In a Place of Darkness

And Last, But Not Least, Stuart Thanks Some People

Writing a book is a bit like trying to shove a cactus up your nose. The wrong way around. While people throw things at you. But something that makes it a weenie bit easier to get that cactus up there is the assistance of friends, so I want to say ‘thank you’ to: Inspector Bruce Crawford; Frankie Gray and Finn Cotton; Sarah Adams, Bill Scott-Kerr, Thorne Ryan, Kate Samano, Richenda Todd, Linda Joyce, Lorraine McCann, Katrina Whone, Tom Chicken, Emily Harvey, Bronwen Davies, Phoebe Llanwarne, Gary Harley, Louise Blakemore, Julia Teece, Louis Patel, Leon Dufour, Marie Goodwin, Emma Matthews, Lucy Middleton, Tom Hill, Alison Barrow, Phil Evans, Richard Ogle, Sarah Scarlett, Lucy Beresford-Knox, Larry Finlay, Kim Young, and everyone at Transworld; Phil Patterson, Guy Herbert, Leah Middleton, Catherine Pellegrino, Sandra Sawicka, and the whole Marjacq Scripts team; Alexandru Arion and Suzy Yuan; and the ever-naughty and helpful Allan Guthrie.

Another group of people who deserve a huge ‘thank you!’ are librarians and booksellers — AKA: Lovely Bookmongers of Delight. And then there’s you! In an ever-stupiding world, where cruelty and ignorance are rampant, reading fosters empathy, imagination, thought, and compassion. Which is why so many authoritarian bumheads want to ban books. READING IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE!

But the biggest thanks are reserved for Fiona, who gets to listen to me grumping about fictional people the whole time. And let’s finish with the inestimable Onion, Beetroot, and Gherkin, who are all tremendously hairy and have the most excellent purrs.