When a writer has been fortunate enough to have established a successful series, as I have with Dismas Hardy and his universe, the idea of that writer creating a stand-alone novel outside of that series is not particularly calculated to warm the heart of his agent. So it was with more than a soupçon of trepidation that I proposed the idea of this book to my agent, Barney Karpfinger. I needn’t have worried. As he has been for the past twenty years, he was the soul of enthusiasm and cooperation. Barney remains the rock of my career, and a great cheerleader for this book at every step of the process. It truly would never have been written without his input and support. Thank you, sir. You are the best.
Last year I met a fellow writer, Rob Leininger, via email. We began a near-daily correspondence during the writing of this book that was a great source of motivation and connection in this often-lonely business. I also wound up reading more of Rob’s books than any other author’s last year—Gumshoe, Killing Suki Flood, Richter Ten, Sunspot, and Gumshoe for Two. I recommend every one of them. He is a talented writer who deserves wide recognition.
As is the case with most of my books, this one needed a medical consult or two. For the umpteenth time I called on my friend Dr. John Chuck, who in turn introduced me to Lisa Loker, LCSW, manager of the Eating Disorder Program at Kaiser Permanente, Sacramento. Thanks to both of you for your time and expertise. Also on the medical front, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Dr. Amit Banerjee of Kaiser Permanente Vacaville, whose surgery on my back midway through the writing of this book alleviated some pretty impressive chronic pain that threatened my peace and productivity. Finally, my brother-in-law, Mark Detzer, PhD, was again helpful in clarifying some important psychological issues that arose as the story progressed. By the way, and perhaps needless to say, any medical (or other) errors that survived into the final manuscript are the fault of the author alone.
On a day-to-day basis, my assistant, Anita Boone, continues to work her organizational magic keeping the decks clear for my daily pages. Without her unbelievable competence, cheerful personality, and remarkable efficiency, I would be hard-pressed to find the time needed to devote to writing these books.
It is a lucky man who finds himself surrounded by friends, and I have been extremely fortunate to count myself among those so blessed. So here’s to all the “usual suspects”—you know who you are.
As long as we can keep from killing each other over differences of opinion about various plot points, legal and otherwise, in my books, Alfred F. Giannini, Esq., is and will remain the quintessential technical consultant, as he has been for this and all of my other novels. There is no way to overstate Al’s contributions to my work over the years, and I hope it goes on forever.
Generous contributors to charitable organizations have purchased the right to name characters in this book. These people and their respective organizations are: Michelle Griffin (SFCASA); Nancy Casey Muller (Yolo County CASA); and Kathy Pelz (Napa County Library Literacy Center/Charitybuzz.com).
Taking great care of the entire social media package, including my web page (www.johnlescroart.com), blog, Facebook, Twitter (www.twitter.com/johnlescroart), is the inimitable Dr. Andy Jones (Poet Laureate of the City of Davis, California). I’d also like to thank Doug Kelly and Peggy Nauts, who have been editing my books for the past decade—thank you both for your keen eyes and sensibilities.
I am extraordinarily proud to be published by Atria Books, and I’d like to thank my publisher, Judith Curr, and my editor, Peter Borland, for giving me the opportunity to work with one of the best imprints in the world. Thanks also to Janice Fryer, Wendy Sheanin, Colin Shields, and to the efforts of the publicity and marketing departments at Atria, especially the indefatigable David Brown.
Finally, I truly love to be in contact with my readers, and I invite one and all to stop by any of the sites mentioned above and get in touch with me. I look forward to hearing from you. And thanks for buying my books!