I thought I’d share some photos on the locations that inspired scenes in the book.
Action takes place in New York, London, Lindisfarne, Ayrshire, the Mediterranean, Greece, and Marseilles. Nothing like moving around!
NEW YORK:
The New York Public Library was always one of my favorite places, whether I was researching, or just wanted a place to find a bit of quiet time. I love that place.
These are the chairs where Justin tended to Gwen’s wounds after she was attacked outside the New York Public Library.
When Justin goes upstairs to put in the diary request slip in for Gwen, he goes up these stairs, which are pretty steep, even on the best day!
He leaves Gwen in a chair in the rotunda, and, of course, when he gets back, she’s gone. For some reason, the photo loads onto this page sideways and won’t allow me to rotate it. Apologies.
Later on, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he tosses a coin into the fountain in the Greek and Roman Gallery.
He and Gwen continue on to the Sculpture Gallery, where they sit in chairs like these across from the Herakles statue.
When they are chased through the museum, they go to Hatshepsut’s Room. The galleries have been re-configured, and the room no longer exists; for the purposes of the story, I put it back. But I always visit the Hatshepsut Sphinx when I go to the Met.
This is the row of Sekmet statues they pass:
And the crocodile:
And here is where they jump from the Temple of Dendur back to the main floor of that exhibit room and make their escape.
Lindisfarne, Northumberland:
One of my favorite places in the world is Lindisfarne, and here’s a photo of the Abbey ruins:
Can you image the ghost dog running from between these arches to greet them? Or, as in the excerpt, showing up at the Kilns?