Close Case (33 page)

To my delight, I have been fortunate enough now to have written three novels about Samantha Kincaid, the police officers she works with, and the cases she prosecutes in my favorite city, Portland, Oregon. I could fill another book trying to express my gratitude to those to whom it is owed, but I’ll use this one small publishable page instead.

Thank you to the many wonderful, diverse, hospitable bookstore folks who have hosted me for readings and helped personally move the books from boxes to shelves to curious fingers that turn pages. Thank you to those who have welcomed me as a friend along the way, even if our meetings were through your web browser. Most important, thank you—whoever
you
are—for reading this. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I have been given to write fiction, and I know it comes directly from readers.

As always, I thank my tireless agent, Philip Spitzer, and the incredible team at Henry Holt: John Sterling, Jennifer Barth, Maggie Richards, Annsley Rosner, Sam Douglas, Donna Holstein, and Richard Rhorer. Thank you, Jane Wood, Gaby Young, and company at Orion Books, and Matthew Shear, Marc Resnick, and Jennifer Enderlin at St. Martin’s Press for taking Samantha overseas and to paperback. I am also thankful to my students and colleagues at Hofstra Law School.

Thank you, Danielle Holley and Maggie Griffin. Any remaining typos are entirely your fault.

Finally, thank you, Sean Simpson. You’re the best.