The Hypnotist (33 page)

As with the first two novels in this series,
The Reincarnationist
and
The Memorist,
there is a lot of fact mixed in with my fiction.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art certainly exists—I’ve been lucky to live in its orbit for my whole life and been able to spend thousands of hours there. While the facts about the museum’s history are a matter of public record, their security measures are not. But security experts have assured me the scenario in
The Hypnotist
is plausible (although I certainly hope not possible).

The American Wing exists as do the Islamic Art galleries, which were closed for renovation during the writing of this novel. Many of the paintings I’ve written about are either real or based on actual paintings, the names of which I’ve changed.

There is no record of Hypnos, the statue at the heart of this novel, but chryselephantine sculpture is well documented even though only fragments of these colossal works of art have survived. My thanks to Kenneth D. S. Lapatin for his help regarding these works.

Sadly, there is a billion-dollar industry in stolen art, all too often related to drug cartels and illicit arms deals. Cultural heritage concerns and lawsuits are rampant, and they’re fraught with the same issues I’ve written about.

Former special agent Robert K. Wittman, who changed the way the FBI treated stolen art, helped me craft this book’s version of the real Art Crime Team with his advice, but he’s not to be blamed for the places where I took artistic license.

Whenever possible, dates and descriptions of historical events are accurate as are most of the locales in New York City, my hometown. There is no actual Phoenix Foundation. The work done there is, however, inspired by the work done at the
University of Virginia Health System by the real-life Dr. Ian Stevenson who studied children with past-life memories for over thirty years. Dr. Bruce Greyson and Dr. Jim Tucker, a child psychiatrist, continue Ian Stevenson’s work today. (These fine doctors are not to be blamed for any of Dr. Malachai Samuels’s personality defects.)

Hypnosis does date back to ancient times, and sleep temples did in fact exist. There is a lot of fascinating evidence that hypnosis is a portal into reincarnation memories, and I’ve worked with several therapists who’ve used it with patients to help them discover their past lives.

To Lou Pitt, who certainly proved to me that reincarnation exists by helping this series find a new incarnation as the television series
Past Life.

To everyone at MIRA Books—especially my wonderful editor, Margaret O’Neill Marbury, and Adam Wilson.

As always the thought of writing any book without Lisa Tucker and Douglas Clegg seems impossible—I hope the impossible never happens.

To Jerry Hooten—if there are any factual errors having to do with security issues and investigative techniques they all are mine, not his.

To Susan O’Doherty, who saves me so much time and grief and so much of my sanity.

A huge thank-you to readers, booksellers, librarians everywhere.

To my wonderful family. And to Doug.