Suspicion

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A number of people were particularly helpful to me in researching and writing this novel. For details on the workings of the Drug Enforcement Administration, my thanks to Mike Braun (former chief of operations of the DEA); John Arvanitis (Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Boston office), and former DEA agent Paul Doyle. Former DEA agent Heidi Raffanello was immensely helpful. On money laundering, I thank Matt Fleming, Don Semesky, and, most notably, Jack Blum. My legal advisers included Jonathan Shapiro of Stern Shapiro Weissberg & Garin, Isaac Peres of Altman & Altman, George Price of Casner & Edwards, and especially Jay Shapiro of White and Williams.

Once again, Jeff Fischbach helped extensively with details on computer forensics, as did Kevin Murray with surveillance techniques and Jay Groob on investigative methods. For details on Mexico and Mexican culture, I thank Fred Feibel, Janet Lapp, and particularly Patricia Leigh-Wood. For medical advice: Dr. Tom Workman; Dr. Franklyn Cladis; Dr. Carl Kramer; Dr. Fred E. Shapiro, president of the Institute for Safety in Office-Based Surgery; Dr. Mark Morocco; Dr. Doug Lyle; and my brother, Dr. Jonathan Finder. For a little inside color on Aspen, I’m indebted to Lisa Holthouse. Bruce Irving helped me design Tom Galvin’s Weston house; Justin Sullivan advised me on Galvin’s plane; and Alyssa Haak, Steve Doyle, and Kevin Lussier of Boston Yacht Haven helped me with his boat. J. Mark Loizeaux kindly shared some of his endless expertise on controlled demolitions and explosives; Tony Scotti and Jon Schaefer suggested some clever evasive techniques; and Frank Ahearn counseled me on Galvin’s disappearance. George Kurtz of Crowdstrike helped on security and passwords. Sharon Bradey advised me on Danny and Galvin’s squash game. Margaret Boles Fitzgerald and Eileen C. Reilly told me about Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, a remarkable organization. I’m grateful to Seth Klarman for sharing some discerning insights. Thanks as always to my website manager, Karen Louie-Joyce, and my editor/researcher and social mediaite, Clair Lamb. My assistant, Claire Baldwin, is invaluable and irreplaceable. My agents, Simon Lipskar and Dan Conaway, at Writers House, were my champions at an important time, and I’m indebted to Ben Sevier for his enthusiasm and vision.

The Lyman Academy is entirely fictional and bears no resemblance to any real-life private schools in the Boston area. Really. Finally, I’m grateful for the steadfast loving support of my wife, Michele Souda, and the immeasurable awesomeness of our daughter, Emma J. S. Finder.

– Joseph Finder

Boston, 2013