Death Watch

I would like to thank three people for bringing Death Watch into the world. My new editor at Penguin, Kate Burke, has swiftly created an atmosphere of calm professionalism which is reflected in the final manuscript. My agent, Faith Evans, has tirelessly driven forward the quest for better writing and more substantial characters. Midge Gillies, my wife, is a sure sounding board on all aspects of story-telling.

Special thanks go to Trevor Horwood – my copy-editor – who allows us all to sleep more easily at nights. Jenny Burgoyne, again, made sure Trevor gets sleep too. Bridie Pritchard provided belt and braces.

I have returned to a growing team of specialists to check details and seek advice. They include Paul Horrell on motorcars, Alan Gilbert on forensics, Martin Peters on medical matters and James Woodman for advice on clinical matters. This time round we have added Nick Bonsor, of Read & Sutcliffe Ltd, King’s Lynn, for advice on all things nautical and for a tour of the port. Without this help, Death Watch would never have been written.

As always the characters in Death Watch are fictional. I have played with place names to enliven the language and the plot. For the record, the Italian painter Patigno did not exist and neither, therefore, does his masterpiece The Miracle at Cana.