Dead if You Don’t

Acknowledgements

As ever I owe an enormous debt to so many people who have generously helped me with the authenticity of what I have written, by checking facts and often making brilliant suggestions which have enhanced this story in so many ways.

My first thanks are to many officers and support staff of Surrey and Sussex Police, the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police: Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne; Chief Constable Giles York QPM; Assistant Chief Constable, BTP, Robin Smith; Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Sloan; Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley; Chief Superintendent Lisa Bell; Detective Superintendent Jason Taylor; Detective Chief Inspector Mike Ashcroft; Chief Inspector Steve Boniface; DCI Stuart Hale; DI Richard Haycock; DI Bill Warner; Inspector James Biggs; Inspector Jason Cummings; Inspector Chris Smith; DS Phil Taylor; DS Grant Webberley; PC Jon Bennion-Jones; PC Darren Balkham; PC Pip Edwards; PC Jonathan Jackson; PC Richard Trundle; Dog Handler PC Sian Weston-Smith.

One police officer I need to single out for the introductions she made and the help she gave me in understanding the world of the Albanian communities in the UK, is PC Nikki Denero.

Maria O’Brien, James Stather, Chris Gee, James Gartrell from Forensic Services. Annabel Galsworthy, Comms. Aiden Gilbert, Joseph Langford, Graham Lewendon, Shaun Robbins and Daniel Salter from the Digital Forensics Unit.

Also to the following retired officers: Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, Detective Chief Inspector Trevor Bowles, Inspector Keith Ellis, Inspector Andy Kille, PC David Rowlands.

Katie Perkin, Jill Pedersen, Oliver Lacey and Suzanne Heard from Sussex Police Corporate Communications.

Further key research help came from: Gary Baines of Shoreham Fort; Paul Barber; Ben Bennett; William Blanch; Alan Bowles; Ashley Carr; Chris Cohen; Chris Diplock; Dr Peter Dean; Sean Didcott; Ross Duncton; Enver Godanc; Gillian Griffin; Claire Horne; Haydn Kelly; Rachel Kenchington; Iain and Georgie Maclean; Adrian Morris; Miriman and Svetlana Nela; Phil Nunn; Nick and Emma Oliver-Taylor; Ray Packham; Mike Sansom of BrightFire Pyrotechnics; Denis Sazonov; Richard Skerritt; Michelle Websdale; Sam Windridge, CEO Brighton Racecourse; Amy Woodard.

There are numerous people in the background working on the editing, sales and marketing of the book, each playing a vital role: My wonderful agents, Isobel Dixon, Julian Friedmann, Conrad Williams, James Pusey, Emanuela Anechoum, Hattie Grunewald and all the team at Blake Friedmann. My incredibly patient and supportive editor Wayne Brookes, my wonderful mentor and mate, Geoff Duffield, and all at Pan Macmillan, in particular: Sarah Arratoon, Jonathan Atkins, Anna Bond, Jeremy Trevathan, Stuart Dwyer, Claire Evans, Lucy Hines, Daniel Jenkins, Neil Lang, Sara Lloyd, Natalie McCourt, Alex Saunders, Jade Tolley, and Charlotte Williams. My editor Susan Opie. My publicists, Tony Mulliken, Sophie Ransom and Alice Geary. Brooke O’Donnell and all at Trafalgar House in the USA. Elena Stokes, Tanya Farrell and Taylan Salvati of Wunderkind and all the rest of Team James Stateside.

I’m fortunate to have an incredible support team who help me to hone the manuscript into shape long before it reaches my agent and publishers. My brilliant PA, Linda Buckley, who manages calmly to keep my head above water! My book-keeper Sarah Middle, Danielle Brown who helps us around the clock on social media, and my crucial first-look editorial team who give me so much guidance: Anna Hancock, Susan Ansell, Helen Shenston, Martin and Jane Diplock.

Much of the shape of the book and the fact that I delivered it almost on time (!) is due to the constant vigilance, hard slog and input of my taskmaster, former Detective Chief Superintendent David Gaylor, my inspiration for Roy Grace. I’m immensely grateful to him in so many ways.

My penultimate and biggest thanks are to my wife, Lara. For her endless patience, wisdom, energy and enthusiasm — and always keeping my spirits up.

And my final thanks to our adorable dogs, Oscar, Spooky and Wally. Walking them, in any weather, always clears my mind and puts a smile on my face.

A huge thank you to my readers! Your emails, Tweets, Facebook, Instagram, blog posts and YouTube comments give me such constant joy. Keep them coming, I love to hear from you!

Peter James