To date, I have written books about both the living and the dead, but, whether they were alive and kicking at the time or firmly interred, my research always managed to include some, in many cases much, first-hand witness of the subjects in question, be they actors, a writer, director, or a film and television mogul.

Venturing for the first time into the world of true-life crime and, to boot, one that was committed fully 90 years ago, there was little likelihood of my being able to speak directly to any of the principals involved. However, as you will have read earlier, I was lucky at least to have met one of the key players, albeit a passive participant, in this tragedy. At the time of our meeting, though, writing a book about the fateful life and times of her parents was perhaps the furthest thing from my mind when we did have our brief encounter nearly 30 years ago.

This is an opportunity then belatedly to acknowledge Hollie and also, from much more recent acquaintance, kind members from two further generations of her surviving family who agreed to speak to me but asked that their anonymity be respected.

My deepest thanks are reserved for Richard Tedham, a cricketing colleague and friend for more than 40 years, whose skills, in this case as an enthusiastic local historian and dogged researcher, proved quite invaluable. Grateful thanks also to another old friend, Brian Lett QC, an author in his own right, who kindly provided a fascinating contemporary view and commentary about this historic case; to professional musician and teacher Jennie-Helen Moston, who contributed a hugely valuable modern-day insight into thwarted musical ambitions; to John Blake who kindly indulged a first attempt at True Crime, and to his colleague, my editor, Sara Cywinski, who carefully nursed it through to completion; Jane Judd, my agent; to Michael Eagleton and Ken Townsend, two veteran and extremely knowledgeable local historians, also prolific collectors of postcards, who generously helped me with my picture research; and to Steve Cohen, Editor of the Bucks Free Press, who gave me kind permission to quote extensively from 1920 and 1921 editions of his newspaper, as well as from the BFP publication No Fear Nor Favour! by the late Bob Perrin, including the reproduction of photographs.

Then there were all the national and regional archives I plundered for reports and pictures, and, particularly in the case of Kew, extensive Home Office files on the case including some key trial exhibits. So thanks, in no particular order, to: Adrian Ailes and all the staff at the National Archives, Kew; Celia Pilkington, Inner Temple Archivist; Jen Booth, Old Rossallian Society; Chris Hawkins, Oxfordshire Record Office; Thomas Knollys & Clare Hopkins, as well as the President and Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford; Mike Dewey, archivist of the Bucks Free Press; His Honour Judge Tyler, Resident Judge, & Helen Hemingway, Court Clerk, Aylesbury Crown Court; Eveleen Rooney, Westminster Reference Library; Alan Pinnock, Daily Mail Pictures; Solo Syndication; Andre Gailani, the Punch archive; Local Studies Library, Nottingham; Darren Over, Ministry of Justice; Teresa Gorecka, Nottingham Post; Sarah Donbavand, Civil Section Manager, Taunton County Court; Graeme Edwards, Somerset Heritage Centre; Richard Durack, Newham Archives and Local Studies Library; Stratford Library; General Register Office, Southport, Merseyside; Kate Brolly, Library Customer Services Officer, Camden Local Studies & Archives Centre; Andrew Bell, Home Office Press; Skip Walker, Editor Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard; Roger Bettridge, Bucks County Archivist; Ellie Stokes & Staff at Oxford Castle and Oxford Malmaison (formerly Oxford Prison), notably, the duty manager who showed me where the ‘execution suite’ used to be situated; British History Online; WPS, High Wycombe & Marlow; The Meteorological Office; Anne Bradley, Archivist – Bristol Record Office; Maidenhead Advertiser; Bucks Herald; Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News; Daily Express; various websites, but in particular www.ancestry.co.uk, www.freebmd.org.uk and www.findmypast.co.uk; Wycombe, Maidenhead and Aylesbury Libraries, especially the Local Studies Departments and County Archives; Gloria Barclay, Clerk to, and Barbara Wallis, member of, Little Marlow Parish Council; and the incredibly accommodating staff at the Newspaper Library, Colindale.

Grateful acknowledgement to the following books and their authors: The Book of Marlow by AJ (Jock) Cairns (Baron Birch, 1994); Buckinghamshire Tales of Murder & Mystery by David Kidd-Hewitt (Countryside Books, 2003); Murder in Buckinghamshire by Len Woodley (Saga, 1994); The New Murderers’ Who’s Who by JHH Gaute and Robin Odell (Harrap, 1989); Judicial Wisdom of Mr Justice McCardie, edited by Albert Crew (Ivor Nicholson & Watson, 1932); Diary of a Hangman by John Ellis (True Crime Library, 2000); Lethal Witness by Andrew Rose (Tempus, 2007); Social Conditions in Britain 1918–1939 by Stephen Constantine (Methuen, 1983).

Thanks to the following individuals who helped with extra research and suggestions: Ben Wilson; Isobel Mackenzie; Sue Norton; Tim Green; Anwar Brett; Anne Reid; William Scott; Dr Roger Moston; Marney Wilson; Paul Brown Constable.

Finally, to neighbour and good friend Bernard Burger, who welcomed us into his home providing warmth and wi-fi while builders spent several winter months rebuilding and refurbishing our new home in the village following a ‘downsize’ move from ‘the scene of the crime’ in the summer of 2011.

Little Marlow, 2012