Once again, thank you for joining me for another adventure. I hope you enjoyed the story. Before writing this book, many readers had asked me whether Leo and Allissa would ever get together. Of course, I answered how all writers do when asked questions like that… you’ll have you wait and find out. 

In truth, we don’t answer like in that way to be obtuse, we often genuinely don’t know how the story and the relationship between our characters are going to play out. I was confident that my two main characters’ relationship would turn into a romantic one, but I just wasn’t sure when and how. Then, as I was writing that final scene at the 911 memorial in Manhattan, it just felt right.

I particularly loved writing the character of Niki Zadid in this story. I feel like she’s got countless interesting stories to tell of her own, and maybe at some point in the future I’ll get to write them. New York is, after all, a city with a dark side, and I think Niki Zadid would be a totally new take on the classic P.I. to investigate it. 

I visited New York in 2018 on the return journey from my brother’s wedding in the St Lucia—where the opening parts to this novel are set. It seemed logical to me that Leo and Allissa share my trip, although mine was far less dramatic (thankfully). I’ve yet to return to either New York or St Lucia, but know I will. 

As a fan of jazz music, I loved featuring the Opus Club in this story. While the club itself is fictional, it’s based on several I visited during my time there. New York City has been a hub for jazz music since the early 20th century, playing a particularly significant role in the development and popularization of the genre. In the 1920s and 1930s, speakeasies and clubs in Harlem, such as the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom, became renowned for their jazz performances, featuring legendary artists like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.

However, it was in the 1940s and 1950s that the Village in Lower Manhattan, where much of this story is set, emerged as the epicenter of the jazz scene. Clubs like the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, and Cafe Society showcased the talents of iconic musicians such as Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. These intimate venues provided a platform for experimentation and collaboration, allowing artists to push the boundaries of the genre and create new styles like bebop and hard bop.

It’s wonderful to still be able to visit these venues. The music, the clubs, and the characters who inhabited them offer endless possibilities for exploration and imagination.

Seth Stryker’s great grandfather, accused of the Jack the Ripper murders, was based on a real person. Francis Tumblety is a name that I’m surprised hasn’t featured in more modern media. An Irish-American, Tumblety was a quack doctor, con man, and a suspect in the notorious Jack the Ripper murders that terrorized London in 1888. Born in Ireland, Tumblety immigrated to the United States as a young man and began a career as a self-proclaimed physician, selling dubious medicines and performing illegal operations.

Tumblety was known for his flamboyant personality, often dressing in extravagant clothing and sporting a large handlebar mustache. He claimed to have served as a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War, although this has never been substantiated.

In 1888, Tumblety was in London during the time of the Jack the Ripper murders. His reputation as a misogynist and his alleged connections to the sex trade in the city’s East End made him a person of interest to the police. Tumblety was arrested on charges of gross indecency and was released on bail. He fled to France and later returned to the United States, evading further questioning by Scotland Yard.

While Tumblety was never formally charged with the Jack the Ripper murders, he remains one of the most intriguing suspects in the case. Some researchers have pointed to his medical background, his hatred of women, and his presence in London during the murders as evidence of his potential guilt. Others, however, argue that the evidence against him is largely circumstantial and that he was just one of many suspects investigated by the police.

After returning to the United States, Tumblety continued his career as a quack doctor, traveling across the country and selling his remedies. He was arrested several times for various offenses, including selling obscene literature and running a brothel.

In his later years, Tumblety lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where he died in 1903. He left behind a complicated legacy, with some remembering him as a charming and eccentric figure, while others saw him as a dangerous criminal and a potential serial killer. Whatever he was, the mysteries surrounding him has fascinated researchers and true crime enthusiasts for over a century. Also, his life story offers a glimpse into the dark underbelly of Victorian society and the enduring allure of one of history’s most notorious unsolved crimes.

Once again, although the words here are my own, the characters, experiences and some of the events described are wholly inspired by the people I’ve traveled beside.

If we ever shared noodles from a street-food vendor, visited a temple together, played cards on a creaking overnight train, or had a beer in a back-street restaurant, you are forever in this book, and for that, I thank you too!

Again, thank you for coming on the adventure with me. I hope to see you again.

Luke