The New Girl (Gabriel Allon #19)(110)

I am eternally grateful to my wife, Jamie Gangel, who listened patiently while I worked out the plot and larger themes of The New Girl and then expertly edited my first draft—all while covering the extraordinary events in Washington as special correspondent for CNN. I would not have completed the manuscript before my deadline were it not for her support and attention to detail. My debt to her is immeasurable, as is my love.

I spoke to several American and Israeli intelligence officers, policy makers, and politicians about the rapidly unfolding events in Saudi Arabia. I also received invaluable guidance from several sources close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. I thank them now in anonymity, which is how they would prefer it.

I am forever indebted to David Bull for his advice on all matters related to art and restoration. Bob Woodward helped me to better understand the tangled relationship between the Trump White House and Saudi Arabia’s capricious crown prince. Andrew Neil was an indispensable source on Britain’s broken politics and emerging trends in the Middle East. Tim Collins explained the economic challenges facing Saudi Arabia in language even I could comprehend.

I consulted hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles while writing The New Girl, far too many to cite here. I owe a special debt to the brave reporters and editors of the Washington Post, who had the unenviable task of covering the brutal murder of a beloved colleague. They did so with extraordinary professionalism, proving once again why quality journalism is essential to a properly functioning democracy.

Louis Toscano, my dear friend and longtime editor, made countless improvements to the novel. Kathy Crosby, my eagle-eyed personal copy editor, made certain the text was free of typographical and grammatical errors. Any mistakes that slipped through their formidable gauntlet are mine, not theirs.

We are blessed with family and friends who fill our lives with love and laughter at critical times during the writing year, especially Jeff Zucker, Phil Griffin, Andrew Lack, Elsa Walsh, Michael Gendler, Ron Meyer, Jane and Burt Bacharach, Stacey and Henry Winkler, Maurice Tempelsman and Kitty Pilgrim, Nancy Dubuc and Michael Kizilbash, Susanna Aaron and Gary Ginsburg, and Cindi and Mitchell Berger. My children, Lily and Nicholas, were a constant source of inspiration and support. To better understand what it is like to live with a novelist on deadline, I recommend the breakfast table scene in the film Phantom Thread.

Finally, heartfelt thanks to the remarkable team at HarperCollins, especially Brian Murray, Jonathan Burnham, Jennifer Barth, Doug Jones, Leah Wasielewski, Mark Ferguson, Leslie Cohen, Robin Bilardello, Milan Bozic, David Koral, Leah Carlson-Stanisic, William Ruoto, Carolyn Robson, Chantal Restivo-Alessi, Frank Albanese, Josh Marwell, Sarah Ried, and Amy Baker.