Acknowledgments

Although Port Alene is a fictional place, it was largely inspired by Port Aransas, Texas, which is our family’s favorite vacation spot. Port Aransas is much more of a family town than its imaginary counterpart, and this special place has recently endured the wrath of Hurricane Harvey. While it has been devastated by this storm, I have no doubt that the wonderful people of Port Aransas will rebuild their homes and it will soon return to being one of our state’s most loved holiday destinations. One special place, the William R. Bill Ellis Public Library, experienced substantial loss. So if you are a library lover in search of a good cause, please consider supporting this jewel of a community library.

A special thank-you to the Port Aransas Police Department and to the many local businesses that answered questions and allowed me a glimpse into their daily lives.

Writing is often a solitary pursuit, but by no means was I alone while writing this book. I’m so thankful to have had the support of my fellow Austin Mystery Writers members—Elizabeth Buhmann, Valerie Chandler, Kaye George, Scott Montgomery, Manfred Reimann, and Kathy Waller—as this book evolved from characters in my head to a finished novel. I’m fortunate to be among a group of such supportive and talented people.

I would like to extend a special thanks to Gretchen Archer and Wendy Tyson, who, in addition to being extremely talented and successful authors, are also wonderful friends. Thanks for helping me get through the bumps in the road.

And finally, a very special thanks to my family, who have supported me while I have juggled writing projects with work, family, and community commitments. David, Rachel, Ryan, and William—you are my world. To my mom and John David, thank you for your support and your faith. And to Henry and Marian—well, everyone should be so lucky to have such fantastic in-laws.