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.’