‘Son!’ I say, opening my arms. ‘It’s so good to see you.’
Acknowledgements
A massive thank you to the brilliant Harriet Bourton for giving me the opportunity to tell Erica’s story. Thank you to my wonderful editor, Bethan Jones. Writing a book is such a collaborative process, and Harriet and Bethan’s ideas and insight have been invaluable.
A huge thank you to my amazing agent, Caroline Hardman, and the brilliant team at Hardman & Swainson.
Thank you to the lovely Sam Carrington, Lydia Devadason, Caroline England, Carolyn Gillis, Claire Allen, Claire Reynolds, Louise Fiorentino, and Al Stokes for the friendship and support.
A big thank you to Steve Annand, Tom Earnshaw, Kath Sey, and Neil White for your advice. Any inaccuracies are my own.
Thank you to the fabulous journalists Aasma Day and Nicola Adam.
A big shout out to the bloggers for the time and energy you spend reading, reviewing and blogging.
To Janet Dyer and the lovely art class ladies: Kath, Amanda, Kate, Hazel, Glenys, Collette, Sheila – a big thank you (especially for the times I have brought my laptop instead of using a paint brush!).
Thank you to my readers – receiving your lovely messages really makes my day.
Finally, a massive thank you to my family – your support has been amazing (and you all deserve a medal!).
About the author
Elisabeth Carpenter lives in Preston with her family. She completed a BA in English Literature and Language with the Open University in 2011.
Elisabeth was awarded a Northern Writers’ New Fiction Award, and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 and 2016) and the MsLexia Women’s Novel Award (2015). She loves living in the north of England and sets most of her stories in the area. She currently works as a bookkeeper.
Also by Elisabeth Carpenter
11 Missed Calls
99 Red Balloons
What readers are saying about Elisabeth Carpenter’s gripping debut 99 Red Balloons…
‘An intense domestic thriller, twists and turns galore, and a host of family secrets. An absorbing read’ Paul Finch, bestselling author of Strangers
‘Libby Carpenter’s beautiful writing draws you in immediately… 99 Red Balloons is an intelligent, taut and compelling thriller that manages to pack a punch – and still throws you right at the end. It’s perfect – I loved every word’ Sam Carrington, bestselling author of Saving Sophie
‘I LOVED 99 Red Balloons. What a rollercoaster of a read! I swear, you could almost SEE the moment when everything clicked into place in my head! A brilliant, tense, pacy read’ Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Between Me and You
Copyright
First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Orion Books
Ebook first published in 2018 by Orion Books
Copyright © Elisabeth Carpenter 2018
The right of Elisabeth Carpenter to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978 1 4091 8148 4
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