I am hugely grateful to my terrific agent, Sarah Molloy, who believed so strongly in this book. I’m also indebted to Hilary Johnson, Julia Williams and Catherine MacPhail, for their enthusiasm and good advice.
Iain Hingston and Simon Liddiard were incredibly patient and generous with advice on court procedure and criminal law. My thanks go to them and also to Mags Neison and Ewen Riddick for medical advice; to Allan Wright, who gave me useful information about the cattle insemination business; to Dorothy Liddle, who helped with the facts of school life; to Michelle Wyllie for showing me the ropes at Aberdeen Sheriff Court; and to Andrew Evans for reading over the manuscript.
A huge thank you to Sarah Odedina at Bloomsbury, and to Isabel Ford and Helen Szirtes for patient and meticulous editing.
Writing is so much easier when you have writing buddies to encourage, give feedback, and make you laugh. Too many to name, but I owe special thanks, to Linda Gillard – she knows why – and to Maggie Craig, Elizabeth Garrett and Christine Richard.