Huge thanks to my editor Lydia Vassar-Smith for understanding what I was trying to do with this book and for believing in me and supporting me every step of the – sometimes painful – way! The Lie wouldn’t be the book it is without your insights and suggestions. Thanks also go to Caroline Ridding and everyone at Avon for their hard work and enthusiasm. Thank you to Alex and Jo at LightBrigade PR for doing such a good job promoting my books, and a big hug to my wonderful agent Madeleine Milburn for being my constant cheerleader and for doing her best to keep me sane in what’s been quite a stressful year. Thank you too to Cara Lee Simpson for all her hard work.

I couldn’t have written the present-day thread of The Lie without the kindness of Anna James and Little Valley Animal Shelter, Exeter (RSPCA). Little Valley do a wonderful job caring for unwanted, abandoned and cruelly treated animals in the South, East and West Devon areas, and Anna very kindly gave me a guided tour of the sanctuary, answered my million and one questions about procedures and practices, and responded to the countless texts and emails I sent her afterwards. I can’t thank you enough, Anna.

Thank you also to Dr Charlotte McCreadie for her medical knowledge, Paul Finch and Sharon Birch for answering my police procedural questions, and to Fionnuala Kearney, who won the “Authors for the Philippines” online auction to name a “baddie” in this book. She named Frank Cooper.

A huge thank you to my family for their never-ending love and support: Reg and Jenny Taylor, Bec, Dave, Suz, Sophie, Rose, Steve, Guinevere, Nan, Granddad, Angela and Ana. And my wonderful friends: Joe Rotheram, Becky Harries, Bex Butterworth, Laura Barclay, Kimberley Mills, Claire Bagnall, Rowan Coleman, Julie Cohen, Kellie Turner, Tamsyn Murray, Miranda Dickinson, Kate Harrison and Scott James. I love you girls (and boy) to bits. Thank you for putting up with me.

This book is dedicated to Laura B, Georgie D and Minal S, the friends I went on holiday to Nepal with in 2006. Unlike the girls in The Lie, we really did have the holiday of a lifetime, and for all the right reasons. Thanks for making it an amazing holiday, girls – and for not killing me! (I promise none of the characters are based on you.)

Finally, I’d like to thank my amazing, supportive partner Chris and our beautiful, funny son Seth. None of this would mean anything without you two.

Book Club Questions for The Lie by C.L. Taylor

Book club questions for THE LIE by C.L. Taylor

1. One of the themes of the book is whether your past defines your future. At the end of the book Emma says that it doesn’t if you surround yourself with people who love and care for you. Do you agree?

2. What did you think of the character, Al? Was she sympathetic or unsympathetic?