Acknowledgments - Where the Truth Lies

This book exists because of Jon Karp, editor of all my novels. He requested, inspired, encouraged, cajoled, and shepherded all these preceding pages. He’s also a wonderful writer and a glorious librettist, which has made his championing of my work only more meaningful to me. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such a noble ally, but he owns deed and title to my lifelong (and clearly inexpressible) thanks.

My first New York Times bestseller—Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide, Volume One—was published by Avid Reader Press at Simon & Schuster. For that and for presenting this new edition of my first novel, I am profoundly grateful and indebted to Ben Loehnen, Jofie Ferrari-Adler, and all others at Avid, and my agent Jenn Joel at CAA, for their support and guidance.

I’m deeply grateful to Benjamin Dreyer, my production editor, and Bonnie Thompson, my copy editor, who were such adroit and clever accomplices in the creation of this novel. I also offer my deepest appreciation to Carolyn Kelly and Mollie Finnegan for the insight and guidance they have lent this new edition.

Before anyone sees or hears anything I create, it’s first auditioned, screened, sent back to the shop, cautioned, trimmed, aided, abetted, advised, and amended by my closest associate and beloved friend Teressa Esposito, whose memorable voice has been heard, both figuratively and literally, in virtually all of my work. I could not have written this book, nor much of anything else, without her. Thank you ever and always, Teressa.

Charles Dickens once said that he had in his heart of hearts a favorite child whose name was David Copperfield. I too have favorite children. Their names are Wendy, Nick, and Tim.

My daughter, Wendy, died at the age of ten. I miss her every day of my life, and the enduring memory of her goodness and grace has become what passes for my conscience. She was a beautiful, brilliant, gentle girl who was entitled to a memorable lifetime.

My younger son, Tim, carries the weight of autism with literally unspeakable courage. I long for the day when he can talk to me and tell me what he has been feeling all these years. Until then, I treasure his smiles, I hold him, I wait.

My older son, Nick, was born after Wendy died, and did nothing less than save his parents’ lives. He is deep-feeling, richly inventive, and his filmmaking reflects his warmth and wit. I’m incredibly lucky and proud to be his father.

This book is dedicated to these children I cherish, and to their mother—my beloved Liza—who, for reasons known only to herself, has been there for me since I was sixteen. How I made it to sixteen, I’ll never know.