It sometimes seems unfair that my name appears on the front of the book when I have received so much help and advice from such wonderful people. However, in the spirit of a BAFTA winner’s acceptance speech, I would like to tearfully thank the following people:
My agent, Tom Witcomb for his feedback on my work. I’m privileged to have a hands-on agent who strives to make me work harder to make each book the best one yet. Thank you also to everyone at Blake Friedmann.
My editor, Finn Cotton, has been a great support. Thank you for your hard work and encouraging emails. To everyone at Killer Reads and Harper Collins, particularly Sarah Hodgson, a huge thank you. To my copy editor, Janette Currie, for correcting my errors (fewer than the last book, thankfully). To the designers of the cover, my thanks and my apologies.
Fellow writer, Neil Spring. Writing can be a very lonely process. It helps to have someone in your corner you can turn to for support, advice, and to use as a sounding board. I’m grateful to have Neil for all those things. He’s a mighty fine writer too.
Claire Green at the National Digital Autopsy Service, pathologist Philip Lumb, and all the staff at the Medico-Legal Centre in Sheffield for their advice, showing me around the post-mortem suite, and making sure my work is as accurate as possible. Thank you to Simon Browes for answering all my medical questions. I hope nobody ever reads our text conversations about hangings and stabbings. Chillingly gruesome. A massive thank you to ‘Mr Tibbs’ for everything concerning police procedure. Any factual errors in this book are all mine and for the purposes of fiction. Don’t blame the experts.
A special shout out to my mum who mentions my books to most people she meets and for baking the best cakes ever. To my sister, Donna, for running the Sheffield half-marathon so I didn’t have to. To Jonas, Chris, Kevin, and Max, a manly hug and a big slap on the back, except for Max, he gets snuggles. To Debbie and Katie for the fun meals at possibly the worst pub in Sheffield.
Finally, a big thank you to the readers, bloggers, and reviewers, especially the ones who have been with Matilda from the beginning.