Pulling a book together and getting it on the shelves takes a lot of work – and I am more grateful than words can say to the phenomenal team at Avon who have helped me bring Forget Me Not to life.
To my former editor Phoebe Morgan, who oversaw the editing of this book and my two previous thrillers. I owe you a debt of gratitude. You saw something in me and my writing that I don’t even think I saw and you took a chance. You have taught me so much during our time working together and have made me a better writer for it. Thank you for bringing your guidance, and patience, to this book and to this author. I wish you all the best in your new endeavour.
To my new editor Helen Huthwaite, who has already mastered calming my nerves, thank you for your support and for taking me under your wing. I look forward to what we can do together.
Thanks also to Sabah, Elke, Molly, Dom, Oliver and all the team at Avon for your enthusiasm, support and endless hard work on behalf of all your authors. You are incredible.
Thanks to Claire Dean for her sterling copy editing work.
Thanks also to the team at HarperCollins Ireland, including Mary Byrne who should be off sunning herself in Italy by the time this book reaches the shelves. I appreciate all your efforts.
For matters relating to the police procedure, rank and protocol, thanks go to Karen and also to my sister-in-law Inspector Penny Jones of the Cheshire Police. Any mistakes are entirely of my own making.
As always, thanks to my agent Ger Nichol – a woman best described by the Shakespeare quote: ‘And though she be but little, she is fierce’. Thank you Ger for your unwavering support over the years and the way you have my best interests at heart always. Your reminders to ‘mind yourself’ are appreciated!
Thank you to booksellers and librarians for getting behind my books. You are rock-stars. Special love and thanks to Bob, Jenni and Dave – royalty of the Indie book trade. And to Heidi Murphy, Maria Dickenson and all at Eason, Foyleside.
Thank you to all the book bloggers and reviewers who do amazing work for very little reward! Especially Mairead at Swirl & Thread and Margaret Bonnas Madden at Bleachhouse Library.
Sincere thanks to my writing friends, who make this journey less lonely and more craic. Thank you Louise Beech, John Marrs, C.L. Taylor, Brian McGilloway, Margaret Scott and Caroline Finnerty and to the wonderful, incredibly talented Liz Nugent who gave me the inspired idea of bringing Ingrid Devlin back in this book, and who during the course of a conversation on a writing retreat gave my confidence a great boost.
While writing this book I was approached by a lovely woman on Twitter with the simple request that, if possible, I name a character after her mother, who passed away in summer 2018. I was only too happy to do so, and so Patricia Hopkins, the FLO in the book, got her name. With great love to Andrea Molloy for her Twitter loveliness. I hope this small gesture makes things just that little bit easier for you.
To my friends and family, thank you always. Mum, Dad, Lisa, Peter, Emma and assorted partners, little people and dogs, Erin, Catherine, Marie-Louise. Mimi, Auntie Raine, thank you all. And to my Twitter pals, thanks for the laughs.
To my husband, and my two children, and the two cats and the one puppy – thank you again for giving me the time and space to create another story. I love you.
This is a book that, in its very twisted way is about friendship and as such I’m dedicating it to the three friends who have been there for me most of all and continue to be so.
Jim Morrison said: ‘A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself – and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That’s what real love amounts to – letting a person be what he really is.’
Julie-Anne, my oldest school friend, proper Derry Girl, and now road trip buddy; Vicki, my new mum friend and the person I am most ‘me’ with; and Fionnuala, my writing partner in crime and my soul sister (not to mention a bloody brilliant beta reader) – you all lift me up and I love you x
And finally to you, lovely reader, thank you for continuing to allow me to have the best job in the world.