Acknowledgments
I celebrated my fiftieth birthday while writing this book. Simultaneously, the global pandemic hit. These two events, at least for me, became instant reminders of what the characters in this book have been telling me for the past three years—that we as human beings are utterly fragile and outrageously resilient. So I’m just happy we’re here together, dear reader. I missed you. Welcome home.
Speaking of home, I owe massive thank-yous to the following: My first lady, Cori, who reads it first, tears it apart, and somehow always leaves it better. In many ways, she’s done the same with me. I’ve loved her since ninth grade, and every year, that love expands. Jonas, Lila, and Theo are my blessings. All the love that Zig has as a father comes from my love for them. They’ll understand one day. Jill Kneerim, my friend and agent, is a true gift. This is a book about figuring out who you really are. Over two decades, she’s helped me do just that. Jennifer Rudolph Walsh gave me new life at my original publisher. I owe you forever for that and much more. Jay Mandel, you’ve been wonderful since the moment you picked up the ball. Special thanks to Hope Denekamp, Lucy Cleland, and all our friends at the Kneerim & Williams Agency.
As you’ll see in these pages, there’s nothing like the bond between siblings, so I need to thank my sister, Bari, who understands me like no one else. Also to Bobby, Ami, Adam, Gilda, and Will, who are always by our side.
For more than twenty years, I’ve still got the same crew reading my early drafts: Noah Kuttler gets it at the start, imbuing it with his own voodoo. Ethan Kline brings a level of sophistication from the other side of the ocean. Then Dale Flam, Matt Kuttler, Chris Weiss, and Judd Winick tell me all the parts they love and hate, as well as all the jokes that aren’t funny. But c’mon, I’m always funny. And did I mention I’m fifty? That makes me exceptionally wise.
The characters in this book were born because a few inspiring people let me into their lives. So let’s start with William “Zig” Zwicharowski who, a few years back, retired from his position as the Port Mortuary Branch Chief at Dover, taking care of our fallen troops and making sure they were treated with honor, dignity, and respect. To every person on the Dover team, thank you for what you do for Gold Star families. The same is true for former Dover man and funeral home expert Matt Generaux, who makes sure I don’t mess up the details. Special thanks to Sergeant Major Amy L. M. Brown, the real-life Army Artist-in-Residence, for sharing her adventures. Zig, Matt, and Amy, you are my moral compasses. （Heart!） Finally, the ringleader for all the military details—and one of my oldest childhood friends—Scott Deutsch. Every book, I ask him hundreds of impossible questions about the military. He gives me all the right answers. So any mistakes are mine.
I also need to thank everyone at Dover, including Christin K. Michaud and Major Ray Geoffroy.
I leaned on one of my dearest friends, the incredible Dr. Rachel Nonkin Avchen, who helped me navigate the details of the CDC and gave me some of the coolest things to write about （and yes, I know the SNS left the CDC）。 Additional help came from Gregory Hand, Jason McDonald, Mark Moynihan, Mona Patel, Paul Renard, and the very kind Lisa Dillard. My police chief and dear pal Jimmy West is the absolute best, and so is Dr. Lee Benjamin, for the best ways to murder people, as well as Bob Gourley, the CTO of all my work. Special thanks to Art Roderick for details on the amazing mission of the U.S. Marshals; Samantha Vargo for help on forensic photography; Mike Workman on all things that go boom; Ben Becker for the gun expertise; Steve Whittlesey, for the beekeeping help; and Mike Hayes for his friendship and advice on key military details. Additional details came from Abbey Gau and Patricia Evans at Longwood Gardens, Rosa Flores, Susan Generaux, Mynor Rosa, Rob Scheer, and Mark Whitworth. And thanks to everyone else who anonymously added details to these pages. You know who you are.
Whenever Zig refers to his mentor, that’s me leaning on the advice of the great Mary Roach. Go buy her book, Grunt. It’s spectacular. The book Raven Rock by my friend Garrett Graff was especially helpful, as well as articles including “Autopsies of the War Dead Reveal Ways to Save Others” by Denise Grady, “In the Hands of God,” and “Maneuvers” by Kristin Henderson, “The Mercy Girls” by Jennifer Miller, “Inside the Head of a ‘Bad’ Kid” by Bonnie Marie Laabs, and some of the best confession stories on Reddit. Special love to Master of the Book, who deserves to be acknowledged, but will only do it with a code name.