Attic Whispers Brought to You from Europe, Part 1 [September 2019 Edition]

Greetings from Europe!

I began writing this newsletter on the flight from Sydney to Singapore. I like writing on planes and in transit lounges because it is easy to focus, and there is the excitement and anticipation of things to come. But before we talk about travel which will be the centrepiece of this newsletter, I would like to share something exciting with you:
The day before I left Sydney, I was notified that Professor K: The Final Quest -book 4 in the Jack Rogan Mysteries series – has just won a major literary award in the US! The book was awarded a gold medal in the International Readers’ Favorite Literary Awards, and this would certainly not have happened without your enthusiastic support! So, a big ‘Thank You!’ to you all.

Needless to say, the timing of this award was most opportune, as we are preparing the way for the release of the next book. An award like this creates a great deal of welcome publicity, which will greatly assist us in launching the book.

The Readers’ Favorite Review of the book which accompanies the award is also something I wanted to share with you. Here it is:

Reviewed by Amanda Rofe for Readers’ Favorite:

Professor K: The Final Quest by Gabriel Farago is a stand-alone thriller and part of the Jack Rogan Mysteries Series. Dr. Alexandra Delacroix, Nobel Laureate, wants to continue the work on genome-editing pursued by the late Professor Kozakievicz. She has a God-given opportunity when the Vatican requests her help to save the Pope who is dying of an auto-immune disease. It is imperative that he remains alive to enable the conclusion of a crucial peace process. However, the secret to unlocking his disease is hidden away deep in time. The story transports us back in history to the Ottoman Empire and the work of another physician who is inextricably linked to the modern-day da Baggio family. Lorenza da Baggio wins Top Chef Europe, but she barely has time to celebrate her success before she is kidnapped and drawn into a sinister game played by the mafia.

Gabriel Farago writes effortlessly to present an absorbing and intriguing modern-day thriller steeped in the rich history of Italy. I was impressed with the many complex threads which were expertly interwoven and brought together to form a very satisfying finale to the book. I loved the wonderful descriptions of Venice, including the art and the buildings, all of which lent a real depth to the storyline. The dialogue was expertly written and spoken by a dazzling array of very charismatic characters including the rather unpredictable and dangerous Jack Rogan. Professor K: The Final Quest is a literary delight brimfull of culture, politics, terrorism, the mafia, and medicine. I can’t fault it. Superb!

The second reason involves research . As you know, for the sake of authenticity, I try to visit all the key places and locations mentioned in my books. As the storyline of the book I am working on right now is set in Tsarist Russia, a visit to St Petersburg is absolutely essential.

Amsterdam has also been very useful in terms of research. A visit to the King’s Palace was a highlight, especially the wonderful old maps of the East India Company, dating back to the golden age of Dutch maritime history.