Lethal Vintage (22 page)

Purists will note that one cannot see Mount Tamalpais from the steps of the Mission San Rafael in Northern California. A large and not terribly handsome building has been constructed in front of the chapel, entirely blocking the view. From the street above, Mount Tam rises up like a great maternal guardian, bottom-heavy and protective. It felt good to restore, if only in fiction, what must have been an inspiring setting.

Some books take longer to write than others. My editor, Jay Schaefer, showed superhuman patience in waiting for this one. For that and many other kind gestures over the past decade and more, he has my gratitude, as well as my friendship.

The people closest to me did much to make the writing of this book possible, chief among them Judy B. and Randy Brown, who lent continuous encouragement, read manuscripts, offered advice, babysat, and let me ravage their refrigerator with merciless frequency. I also depended on the ever-capable and delightfully cheerful Nai, her sidekick Mimi, and that adjacent triumvirate of good company, Rachel, Ted, and Savannah. For inspiration, there is no one like Ivan, whose fresh perspective on the world is a constant source of pleasure, unless it is the Good Twin, even in absentia.

A number of friends with expertise in food, wine, and good living (lucky them!) read manuscript versions of Lethal Vintage, generously offering not only their time but their valuable opinions and insights. These included Jonathan Waters, Suzanne Groth Jones, Rebecca Carter Harrach, Adam Browning, Andy Demsky, Lisa and Jerry Niess, David Strada, David Polinsky, and Andrew Stern. I would like to thank them for their contributions, and point out that any errors or oversights that remain are mine despite their guidance, not due to it.

—NG

NADIA GORDON
is the author of three earlier novels in the Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery series,
Sharpshooter
,
Death by the Glass
, and
Murder Alfresco
. She has served as a judge for the Edgar Awards and is a national board member for Sisters in Crime. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.