Shortly before the completion of Passenger 23, I heard the sad news that one of my friends, to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude, is no longer with us. I know, of course, that the good ones always die young, but so young? Wherever you are now, Peter Hetzel, here’s a grateful hug from me. We all miss you!

Like Peter, the following friends have supported me from the beginning: Karl ‘Kalle’ Raschke (thanks for all the inspiration your ‘everyday’ experiences provide me with), Gerlinde Jänicke (thanks for your first name!), Arno Müller, Thomas Koschwitz, Jochen Trus, Stephan Schmitter, Michael Treutler and Simon Jäger.

Thanks also to Michael Tsokos. It’s always good to know an expert in forensic medicine, especially one who answers his mobile after midnight when you’ve got a question about the precise wording of traces of torture in a medical file.

I received dental advice from the wonderful Dr Ulrike Heintzenberg. (Yes, yes, I’ll get to the prophylaxis soon.)

Most people think it’s a joke when I say that I actually write family stories rather than psychological thrillers, but it’s the truth. Everything, good as well as evil, has its origins in the family, and I’m extraordinarily fortunate to have a fantastic community around me, first and foremost my father Freimut, as well as Clemens and Sabine, who also helped with medical advice for this book.

*

If you’re currently toying with the idea of taking a cruise, or even if you’re on a ship at this very moment, I sincerely hope that I haven’t spoiled your enjoyment with this novel. I’m anything but a missionary as an author. My aim is to entertain rather than convert, despite the accurate figures in the book relating to the waste generation and energy consumption of giant ships.

In writing this thriller I may well have screwed things up for myself with the established cruise lines forever. After Passenger 23 my being invited to an author reading on a cruise is about as likely as a Titanic film evening in the on-board cinema. But you never know. On a transatlantic crossing that I took with my mother in 2005, the announcement was made a day before our arrival in New York that the ship was now exactly where the Titanic had sunk. Passengers rushed out on deck. Not in panic, but – no joke – to take photos of the water!

Life writes the most bizarre stories and you the nicest readers’ letters.

Occasionally it can take me a while to reply; sometimes I’m submerged. But generally this is just because I’m writing…

*

Many thanks and goodbye

Sebastian Fitzek

Berlin, on a stressful day for registry offices

(7/7/2014)

P.S. Oh, yes, for all of you who were wondering what happened to the doctor in the prologue… I’ve got some more for you…

Epilogue

Sultan of the Seas

Six weeks later

‘Shall we get rid of her?’