John Lescroart - The First Law

Id like to thank my publisher and editor, Carole Baron, not only for her encouragement and support over so much of my career, but for her truly extraordinary interest and efforts from the earliest outlining stages of this book, which is in some ways so different in structure from my other novels. Mitch Hoffmans intelligence and insights likewise contributed importantly to the finished product; beyond that, his good humor and accessibility are as much appreciated as they are rare.

My friend and agent, Barney Karpfinger, remains an incredible source that I turn to whenever I need an injection of calm, wisdom, or good taste. His receptivity to the idea for this book and his early enthusiasm for it contributed mightily to its creation.

In San Francisco, the peerless Al Giannini was a great help, as always, from the original concept through the eventual execution. His knowledge of the law world within San Francisco has been a cornerstone of the entire Hardy/Glitsky series of books, and this one is no exception. In the police department, Shawn Ryan shared with me his considerable expertise with a variety of firearms; much more importantly, his description of what its like to be under fire provided a crucial perspective. Assistant District Attorney Jerry Norman provided some choice nuggets as well.

Peter J. Diedrich provided much of the background for the very real San Francisco Diamond Center scandals of the late nineties. Peter S. Dietrich, M.D., M.P.H., still makes the best martini in the universe.

Closer to home, my assistant, Anita Boone, aside from being a creative genius in her own right, is simply terrific. Combining a wonderful personality with superhuman efficiency, she is truly one of a kind. I couldnt do what I do without her. The excellent novelist Max Byrd is a great friend and careful reader who was a help many times and at many stages during the writing of this book. Barbara Vohryzeks good karma plays a big role in my daily writing environment, and I want to thank her for thinking to include me in such a positive work space.

My children, Jack and Justine, continue to inspire and hopefully to inform these books, and this one particularly, with a welcome nonadult perspective. Rebecca and Vincent they are not, but Dismas Hardys children could not exist as fully formed characters without them.

Finally, Id like to acknowledge the work of two excellent writers for providing much of the inspiration for this book. Loren Estlemans Bloody Season tells the story of the gunfight at the OK Corral better than its ever been told. Ive read the book five times now, and it just keeps getting better. Carsten Strouds Black Water Transit, though unique in execution, plot, and tone, could nevertheless serve as a primer for the construction of the modern thriller, and in fact did in the creation of this work. The use of language in both of these books reminded this writer again of the power of the unexpected, the original, the inspired word. Thanks, guys. You write terrific stuff.

And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept by confused alarums of struggle and flight
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Matthew Arnold Dover Beach