is the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.
Many of the techniques outlined in the story are standard operating procedures for these folks, even if I give them a different rubric. And by using these methods, a major untruth can be established so quickly and overwhelmingly across the world that no digging by anyone after the fact can make a dent in the public consciousness that it actually isn’t true at all.
And that’s precisely what makes it so dangerous.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Michelle, your early comments really paid off with this one. Without them I might have lost the readers at the first chapter.
To Mitch Hoffman, great editing job. Your advice and gentle prodding really helped the book realize its potential.
To Aaron Priest, Lucy Childs, Lisa Erbach Vance, and Nicole Kenealy, for allowing me to focus on the books.
To David Young, Jamie Raab, Emi Battaglia, Tom Maciag, Jennifer Romanello, Martha Otis, and all the folks at Grand Central Publishing, for helping to turbocharge my career.
To David North, Maria Rejt, and Katie James at Pan Macmillan. David, you’re a true visionary but, better still, a helluva guy to drink a pint with. Maria, your comments were rock solid as usual. Katie, I hope I did your name justice. Guys, it was cool to finally place a thriller across the pond.
To Steven Maat at Bruna, thanks for a great tour and for helping me polish the Dutch points.
To Stefan Lubbe, Helmut Pesch, and Barbara Fischer at Lubbe. Stefan, thanks for being a book lover and a publisher who really understands both the business and writers. Helmut, thanks for the German insights and careful critique. Barbara, a long overdue thank you for all you’ve done for me over the years and for the use of your last name for a fabulous character.
To Luigi Bernado, for your help on the Italian piece.
To the Richter Family, for the use of your names.
To Eliane Benisti, for the use of your name. I made you president of France! I hope you wanted the job.
To Leona Jennings, finally – finally – you made it in. It only took fifteen books, but I hope it was worth the wait.
To Bob Castillo and Roland Ottewell, for superb copyediting.
To Grace McQuade and Lynn Goldberg, for really getting my name out there.
To Deborah and Lynette, for somehow keeping me straight.
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