Making Wolf (30 page)

“Kogi Inquiries. Discreet, efficient, affordable.”

Not perfect, but I had time to work on it.

I stood dripping water, misting the part of the window I touched. The sun was setting, and flocks of fruit bats moved eastward. I felt calm, settled, in sync.

I wasn’t happy, but I had a purpose, a goal. I was content with my place in the world.

And that was a start.

I would like to thank my wife Beth Thompson for being patient with me while I wrote and rewrote this book. The families of writers are unsung. Time spent writing is always time away from the ones we love.

I owe Meg Davis of the Ki Agency in London a debt of gratitude for invaluable advice during successive early drafts of this book.

Thanks also to Jide Afolabi, my constant beta reader.

For miscellaneous support, in no particular order: Alessa, Rochita, Aliette, Alis, Karin, Joyce, Mia, Vida, Victor, Alyssa, Zen, Nene, Cindy, Harry, Isa, Shveta, Athena and Kris.

Thanks to Bill for taking a chance on this strange book.

Finally, Vincent, I owe you a beer for the cover.

Also from Rosarium…

The Jones Men: Special 40th Anniversary Edition
Vern Smith

A 1974 New York Times Notable Book and 1975 Edgar Award Nominee

Before There Was Street Lit, There Were The Streets …

And The Jones Men Ruled Them

“It was
The Wire
before there was
The Wire
.”

—Gar Anthony Haywood

DETROIT, 1974

To become the King, you have to take the crown. It won’t be given up lightly. Heroin kingpin, Willis McDaniel, has been wearing that particular piece of jewelry for far too long, and youngblood, Lennie Jack, thinks it would look really good on his head. When a junkie tells Jack about a big delivery, the young Vietnam vet makes his move. Feeling his empire crumble, McDaniel puts the word out to find whoever’s responsible. The hunt is on, the battle is engaged, and the streets of Detroit run red with blood.

In 1974 Vern E. Smith took the crime fiction world by storm with his debut novel, The Jones Men. Heralded as “a large accomplishment in the art of fiction” by The New York Times, The Jones Men went on to be nominated for an Edgar and became a New York TImes Notable Book. The art of crime fiction has never been the same since.

The End of the World Is Rye
Brett Cottrell

“
The End of the World Is Rye
is a top-notch urban fantasy. Funny and sharp, it doesn’t choke a good story in whimsy. Fans of Preacher and Sandman will have a great time with this one.”

—Garrett Cook,
Time Pimp

What would you do for the perfect sandwich?

Kill?

Die?

Well, if you were a rogue angel, you might just cause the Apocalypse. And it looks like that’s just what he’s about to do when he lands in a polygamist cult in Utah. So, now it’s up to the rest of God’s divine posse, including Jesus and Lucifer, to save all of existence from certain destruction.

In his debut novel, Brett Cottrell takes you on a provocative, celestial roller coaster ride that will have you laughing on the edge of your seat all the way to the gates of Hell.