1978, Jonestown.
909 dead-two children survive.
Where are they now?
Two children scramble through a remote jungle to escape the madness of Jonestown. When they return to America they're given new names. A fresh start. Almost forty years later Will Finch stumbles across an abandoned Armani jacket in an inner-city San Francisco playground. He soon learns that the jacket holds a secret. A cryptic message that tears his life apart and threatens to make him the latest victim of the Jonestown massacre. Inspired by true events, Second Life will keep you bolted to your chair until you reach the final sentence. This uncompromising noir murder mystery catapults you on a mesmerizing journey from a historic catastrophe to a prophecy of mass annihilation.
"The children went first, died first. But imagine if two escaped, returned to the US, were given new identities, the chance of a 'second life.' How would it all turn out? Would they escape the memory of Jonestown, embrace the rituals of a normal life, grow up, have families, pay taxes, argue with the TV ... or would they become occult messengers of the fatal theosophy preached by the Reverend Jim Jones? This is the question, the premise of D.F. Bailey's latest psychological thriller with a twist, Second Life."
- Lawrence Russell, author of Radio Brazil Author Q & A with D. F. Bailey Q: Your title, Second Life, hints at something more than a dreary 9-to-5 existence. How does it fit into your thriller series? DFB: The title is derived from an ancient quote by Confucius: "We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one." When I first read that sentence, I thought, now here's a different way of looking at things. It really struck me with its insight. When you consider our brief life here on Earth, this sort of awareness can inspire people to take up a cause. For good-or for evil. So I drew my title from it since it suggests a noir murder mystery. Q: You're known for your crime fiction series and psychological thrillers with a twist. How do they relate to the Jonestown disaster? DFB: Until 9-11 the Jonestown massacre marked the largest civilian slaughter in American history. It took place in South America, in a remote jungle in Guyana, but the victims were mostly Americans, followers of Jim Jones's Temple which was once based in San Francisco. Some argue that the event wasn't a massacre-that it was mass suicide-but over a third of the victims were children led to their deaths by their utterly deluded parents. The trite phrase, "They drank the Kool-Aid," is their enduring legacy. It serves to warn us of the malignant power of religious cults. Q: And two of those children escaped? DFB: That's the fictional premise. I wanted to explore what might happen to children who survived the disaster on November 18, 1978. That's where Will Finch comes in. If you've read the first three books in the series you know that Finch is not a superhero. However, he's smart, tough, determined. Bent, but not broken. Q: Other than Will Finch and Eve Noon, do any characters from the previous novels appear in Second Life? DFB: Absolutely. Fiona Page and Wally Gimbel are alive and kicking. And Gabe Finkleman, who was introduced in Lone Hunter, is now a rising force at the San Francisco eXpress. Q: I thought the first three books-Bone Maker, Stone Eater, and Lone Hunter-formed a trilogy. Does Second Life change your mystery and suspense series books into a quartet? DFB: No, the trilogy stands as a complete, three-part unit. Second Life is the first of what I hope will be a continuing thriller series that builds on the characters introduced in the trilogy. If you liked the trilogy, I think you'll enjoy Second Life, too.