San Francisco by Meg Gardiner

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San Francisco can't be beat. I grew up three hundred miles to the south, in Santa Barbara. I lived in the Bay Area during college and law school. And from the time I was a kid, San Francisco was the most exotic, exciting place in California. It had Chinatown. Hippies. Fog. My introduction to both Szechwan food and drag queens came during a high school journalism conference in the city. San Francisco's where I learned that glitter eyeshadow and Lynyrd Skynyrd-style hair and beards should never, ever mix. And they should definitely not be worn with gold platform shoes. It's where I learned that no matter how hard you sprint, the cable car you're trying to board will outrace you up Powell Street. I never get tired of San Francisco.

And the city can seem all out front, and in your face. It's bright, it's loud, it's full of clashing noises. But it also has plenty of California history - old money, quietly guarded lives.

In this environment, where do secrets dwell?

That's why I set The Dirty Secrets Club in San Francisco.

Turning the city into the setting for a thriller was a joy. You doubt that it's a great place for a fast-paced story? Watch Bullitt. Any place that works for Steve McQueen and a 1967 Mustang is ready-made for excitement. Besides, it has the most beautiful natural setting of any city in the USA. (Sorry, Seattle. You're a close second.) And beneath the beauty runs a current of danger.

One hundred years ago, San Francisco was virtually destroyed by earthquake and fire. Today, people there are wary of the Big One - the massive, city-killing quake that's predicted to hit. Even the city's most famous landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge, has a lethal lure for some people.

But beyond all that, the city's simply fun. It's got great food, great culture, political rabble-rousing, and a tolerant, go-for-anything attitude. Where else would a character like Jo Beckett's neighbor, who has a neurotic helper monkey, be considered only mildly eccentric?

To capture the beauty and magic of San Francisco in the book meant exploring the city all over again. To research the novel, I walked the city. I listened to conversations on the street, in restaurants, on cable cars. I carried a notebook and a camera. I read San Francisco newspapers, ate a lot of great food, and talked to everybody around. Lunch and a political debate equaled serious book research.

I also visited the 129^th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard. They're search and rescue experts - pararescuemen, also known as PJs. They perform rescues on land, at sea, and underwater. Meeting guys who skydive, scuba dive, and drive ATVs and Wave Runners at work was great. And talking to them put my work in perspective. They place themselves on the line to rescue people. They do it in the worst circumstances, without the slightest expectation of riches or glory. They save lives and they're unassuming about it. Meeting them was humbling.

I love this job. I hope you'll like the novel.

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Meg Gardiner, The Dirty Secrets Club, San Francisco, murder, Jo Beckett, forensic psychiatrist, Stephen King, thriller, Penguin Books, books