I needed extra help when writing this book as, for the first time, the story involved some aspects of police procedures. It’s safe to say that I know approximately nothing about that, so any mistakes are purely mine . . . but writing and plotting was made a lot easier with input from Rebecca Bradley, Janine Jury and Shirley O’Dwyer. Thank you ladies, for all your assistance!

Massive thanks to Rachel Dove for her generous charity donation, in aid of The Zuri Project – the character DI Jayden Dove is named in honour of her son.

Natalie, Charlie and Christie – thanks for keeping me alive up a mountain while I was waiting for edits on this book . . . maybe we could do something more relaxing next time?

And finally, thank you to Nick, George, Missy and Mo. For everything, always.

Excerpt

Turn the page to read an extract from the gripping thriller, The Party complete with a twist you won’t see coming . . .

Don’t you ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn’t made that particular decision? If you had decided to go right, instead of left? If you had said no, instead of yes? It’s strange how one, tiny, sometimes seemingly insignificant decision can have a knock-on effect on life . . . like a cleverly constructed domino chain, crashing down into a broken and ruined pile of rubble. Maybe if I had been a little bit stronger, if I hadn’t had that one moment of weakness, where I threw caution to the wind and just did what I wanted to do, as opposed to what I should have done, maybe then, none of this would ever have happened. Life would have gone on as usual, with no tears and recriminations. Nobody would have been hurt. Nobody’s life would have been ruined. There wouldn’t have been any lies, or betrayal, and we all would have carried on living our lives, completely unaware that everybody has two sides to them, completely oblivious to the fact that the people surrounding us carry their own secrets, locked deep inside them. It’s easy to look back and say none of this is my fault, that I am exempt from blame, but deep down, I know that’s not true. All of this – everything that has happened – all of it starts with me. And so now, I have to do what needs to be done. I have to finish it, once and for all.

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NEW YEAR’S DAY – THE MORNING AFTER THE PARTY