Saints Of New York

Since the
publication of
The
Anniversary Man
back in 2009, I have been to a great many places
- France, America, Dubai, Holland, Canada, the list goes on. I have made a
great many friends, amongst them the crews at Sonatine, Overlook and de
Fontein, people like Peter and Aaron, Jack and Emer, Veda, George Lucas,
Francois, Marie M., Marie L., Leonore (my little-big French sister), Arnaud,
Xavier, Sophie, Fabienne, Susan, Catrien and Genevieve. In Dubai I was
privileged to work with Isobel and her team, and then there were the
extraordinary folks at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, those in
Miami and Chicago and at Bouchercon in Indianapolis. Seems I have had the good
fortune to meet some truly great people everywhere I've been, and I never cease
to marvel at the warmth and generosity extended to me. It is a privilege and an
honour to know you all, and to now count you amongst my dearest friends. My
sincere thanks go to all of you for making this past year so memorable.

As always, my
thanks to the team at Orion, to Euan, my agent, and to my own family, whose
tolerance of my idiosyncrasies seems limitless.

And to you, dear
reader, without whom this would all be kind of pointless.

Finally, I would
like to dedicate this book to the memory of Norman 'Bill' Bolwell (1938-2009).
Bill was a Coldstream Guard, a Detective in the CID, the Anti-Terrorist Unit
and in Special Branch; he was an accomplished musician, a wonderful artist, a
true friend, and a great man. For a few too-short years he was the closest we
ever got to having a father, and my brother and I will miss him greatly.