Alice Baker-Greene and her family are also fictitious, although many female mountaineers were making audacious climbs during the nineteenth century, and two in particular—Annie Smith Peck and Fanny Bullock Workman—did indeed hold up suffragist banners in their photographs. The climbing rivalry between these two mountaineers was legendary and both have provided inspiration for the character of Alice Baker-Greene.
Many operas have been written with Atalanta as their subject, most notably by Handel, but the particular work referenced in this book does not exist.
St. Otthild is also a figment of the author’s imagination, as are her otters rampant.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As ever, tremendous gratitude to the team at Berkley/Penguin, Veronica’s champions and my collaborators. Particular thanks to Craig Burke, Loren Jaggers, Claire Zion, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Jin Yu, Jessica Mangicaro, Jenn Snyder, Ivan Held, and Tara O’Connor. The marketing, sales, publicity, and editorial departments are full of dedicated and talented people who give their all to Veronica and I am hugely grateful for their generosity. The art department has created exquisite covers for every novel, but this one goes above and beyond.
For more than twenty years I’ve had the privilege and joy of working with my agent, Pam Hopkins, and this is my sixth adventure with my editor, Danielle Perez. They are gifted, kind, and insightful women who have given me advice as well as friendship, and I am a better writer for knowing them.
Many thanks to Ellen Edwards, the acquiring editor who gave Veronica a home, and Eileen Chetti, my copyeditor who keeps Veronica tidy with eagle-eyed precision.
Much love to those who offer practical support, sympathetic ears, kindly advice, and safe spaces: Jomie Wilding, the Writerspace team, Blake Leyers, Ali Trotta, Delilah Dawson, Ariel Lawhon, Joshilyn Jackson, Lauren Willig, Susan Elia MacNeal, Robin Carr, Alan Bradley, David Bell, Rhys Bowen, and the Blanket Fort.
For Mom, Dad, and Caitlin—you are my everything.
For Phil. Forever. For always.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deanna Raybourn is the author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Lady Julia Grey series as well as the USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and several stand-alone works.
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* A Curious Beginning
* A Dangerous Collaboration
* A Murderous Relation