The Hunt Club

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My first and most important acknowledgment is to my mate, friend, partner, and muse, Lisa Sawyer. Without a solid and happy home front, nothing creative is possible for me, and Lisa's strength, good sense, and fundamental joy in life makes her the best lifelong companion imaginable. Contributing mightily to our domestic tranquility as well as to the tone of these books, our son Jack Sawyer Lescroart remains constant in his role as best pal, jokester, plot checker, general all-around mensch.

Also close to home, my longtime collaborator Al Giannini has once again walked the walk with me from the earliest stages of this effort. His take on the most labyrinthine inner workings of the legal community, his encyclopedic knowledge of both the law and of human nature, and his creative instincts have been part and parcel of the underpinnings of every one of my San Francisco books, and my debt to him cannot be overstated. For thirty or so years, Andy Jalakas worked in child protective services in New York, and many of his experiences led me to the backstory for this novel's lead character. At Andy's suggestion, I also read and drew from a powerful and important book, Marc Parent's Turning Stones: My Days and Nights with Children at Risk. I also tip my hat in thanks to David Corbett, a very, very fine writer and former private investigator, who was very generous with his time, expertise, and insight. My assistant, Anita Boone, continues in her role as majordomo, efficiency expert, fact checker, and general right-hand person. She's a terrific help and perhaps the world's most patient human being, especially around sometimes angst-ridden writers.

Over the past several years, my Internet correspondence has assumed an important role in helping me communicate directly with my readers, some of whom have recommended concepts that might be fun to explore. Before I even began to think about The Hunt Club, one of my correspondents, Joe Phelan, recommended that I take a look at the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (the CCPOA), or prison guards' union. That suggestion came to play a central role in this book, and I'm grateful to Joe for all of his references. That said, I reiterate that though the CCPOA material in the book is based on actual facts and occurrences, this is a work of fiction, and I took substantial liberties with both the organizational structure and leadership of the union. (I love hearing from my readers and can be contacted through my Web site, www.johnlescroart.com.)

For technical advice on various topics, I'd like to thank San Francisco Police Officer Shawn Ryan for the chilling details of his own firefight; my friend Peter J. Diedrich, Esq., for the odd, obscure legal nugget that helps to season this narrative; and Frank Seidl for his wide-ranging knowledge of Napa County and the wine industry, which much to my delight I've finally had an opportunity to exploit. Karen Hlavacek is an incredible proofreader whom I can't thank enough.

This book, to say the least, did not write itself. In fact, in the early stages, it sometimes felt as though it would never get truly started. But helping me out of the blocks were my two great friends who also happen to toil in these fields of words-John Poswall and Max Byrd.

Carole Baron, though no longer at the helm at Dutton, has been a guiding force and cheerleader for my work from the very beginning, and she contributed mightily to the original concept here. Day to day, my editor, Mitch Hoffman, has kept the process on its course with several interim readings (and astute comments). Don Matheson, perennial best man, provides my regular gumption fix, without which the pages would pile up far too slowly and would be far less fun to write.

Several characters in this book owe their names (although no physical or personality traits, which are all fictional) to individuals whose contributions to various charities have been especially generous. These people (and their respective charities) include Doug Malinoff, Yolo County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA); Sue Kutschkau, Cal State Fullerton Foundation; and Betsy Sobo, the American Repertory Ballet. Lastly, I am extremely grateful as always to my agent, Barney Karpfinger, who embraced the perhaps risky idea of this book from its conception and helped to keep the seed alive until it came to fruition.