This book started as a screenplay, evolved into an experiment in narrative voice, and finally became what you have here—a sort of a love letter to the genre of film noir and the hardboiled crime novels of days gone by. I hope you have even half as much fun reading it as I had writing it. Writing a novel is often a hard slog; this one rarely was.
As is always the case, there are people who deserve a lot of credit for numerous things that made the book possible, from giving me feedback to just keeping me going as a writer, and as a human being.
Many thanks to the members of the Gainesville Fiction Writers group who offered some excellent critiques that really improved the book—Lina Langley, Matthew Schramm, Heysel Marte, and Elsa Peterson. Thanks also to the excellent crime writer and all-around good guy, Bret R. Wright, for his expert opinion. A million thanks to Marie Whittaker (who you may know as Amity Green) for finding this book a home, and to everyone at WordFire Press. Thanks for years of support and friendship to Christy Shorey and Morgen Leigh, two unreasonably talented writers who have given me so many invaluable insights into any manner of subjects. Thanks also to the many awesome members of Fiction Foundry and the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group, as well as to the members of the BHS Speech and Debate team for making me care so much about my day job.
Finally, of course, thanks to my wonderful parents, in particular my mother for raising me as a fan of the great old movies that inspired this book.