The Sixth Lamentation

Acknowledgements

Generally speaking, debts are disagreeable things, especially those that endure. One kind, however, is a pleasant exception. I extend my warm gratitude to Ursula Mackenzie who helped me to produce the book I wanted to write as opposed to the one I had written; to Pamela Dorman for insightful analysis and championing this novel in the United States; to Araminta Whitley and Celia Hayley, both of whom have brought me to where I now am; to Nicki Kennedy and Sam Edenborough for ploughing foreign fields on my behalf. I’m grateful to Joanne Coen for her patience and scrupulous attention to detail in preparing the text for publication. While I dislike general expressions of thanks, that is the only way I can encompass the many individuals at Time Warner Books and Penguin Putnam who have worked on this novel with unstinting dedication: I’m grateful to you all.

I reserve a particular word of thanks for Sarah Hannigan who encouraged me to write and helped me discover the way I wanted to do it. I also thank: Penny Moreland (who pushed me from doubt to confidence), Austin Donohoe (who urged me to take the risk), Paulinus Barnes (for sound advice), James Hawks (who told me to get on with it); Damien Charnock (who politely remarked upon the prevalence of sentences without verbs); Nick Rowe (who suggested including a list of principal characters); my family (for their part in shaping who I am, and for always smiling upon my endeavours); and my Chambers (for accommodating the peculiarities of someone who is writing a novel). I am grateful to the following for help with specific enquiries: William Clegg QC; Michael Walsh (Archivist, Heythrop College, University of London); Dr E. Rozanne Elder (Director, Institute of Cistercian Studies, Western Michigan University); Inspector Barbara Thompson (Suffolk Constabulary); Ian Fry and John ‘Archie’ Weeks (Old Bailey). I am responsible for any errors of interpretation that may arise from what I was told.

I reserve a special paragraph for Anne. Constant selfless support (all manner, in all weather) and solitary childcare (three of them) combined to mark out the space that made the writing of this book possible. No formal words of thanks can do her justice or reflect what I would like to say

We both thank the community whose quiet presence graces the valley where this novel was begun and completed.