Professionally, I want to thank my friend and agent, Scott Miller. Before we teamed up, I couldn’t find a publisher. Now my books are available all round the globe. Not too shabby for two guys from Pennsylvania. Speaking of geography, I’d like to thank Scott’s assistant, MacKenzie Fraser-Bub, and her sweet, southern accent. I smile every time she calls or answers his phone. (Of course, then she puts Scott on the line, and he instantly ruins my mood!) I also want to thank Claire Roberts – my foreign agent, who landed my British deal and many others – and her assistant Iris Hsieh. In short, I’ve got nothing but love for everyone at Trident Media.
To say that I’ve been thrilled with Penguin UK would be an understatement. How they managed to turn an unknown writer like myself into a bestselling author in the United Kingdom is a miracle – especially since my surname has way too many consonants to look pretty on paper. Believe it or not, even I don’t know how to pronounce it. In particular, I’d like to single out my well-dressed editor, Alex Clarke, and his charming assistant, Anthea Townsend. Working with them has been a wonderful experience.
Next is my awesome friend Ian Harper. I want to thank him for reading, re-reading and then re-rereading everything I write and for all of his suggestions. His advice and expertise is, well, awesome! If anyone’s looking for a freelance editor, please let me know. I’d be happy to put you in touch with him. I highly recommend him.
Finally, I’d like to thank all the readers, librarians, booksellers and critics who have read my thrillers and have recommended them to others. At this stage of my career, I need all the help I can get, so I would appreciate your continued support.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49