by John Marrs
“One more year,” she repeated, and wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.
A previous guise on her second covert visit to town hadn’t prevented Elijah from recognising her. He had studied her face in such detail for his exhibition that no disguise could fool him, even from metres away.
Now, without their turning to look at one another, Flick waited until Elijah and Leo were far enough away before leaving them again to continue their life without her. At least, for the time being.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Minders is my eighth novel and probably the most challenging book I’ve written to date. Our son was born two months prematurely during the writing of the first draft, weighing, at his lowest point, just 2 pounds, 7 ounces. He was hospitalised for the first month of his life as all our efforts went into caring for him and helping him to thrive. And that meant a delay in this book’s completion. I couldn’t have finished it without the help, support, and (at times) tough love of my husband, John Russell, and our awesome little boy. My biggest thank-yous of all, however, go to Beccy Bousfield and the Neonatal Unit team at the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax. Without you, we might not have a determined little lad who makes us laugh every day and is already eating us out of house and home.
It’s the end of an era for my wonderful editor Gillian Green and me, now that she has moved on to pastures new. It’s been a blast working with her so closely on The Passengers and now this. I’d also like to offer my gratitude to my new team at Cornerstone, especially Ben Brusey and Sam Bradbury.
Thanks to those who helped with the creation of this book, including the brilliant neuroscientist Dr. Cindy Schroeder, PhD; Kath Middleton; David Kerrigan; and Karen Kemerson. Gratitude to my early readers, Rosemary “Mother” Wallace (thanks for letting me borrow your name), Carole Watson, and Mark Fearn. As always, thank you to my fellow writers Louise Beech, Darren O’Sullivan, and Claire Allan for your ongoing support and for keeping me constantly amused.
As is always the case, I am indebted to book clubs around the world, both online and in person, who invest time in reading my stuff. Thanks to Tracy Fenton from THE Book Club, Wendy Clarke and the Fiction Café Book Club, the Rick O’Shea Book Club, and Lost in a Good Book. Thanks to the countless blogs and podcasters who have supported me over the years—you are unsung heroes.
Thanks also go to my mum, Pamela, for your constant support, and my friends Rhian and Richard Molloy. I hope this book continues to offer you more piffle for your pound.
Photo © Robert Gershinson
Until recently, John Marrs worked for twenty-five years as a freelance journalist based in London, England, where he interviewed celebrities from the worlds of television, film, and music for national newspapers and magazines. He has written for publications including the Guardian Guide and theguardian.com, Total Film, the Huffington Post, Empire, Q, GT, the Independent, S Magazine, and Company. He is the author of When You Disappeared, Welcome to Wherever You Are, The Good Samaritan, Her Last Move, The Passengers, What Lies Between Us, and The One, basis for the Netflix original series.
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