A short distance from the gathering, by the cars, Tomasz Feldman stood in between two police officers. He was handcuffed, and as he watched the ceremony, the morning light briefly graced the tears on his cheeks. He saw me looking and lowered his head in shame. At the office, this morning, his and Kenny’s charges were being agreed with the CPS, and John, who was a minor, was being processed.

Over by the tree, Jasmina was waiting alone and I waved.

‘I’m going to head off,’ I said to Rima. Even at a hundred yards, I could see from my sister’s expression that she felt as excited and impatient as me. But, like me, she was worried about what we were about to find out.

I glanced over at the grave, with a child’s body in it, and freshly sprinkled soil. ‘Go well, Ali,’ I whispered, and I turned and walked towards the oak tree and the daffodils. And my sister.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This novel would not have been possible without the input and guidance of numerous people. Firstly, huge thanks to Clio Cornish, whose fabulous editorial skills helped me to shape and sharpen Rosa and Maya’s stories. Secondly, thanks to my agent, Adam Gauntlett, for his unwavering faith in me.

I’m hugely grateful for the help I’ve had with the police and fire procedural elements of the book, without which many details may have been taken from the telly! These people have asked to remain anonymous, but have been incredibly generous with their time and expertise. The book is fiction and I believe that drama trumps realism, so all inaccuracies and flights of fancy are mine.

Thanks to Dave Sivers, for beta-reading while he was on holiday, and to Liz Barnsley for a second beta-read later on. Huge thanks are also due to the crime fiction community, who are incredibly generous, supportive and encouraging.

I began drafting Out of the Ashes straight after finishing my debut novel, and it then lay in skeletal form for a couple of years before I set about re-writing it. As with the first in the series, the plot and characters grew from people I’ve met, places I’ve spent time in and things I’ve become interested in. In 2002, when I was teaching A-level Psychology in East London, I was teaching about conformity and obedience during the Second World War. I was struck by how awful it must have been for Polish Jews and Christian Poles to be forced into collaborating with the Nazis, and by the courage of those who risked their lives to help the Polish Jews.