Angie was sitting on the sofa with her champagne and soaking it all up, with a smile on her face. She had always loved entertaining. Sophie knew that she couldn’t join in the way that she wanted and sometimes that was so upsetting and infuriating that it was hard to imagine ever making peace with it. But there were also moments of calm, moments of acceptance, and right now, for Angie, it was enough simply to be here. You could see it in her expression. She had got to see all four of her children grow up and become the people that they were meant to be.

Because they were grown up now, the children, they were finding their own paths and making lives of their own. They were ready to fly. And so was she. Sophie spun around in a circle, her arms stretched out wide, and closed her eyes.

THE END

Acknowledgements

Writing a book during lockdown was a challenge and I have a lot of people to thank for helping me to reach the finish line. My husband Jon, who held the fort at weekends when I disappeared upstairs for writing sessions and brought me cups of tea. And my children, Rose and Alice, who selflessly enjoyed extra iPad and TV time when the schools were closed so that I could get some work done. I know from your delight how hard it must have been for you…

Thanks to all the team at Bloodhound Books who saw the potential in The Woman Next Door and supported me throughout my publishing journey. Particular thanks to my editor Clare Law for the time you spent working through my manuscript and making it super shiny.

To my sister Zoe, who read my early draft and gave me some really useful feedback which, without a doubt, made the book much better.

To the real women next door, the magnificent Hannah and Sonia, the best neighbours a gal could ask for. And of course to Gill, the woman at the bottom of the garden. Our fence may not have blown down in a storm although the DIY ‘chat flap’ we sawed into it as good as destroyed it anyway. But I absolutely cherished our Friday night glasses of wine and putting the world to rights over the fence. Thank you for helping to keep me sane during this difficult eighteen months.

And finally, to every single one of you who has read, reviewed, shared or supported my books. Your encouragement has meant so much to me and inspired me to keep on writing, even when times got tough. Thank you.

A note from the publisher

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