Maybe this is what this site is for, but I have a terrific idea for a novel set in the early fifties about a former German Jewish athlete, (there were many, including Olympic medal winners) and mountaineers who survives a Nazi mass extermination and burial in the Ukraine, adventures his way out of that, ends up in Israel in the early days and is 'arranged' into a group of Swiss climbers going for Everest in which a former Nazi is trying to recreate himself, but has been ID'd and targeted by a very young Mossad. As the Swiss did mount an assault on Everest the year before and after Hillary's, it's possible. Working title HIGH CRIMES, but -- alas -- one of the things needed is a street map of Tel Aviv, circa 1952, and I've had no luck f inding one. And yes, I fear some of this ground may have been gone over by the film WALK ON WATER, but in the 1952 time framework there is more immediacy, intensity of emotion, personal memories and feelings. Of course, if this goes as a film, Mel Gibson will not be the producer, even if he wants to be.

I am happily married to a fantastic Jewish lady, for which you may either kiss me or kill me. And yes, a rabbi did marry us. For which you may either kiss him or kill him.
Best,
David

Reading your thoughtful note, I wonder into apparent parallels in our stories, beyond a common love for crime-fiction or true-crime—noting that my wife is fantastic and Jewish and a rabbi did that ceremony. As an admirer and hopeful friend, it would be my honor to choose the former regarding the first choice; as a rabbi myself, the latter may be more appropriate regarding choice number two. Best of luck. Stay in touch.

Hi. I see you like John Updike. My husband corresponds with him. He was born and raised in the area where I live. Anyway, thanks for the invite, I'm honored. I write romantic suspense, so far anyway. Cheers, Betty Ann

Hiya, David. Thanks for the invite. Here's pulp in your eye!

Tony, cobber,
I've only spent two days in Melbourne after the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Next trip down under is in 2008 to Perth. Australians are great, we loved the country and people, and look forward to more of same. One of my very oldest friends lives in Manly with his American wife, and that's a connection. More to come of my synchronities with the Antipodes. Incidentally, I read Robert Hutghes The Fatal Shore and loved it.
Best,

David

Pleased to be countered among your friends. That's an interesting diverse range of books you have published. The series about the blind 'tec certainly appeals.

David, We share an agent in Philip. thanks for the nice words.

Margot,
You're most welcome. Thanks for joining 'the gang.'
David

Hi David,
Thank you for the invitation.
Margot

Left Bank Books has given me an invite but with scheduling problems and another book in the works it has been tough to fit in. It looks like the book is going into a second edition soon, so many then. I'll keep you posted Cyndi.

Thank you for adding me! When will you be in St. Louis for a signing?

Hey, David. Look forward to reading your work. Sounds fascinating!
Syl

Thank you for adding me as your friend. We need all the friends we can get--especially if you are a writer!

Well I'm from outside Melbourne so I'm required to avoid Sydney like the plague (which I'll happily comply with ).

I'm a country girl at heart - so being banished to the outback is my idea of a win!

Grace,
Re: radiation and effects. A People magazine article about ten years ago had a one-pager about Harold McLintock, an employee of Westinghouse working at the Hanford Nuclear Reservtion in eastern Washington. In the explosion of an Americium ion exchange column he received one hundred times the lethal dose of radiation, survived and never lost his hair. It needs noting that for radiation lethal doses are usually cited as LD50, where the fifty is a subscript and means fifty percent of an exposed population. Humans are individuals, not averages and some, like Harold McClintock, have a remarkable immune system and polymerase repair mechanism. Obviously he's near the high end of resistance to radiation, but knowing this allows you to have a corpse with full body radiation that does not lose its hair. Hope this helps.
m'

Thanks, and this might work if this were set in Ireland, in Donegal, the peat bog capital of the world. What actually happens in plot is: in 1997 there was a major earthquake in Assisi and a number of buildings were seriously damaged. Some of them were not fixed until years later. In 2007 when a building that had been occupied by a cult is undergoing repairs, the body of a very young, very well preserved woman is discovered. The cult claims it's a miracle, that it's a young nun, a follower of St. Francis. The police have to find out who the women is, how she died (murdered), who killed her, and very important that she did not die in the 1300's. Sounds wild but I think I can make most of it work, but I need to have the woman's body found in an environment that would have helped to preserve the body naturally. I did some research on the various preserved Catholic saints and there are certain circumstances under which their bodies would have been preserved naturally--not miracles as claimed, but I don't believe any of those methods would apply to my body. I can't use any type of embalming or anything that would show that the woman was born in the 20th century (she came from a small village in Portugal--no fillings in teeth, no medical interventions that would show when she was born.

I thought perhaps if she had cancer and had whole body radiation right before she was killed, it would help preserve the body, but I believe the effects of WBR would show in an autopsy. Would you know about that, or have any other ideas.

I lost your post while typing reply. Still don't have the hang of this site. Thanks again.

Let me also add that cestiuim 137 is used in food irradiation in order to, you guessed it, eliminate any bacteria that might lead to decomposition. The process is known to extend the shelf life by a factor of ten, jus as freezing is know to extend the stability of vitamins by a factor of ten.

You're always welcome. Stay in touch. My former boss Dick Chitwood was in charge of the cersium-187 irradiation probram of DOE, so I certainly can provide answers if needed.

Thanks. I'll work on the irradiated body idea. Have to think it through and see what I come up with but it may actually help me with some of the plotting, so much appreciated.