The Drowning

by Camilla Lackberg

  Thanks also to the police officers at the Tanumshede station – none named, but none forgotten. You do a magnificent job, and you’ve been so incredibly patient in allowing me – and the TV crew – to take up residence at your police station. Jonas Lindgren at the Forensics Lab in Göteborg: thanks for always being willing to correct my forensics mistakes.

  I also want to mention my amazing friends who have patiently stood by me, even though there are long periods when I don’t communicate very much. Thanks to my former mother-in-law, Mona, whom I have bribed to continue supplying the world’s best meatballs – and in return she’s allowed to read the manuscript as soon as it’s done. I also want to send a big thank you to the children’s father, Micke! Because you’re always so understanding and nice. And to the children’s paternal grandfather, Hasse Eriksson. I don’t know how to explain how important you are. You were taken from us much too soon and too quickly this year, but the world’s best grandfather can’t just disappear. You will live on in your children and grandchildren, and in our memory. And yes, I do know how to cook …

  My thanks to Sandra, who has been the children’s babysitter for two years now. She is the world’s best babysitter, bar none. She even asks if she can come by and play with the children if we haven’t needed her services for a while. She really cares, and for that I’m eternally grateful.

  Thanks also to all of my faithful blog readers. And to my women author friends, especially Denise Rudberg, who is always willing to listen and who is the smartest and most loyal person I know.

  Last but not least: Caroline and Johan Engvall, who are undoubtedly the nicest people in the world and who helped me out in Thailand when my computer crashed while I was writing the last chapter of The Drowning. I’m so very fond of both of you. And Maj-Britt and Ulf – you are incredible, always offering support when I need it most.

  Camilla Läckberg

  Copenhagen, 4 March 2008

  www.CamillaLackberg.com

  Other Books by Camilla Lackberg

  The Ice Princess

  The Preacher

  The Stonecutter

  The Stranger

  The Hidden Child

  Copyright

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  HarperCollinsPublishers

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  Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2012

  Copyright © Camilla Lackberg 2008

  Published by agreement with Nordin Agency, Sweden

  Translation copyright © Tiina Nunnally 2011

  First published in Swedish as Sjöjungfrun

  Camilla Lackberg asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  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 e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub Edition © MARCH 2012 ISBN: 9780007419524

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