I’ve been told that this is the most elegant thing I’ve ever written. I can’t think how such a dark brew of motifs came together to create that effect. But there’s unassuaged longing and nostalgia in here, interwoven with the horror, as well as an unflagging drive towards the final consummation. I still feel more for the story’s characters, whether love or loathing, than for any others I’ve created to date. Tragedy, urban legend, Gothic romance, warped fairy tale of New York: it’s all there. And of course, most important of all is the seductive allure of writing and of books - and what that can lead some people to do. You may not like my answer to the mystery of the third book. But I hope you stay to find out. - Paul StJohn Mackintosh