This book would not exist without the Herculean efforts, persistence, and patience of my editor, Kelley Ragland. You were right about the kid, Kelley. Joy Harris is simply the best literary agent ever. Thank you, Joy. And thank you to Adam Reed and Sarah Twonbly at the Joy Harris Literary Agency. (I am always careful to include the full name of Joy’s agency, because when I was a struggling writer, someone told me that a good way to find an agent was to look in the acknowledgments of books I liked and see who was thanked.) My writing group still meets once a week. They are: Lidia Yuknavitch, Chuck Palahniuk, Monica Drake, Mary Wysong, Diana Jordan, Erin Leonard, Suzy Vitello, and Cheryl Strayed. The writing I’ve read in that room is some of the best I’ve ever read anywhere ever. You guys each inspire me. A big thanks to my film-rights wrangler, Nick Harris at Mosaic. Keep working on that fake British accent, Nick—I think people are really starting to buy it. I launched two new Web sites this past year: chelseacain.com and iheartgretchenlowell.com. It was hard. And it took a lot of people. Thank you to the fabulous Storm Large (always my Gretchen Lowell), Lia Miternique of Avive Design, the team at Dorey Design Group, project manager Karissa Cain, photographer extraordinaire Laura Domela, make-up artist Crystal Slonecker, writer Courtenay Hameister, and copy editor Rob Simpson. Ryan O’Neil and Jake Kelly wrote Gretchen Lowell murder ballads and performed them at readings with me. You can check out audio clips on iheartgretchenlowell.com.

Much love to my husband, Marc Mohan, and our daughter, Eliza Fantastic. And hello to my nephews Jacob Duwa and Luke Duwa, just because I think they’ll get a kick out of seeing their names in this book. (Though they’re not allowed to read it.)

For the big finish, I am thankful every day to have a publisher like St. Martin’s Press, which is populated by so very many smart, lovely people. Special thanks to Andrew Martin, George Witte, Sally Richardson, Matthew Shear, Matt Baldacci, Matt Martz, Hector DeJean, Nancy Trypuc and Tara Cibelli. Also, I’d like to apologize to Talia Sherer, Macmillan’s Library Marketing Manager. I know this book isn’t gory enough for you, Talia. I promise to make up for it next time.

Also by Chelsea Cain

ALSO BY CHELSEA CAIN

Evil at Heart

Sweetheart

Heartsick

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cain, Chelsea.

The night season / Chelsea Cain.—1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-312-61976-3 (alk. paper)

1.  Sheridan, Archie (Fictitious character)—Fiction.   2.  Ward, Susan (Fictitious character)—Fiction.   3.  Police—Oregon—Portland—Fiction.   4.  Women journalists—Fiction.   5.  Serial murderers—Fiction.   6.  Portland (Or.)—Fiction.   I.  Title.

PS3603.A385N54 2011

813'.6—dc22

2010040692

First Edition: March 2011