cherry blossom image © Abi Gee 2007; cover image © Solaris Books 2009; web site © Emily Gee 2007
he Laurentine Spy went through a number of transformations before it became what you see in the bookshops. In the first version there was no magic, and Athan and Saliel made it all the way home to Laurent and his family. I had fun writing the scenes with Athan's family, but there was no place for them in the final version. So here are a couple of short scenes at the Seresin mansion...
This is the music I listened to while writing the book. (Australians will recognise it as Goldie's Theme from the show Water Rats, where it played during the episodes leading up to and after Detective Goldstein's death.)
For me, this music perfectly captures the dark mood of The Laurentine Spy. In particular, I hear it whenever I think of the final action scene, which plays in my head like a movie in grainy, rain-washed black and white, with the only colour being the stark red of blood. I especially love the lyrics Wake me when this game is over and I'm drowning -- which is how Saliel feels much of the time, poor soul!
