A Brilliant Death (35 page)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

When I was a junior in high school, an English teacher whose ire I had ignited said, “You, Mr. Yocum, will never amount to anything!”

It was 1972. Our society wasn’t so politically correct, and teachers weren’t that concerned about your self-esteem. Even so, I thought that was a rough shot and told her so. “That’s a bit harsh,” I said.

She came out from behind her lectern, her neck crimson. Pointing a finger at me, she said, “See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You always have something cute to say.”

That was true.

In spite of that, I had English and journalism teachers who stuck behind me and gave me a solid foundation that now enables me to make a living as a writer, and they deserve my thanks. They are Bill McHugh, who was my journalism teacher and football coach, and who had an enormous influence on my life; Pauline Grabosky, whom I probably gave every reason in the world to believe I wouldn’t amount to anything; and the late Lillian Hesske and Andrew Suranovich. Mrs. Hesske lived to see me published. Mr. Suranovich did not. I am grateful to them all.

This book never would have seen the light of day had it not been for my agent, Colleen Mohyde, who saw the potential in the manuscript and urged me to take it out of mothballs and give it a rewrite. She is a gem, a unique combination of cheerleader and drill sergeant, and I am fortunate to have her in my corner.

I especially want to thank the team at Seventh Street Books for all their hard work. First and foremost, thanks to my editor, Dan Mayer, for seeing the potential in
A Brilliant Death
and putting it into print. Dan’s deft touch in editing this book made it a tighter, better read. Many thanks to my copy editor, Sheila Stewart, for her discerning eye, and to my publicist, Cheryl Quimba, who worked overtime promoting
A Brilliant Death.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Yocum is the author of five books, including the critically acclaimed novels
The Essay
and
Favorite Sons, the latter of
which was named the 2011 USA Book News Book of the Year for Mystery and Suspense. Yocum is well-known for his work as a crime and investigative reporter with the
Columbus Dispatch
, where he won more than thirty local, state, and national awards. He is the owner of Yocum Communications, a public relations consulting firm in Westerville, Ohio.