Acknowledgements

The book you’re holding now would never have come into being if it were not for the help and support of many people. Most of all I’d like to thank Vicky Blunden, Candida Lacey, Corinne Pearlman, Linda McQueen, Dawn Sackett and everyone at Myriad Editions, for taking my original ramble and turning it into something I’m immensely proud of, and for taking a chance on a complete novice.

Into The Darkest Corner was originally written in 2008 as part of the annual National Novel Writing Month challenge, run by Chris Baty and a brilliant team of people, and if it had not been for the encouragement of the Nanowrimo website (www.nanowrimo.org) I doubt I would have made it past the first chapter. Thank you, guys! I hope you like it.

I would like to thank my friends Ellen Doughty and Linda Weeks, who read the first draft and thenceforth encouraged me every step of the way. It was my cousin Michael George’s idea to actually send it off (even though he hasn’t read it yet), so I have him to thank for that.

Greg Mosse, for his insightful and thought-provoking Crime Writing course at West Dean College, and in particular for his encouragement with regard to this book. Thank you, Greg!

Thank you, too, to Lillian Fox, a gifted and inspirational writer, who steered me in the right direction many times and kept me going when I most needed a push. Vanessa Very read the manuscript when it was nearing completion and came up with some brilliant suggestions which changed everything. This book would be nothing without Lillian and Vanessa, so thank you both.

Thank you to my lovely friend Alexia Fernholz, consultant clinical psychologist, who generously shared her expertise, and to Stephen Starbuck for assistance and advice with matters of procedure.

Thank you Mary, Vicky, Hannah, Sonja, Ella, Hanna, Fiona, Shelagh, Nadia, Mia, Sophy, Jenna, Steven, Janet, Alison, Sarah, Tricia, Michael, John and David, Nickie and all my online friends who were all so supportive of me throughout this enterprise.

To the wonderful and talented Medway Mermaids, thank you so much for your insightful comments, and for cheering me on.

Special thanks are due to the fantastic Moscicki family (Jackie, Julie, James, Phoebe and Anna), and to Jane Mellinger, Nicola Samson, Maxine Painter, Lou Bundock, Naomi and Will Lay, Chris Gambrell, Clare Howse, Russ Shopland, Alexandra Amos, Lucy Smith, Emily Mepstead, Patricia Cox, Katie and Wayne Totterdell, Matt Liston, Tara Melton, Clive Peacock, Claire Eastham, Phil Crane, Bob Sidoli, Gordon Lindsay, Emma Dehaney, Lindsay Brown, Angela Wiley, Karen Aslett, Jenny Harknett, Pam Wiley, Judy Swan, Robert Nicks, Trish Cross and all my other dear friends who kindly put up with me talking about my book and encouraged me far beyond the call of duty – thank you.

Last but not least, thank you to my Mum, and to David and Alex, who put up with most of all, and still love me nonetheless.