Publishing a novel requires a tremendous amount of luck, talent, and hard work; I’m lucky to have the most talented and hardest-working people in the business on my side. Alex Slater, literary agent extraordinaire, championed my manuscript from the beginning and made my dreams a reality. Pete Wolverton, my brilliant editor, challenged me every step of the way; this book is infinitely better for his tenacity and unerring vision. Jen Donovan not only kept this tram on the rails, she provided key insights and unlimited patience. Carol Edwards knocked the copyediting out of the park. The teams at both St. Martin’s Press and Trident Media Group went above and beyond the call of duty on my behalf.
No less integral are the poor souls who don’t get paid to deal with me: my wife, Danielle, who’s always believed in me; my kids, whose support and understanding mean the world to me; my mom, who read all of my early work, and yet still encouraged me; and my dad, whom I wish, more than anything, could be here now.
Special thanks to: Andi Rawson and Kim Yerina, my invaluable beta readers and friends; Jeff Strand, as gifted a novelist as you’ll find; Jennie Levesque, generous to a fault; Liza Fleissig; Don Koish, Shane Staley, and Paul Goblirsch; Leigh Haig; Matt Schwartz; Borderlands Boot Camp; Team TPMI; and to everyone else who’s contributed to my success on a personal level: You know who you are and how much you mean to me.
I offer my eternal respect and thanks to David Bell, Steve Berry, Lee Child, Richard Chizmar, Douglas Clegg, John Connolly, Mark Greaney, Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, Michael Koryta, Jonathan Maberry, Jim Marrs, Thomas F. Monteleone, David Morrell, Douglas Preston, Matthew Reilly, James Rollins, Michael Marshall Smith, A. J. Tata, Thomas Tessier, and F. Paul Wilson for the inspiration and kind words along the way.
My undying gratitude to all booksellers and librarians, who keep the torch of literacy burning.
And, most important, to all of you, my readers, without whom this book wouldn’t exist.