John Lescroart - Damage

All of that said, an area where I did need some technical insight was the question of how a person goes, and stays, missing. For assistance in this matter, I’d like to thank Private Investigator Marcel Myres of Submar Investigations.

Of course, just because I didn’t need too much technical help with this book doesn’t mean that a host of friends and relatives didn’t contribute to making the writing experience more fruitful and pleasant. This list includes: my siblings, Michael, Emmett, Lorraine, and Kathy; Don Matheson; Frank Seidl; Max Byrd; Tom Hedtke; Bob Zaro; Facebook Guru Aryn DeSantis; Web Master Maddee James; and Andy Jalakas. Day to day, my assistant, Anita Boone, makes things go smoothly and happily along in my workplace-I couldn’t write these books without her invaluable, cheerful, and continuing assistance because I would spend all my time gnashing my teeth over logistical details and office records and housekeeping that Anita masters without breaking a sweat. My daughter, Justine, and my son, Jack, also continue to inform my plots, themes, and life with cool ideas and unexpected perspectives.

I’m most grateful for the help of my personal proofreader/ editors: Karen Hlavacek, Peggy Nauts, and Doug Kelly.

Several people have generously contributed to charitable organizations by purchasing the right to name a character in this book. These people and their respective organizations are: Ritz Naygrow, Stacey Leung-Crawford, and Leland M. Crawford (The Sacramento Library Foundation); Vincent J. Abbatiello (Brenda Novak’s Annual Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research); Trisha Stanionis (Yolo Family Service Agency); Gladys Mueller (Notre Dame de Namur University); and Mike and Tina Moylan (University of California, Davis).

A book’s very life ultimately depends upon its publisher, and I remain extremely fortunate and proud to be a member of the Dutton family-an incredibly intelligent, dedicated, hardworking, efficient team that also manages to be filled with people who know how to have fun while being creative and talented. Specifically, I’d like to thank publisher Brian Tart, the marketing team of Christine Ball and Carrie Swetonic, Melissa Miller, Jessica Horvath, Susan Schwartz, Rachael Hicks, Signet/NAL paperback publisher Kara Welsh, Phil Budnick, Rick Pascocello, and the brilliant cover designer Rich Hasselberger.

Finally, I very much like to hear from my readers, and invite all of you to please visit me at my Web site, www.johnlescroart.com, with comments, questions, or interests. Also, if you are on Facebook, please join me (and become a fan) there.

John Lescroart is The New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one previous novels, including Treasure Hunt , A Plague of Secrets , Betrayal , The Suspect , The Hunt Club , The Motive , The Second Chair , The First Law , The Oath , The Hearing , and Nothing But the Truth . He lives in northern California.