To Sarah Shaw, Gabrielle Guarnero, and the rest of the Thomas & Mercer team. Your enthusiasm for the book makes working with you guys an experience better than I could’ve imagined. Thank you for being my advocate out in the marketplace.
To Jennifer Sawyer Fisher of JSF Editorial. You were my first editor before I even had an agent. You helped shape the story and cut away a lot of the fat so it read with the pace and suspense that would attract an agent and publishing house. It worked. I can’t thank you enough.
To David Prockter, for opening the door to Heavy Metal magazine for me, and to David Boxenbaum, for allowing me to walk in.
To Vincenza Corcoran, licensed clinical social worker and professor at Fordham University. You helped me see the perspective of a serial killer and were instrumental in the dialogue Liam had with Dr. Cain about why killers might do the things they do. The fact that Dr. Cain sounds like she knows what she’s talking about has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you. Thank you.
To Chief Inspector Christopher Calabrese, Westchester County Police. I’ve known you since I was a kid when you worked with my father, and you’ve always been willing to help. I appreciate the insight you gave around some of the police procedures I was struggling with. Police families are an extension of blood families, and you’ve always been a good example of that.
To Chris Iervolino, who helped me with the technical scenes surrounding computer hacking, rainbow tables, blunt force, and more. I still have no idea what any of it means and want to emphasize that if I misrepresented what these systems or techniques do, that’s not Chris’s fault. That’s all me. Thanks, buddy.
To Martin Farrell (a.k.a. Dad), sergeant, retired, Pleasantville Police Department. Thank you for putting up with the random calls at all hours of the day and night to pick your brain about what a police officer would do or say in certain situations. You’re always spot-on and have helped make the dialogue in the book stronger as a result. I also appreciate you hanging up right away before I lose my thought, ha ha. You’re the best.
To my mother, Mary. There isn’t enough space here or words to properly describe what a positive influence you’ve had on my writing. We all grew up in a house full of books, and that rubs off in so many fantastic ways. For me, it was writing, and your encouragement never wavered. You’d sit at a typewriter and type out stories I wrote by hand in the sixth and seventh grade, and you’d be my beta reader in the years to come as I honed my skills. You always pushed me forward and never once dismissed my dream as a fantasy. I love you.
To my family, Mandy, Mark, Michelle, Pedro, Marie, Angelo, Sabrina, Maria, Mark P., Ray, and all of my nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Thank you for your continued support and love. It means a lot.
And most importantly, to my wife, Cathy, to whom this book is dedicated, and my two daughters, Mackenzie and Jillian. Throughout the years there have been countless nights, endless weekends, and too many vacations where I was sitting alone in a room, writing stories without an agent, without a publisher, and with only a dream. Never once, not once, did you suggest I give it up and move on with my life. Not many people would tolerate my excuses of “I have to go write” when there was nothing to write for except hope. Your unwavering support and encouragement have made this long process an easier one to bear. I love you more than I can properly describe. My heart and my life are complete with you in them. I’m proud to be your husband and your father.
So that’s it. How’d I do? Good, I hope. The last thing I want to say is that any references to anything in the book that are not accurate are the fault of this writer and not the wonderful people who helped with their expertise. A final thank-you to all of my readers who took this journey with me into Philadelphia, Camden, Blackwood, and the surrounding areas. I hope you enjoyed the book and will be as eager to read the next one as I am to write it.
MF
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2017 Mima Photography
Matthew Farrell lives just outside of New York City in the Hudson Valley with his wife and two daughters. Follow him on Twitter @mfarrellwriter or like his page at Facebook.com/mfarrellwriter2 to get caught up on the progress of his next thriller along with his general musings.
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