By way of contrast, Ellie and Ava have grown up together and the bond between them endures – though that doesn’t mean they always get along. And eventually they have the chance to get to know Daisy, too. Any family is made up of all its members, and I was glad to be able to conclude His Secret Family with a reunion that was also a homage to the lost.

Thank you so much for reading His Secret Family. I hope it has touched you and surprised you, and drawn you in.

If you enjoyed reading my book, I would be so grateful if you could write a review. I’d love to know how you felt about the characters and to hear what you thought about the issues raised in the novel. Also, it’s really helpful for other readers when they’re looking for something new.

Do get in touch – I’m often on Twitter or Instagram and you can also contact me through my Facebook page.

All good wishes to you and yours,

Ali Mercer

www.alimercerwriter.com

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to Judith Murdoch, my agent, and Kathryn Taussig, my editor. I’m very grateful to the team at Bookouture – so creative, so friendly, and so committed to great storytelling. Thanks to Kim Nash and Noelle Holten, publicity managers extraordinaire and now novelists too. And thank you to Jon Appleton and Celine Kelly for your inspired work on my books.

I owe a thank you to several people who read early drafts of this novel, including Neel Mukherjee and Patricia Duncker, who I met after Patrick Gale invited me to North Cornwall Book Festival (which is brilliant, so do go if you ever get the chance). Also, thank you to Nanu and Luli Segal and Helen Rumbelow.

Every writer needs people around them who help them to keep going through the tough bits, and I’ve been very lucky on that front. Heartfelt thanks go out to all my family and friends. Thank you to David Mercer. Thanks to Gary, Katie, Emma, Sam and Laurence. Mr P, Izzy, Tom – you know I couldn’t do it without you. And finally, thanks to my mum, to whom this novel is dedicated.

Published by Bookouture in 2019

An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

www.bookouture.com

Copyright © Ali Mercer, 2019

Ali Mercer has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

eBook ISBN: 978-1-83888-103-0

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.