Last Breath

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Over the past several years, I’ve offered the opportunity to name a character after the winner of several charitable auctions. The winner gets to choose if they’d like their name to be used for a vixen, villain, or good guy. (Interesting enough, so far, all but one has chosen villain-not sure what that means!)

Sabina Bokhari, D.M.D., was the winning bidder at the Gladwyne Montessori School ’s fundraising auction. Libby Herron, Montessori teacher and dear friend, hosted Sabina and I for an unforgettable lunch at her lovely home. I should note that the real Dr. Bokhari is every bit as charming and beautiful as her namesake.

Tonia Burnette’s winning bid at the fundraiser for Union Hospital in Elkton, Maryland, resulted in a most unusual Christmas gift for her mother, Louise, who, as I recall, had only two requests: she didn’t want to be a bad guy, and she didn’t want her character killed off.

Her daughter and I agreed that C. Louise Burnette was an exceptionally fine name for a university president.

I’d also like to thank FBI Special Agent Pam Stratton for sharing her insights and her expertise. Her suggestions and her guidance were much appreciated.

Of course, as always, any errors are mine.

I’ve had the unique and incredibly fortunate experience to have worked with the same amazing group of women since my first book was published: my agent, Loretta Barrett, editors Kate Collins and Linda Marrow, and publisher Gina Centrello, whose signature has been on every contract I’ve ever signed. I can’t imagine anyone being luckier than I have been.

Heartfelt thanks to the wonderful, hardworking crew at Ballantine Books who work so hard to get my books out there: Nancy Delia, Kim Hovey, Libby McGuire, Kate Blum, Brian McLendon, Scott Shannon, Carl Galian, and Penelope Haynes.

And very special thanks to Daniel Mallory.