Pine

by Francine Toon

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Writing a book with a full-time job was always going to take a while. Over the past four years, I have been grateful to many people who have helped me through the process.

  A big thank-you to my fantastic agent Emma Paterson for her wisdom, belief and shared taste for the macabre. Special thanks to Aitken Alexander.

  Many thanks also to my insightful editor Fiona Murphy for her warmth, understanding and shared love of forests. A big thanks to my amazing publicist Alison Barrow, the lovely Antonia Whitton, the eagle-eyed Sophie Wilson, Richenda Todd, Beci Kelly, Fíodhna Ni Ghríofa, Orla King and the rest of the team at Doubleday, who have buoyed me with their enthusiasm.

  Thank you to my own lovely authors and colleagues at Sceptre for your support. I feel very lucky.

  Thank you to Glynn Powell, from the Scottish Parliament Police Unit, for his insight into a typical missing person’s case. All inaccuracies are squarely my own.

  Huge thanks to Lorna and Graham, for letting me stay with them in Sutherland on Halloween, when I had an inkling of an idea for this novel (even though I was keeping it secret!). Thank you to Alice for putting my questions to the residents of Inverness. I will always remember our hut-building and pebble competitions at Newton Point. Even though all the characters are self-consciously fictional, the novel wouldn’t be the same without the best neighbours we could have asked for, the Sawyers and the Richardsons, and our walks around the Loop in Clashmore Wood.

  Thanks to Karl Smith for the conversation that started me on the path to writing this book, and to Dominic Esler for suggesting it take a supernatural turn.

  A big thank-you to May-Lan Tan for her own Laurens and telling me where to end this novel. Her reading meant the world.

  Love to my personal coven – Kate Loftus O’Brien, Cecily Davey, Livia Franchini and G Bowie – for their endless support and witchiness. Kate and Cecily’s words have kept me going at difficult times. Thank you to Audry Bowie for her Caithness knowledge of whin bushes.

  I was lucky to have two incredible friends who read multiple drafts from the beginning: Nick Cole-Hamilton and Christiana Spens. Their time, humour and kindness has been invaluable to me. Thank you.

  Love to my wonderful parents, Annie and Steve, who decided to move to the Highlands when I was nine years old. Thank you for giving me some magical experiences. Their reading and continued support has meant everything to me.

  Thank you to my amazing sister Charlotte, with all her positive energy. I’m so lucky to have her in my life.

  Last, to Yassine, whom I can’t thank enough for navigating this journey with me, always having time to chat at any hour of day or night, cooking for me, putting up with my strange routines and questions, taking me off to a cottage on the west coast to finish the first draft and being there for me in every other way possible. I’m dedicating this book to you because it wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Lots of love.

  TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS

  61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA

  penguin.co.uk

  Transworld is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

  First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Doubleday

  an imprint of Transworld Publishers

  Copyright © Francine Toon 2020

  Cover design by Beci Kelly/TW

  Cover image © Getty Images

  Francine Toon has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Lyrics on p.vii from ‘every river’ written by calum MacDonald

  Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.

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

  ISBN 9781473569232

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

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