Thank you to the wonderful writers I’ve met on this journey for all you have taught me, but especially to the Hallam Writers for their critiques of early drafts. Also a big thank-you to Bernardine Evaristo, Jacob Ross, and my fellow attendees of an Arvon course entitled “Making Your Writing Sing.” I’m not sure if I achieved that goal but you made me believe that one day I might. And to all the students I’ve taught over the past few years: my big secret is . . . you’ve all taught me stuff too!

The more recent drafts of this work would just not have happened without the unparalleled support, constant reassurance, gentle nagging, and endless supplying of wine that came from my good friends Susan Elliot Wright and Marion Dillon.

A big thank-you to Anna Jarowicki and to Kevin Robinson for ideas and thoughts surrounding police investigation. Check out Kev’s indispensable resource: www.crimewritingsolutions.wordpress.com. All the bits I got right came from them; all the mistakes are mine alone.

I’ve had three editors work on this book: Anne Perry, Sara Minnich, and Jo Dickinson. I am beyond lucky fate conspired to arrange this for me; I couldn’t have asked for more helpful insight. And thank you, too, to the fabulous teams at Simon & Schuster in the UK, and G. P. Putnam’s Sons in the US.

The biggest thanks of all must go to my agent, the practically perfect Sarah Hornsley. It’s no exaggeration to say this book would not be in your hands right now without her unfailing hard work and erudite advice. Thank you for changing my life.

Finally, thank you to all my friends and family for their unending support but especially to Ed, for telling me to stop talking about it and do it; and to Auntie Norah and Auntie Mart for the inspiration.

To anyone who is a writer out there—keep going, don’t give up. Sometimes dreams really do come true.

Keep reading for an exciting excerpt from the next novel by Russ Thomas, Nighthawking.

The First Nighthawker

Record of Finds

Date: Mon., Nov. 5

Time: 04:45 (approx.)

Location: Botanical Gardens, Sheffield

Finds: shilling coin (indecipherable year), pull tab (circa 1980s), arm