ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’m grateful as always to my agent, Stacia Decker, for her support and encouragement. And to Neil Nyren, Alexis Sattler, Katie Grinch, and everyone at Putnam. It’s a privilege to work with such a wonderful team, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together. (A special thanks to the copy editors and production staff who are perennially saving me from making a fool of myself. Heroes, every one of you.)

There are many, many booksellers who’ve championed my stuff, and I’d like to single out a few of them: McKenna Jordan, John Kwiatkowski, and Sally Woods at Murder By The Book in Houston, Texas; Lynn Riehl at Nicola’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Barbara Peters and Patrick Millikin and everyone at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Arizona; Fran, Adele, and JB at Seattle Mystery Books; Anne Saller at Book Carnival in Orange, California; Maryelizabeth Hart at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, California; Walter Sinclair and Jill Sanagan at Dead Write Books in Vancouver, British Columbia; and, with all my heart, Pat Frovarp and the late Gary Shulze at Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thanks to you all.

Thanks also to Becky Stewart and Tim Hedges; you make the road just a little less lonely.

Thanks to Alexis Tanner, Kristi Belcamino, Lynn Cronquist, Alex Kent, the Malmons (Dan and Kate), the DoJos (Aaron, Mellissa, Felicity, and Vera), the Parents (Jason, Angele, Josh, Ben, Al, and Denise), the Thompsons (B.J., Vicki, Owen, Jake, and Ava), Jesse Cope, Brianna Coughlin, Timothy O’Brien and Jennifer Hogan, Jon McGoran, Jon Stern, Steve Shadow, Keith Rawson, Michele Lewis, Michelle Isler, Dayne Cody, Arthur Crowson and Megan Elias, Brandon Colby Cook, Robert Johnstone, the Beetner family (Eric, Marie, Molly, and Gracie), Sarah Husmann, Sarah White, Bill Gordon, Bill Bride, Kyle Shipps, Robin Spano and Keith Whybrow, Steve Weddle, Court Harrington, Chris La Tray, Dietrich Kalteis, Alma Lee, Lonnie Propas, Cathy Ace, Tricia Barker, Wayne Arthurson, Peggy Blair, “Diamond” Phill Gribben, and Tara Imlay.

And thanks to my partner, Shannon Kyla, and to my family—Andrew, Terry, Mom, Dad, Phil, and Laura. You make everything possible, and you make it all worthwhile.