I have to single out Dr Bernd Rullkötter, my German translator, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in helping make this as authentic and accurate a book as possible in English as well as in German (even if this has involved telling me where to stick my Umlaut). I also owe thanks to Dr Anja Lowit, for her time and her comments on the original draft.

In my opinion, the Polizei Hamburg is one of the world’s finest police services. I have also found it to be one of the most open and accessible. I have sought to remain, as far as possible, within the real operational and organizational structures and procedures of the Polizei Hamburg, but this is, after all, a work of fiction, so any licence taken or errors made are entirely mine. I would, however, like to make special mention of Erste Polizeihauptkommissarin Ulrike Sweden of the Polizeipressestelle, for all of the information, help and contacts she supplied. I would also like to offer my gratitude to Dirk Brandenburg and Birte Hell, both of the Hamburg murder squad, for devoting so much of their valuable time to me. Special thanks go to Peter Baustian of the Davidwache police station and to Robert Golz, from the control and operation room division of the Polizeipräsidium. Boris Manzella, Andre Schönhardt and Rene Schönhardt, all serving officers in the Polizei Hamburg uniform branch, offered invaluable opinions on the first draft of Blood Eagle.

I am enormously grateful to Katrin Frahm for all of her help in making me sound less stupid when I speak German. I would like to thank Dagmar Förtsch, of GLS Language Services (and Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Glasgow) as well as Duncan McInnes.

Special thanks also to my editors and publishers around the world for their faith and commitment.

And, of course, if this book has a hero, it’s a city, not a person … Vielen Dank, Hamburg!