Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England and the Victims of Torture Reredos Bishop Alcock
While I was researching these novels, I realized that I needed to understand a bit more about crime and punishment, torture, and those who inflict it. While I anticipated reading up on some rather gruesome history in order to gain this understanding, I was unprepared for the number of references that used examples not from history, but from my own lifetime, including a variety of horrific incidents perpetrated in only the last few years. All around the world, as I write, thousands of people are unjustly imprisoned, punished and tortured for social mores and pseudo-crimes. They are subjected to cruel and unusual punishments by invaders, interrogators, and their own governments.
In honor of those who continue to suffer, I have donated a portion of the proceeds from my novels to Amnesty International, to fight against such injustices around the world and within the American system. If you are moved or disturbed by descriptions of medieval “justice”, please be aware that many of these practices continue to this day. Please consider joining me in supporting Amnesty International, or another organization that works to combat human rights abuses.
