. Thank you to Guy, Hannah, Ani, Bertie, the Ewyas Harold Massive, and the Clarke Crew for being a warm and loving family (and for letting me bang on about feminism after wine). And to my perfect Sammy, who puts up with it all and still, miraculously, seems to like me (I promise I’ll try and be more tidy).
Thank you to everyone who voted for Watch Me’s forerunner Follow Me for the Dead Good Reader Page Turner Award short list 2016, and the Crime Writer’s Association’s Dagger in the Library long list 2016. And thank you to all those who have bought, read, tweeted, posted, shared, messaged, reviewed and enjoyed both Follow Me and Watch Me. It makes a huge difference. I’ve been overwhelmed by just how lovely book readers are. (Though, we all know that they’re the best sort of people.)