A Place of Hiding

As always, I am indebted to a number of people who assisted me during the creation of this novel. On the lovely Channel Island of Guernsey, I must thank Inspector Trevor Coleman of the States Police, the kindly people of the Citizens Advice Bureau, and Mr. R. L. Heaume, the director of the German Occupation Museum in Forest.

In the UK, I am continually in the debt of Sue Fletcher, my editor at Hodder & Stoughton, as well as her wonderful and resourceful assistant, Swati Gamble. I extend my thanks additionally to Kate Brandice of the American embassy.

In France, the generosity of my regular translator, Marie-Claude Ferrer, enabled me to create some of the dialogue in the novel, while Veronika Kreuzhage in Germany provided me with the necessary translations related to the World War II artifacts. In the United States, Professor Jonathan Petropolous aided my understanding of the Nazi “repatriation of art,” both in person and through his invaluable book The Faustian Bargain. Dr. Tom Ruben graciously supplied me with medical information when necessary, Bill Hull helped me to understand the architect’s profession, and my fellow writer Robert Crais allowed me to pick his brains about money-laundering. I’m extremely grateful to Susan Berner for being willing to read an early draft of this novel, and I’m additionally grateful to my husband, Tom McCabe, for his patience and his respect of the time it takes to put a novel together. Lastly, of course, I could not have even begun this book without the constant presence, assistance, and good cheer of my assistant, Dannielle Azoulay. Books which I found helpful during the creation of this novel were the aforementioned The Faustian Bargain by Jonathan Petropolous, TheSilent War by Frank Falla, Living with the Enemy by Roy McLoughlin, Buildings in the Town and Parish of St. Peter Port by C.E.B. Brett, Folklore ofGuernsey by Marie De Garis, Landscape of the Channel Islands by Nigel Jee, Utrecht Painters of the Dutch Golden Age by Christopher Brown, and Vermeer and Painting in Delft by Alex Rüger. Finally a word about St. Barbara. Students of art history will know that while the painting I describe in this novel does not exist, the drawing which I attribute to Pieter de Hooch certainly does. It is, however, not by Pieter de Hooch at all but by Jan van Eyck. My purpose in callously altering its creator had to do with the period of time during which it was drawn and during which van Eyck painted. Had he actually painted St.Barbara, he would have composed his masterpiece on oak board, as was the practice at that time. For purposes of my novel, I needed canvas, which did not come into widespread use until a later period. I hope I’ll be forgiven for this manhandling of art history. There will, naturally, be errors in the book. These are mine alone and not attributable to any of the fine people who helped me.





About the Author Elizabeth George’s first novel, A Great Deliverance, was honored with the Anthony and Agatha Best First Novel Awards and received the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. Her third novel, Well-Schooled in Murder, was awarded the prestigious German prize for suspense fiction, the MIMI. ASuitable Vengeance, For the Sake of Elena, Missing Joseph, Playing for the Ashes,In the Presence of the Enemy, Deception on His Mind, In Pursuit of the ProperSinner, A Traitor to Memory, and I, Richard were international bestsellers. Elizabeth George divides her time between Huntington Beach, California, and London. Her novels are currently being dramatized by the BBC.

Visit her website at www.ElizabethGeorgeOnline.com.