John Lescroart - The Second Chair

For their continued support, I would also like to extend thanks to Barbara Peters, Ed Kaufman, Shelly MacArthur, Otto Penzler, Michael Koller, Michael Bufano, Pat Hernandez, Martha Farrington, Eric Lamboley and Debbie Stowell, Susan Honn, Jennifer Held, Ruthie Wittenberg, John Carney, Rachel Ray, Megan Cannon, Bill Lloyd, Pat Boyers, Darby Greek, Cynthia Nye, Antoinette Kuritz, Connie Martinson; and Kat Kinzer.

Several characters in this book owe their names (although no physical or personality traits, which are all fictional) to individuals whose contributions to various charities have been especially generous. These people and their respective charities include Judge W. Arvid Johnson (CASA), Lou and Pat Belou (Davis Rotary), Lanny Ropke (Woodland Christian School) and Dr. and Mrs. James Longoria (Sutter Health Foundation). Additionally, I'd like to thank Chris Stephani's brother Allan Boscacci both for the use of his name and for his great AB & I Foundry cast-iron frying pan.

For important personal reasons, I'd like to thank Scott, Brenda and Mary Lou at the Cincinnatian Hotel for a memorable celebratory meal; Don Matheson, who belongs in every book on general principle but somehow didn't get in the last one; David Nieves for some key Spanish words; Max Byrd; Peter S. (for Sapphire) Dietrich, MD, MPH; Bill Wood; Richard Herman; Tom Hedtke; Tom Steinstra; my fantastic daughter Justine Rose; Richard Montgomery; Antonio Castillo de la Gala; and Mark and Kathryn Lescroart Detzer.

My assistant Anita Boone is simply an outstanding human being, and the work she does makes my own workdays more a pleasure than they have any right to be. My agent and friend Barney Karpfinger is an unending source of brains, humor and goodwill- he is the absolute best at what he does, bar none, and I remain extremely grateful for our relationship.

JOHN LESCROART, the New York Times best-selling author of such novels as The Mercy Rule , The 13th Juror, Nothing but the Truth , and The Hearing, lives with his family in northern California.