So many people have read this book along the way, but editorially I’d especially like to thank the brilliant Maxine Hitchcock at Penguin, my husband, my aunt Val Young, and my friends Claire Lusher and Tracy Morrell, all of whom had some fairly strong things to say that I at some point or another acted upon. To my long-suffering agent and saviour, Jon Elek, and to everyone else at United Agents. To Francesca Russell, Francesca Pearce, Kimberley Atkins, Sarah Arratoon, Sophie Elletson, Louise Moore, Lydia Good and all the other people at Penguin who worked so hard to bring this book out. To my friends Jackie Parker and Lisa Parsons for undertaking the essential job of vetting the manuscript, and my other friends from university who have shown such understanding and good humour about this novel, and who have supported me for so many years in so many ways. To all the people who championed the book when it was launched as A Serpentine Affair, particularly the amazing band of book bloggers, who show so much love and enthusiasm for books, and such generosity of spirit in helping promote them. To my husband and son and the rest of my close friends and family, especially my dad who still hasn’t read any of my books (although he has seen Gone Girl). And finally to everyone who has enjoyed my books, and who has even written something nice about them, thank you so much.