Acknowledgments

Every book starts with a “what if,” and this book was no different. This “what if” began as: “What if there was a serial killer in Victorian times? How would the police handle it? How would the citizens of London handle it?” And then there was a mysterious woman who comes out of the rookery with a tie to the killings.

The story evolved from there. The mysterious woman was Charlotte, flushed from the rookery by Jacob, an over-curious, lonely solicitor.

While a book begins with a simple question of “what if,” it certainly doesn’t end so simply. So many people were involved in the production of this book, from Jessica Alvarez, my agent, to Erin Molta, my editor, and all of the other editorial staff and designers at Entangled. I enjoyed working with everyone and appreciate their time and talent more than you can imagine.

And of course, I can’t forget my family, who listened to me curse when I’m stuck on a scene, or had to endlessly hear me say, “I have to write today.” I can’t thank them enough for their patience.