ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The story of Danny and his friends (and enemies) in the Mysterium would not have come to light without the help and support of many people.

In particular, at Hodder Children’s Books, I’d like to thank Beverley Birch for her foresight and Jon Appleton for his insight.

I’m also very grateful to my agent, Kirsty McLachlan, for helping to plant the seed of this idea and for nurturing it, and to my brother, Marcus, for his constant encouragement.

It’s not always easy living around aspiring and perspiring writers, and for that reason I give heartfelt thanks to my wife, Isabel, and my two boys—Joseph and William—for their fortitude, forbearance, and love. And for some of the better ideas in these pages.