I always wanted to set a book in Wales, where I spent part of my childhood, and revisiting Pembrokeshire for this novel has been a delight. Thank you to my editor Siân Heap at Canelo for her enthusiasm for the book and forthcoming series, and to my agent Kirsty McLachlan at Morgan Green Creatives for continuing to champion my work.
Tony Butler is a keen-eyed early reader of my novels and I’m always grateful for his and his wife Judith’s support. Crime writer Julie-Ann Corrigan saw an early draft of the opening of the novel and gave me excellent feedback. Thanks too to other supportive colleagues including those in the Crime Writers Association and to the still-meeting Covid coffee club members: Vicky Dawson, Ettie Williams and Joanne Williams. Thanks to the Royal Literary Fund for providing, through the Fellowship scheme, time for me to write and to the readers who chat on my Saturday morning Facebook posts. We have a lovely community talking about books, if you want to join in at: https://www.facebook.com/SarahWardCrime
Love and thanks, as ever, to my husband Andy. Also to Dad for continuing to send my books far and wide to his friends and relatives, and to Adrian, Amelie, Ed, Katie, Jacob and Luke. Thanks too to my family in Wales who gave me a warm welcome when I dropped by on my research trips. Anita and Anwen, Heulwen and Steve, Eryl and Eynon, Annette, Lynwen and Hywel and especially my cousin and family history co-conspirator Gareth, to whom this book is dedicated.