This novel emanates from author Ralph F. Smith's love of mysteries in nineteenth-century novels by authors like Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. However, he was inspired, in particular, by a Victorian-era photo of a dead bride that he stumbled across. It was common for such photos to be taken, but almost always, live people would also be in the picture. Where was the woman's husband or fianc�? Ralph thought there had to be a story behind that photo, and his imagination set to work, developing a murder mystery novel. Ralph's previous publications include the coming-of-age fantasy novel Bright Deep (2013) as well as numerous short stories and poems in various journals and anthologies. He also wrote and performed a series of first-person narratives on Saskatchewan history for CBC Radio. He lives in Ottawa with his wife, Dr. Fionnuala O'Kelly.
