My Sister's Grave (Tracy Crosswhite, #1)(112)

Thank you to Jennifer Gregory, PhD, LICSW, Western Regional Medical Command Care Provider Support Program Supervisor of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and to David Embry, PhD, PT Research Program Coordinator, Children’s Therapy Unit of the Good Samaritan Movement Laboratory. David approached me at the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference when I shared with an audience a general idea for my next novel, and he put me in touch with Jennifer Gregory. They provided fascinating insights into the minds of sociopaths and psychopaths, which are truly frightening. Their assistance helped me to write this novel and the next.

I’ve also been fortunate to meet many wonderful people in the police community who are always generous with their time and their knowledge. I could not have written this book without the assistance of Jennifer Southworth, Detective, Violent Crimes Section, Homicide Unit, Seattle Police Department. Jennifer first helped me when she was working for the CSI unit. She has since been promoted to Homicide and became an inspiration for this novel. My thanks also to Detective Scott Thompson, King County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit/Cold Case Homicides. Scott’s willingness to always help me with his knowledge, or to put me in touch with others who can provide needed information, has been invaluable. One of those individuals was Tom Jensen, King County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit. Some say he was the last man standing on the Green River Killer Task Force which, after twenty years of dedication, finally obtained the evidence to convict Gary Ridgway.

Thanks also to Kelly Rosa, Senior Paralegal at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and lifelong friend. Kelly has helped me on just about every novel I’ve written and promotes them like crazy. I thought it time she took the next step and became a character, and decided that a forensic anthropologist would be just perfect. Thanks, Kelly—you continue to be the best!

A shout-out also to Brad Porter, Sergeant with the Kirkland Police Department. I met Brad during a horrific trial in King County related to a case where he was the lead detective. Brad has remained a friend and sounding board. He’s also the physical inspiration for the character Kinsington Rowe, the Sparrow, though Kins’s personal life is fictional.

Thank you also to Sue Rahr, former King County Sheriff and now Executive Director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the Police Academy. I didn’t know it when I wrote the novel, but Tracy also has bits of Sue in her: toughness, determination, and a sense of humor. Thanks for taking the time to give insight into your career in what remains a largely male-dominated profession. I want to thank Detective Dana Duffy, Violent Crimes Section, Seattle Police Department, for the same reason. Detective Duffy was Seattle’s first female homicide detective; she too took the time to speak with me candidly not only to describe her career and her job but also to provide necessary perspective.

My thanks to Attorney Kim Hunter of Covington, Washington, for her expertise on the post-conviction relief process and criminal law. I was stuck when I met Kim, and she helped get me unstuck!

The best part about my job is all the cool things I get to do, like attend a Cowboy Action Shooting competition on a foggy winter morning at the Renton Fish & Game Club. That was a hoot, like stepping back into the Old West. The participants are in full costume and take their responsibilities, including gun safety, very seriously. Their skills are likewise serious. These men and women can flat-out shoot. They welcomed me and provided me with insight and information that I could have never found in a book. So, thank you to Diamond Slinger, Jess Ducky, Driften Rattler, Dakota, and Kid Thunder, among others, who all took time to answer my questions.

Another fun part of my job is giving away characters in books for charity—in this instance, to raise money for my son’s high school, Seattle Prep. Thank you to Erik and Margaret Giesa for their generous contribution in exchange for allowing me to use their names as characters in this book. I wish I had space to print Erik’s e-mail describing his wife. Every wife should be so lucky to have a husband describe her as “incredibly beautiful, with great curves and incredible calves and a smile that reflects in her heart.” Happy twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

I do a lot of reading to research my novels and usually don’t acknowledge those printed sources, but I want to take the time to identify just a few of the books, manuals, and articles that I found helpful:



Godwin, Maurice and Fred Rosen, Tracker: Hunting Down Serial Killers

Reichert, David, Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer

Yancey, Diane, Tracking Serial Killers

Keppel, Robert D. and William J. Birnes, The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit

Morton, Robert J., Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators, Behavioral Analysis Unit, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime

Brooks, Pierce, “Multi-Agency Investigative Team Manual,” United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice



Thank you to super-agent Meg Ruley and her team at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. Meg just keeps working wonders for me. I’m grateful to have been one of her writers for nearly a decade. She has an infectious personality that always sees the glass as half-full. I am indebted to her and her team, who read my drafts and offer suggestions. I do appreciate all of your support. I couldn’t do it without you.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for believing in My Sister’s Grave and in me. Special thanks to Alan Turkus, senior editor; Charlotte Herscher, editor; Kjersti Egerdahl; Jacque Ben-Zekry; Tiffany Pokorny; and Paul Morrissey. If I missed anyone, you know you have my thanks.