Disorder (Sam Keddie thriller series Book 1) (30 page)

Acknowledgements

Disorder
was inspired by a trip I made with my dad to Syria in 2007. With its winding alleyways and ancient buildings, the Old City of Damascus seemed tailor-made for a thriller about hidden secrets. In those early days, I made contact with Professor Joshua Landis at the University of Oklahoma and Dr Eugene L. Rogan at the University of Oxford, both of whom were invaluable sources of information on Syria and the Middle East. But as the events of the Arab Spring took hold in increasingly destructive ways, it became obvious that it was completely inappropriate to base the story in Syria and so the action switched to Morocco. All I can add is that my memories of travelling in Syria were of a warm, friendly, courteous and hospitable people. It’s heartbreaking to witness their plight now.

   When the manuscript was still in its infancy, Nigel Magrane (my dad), Jan Coman, Stef Evans and Julie Lockwood read it and offered encouragement and criticism – both of which I needed badly. As the book matured, the editorial guidance of Jo Unwin and Robert Dinsdale was invaluable, as were the suggestions of Broo Doherty.

   I owe a huge debt of gratitude to The Writers’ Workshop and, in particular, Eve Seymour. A seasoned thriller writer herself (writing as E.V. Seymour), Eve wrote an incredibly insightful critique of the book, helping me move the manuscript forward in so many ways.

   Thanks also to copy-editor Steve Haines. He has an eagle eye for typos and grammatical howlers, and spotted a scandalous continuity issue at the ninth hour.

   Finally, I’m grateful to Dr Rob Daniels and paramedic Tony Thompson, who gave of their time and knowledge generously to help me out with matters medical and pharmaceutical. Any mistakes in those departments are entirely my own.

  
Disorder
’s route to publication wasn’t the smoothest. I thought I’d made it when Zoe King of The Blair Partnership decided to represent the book and pitch it out to publishers. But that route wasn’t to be and in 2014, I self-published.

   In 2015, the book was taken on by the mighty Fahrenheit Press. I am indebted to Chris McVeigh for his faith, enthusiasm and cojones, surely the biggest in publishing.

   I really hope you enjoyed reading
Disorder
. If you want to hear more about Sam Keddie and his next adventures – or me, for that matter – get in touch at
www.paddymagrane.com/books
. I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Paddy Magrane

November 2015

COPYRIGHT

This edition first published 2015 by Fahrenheit Press

www.Fahrenheit-Press.com

Copyright © Paddy Magrane 2015

The right of Paddy Magrane to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him 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, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

www.paddymagrane.com/books

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.