by Gerald Elias
Katharine, who didn’t know me from Adam, was not only kind enough to read my book but somehow saw through all its flaws. Buoyed by her moral and technical support, and by her invaluable assistance finding the perfect agent, I just kept plugging away. To Katharine, I am eternally indebted.
That agent turned out to be Simon Lipskar of Writers House. Simon not only has an abundance of expertise in the literary field, he had a career in music that paralleled mine to an uncanny degree, so it was not difficult for me to accede to his suggestions to rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite yet again. When he shared my book with fellow agent and mystery specialist Josh Getzler, who had me rewrite yet again, I always had the sense that the book was not just changing, it was getting better. To Simon and Josh, my deepest gratitude.
My thanks also to St. Martin’s Press and my wonderful editor, Michael Homler, who have enabled me to realize one of my fondest dreams by publishing my first book and allowing me to write a second.
It would be remiss of me not to express my limitless appreciation of Johann Sebastian Bach, Maria Theresia von Paradis, Niccolo Paganini, Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, and—it goes without saying—Giuseppe Tartini, without whose assistance this book would have been impossible. I would urge all readers of Devil’s Trill to listen to the music discussed and performed in the book to enhance their enjoyment of the story and of life in general.
Many of the characters in Devil’s Trill are composites of people I have known in my forty-plus years in the classical music world—musicians, teachers, concert agents and managers, violin dealers—people from whom I’ve learned much about music, ethics, integrity, and, not the least important, humor. To them I owe a debt of gratitude for providing me with enough wealth of insight and stories to last a lifetime.
Then, of course, there are my toughest critics—my family. My wife, Cecily, and my children, Kate and Jake, have remained positive and supportive while enduring having to read yet another rewrite and have provided both encouragement and, at times, painfully frank criticism. To them, my thanks and my love.
