Blood Vines

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Love at first sight exists. I know this because that’s how long it took me to fall for California wine country. Knowing I had to set my next novel there took a few days longer and an innocent comment from winemaker Brian Fleury: “There are a dozen ways you could kill somebody during the winemaking process.” As you can imagine, I was off and running.

So, of all the people I want to thank, I must begin with Brian. Huge thanks for first sparking my imagination, then for your time, explanations and tour-with detailed descriptions of the dangers of winemaking. And finally, thank you for your absolutely fabulous wine (www.fleurywinery.com).

I owe so many thanks to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, I don’t even know where I should begin. So I’ll begin at the top: Sheriff Bill Cogbill, thank you for opening your department to me and allowing me access to the facility and officers. I appreciate it and hope the book does your fine department proud.

Captain Dave Edmonds, what can I say besides you are, simply, terrific? Thank you for all the time you spent with me, the many questions you answered and for setting up the ride-along, instructing the deputy to help me “find places to dump bodies.” (Thanks, Deputy Mike Mason. Great ride-along!)

Detective Sergeant Mitch Mana, thank you for giving me the Red Rooster secateur, the perfect wine country murder weapon! There’s no doubt the book is better for it. Thanks also for the tour of the morgue and autopsy room and for the many after-the-fact questions answered.

Real estate agent Lisa Albertson, you’re the greatest. Thanks for your time, your expertise, your point of view and setting up our tour at Seghesio. And for the fun, too. (In the book, you’ll recognize our dinner at the girl & the fig.)

Ted Seghesio, big thanks for the tour and the most excellent wine. You’ll find my favorite mentioned in the book!

To all the folks at Larson Family Winery, especially winemaker Carolyn Craig, thanks for making my Vocation Vacation research day so fabulous. It was truly terrific. I’ll never forget climbing the wine barrels and into a fermenting tank-how many authors can claim that?

Vicki and John Faivre, thanks for hooking me up with your Salvestrin Winery friends. Hearing stories from wine country old timers was both fascinating and helpful. Didn’t we have fun-and a lot of really good wine-in the process?

Final thanks to my assistant, Evelyn Marshall, who really did prove herself invaluable with this one; our wine country driver, Dennis Wulbrecht; my agent, Evan Marshall; my editor, Jennifer Weis and the great St. Martin’s team; my husband and kids and lastly, my God for making it all possible.