Thalassa Ali is an American who married a Pakistani and lived in Lahore for 12 years, before returning to Boston to become a successful stockbroker. She is the daughter of two archaeologists, one British. Ali is the author of two previous novels featuring Mariana Givens, A Singular Hostage and A Beggar at the Gate. Although she now lives in Boston, she has never lost her deep connection to Pakistan, the country she calls her second home.