The Frozen Shroud (27 page)

Ravenbank – fortunately, given its homicide per capita rate – does not exist, but I much enjoyed my visits to Ullswater while researching this book. As usual, I’ve made some changes to the topography of the Lakes in order to avoid confusion between fact and my fictional world. In particular, the characters who appear are imaginary and not intended to have any resemblance to any living persons. Most of the organisations mentioned are also invented, with a few obvious exceptions. My description of Cumbria Constabulary, and the people who work for it, is intended as a portrayal of an imagined version of the real thing: Hannah and her colleagues do not represent real-life equivalents, and whilst I touch on one or two issues that impact on all police forces today – notably the need to contain costs – I have not based events in the story on anything of which I’m aware in the real, as opposed to make-believe, Cumbria Constabulary. Happily, the Theatre
by the Lake, Keswick Museum, and the Armitt Library and Museum all exist in the real world, and a good thing too – I strongly recommend all of them to anyone visiting the area.

Once again, I’ve been lucky enough to receive plentiful and generous help in writing this book. Roger Forsdyke and Ian Pepper, as so often before, kindly provided me with much information about the work of police officers and forensic scientists, which I adapted for the purposes of fiction. Rachel Laurence, of Hunt and Laurence (www.huntlaurence.co.uk), and a sometime crime fiction reviewer, supplied fascinating insights into the life of an actor in a two-person company.

In the Lake District, David Ward, of Theatre by the Lake, again gave valuable encouragement. Nigel Harling of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team not only provided me with an insight into how the rescue of Oz Knight would be organised, but was also good enough to read and comment on the draft scenes; here, as ever, the needs of fiction must prevail, but such input does help me in my quest to achieve that indefinable touch of authenticity. Charlotte Stead, the curator of Keswick Museum, gave me a personal tour behind the scenes, and patiently answered many questions. Not long after, the museum closed for its refurbishment, and I look forward to a return visit to this marvellous place when it reopens. Judy Burg’s short but excellent article on the work of an archivist in the Autumn 2012 issue of
The Author
informed my account of Daniel’s researches, and Kerrie Smith and Bernadette Bean from Australia gave me some clues to Shenagh’s early life. I’d also like to thank my agent, Mandy Little, and my publishers for their continuing support – as well, of course, as my readers, whose messages of goodwill and enthusiasm for this series of novels mean so much to me.

M
ARTIN
E
DWARDS
was born in Cheshire. He read law at Oxford and then trained as a solicitor. He is married with two children, and is currently a partner at Weightmans LLP, a leading national law firm. He writes the hugely popular crime series set in the Lake District, featuring
The Coffin
Trail
, which saw him shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year Award. He is also a critic and has edited various short story collections.

www.martinedwardsbooks.com

L
AKE
D
ISTRICT
M
YSTERIES

The Coffin Trail

The Cipher Garden

The Arsenic Labyrinth

The Serpent Pool

The Hanging Wood

The Frozen Shroud

H
ARRY
D
EVLIN
N
OVELS

Waterloo Sunset

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