by Jonas Saul
During the walk to the bathroom the first scene of The Kill struck me. Darwin would find a way to get Rosina on the plane as they were heading to Greece so he could get her to safety as the Mafia were after him for hitting a made man with his car.
And the rest is history ...
During the writing of The Kill, I used many of the places in Rome my wife and I visited. The hotel the Kostas’ stayed in with the little balcony was the exact room we had. The train station, Termini, was written as close to detail as possible. Even down to the pay phone Darwin used to call Greg in the States—I used that phone.
In the restaurant on the second floor overlooking the north access to the train station is where my wife and I had cappuccino. I used this as the location for the scene when Darwin holds a pencil to the gangster’s neck and says, “Move a fucking inch, and the next time you move any muscle will be convulsions from the lead poisoning in your neck.”
After leaving Rome, the locations got easier as I spent most of my youth in Toronto.
For this Trilogy, I researched torture (I’m sure you could tell). My goal was to have an innocent enough kid (Darwin), even though he’s in his early twenties, fall into the hands of an ultra-violent boss of the underworld and find a way to not only survive, but get out alive with all his fingers and toes intact.
To do that, I gave my main character two phobias: aichmophobia, an irrational fear of sharp and pointed objects, and achluophobia, a fear of the dark. When presented with these fears, he would lose his mind, attack when he normally wouldn’t, and generally go insane, causing the Mafia to not only fear his motivations as they start to die one by one, but also need to kill him for their new problem to go away.
By the writing of the second book, The Blade, they had been unsuccessful. Even burying him alive didn’t work. When the Russians get involved, Darwin is surely done. They’re smarter, stronger, more ruthless, and the most dangerous criminal organization on the planet. When I began research on The Kill, I decided to keep this series to the Italian Mafia--the Reds just seemed too dangerous. (Sorry, La Cosa Nostra. You guys are great as villains, but the Russians are insane).
In the end, I decided to use them for The Scythe. What a way to end the Trilogy, I thought. They would become the craziest villain that Darwin would have to face.
Both golf courses I used in the novel are ones I’ve golfed at but shall remain nameless. (Lawsuit avoiding here). There’s no High Hills Golf Course on Highway 50 in Toronto or surrounding area. (I know, I looked it up).
The Russians are into strip clubs and restaurants and it is true that Toronto is too large a territory for one family, but fiction is what I do, so most of what you read was made up.
I used the Barrie Hospital because it opened September 22, 1997. My first born daughter was delivered there on September 29, 1997. I will often give my respect in this unique way to past events and locales. They have a highly visible Helipad right by the highway. Although it’s mentioned in the story, it remained unused by my characters.
Barrie is a nice city (lived there for a few years), but Toronto is my hometown, hence numerous projects of mine are centered there.
This Trilogy couldn’t have been completed without the nurturing care of my lovely wife and fellow author, Brenda Grate . She is my first reader and I hover near her as she reads each and every manuscript of mine. Every gasp, laugh and tear needs to be talked about in great detail. I know I drive her mad with this defect in personality but that is what you sign on for when married to a writer who opens a vein when I write to produce words written in blood.
I would also like to thank my editor, Robb Grindstaff who is also a fellow writer. His new wonderful novel, Hannah’s Voice is out and available on Amazon. Grab this masterpiece. You’ll love it. What a writer ...
In the meantime, I need to say goodbye to Darwin and Rosina. May they enjoy their time in Italy, sipping wine, making love and looking over their shoulder ...
Happy reading,
Jonas Saul
Good reviews are important to a novel’s success. If you enjoyed The Mafia Trilogy, please leave a review wherever you purchased the book.
Sincerely,
About Jonas Saul
Jonas Saul is the author of the Sarah Roberts Series and The Mafia Trilogy. Visit his Amazon page for a complete listing of his books.
Visit his website, www.jonassaul.com for upcoming release dates, and to sign up for the newsletter. Jonas lives in Washington, USA.
Contact Jonas Saul
Website: http://www.jonassaul.com
Twitter: @jonassaul
Email: [email protected]
Or send mail to Jonas Saul ℅ Imagine Press Inc.:
American Address:
900 Front Street, Suite C #137
Leavenworth, Washington
98826
United States
Canadian Address:
101 - 1865 Dilworth Drive
Suite 366
Kelowna, B.C.
V1Y 9T1
Canada
Jonas Saul Titles
The Sarah Roberts Series
1. Dark Visions
2. The Warning
3. The Crypt
4. The Hostage (*Featuring Drake Bellamy from The Threat)
5. The Victim (*Featuring Aaron Stevens from The Specter)
6. The Enigma
7. The Vigilante (*Featuring Aaron Stevens from The Specter)
8. The Rogue (*Featuring Darwin and Rosina Kostas from The Mafia Trilogy)
9. Killing Sarah
10. The Antagonist
11. The Redeemed
12. The Haunted (Coming Soon)
13. The Unlucky (Coming Soon)
The Mafia Trilogy (Starring Darwin and Rosina Kostas)
1. The Kill
2. The Blade
3. The Scythe
Standalone Novels
1. The Threat (Starring Drake Bellamy)
2. The Specter (Starring Aaron Stevens)
3. A Murder in Time (Starring Marcus Johnson)
Compilations
1. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 1-3
2. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 4-6
3. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 7-9
4. Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 10-12 (Coming Soon)
5. The Mafia Trilogy
6. The Jonas Saul Thriller Trilogy (The Threat, The Specter, A Murder in Time)
PUBLISHED BY:
Imagine Press Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-927404-23-2
The Mafia Trilogy
Copyright © 2013 by Jonas Saul
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Beginning
The Kill
The Blade
The Scythe
About the Author