In trying to understand the structure of Dr. Lecter’s memory palace, I was aided by Frances A. Yates’s remarkable book The Art of Memory, as well as Jonathan D. Spence’s The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci.
Robert Pinsky’s translation of Dante’s Inferno was a boon and a pleasure to use, as were the annotations of Nicole Pinsky The term “festive skin” is Pinsky’s translation of Dante.
Dr. Lecter’s lecture to the Studiolo owes much to Anthony K. Cassell’s distinguished work of scholarship, Dante’s Fearful Art of Justice.
“In the garden of the hurricane’s eye” is John Ciardi’s phrase and the title of one of his poems.
The first lines of poetry Clarice Starling recalls in the asylum are from T. S. Eliot’s “Burnt Norton,” Four Quartets.
My thanks to Pace Barnes for her encouragement, support and wise counsel.
Carole Baron, my publisher, editor and friend, helped me make this a better book.
Athena Varounis and Bill Trible in the United States and Ruggero Perugini in Italy showed me the best and brightest in law enforcement. None of them is a character in this book, nor is any other living person. The wickedness herein I took from my own stock.
Vernon J. Geberth’s excellent textbook Practical Homicide Investigation contains the classic example of Mason Verger’s self-destructive behavior.
Niccolo Capponi shared with me his deep knowledge of Florence and its art and allowed Dr. Lecter to use his family palazzo. My thanks also to Robert Held for his scholarship and to Caroline Michahelles for much Florentine insight.
The staff of Carnegie Public Library in Coahoma County, Mississippi, looked up things for years. Thank you.
I owe a lot to Marguerite Schmitt: With one white truffle and the magic in her heart and hands, she introduced us to the wonders of Florence. It is too late to thank Marguerite; in this moment of completion I want to say her name.