There are many without whom this book would not have been possible. I owe a debt of thanks to lots of people in my two former professions – police work and journalism – for passing on their expertise, advice and friendship in the most generous fashion. I’m not going to name-check you guys because you all know who you are, and you can rest assured, you did one hell of a job.
The same applies to my many editors, publishers, producers, directors and fellow-writers, who have been such a rock for me over so many years, not just in their assistance and support, but in their ideas and opinions which have never been less than instructive, and more than anything in the enthusiasm they have shown for my work ever since I first embarked on this rocky road in the late 1980s. I can’t possibly draw up a list for fear that I may inadvertently miss someone out, and that would never do. Suffice to say, as before – you folks know who you are and how much you have contributed to my writing, and for that you have my undying gratitude.
I’d also like to thank my agent, Julian Friedmann, who has been the strongest of allies over the last decade, and my editor at Avon Books, Helen Bolton, who championed my cause so tenaciously that even Mark Heckenburg would pale in comparison.
Above all, I want to thank my family:
My dad, Brian, for providing the original spark. My mum, Margaret, whose support has always come straight from the heart. My sisters, Katie, Caroline and Charlotte, who have been among my biggest fans. My parents-in-law, Stephanie and John, who allowed their daughter to buy into this strange world I inhabit. My children, Eleanor and Harry, for putting up with all my ‘artistic’ stresses and moods. My late-companion of 14 years, Mollie, who co-wrote with me from the end of her lead simply by allowing me to walk her for tireless miles while I dictated. And my beloved wife, Catherine, who has shared every up and down, listening patiently to each draft, offering criticism and congratulation in equal measure; living the dream (and sometimes the nightmare) right alongside me. I owe her more than I can ever say.