The Boy from Reactor 4

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS served as reference: Svetlana Alexievich’s Voices from Chernobyl, C.C. Bailey’s The Aftermath of Chernobyl, R.F. Mould’s Chernobyl Record, Adriana Petryna’s Life Exposed, James Forsyth’s A History of the Peoples of Siberia, John Ziker’s Peoples of the Tundra, Ian Halliday’s Native Peoples of Alaska, and Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia, Volumes I and III.

I am indebted to the following people for their assistance with this enterprise. Jaromir Jagr unwittingly inspired the plot. The men, women and children of Chernobyl inspired the writer. Lou Paglia, Neil McMahon, Jeff Palmer, Mary Jane Cronin, and Jim Cronin read early drafts. Elaine Thomas offered exhaustive input, infectious enthusiasm, and moral support. Scott and James Palmer of Palmer Group Media provided invaluable web design and social media exposure. Scott also created brilliant alternate cover art. Charlotte Herscher guided me to a superior final draft and made the experience a pleasure. Daphne Durham and Andy Bartlett turned a writer’s dream into reality. It’s a privilege to work with them and the rest of the Thomas & Mercer team. Erica Spellman-Silverman of Trident Media Group discovered the book and promoted it relentlessly. She is agent, counsel, and friend. My parents, Eudokia and Bohdan Stelmach, provided an education and instilled in their children a love and appreciation for America that remains the same today.

First and last, of course, I thank Robin for her love and unwavering support.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

^{Photo by Robin Stelmach, 2011}

Orest Stelmach was born in Connecticut, the child of Ukrainian immigrants. He didn’t speak English until he began school as a child, going on to earn academic degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago. Along the way, he earned his living washing dishes and stocking department-store shelves, later teaching English in Japan and managing international investments. In 2012, his short story “In Persona Christi” was published in the Mystery Writers of America anthology Vengeance. He speaks Ukrainian, Spanish, and Japanese. The Boy from Reactor 4 is his first novel.

Review

“A top-notch, fast-moving thriller with gripping authenticity from Stelmach’s knowledge of politics, history, and crime in Eastern Europe and America.”

— Neil McMahon, New York Times bestselling author of Toys, and Dead Silver

“Stelmach brilliantly pairs breakneck pacing with heart-of-gold insights into regions as beautiful as they are troubled. The Boy From Reactor 4 is phenomenal.”

— Dan Mayland, author of The Colonel’s Mistake and The Leveling

From Booklist