The authors wish to extend their sincere thanks to the following people for their assistance: Jamie Raab, Jaime Levine, Mitch Hoffman, Nadine Waddell, Jon Couch, Douglas Margini, Eric Simonoff, Claudia Rülke, and the two persons who suggested the book’s title to us—Julia Douglas and Michael Sharp.
D
OUGLAS
P
RESTON
and
L
INCOLN
C
HILD
are coauthors of many bestselling novels, including
Relic
, which was made into a number one box office hit movie, as well as
The Cabinet of Curiosities, Still Life with Crows, Brimstone, The Book of the Dead, Fever Dream
, and
Gideon’s Sword
. Preston’s bestselling nonfiction book,
The Monster of Florence
, is being made into a motion picture starring George Clooney. His interests include horses, scuba diving, skiing, and exploring the Maine coast in an old lobster boat. Lincoln Child is a former book editor who has published five bestselling novels of his own. He is passionate about motorcycles, exotic parrots, and nineteenth-century English literature. Readers can sign up for
The Pendergast File
, a monthly “strangely entertaining note” from the authors, at their website,
www.prestonchild.com
. The authors also welcome visitors to their alarmingly active Facebook page, where they post regularly.
Gideon’s Corpse
Cold Vengeance
Gideon’s Sword
Fever Dream
Cemetery Dance
The Wheel of Darkness
The Book of the Dead
Dance of Death
Brimstone
Still Life with Crows
The Cabinet of Curiosities
The Ice Limit
Thunderhead
Riptide
Reliquary
Mount Dragon
Relic
In answer to a frequently asked reader question:
The above titles are listed in descending order of publication, though almost all of them are stand-alone novels that need not be read in order. However, the pairs
Relic/Reliquary
and
Dance of Death/The Book of the Dead
and the trilogy
Fever Dream/Cold Vengeance/Two Graves
should ideally be read in sequence.
Impact
The Monster of Florence
(with Mario Spezi)
Blasphemy
Tyrannosaur Canyon
The Codex
Ribbons of Time
The Royal Road
Talking to the Ground
Jennie
Cities of Gold
Dinosaurs in the Attic
The Third Gate
Terminal Freeze
Deep Storm
Death Match
Utopia
Tales of the Dark 1–3
Dark Banquet
Dark Company
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Also by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Splendide Mendax, Inc. and Lincoln Child
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Translation of
Der Erlkönig
from the German by Edgar Alfred Bowring.
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
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First e-book edition: December 2012
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ISBN 978-1-4555-1053-5