ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people are involved in the writing of a long and complex book and I would like to thank some of them here.

Good editors are the most important people in an author’s life during the writing of a book, and I am lucky that I have exceptional editors on both sides of the Atlantic.

I would like to give special thanks to my wonderful team at HarperCollins in London who work with such enthusiasm on my novels. Publishing Director Lynne Drew is a marvellous sounding board and offers her thoughts and ideas without reservation, and is thoughtful, enthusiastic and positive in every way. My gratitude to Lynne, Claire Bord and Victoria Hughes-Williams for their unstinting support, and to Susan Opie, my new editor, for her excellent work. Thanks also to the rest of the team at HarperCollins, London, those editors and designers behind the scene who help to create and design my books and give them that very special BTB look.

I must also thank Jennifer Enderlin of St Martin’s Press in New York, my American editor. She is devoted, dedicated and full of ideas, as well as unstinting in her help. She has great enthusiasm and is another good sounding board. My thanks to her and everyone at St Martin’s Press, the editors and designers who are invaluable, and help to create the ‘look’ of the books.

Thanks are due to Lonnie Ostrow of Bradford Enterprises, a whiz on the computer, who helped with research, and provided invaluable information about the illegal use of computers, computer hackers and identity theft, as well as other areas of research. My thanks also to Liz Ferris of Liz Ferris Word Processing, who has typed many of my books, always working under pressure yet producing a perfectly typed manuscript.

A writer is, in a sense, isolated for long periods of time, but I am lucky in that I have a wonderful circle of girlfriends who are always there for me. They cheer me on, want to help in any way they can, and cosset and protect me when I’m writing. They know who they are and my thanks and love to them.

Finally, last but not least, I must add that I could not write any of my books without the constant loving care, affection, devotion and ‘cheering on’ of my husband, Robert Bradford. He has always believed in me, encouraged me and given me the space to write. My gratitude and love to my extremely patient Bob, truly a man for all seasons.