Thanks to all the readers who send me e-mails expressing how much they enjoy my acknowledgments. After eleven books, I’ve found this to be a place to not only say thank you, but to express how blessed and grateful I am for everyone in my life.
First and foremost, while I always get a kick out of reader e-mails and reviews telling me the towns in my books don’t exist—such as Cedar Grove in the North Cascades (My Sister’s Grave), let me say this up front. Stoneridge is a fictional town I created in Klickitat County. Yes, some readers may find some of the details of the town resemble White Salmon, a place I thoroughly enjoyed exploring for two days, but Stoneridge is not White Salmon. Why do I do this? Because it is never my intent to embarrass anyone or the town in which they live, and often readers write to ask me if the events in my novels are true—which is a good thing. Again, I write fiction. The events, like the towns and the characters that populate my novels, are fictional. The details pertaining to the White Salmon River, however, as discussed below, are true.
That being said, thank you to Maria Foley, executive director of the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce. When I arrived in White Salmon, I didn’t know where to start. Maria provided me with materials on the area, including its history, directed me to the local newspaper office and diner, and provided me with the names of several people who could help.
One of those people was Mark Zoller, of Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys, which runs guided white-water rafting trips. I stopped by the Zollers’ office during my visit to the area, but, it being winter, the office was closed. I subsequently reached Mark by phone and quickly realized he was indeed the man I needed. Mark grew up on rivers and was guiding rafting trips for his father’s business before he could drive. He possesses a wealth of information and provided me with all the cool details on river flow, temperatures, and the specifics of the White Salmon River, including where someone might dump a body and the path the body would take. Timing did not allow me to actually raft the river before my deadline, but I walked a good portion of it, and next summer I’m hoping to take my family.
Thanks also to my friend Jim Russi, a Rotarian in Yakima, for taking an afternoon to give me a tour of the Yakama Reservation and show me some of the beautiful towns there. We’d discussed a barbecue at the end of the day but had a beer instead, and time ran short and we each had to ask for a rain check. Shortly after my trip, Jim lost his beloved wife, Kris, unexpectedly to cancer. I was deeply saddened to hear this news. I will continue to honor Kris by using her inflatable boogie board, which Jim shipped to me. I’ll think of her every time I’m riding a wave. Note to self: make time for the next barbecue.
As always, the people acknowledged below are experts in their fields. I am not. Any mistakes or errors are mine, and mine alone.
I am grateful to Kathy Decker, former Search and Rescue coordinator for the King County Sheriff’s Office and well-known sign-cutter, otherwise known as a “man-tracker.” Detective Decker first helped me when I wrote Murder One, and I was overwhelmed at the response from readers interested in her skills. She again was gracious enough to offer her assistance to explain how a tracker can follow signs that most of us would never see. This time I made her task even more difficult, asking her how she would proceed to analyze a forty-year-old homicide, but she was up to the task. It is a fascinating science, and I hope I did it justice.
Thank you to Kathy Taylor, forensic anthropologist at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Kathy’s talents are in such demand that her schedule is hectic and we couldn’t coordinate a meeting this time, but I used a lot of her expertise from past interviews to help with the forensic aspects of a body pulled from a river.
Thank you to Adrienne McCoy, King County senior deputy prosecutor, who helped me with the nuances of probable cause hearings, charging papers, and how her office would likely proceed given the unusual murder scenario I present in this novel. I am grateful for her patience and expertise.
I’ve also been fortunate to meet many wonderful people in the police community who are always generous with their time and their knowledge. I have tremendous respect for people who choose law enforcement as a profession. It is often a thankless job under trying circumstances.
I flat out could not write these books without the assistance of Detective Jennifer Southworth, of the Seattle Police Department. Jennifer first helped me with Murder One when she was working for the CSI Unit. With her promotion to the Homicide Unit, she became the inspiration for Tracy Crosswhite in My Sister’s Grave. She helped with that novel, with Her Final Breath, and again with this novel. I am so very grateful.
I also could not write these novels without Detective Scott Tompkins, King County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit. Scott’s willingness to always help me by sharing his knowledge, or by putting me in touch with others who could provide information, has been invaluable. For this novel I literally sat down with Scott, gave him a scenario, and said, “Walk me through it.” He did, providing me cool details and suggestions along the way. Talk about patience. Scott and Jennifer are active helping the families of victims of crime through Victim Support Services, a worthy cause to which I donate signed novels. Consider it: http://victimsupportservices.org.
Thanks also to Kelly Rosa, legal services supervisor for the Most Dangerous Offender Project and the Violent Crimes Unit for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Oh, and also a lifelong friend. Kelly has helped me in just about every novel I’ve written, and she promotes them like crazy. I thought it time she take a new step in her career, so I made her a forensic anthropologist in My Sister’s Grave. I suspect she’ll be making more cameos in these books. Thanks, Kelly. You continue to be an incredible support.