Acknowledgements

It’s difficult to express how much I owe to Chris and Jen Hamilton-Emery for their unbounded enthusiasm for and faith in the DI Yates novels, and also to Chris for the beautiful jacket and distinguished typesetting that have become the hallmark of my and indeed all Salt novels. I’d also like to thank the other members of the wonderful new Salt team: Hannah Corbett, whose inspired PR is second to none; Adrian Weston, who works tirelessly to sell the rights; and Medwyn Hughes and Julian Ball, of PGUK, and their amazing representatives who work with booksellers right across the UK to get the books into the shops.

As always, the novels would be as nothing without the readers, and from the bottom of my heart I’d like to thank all of you, including those whom I’ve actually met, those of you who have taken the trouble to ‘meet’ me or review my books on my blog or through social networks and everyone who has bought or borrowed my books to read. You are a constant source of inspiration to me.

There are many other people whom I ought to thank here, but as much as I’d like to it’s impossible to mention everyone. I feel I must especially single out four friends, all of whom have provided unstinting support and hospitality when I’ve been out promoting the books: Sally, who has always been a staunch supporter and whose house I’ve taken the liberty to ‘borrow’ for Freya; Madelaine and Marc, who are my chief champions in Lincolnshire; and Pamela and Robert, who as well as believing in the books have provided unrepayable moral and practical support in what began as a very difficult year. Once again, I’d like to record my appreciation for the talented Alison Cassels at Wakefield One and her generous and lively reading groups and for Sam Buckley and her reading groups at Bookmark in Spalding, who have followed DI Yates from ‘birth’. I’d also like to include Tim Walker and Jenny Pugh, of Walkers Bookshops in Stamford, and Charlie, the events manager at Waterstones Covent Garden. Finally, I must mention Harry, a young man whom I met at Charlie’s event at Covent Garden, whose high praise for The Crossing and subsequent impatience to read all past and future DI Yates novels exceeded all the accolades I could ever have hoped for.

My inimitable family continues to make its unique contribution. Once again, James and Annika have worked meticulously through the final draft, picking up grammatical inaccuracies and other minor inconsistencies with hawk-like precision. Emma has taught me afresh the power of language and how words may be discovered and combined in new ways by each succeeding generation. Chris has yet to read Rooted in Dishonour, but when he does I’m certain will pronounce judgement with his usual pithy and succinct charm.

My very sincere thanks to you all.

 

Christina James