I would like to thank the following people for aiding and abetting Past Crimes:
My editor at William Morrow is Lyssa Keusch and at Faber and Faber it is Angus Cargill. Their perceptive insights have added spirit and depth to the book, and I am very grateful for their hard work and enthusiasm at every stage. The teams at each house have been as welcoming and focused as any new author could hope. Caspian Dennis of the Abner Stein Agency in London boldly represented the work on new shores. I also owe thanks to the sharp eyes of copy editors Maureen Sugden and Sarah Daniels, who removed the weeds from the garden.
This is a work of fiction. I have taken the occasional liberty with organizational structures, jurisdictions, geography, and anything else useful to help the story along. That said, I have aimed for accuracy wherever possible, and I am deeply indebted to the professionals who have lent their hard-won knowledge to the work. From the veterans of the United States Army, those are Chris Cooperider, 18E, Christian Hockman, Bco 1/75 Ranger Regiment, and Matt Holmes, 82nd Airborne, 1st Brigade combat team. From law enforcement, they include Officer John Skommesa from Seattle’s East Precinct, and Sergeant Ed Striedinger of the Major Crime Task Force. In each case, the cool stuff is theirs, and any mistakes are mine.
To my parents, Peter and Karen, thank you for raising me to believe that everything could be within reach, if eyes, mind, and heart all remain open. And to my wife and daughter: endlessly supportive, fiercely protective. I love you.
For mystery author and teacher extraordinaire Jerrilyn Farmer, and the rest of the Saturday Morning Gang, I value your opinions and friendship immensely, and I am honored to work with you.
I would also like to acknowledge International Thriller Writers. It was at their annual ThrillerFest conference where I first met my agent, as well a host of brilliant writers ranging from newcomers to the downright famous. All of them were friendly and generous with their advice at a time when it was most valuable.
My agent is Lisa Erbach Vance, at the Aaron Priest Literary Agency. She was the first in the publishing world to believe in this book, and by extension me, and support us both with her time, tremendous energy, and incomparable savvy. For an untested writer, that kind of validation goes beyond words. Thank you, Lisa.
And finally, my sincere thanks to you, the reader. At the end of the day, it is for you that this book exists.