The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins

Acknowledgements

I spent two years researching and writing this novel. During that time my first book, The Devil in the Marshalsea, was published. It’s an exciting and terrifying thing, releasing your first book into the world. I had the most fantastic support from friends, workmates and fellow authors – far too many people to list in full here. But to everyone who offered encouragement – especially readers – thank you.

At Hodder: huge thanks to Nick Sayers for being such a great champion of my work and for his extremely helpful editorial notes. Also for being the nicest man in publishing. (I have worked in publishing for many years and this is verifiably true.) Very special thanks, embossed and covered in glitter, to the brilliant Laura Macdougall. And to Kerry Hood – who hates a fuss – thank you.

At Conville & Walsh: love and thanks to my agent Clare Conville for her dedication, generosity and sage advice. I couldn’t ask for more. Thanks, indeed, to the whole team, especially Alexander Cochran, Matt Marland, Alexandra McNicoll and Jake Smith-Bosanquet.

Thanks to my lovely L,B colleagues and friends, especially: Richard Beswick, Hannah Boursnell, Cath Burke, Sean Garrehy, Ursula Mackenzie, Clare Smith and Adam Strange. And most of all Rhiannon Smith.

Thanks to Eve Gutierrez and Paula Cuddy at Eleventh Hour productions for their enthusiastic support and for a fascinating trip to a modern prison. A warm hug of gratitude to Jo Unwin for giving me the confidence to keep writing in the first place. And to Mark Billingham for being such a kind and encouraging chap.

Big thanks to all my patient friends who have nodded politely while I regaled them with obscure eighteenth-century facts: Jo Krupa, Justine Willett and Victoria Burns; Ant, Vic and the Kirstys; Lance Fitzgerald and PJ Mark; Harrie Evans; Caroline Hogg; Val Hudson, and Andrew Wille. Love and thanks to my parents and to my sisters, Kay, Michelle and Debbie. Special thanks to Rowena Webb and Ian Lindsay-Hickman and also to Gordon Wise and Michael McCoy for much-needed and much-treasured weekends away. And to Ursula Doyle – again – for being such a loyal and supportive pal.

Thanks finally to any readers who read all the way to the end of this list of people they’ve never heard of. You may now leave the cinema. End credits.