The Weight of Blood

by D. B. Carew

  There’s a degree of stigma associated with having a mental health challenge independent of any involvement with the forensic system. Fortunately, there’s growing awareness and acceptance towards treating mental health challenges similar to physical health challenges, so we can hope that one day there will be no shame in reaching out for help when one is struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, just as there’s no shame in reaching out for help when one is struggling with physical health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. I hope readers perceive both the urgency and the hope running through this novel.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Writing this book, and the process of getting it published, was truly a labour of love. Labour, because it involved sustained hard work, and periods when I experienced highs and lows, along with times when, quite frankly, I questioned what I was doing and why I was doing it. Love, because even during those moments of self-doubt I believed there was a story worth telling, if only I could get it right. I hope I got it right. If I did, it’s due to the large team of supporters who helped me at various points along the way.

  I start with the great team at NeWest Press, including Leslie Vermeer for her outstanding editing, as well as the suggestion for the book title! I thank General Manager Matt Bowes for believing my early manuscript submissions showed promise and for maintaining interest in working with me. I thank Claire Kelly for her amazing work as production manager, helping me turn my dream into reality. Huge thanks also go out to Kate Hargreaves for her design work, Isabel Yang with her marketing expertise, and Christine Kohler for her office administrative wizardry.

  My sincere thanks and appreciation go out to Sam Wiebe and A.J. Devlin.

  I owe so much to my wonderful family, including my wife, Tanya, and our children, Lauren and Matthew. You mean the world to me, and I thank you for your unwavering support. I’ve lost count of how many early versions of the story my parents Barb and Alan Carew read, but I remember their encouragement every step of the way. I also want to acknowledge the support of my mother- and father-in-law, Donna and Rob Proctor.

  There are several other people I wish to thank, and while I’m sure I haven’t captured everyone here (and I apologize for anyone I may have accidentally overlooked), I’d like to acknowledge the following: Eugene Wang; LeeAnne Meldrum; Esko Kajander; Cheryl Freedman and Elaine Freedman; Sylvia Taylor; Jodi Renner; Andrew Pike; Kelly Hart; Bryna Dominguez; Christopher Robertson; Debra Purdy Kong; John Thistle; Lorri Mitchell; Wendy Carew Mayner; Gary Carew; Gary Wilson; Debbie and Robert Rideout; Cynthia Whelan; and Gordon Carew.

  D.B. CAREW is a crime fiction writer who was born in Newfoundland and Labrador. He now lives in Coquitlam, British Columbia, with his wife and their two children. Derrick has worked at the provincial forensic psychiatric hospital for more than twenty years, and his experience as a social worker serves as inspiration for his novels. His first book, The Killer Trail, was shortlisted in 2013 for the Crime Writers Association (CWA) Debut Dagger for unpublished manuscript and was published by NeWest Press in 2014. His website can be found at www.dbcarew.com.