For their willingness to help, and for the knowledge and support they provide, I owe thanks to many.
No one works alone, and I am certainly no different. While the fiction here glamorizes the individual heroics of the lone scientist or detective, real police work involves participation of many.
Jack Hodgins, Ph.D., The Jeffersonian Institute, is the bug guru, and always will be. Camille Soryan, Ph.D. and cop, provided endless information on "the art of pathology". Mush thanks to the Department of Geology at Kansas State University for sharing their knowledge on strontium isotope analysis. Robert Leslie, Ph.D., professor of linguistics and director of the Forensic Linguistics Project, McGill University was a huge help.
Thanks go out to my forensic facial reconstruction artist, and friend Angela. You always have words of encouragement and love.
My brother Russ helped with the more complex geography of The Windy City. Also, thank you to his wife, who wished to remain nameless, for putting up with not only him, but me as well.
Heartfelt thanks to my editor Laura Daniels -- this book benefited greatly from your advice.
There are others who helped, but wish to stay anonymous. You know who you are; thank you all greatly.
I also need to thank my readers, for without them all these words would mean nothing.
Last, but most definitely not least, my sincere thanks go out to special Agent Seeley Booth, whom without this book would never have been completed. I need to thank him for saving this work, reminding me of my talent and keeping me honest. My deepest thanks are for him; he makes sure that all the science in my books are understandable to the public. He has saved my life countless times. But most importantly, he is always there when I need a shoulder-- he is always there to be my best friend.
He is there to make jokes about Andy being based on himself, when in reality, he is so much better.
All mistakes are my own, please do not blame any of persons mentioned above. If I have forgotten t thank someone, I apologize.