of a practicing private investigator; to Vladimir Doudka and Mark Dunne for translation assistance; Ben Alfiero and all at the wonderful Harbor Fish Market in Portland, Maine (www.harborfish.com), who put white flesh on the bones of Joey Tuna; and to my fellow author, and friend, Chris Mooney (www.chrismooneybooks.com), who shared with me his library and his knowledge of Boston. He is a fine writer, and a finer friend. I am deeply indebted to them all, and any mistakes are my own, as indeed are any opinions expressed.
I am immensely grateful to Dr. Danielle Pafunda for permission to quote extracts from her haunting verse project, ‘The Dead Girls Speak in Unison’ a work in progress. It’s unusual, and humbling, to encounter work in another medium that not only resonates so deeply with one’s own, but does so with such economy and beauty.
As always, this book was considerably improved by the input of my editors, Sue Fletcher at Hodder & Stoughton and Emily Bestler at Atria Books. To them, and to all at both houses who have supported my work for so long, my love and thanks. Thanks, too, to my beloved agent Darley Anderson and all those who work with him. They have found homes for my odd books, and I would not be publishing without them. Meanwhile, Clair Lamb, Madeira James and Jayne Doherty maintain a close watch on www.johnconnellybooks.com, and keep me from making too much of a fool of myself, for which I am very grateful.
Finally, much love to Jennie, Cameron, and Alistair.
About the Author
John Connolly was born in Dublin in 1968. His debut –
