Any book set in such a real-life location as Washington, D.C., is bound to be, to a certain extent, a mixture of fact and fiction: consequently, I would like to make it clear which is which.
All the characters in this book—American, British, and Tampican—are purely fictitious, and bear no resemblance whatsoever to any real persons, living or dead. I stress this in particular in the case of the diplomats, politicians, doctors, policemen, and other public figures portrayed.
There are no such streets in Georgetown as Oxford Gardens and Exeter Place, and Maycroft House is imaginary—but anybody who knows the area will recognize all three as being typical. Chevy Chase is real, but if it has an Episcopal Ladies’ Club, I have not been able to trace it. The Georgetown Garden Tour, however, is a delightful reality, and my good friends at 3320 Dent Place (whose garden has indeed been featured on the tour) have kindly given me permission to use their address.
The islands of Tampica and St. Mark’s are entirely fictional, and so is Pirate’s Cave Hotel—although it does more or less resemble several superb Caribbean resort establishments which I know. On the other hand, Antigua, St. Thomas, and St. John’s are all real places.
A word of caution. Please don’t try to book yourself on a direct flight between Dulles International Airport and Antigua, as described in the book. You have to change at Puerto Rico.
Finally, my most sincere thanks to Dr. Pierre Dorolle and his colleagues at the World Health Organization in Geneva, who once again spared their precious time to set me right on medical details.
P.M.