The Devil's Evidence (42 page)

No book is ever written without help, and the following all deserve a touch of the hat brim and a nod, and probably medals for putting up with me:

Mum and Dad, for everything.

Rebecca and Adam, for the same everything as Mum and Dad.

Rob Bloom at Doubleday and Michael Rowley at Del Rey, for still taking a chance and for all the excellent editorial suggestions.

John Berlyne at the Zeno Agency, for still having faith and being a great agent.

Steve Marsh, for the friendship and the support and the music.

Andrew Worgan, for the friendship and support and the nights before the hangovers.

The owners of Duo Café in Sedbergh, where most of this book was written, deserve a particular mention for serving excellent coffee and never apparently minding my sitting in the corner, muttering to myself, groaning, and then typing in frenzied bursts.

During the writing of this book, two of my heroes died: Rik Mayall and Robin Williams. Both were huge influences on me as I grew up, and without them I'd see the world and relate to the things around me very differently. Although I never met either of them, their losses made me feel the lurch of unstable ground beneath my feet, and I miss both of them still. Whatever you've gone on to, gentlemen, travel safe.

Simon Kurt Unsworth was born in Manchester and lives in a farmhouse in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom. He is the author of
The Devil's Detective
and many short stories, including the collections
Lost Places,
Quiet Houses,
and
Strange Gateways
.