The Tenth Witness

by Leonard Rosen

  A number of writers I admire read and commented on sections of the manuscript or otherwise advised me. I thank Douglas Starr, Larry Behrens, Chris Knopf, Arthur Golden, S. J. Rozan, Reed Farrel Coleman, Bruce DeSilva, and Joe Finder. I thank Clair Lamb for her expert, critical eye, and also Jeff Chin, Larry and Suzanne Heffernan, James Jones, Stuart Koman, Richard Marks, Bob Morrison, and Frank Sladko. I owe an ongoing debt to literary agents Eve Bridburg and Todd Shuster for their sound advice and encouragement. Once again, I offer heartfelt thanks to publishers Martin and Judith Shepard of The Permanent Press, who have been friends and tireless advocates. To their entire team I extend my thanks: Lon Kirschner, Cathy Suter, Felix Gonzalez, Sarah Flood, Brian Skulnik, Joslyn Pine, and Susan Ahlquist.

  And a special thanks to Brigitte and Jorg Purner, who took me on glorious walks through the hills above Innsbruck, and Renate and Bernd Wunderle, who introduced me to Munich. These children of the war suffered as children will. Jorg’s and Bernd’s fathers were conscripted into the Wehrmacht and died on the Russian front. Jorg was in utero when his mother got the news; Bernd may or may not remember a man in uniform who tossed him into the air and smiled. Renate recalls learning the Nazi salute as a child and being shushed while attempting that same salute for the Allied conquerors. What could it all mean to a six-year-old? These good people were moving and articulate in both expressions of love for their countries and their ongoing pain at reconciling that love with the legacy of National Socialism.

  During my childhood in the 1950s and 60s, the bogeyman behind the closet door wore jackboots and a swastika. In writing The Tenth Witness, I finally opened that door, and I could not have done so without Linda Rosen. Every day for two years I immersed myself in the twisted legacy of National Socialism. And every night she greeted me with its opposite: sanity and affection. Her very presence was a reminder that this world can be, and frequently is, a sweet and decent place.

  Leonard Rosen

  Brookline, Massachusetts

  About the Author

  Leonard Rosen lives and works in the Boston area. He has contributed radio commentaries to Boston’s NPR station, written best-selling textbooks on writing, and taught writing at Harvard University and Bentley University. The Tenth Witness is his second novel. His first, All Cry Chaos (also featuring Henri Poincaré), is a much-praised award winner in both the literary and mystery/ thriller categories. Len enjoys corresponding with readers and meeting with book groups online. Contact him through his website: lenrosenonline.com.