When I first visualized bones on Mill Creek, I didn’t know why they were there. I held a contest through my mailing list. Andrew Heenan’s entry about a retired crime lord offered fun territory for me to explore, dovetailing neatly with Sin City history. Andrew was a pleasure to work with as I fleshed out details of my fictional Andrew, though I saved surprises I hope he will enjoy.
Many, many thanks to the folks who served (knowingly or not) as technical advisors for Swamp Monster:
Commodore Bruce Koehler and friends in the Mill Creek Yacht Club, along with Linda Keller of the Mill Creek Alliance, provided more material about their work than I could fit into the book. I can’t say enough about the amazing work they do to revitalize this important urban waterway and address regional watershed issues. The canoe trips are a delightful experience. If you have the chance, I urge you to take one (or several!).
Forensic anthropologist Breanne Lasorso answered bone questions, adding fascinating details to the story. Any errors are my own.
The Legacy Tours Gangster Tour provided the foundation for my gangster research.
Information about police procedures comes from multiple sources: Lee Lofland’s Writers’ Police Academy, which I have attended several times; Former law enforcement officers and fellow writers, Nick Russell (Big Lake mysteries) and Billy Kring (Hunter Kincaid); Cincinnati’s Citizen Police Academy; and more recently, two Facebook groups dedicated to helping writers, B. Adam Richardson’s Writers Detective Bureau and Patrick O’Donnell’s Cops and Writers. I’ve done my best with what I’ve learned. Any inaccuracies are no reflection on them.
Taylor Stevens (The Informationist and Liars’ Paradox) and editor Lee Burton are my craft gurus, and my Beta team keeps me on track.
As always, the inimitable Elizabeth Mackey is responsible for my graphic design.