ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First up – massive thanks goes to Sean and Riley. Geniuses in their own right, who are generous enough to give me the time, space and understanding to write these books. They also listen to my rough drafts and moans and pat me on the head when I’m feeling down.

It’s a lesser-known trade ‘secret’ that Jenny Parrott has the ability to stop time and whizz around accomplishing three times as much as any mere mortal. Sage, sensible and sexy, she’s a bit like Wonder Woman but without the tiara, though I only see her at work and anything’s possible with that one. Thanmai Bui-Van would win a ‘Wicked British Bake Off’ contest, hands down. Rumours abound that she has a magic cauldron at home. Works her own special spellcraft on the sales side too, for which I am ever grateful. Lovely Margot Weale clones herself and never sleeps. She also has thirty fingers and six hands which enable her to answer emails from twenty authors at the same time. Best publicist ever. Wild, raven-haired Mark is the Einstein of book publishing: inspired buzzy ideas are made real on his watch. Design wizard James Jones comes up with jacket after jacket which never fail to inspire. Paul Nash produces the goods out of thin air and on time and with care and patience. Thanks also to Francine Brody for sweeping out the prose and sprucing the text. Juliet Mabey is an absolute peach, helping me along not only with sound advice AND publishing my books, but also mirrors for straighteners and lippy when necessary. While Novin Doostdar, along with the rest of their Oneworld coven, has donned Halloween garb in the guise of a freaky friar simply to help Strange Sight on its way. Seriously – what more can one ask for from one’s publishers? Thank you.

I am extremely grateful to Joyce Froome, Steve Simmonds and the whole team at The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic for their unending tolerance of my very niche questions. They are a fantastic team with such vast knowledge who have helped me on several occasions. On this one they were able to point me in the right direction for Rozalie Romanov’s spell. Also, Joyce, thank you for my piskie. It worked!

Thanks to Darryl Webber at the Essex Chronicle for his extensive knowledge about all things newspapery and Joss Hawthorn for his insight and advice regarding police procedure.

And to David at BlueBookBalloon.com for implanting the idea of Sam with his top off. I think that worked quite well in the end, don’t you?

I must also acknowledge Kristen J. Sollee’s book Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive, which my friend, Jo, bought me for my birthday. This most excellent title of course formed the insult hurled at Rosie by the dastardly Araminta de Vere. It is also recommended reading for all fellow witches, sluts and feminists and any readers interested in herstory.

A special shout out goes to Helen Smith for showing me the ropes and being an amazing criminal mentor. He he. Cathi Unsworth, my wyrd fiction sister, has been a great support and shares some of my obsessions, which luckily means we can talk endlessly about the intricacies of crime, feminism and occult history both in private and public. Thank you Cathi. Chris Simmonds must be thanked for his support, as must Ros Green and Jo Nancarrow from the Essex Book Festival with whom it has been both fun and exciting to plot. Thank you also to Suzi Feay, Kelly Buckley, Steve Neale, Ian White, Amy Freeborn (genius photographer and editor of Phox Pop magazine), Curly Dan Newman, Daryl and Jules Easlea, Fiona Cummins and all the Leigh Luminaries. Thank you to Martyn Hockless on Facebook who came up with the name ‘Terry’.

I must also express my gratitude to Simon Fowler, my friend and very talented photographer, who stumbled across the legend of Anne Hewghes when he was photographing The Castle pub in Great Leighs. Simon texted me that day and said I had to get over there and see ‘this witch stone’ for myself. I did and thus a novel was born. Thanks Simon for starting it all.

Other notable mentions have to be Sadie Hasler, Rachel Lichtenstein, Colette Bailey, Steph Stevenson, Heidi Wigmore, Jo Farrugia, the Easleas, Mark Lancaster and other friends who have supported me throughout my endeavours with transport, handouts, jumping in at the last minute to do Q and As, their own individual brand of cheer and lashings of white wine. Sometimes too much. Steph Roche and Kate Bradley get their own private mention because they have always pushed me on when netted by self-doubt. And they’re amazing. My friend Elsa James must be acknowledged for sharing with me her research for her project on Black Essex. Do check it out.

My mum and dad want everyone to know that they aren’t anything like Ted and Maureen Strange. My dad does sometimes park on ‘double yellas’ but that’s where the comparison ends. Thanks to both of them for being them and to Pauline and Ernie for being their lovely selves too.

Thanks also to the rowdies at the TEAC, my gorgeous sister Josie and talented bro’ Rich. I am lucky to be part of a large and colourful family that gets bigger by the day and who are joyous and thoughtful in equal measure. Joanne, Lee, Ronnie, Harry, Matty, John, Jess, Isla, Rye, Anais, Effie, Kit, Obie, Samuel, Arron, Arthur, William, Tegun – I’m proud of all of you.