The Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team provides more than 100 hours of patrol on Beachy Head each week. They support the police and coastguard services in search and rescue endeavours, and specialise in suicide and crisis intervention, saving around two thousand people since their inception in 2004. The team relies entirely on public support, so please do follow them on Facebook at @BeachyHeadChaplaincyTeam and support their work if you can.
According to the charity Mind, one in four of us will experience mental health problems this year, and more than twenty per cent of us admit to having had suicidal thoughts at some point in our lives. Every day, sixteen people in the UK will die by suicide. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this book, or would like to speak to someone about how you’re feeling, I encourage you to call the Samaritans. They’re available any time, from any phone, on 116 123.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My former police colleagues are unfailing in their encouragement and support, and I am grateful to them all for cheerleading my books, even when I stray from procedural accuracy. In writing Let Me Lie, I am particularly grateful to: Sarah Thirkell, for forensic advice; Kirsty Harris, for answering questions about inquests; Di Jones, for clarifying the procedure around 999 calls; and Andy Robinson – again – for more mobile phone advice. One day I’ll write a book that doesn’t require your help.
My thanks to Heather Skull and Kaimes Beasley, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, who were generous and creative with their advice around tidal activity and body recovery; and to Becky Fagan, for her advice on Borderline Personality Disorder and the mental health system. I apologise to all of the above for any liberties I have taken with the truth; all mistakes are mine, and mine alone.
Marie Davies was the winner of a competition run by animal charity Love Cyprus Dog Rescue, who do wonderful work rehoming abandoned dogs. I was delighted to include Marie’s very own rescue dog, Rita, in Let Me Lie, and hope I have done her justice.
Ten years ago, social media would hardly have featured in an author’s life; now I can’t imagine being without my fabulous Facebook, Twitter and Instagram followers. You have commiserated with me when writing was hard, cheered my good news, helped with research, and propelled my books into the bestseller lists. Thank you.
I am fortunate to have the most amazing people working with me. Sheila Crowley and the Curtis Brown team continue to be there every step of the way – I couldn’t wish for a better literary agency – and I have wonderful publishers around the world. Special thanks go to Lucy Malagoni, Cath Burke and the Sphere team; to Claire Zion and her gang at Berkley; and to the Little, Brown Rights team. Thank you all – I love working with you.
There are too many book bloggers, retailers and librarians to thank individually, but please know that I value everything you do, and am so grateful for your reviews, recommendations and shelf space, whether virtual or otherwise.
A big thank you to all those in the crime scene; to Kim Allen for keeping me organised and to my friends and family. Rob, Josh, Evie and George: you are my world. Sorry I’m so grumpy.
Finally – but so importantly – thank you for picking up this book. I hope you enjoyed it.