Aidan, I know YA books about crime and romance are far from your usual interest in hard-hitting sports biographies of random people I’ve never heard of, but I really appreciate you embracing these books and for investing in the characters. It makes me happy to know they are now all committed to your (disconcertingly) infallible memory. I know you’re a hotshot solicitor now, but you’ll always be a sweet kid to me. Steph, when you turned upside down and balanced on your head to convey the word ‘bat’, you taught me the true value of Extreme Charades. Wherever you are in the world, and whatever new thing you are accomplishing, you always make me immeasurably proud. Thanks for ‘Lego-head’! And thanks in advance for the castle you’re going to design for me. Please consider this a binding contract. Katie O’B and Becca, thank you both for being so supportive and excited from the very beginning of this whole process, for spreading the love and for being a part of every step. Aoife, I love the scope and excitement levels of our chats – dragons, fantasy, films, imagined lands and general mutual fan-girling. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you and your immense talent. Louise, I know our livers are mortal enemies, but you are the most wonderful friend. I can’t wait to retire to our castle together, where we will live reclusively and obnoxiously.
To Sam and Mims, thank you for the mad (and very tasteful) adventures. From discovering dinosaur tracks and the world’s largest pecan, to hot-air balloon rides, remote cabins and Friendsville, there’s no two people I’d rather get trapped in an elevator in the middle of the night in Nashville with than you. I’ll always treasure our bond, and those eighty-six elk that joined us on our travels.
Sinead, thank you for helping me shape this book, for really understanding the characters and for discussing their journeys at length with me. There’s really no better combination than Nutella waffles and murder-chat! Thanks for letting me pick your brain. Over and over and over again. Long may it continue.
I would write a book-length of acknowledgements if I could. Thank you to all of my friends, and friends of friends, and friends of family, here and abroad, who have supported this series since it came out, sent pictures, updates, reactions and messages of goodwill. I am so sincerely fortunate to have you all in my life. And to my family, my amazing aunts and uncles and cousins (and second cousins and third cousins), you really are some of the best and coolest people I know, and I feel very proud (and very smug) to be able to say I am related to such an incredible group of people.
When I was at Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill, I was incredibly fortunate to have two brilliant English teachers. Thank you to Miriam Maher and Geoff Drea, for showing me how to embrace the power of stories, and the importance of creativity. I didn’t know how lucky I was to have you as my teachers when I was at school, but I know now, and I thank my lucky stars for it.
Gerry Morrissey, fire fighter extraordinaire, esteemed Hazelwood resident and owner of the cutest dogs I’ve ever seen, thank you, firstly, for selflessly devoting your time to such a brave and important profession, and secondly, for talking me through the intricacies and details of fires, and not tiring of my many many many questions.
Finally, to the bloggers, booksellers and readers who embraced Vendetta, here at home and abroad, I owe you all an ever-growing debt of gratitude. Thank you for shouting about it online and offline, for spreading the love and keeping it alive during the wait for Inferno, and for all that you do for the love of reading and the general awesomeness of books. I love being part of such a wonderful, passionate culture.
Page 1: Lola Ridge from the poem ‘Secrets’ from Sun-Up and Other Poems (Kessinger Publishing, 2004)
The publisher has made reasonable effort to contact the copyright-holders for permission, and apologizes for any errors or omissions, which will be rectified at the earliest opportunity.
TRY ANOTHER GREAT BOOK FROM CHICKEN HOUSE
DARKMERE by HELEN MASLIN
Outsider Kate has a crush on the coolest boy in school, Leo. He’s inherited a castle, a menacing ruin on the rugged English coast. When he invites her along for the summer, she finally feels part of the gang.
But Darkmere’s empty halls are haunted by dark ghosts. Two centuries ago, Elinor – the young wife of the castle’s brooding master – uncovered a dreadful truth.
As past and present entwine, Kate and Elinor find themselves fighting for their lives – and for the ones they love.
‘A contemporary take on the gothic … I romped through it.’
FIONA NOBLE, THE BOOKSELLER
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-910002-34-6, £7.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-910002-75-9, £7.99
TRY ANOTHER GREAT BOOK FROM CHICKEN HOUSE
FIRE & FLOOD by VICTORIA SCOTT
Tella’s brother is dying. He’s got cancer and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thought.
When an invitation arrives for Tella to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through a treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn’t think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness. But Tella will be facing more than just the elements …
‘If you love The Hunger Games then this will be right up your street … [a] great read.’
THE BOOKSELLER
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-909489-62-2, £6.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-909489-63-9, £6.99
ALSO AVAILABLE:
SALT & STONE
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-910002-06-3, £6.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-910002-07-0, £6.99
Text © Catherine Doyle 2016
First paperback edition published in Great Britain in 2016
This electronic edition published in 2016
Chicken House
2 Palmer Street
Frome, Somerset BA11 1DS
United Kingdom
www.doublecluck.com
Catherine Doyle has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical or otherwise, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express prior written permission of the publisher.
Produced in the UK by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY
Cover and interior design by Helen Crawford-White
Cover photographs: girl © Aleshyn_Andrei/Shutterstock; boy © Stefano
Cavoretto/Shutterstock; key © Everything/Shutterstock
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data available.
PB ISBN 978-1-910655-23-8
eISBN 978-1-910655-34-4
Inferno (Blood for Blood #2) Page 31
