Gary Troup

"(whispering) Bad Twin. A note from the editors. It is with a mix of pride and sorrow that Hyperion presents 'Bad Twin', the last novel by a wonderful author taken from us in the very prime of his writing life. As many readers are already aware, Gary Troup has been missing since September 2004 when the jetliner that was carrying him from Sydney to Los Angeles crashed somewhere over the South Pacific. While nothing is more human to hope for miracles, reason tells us that the author and his fellow travelers cannot have survived this disaster. As his books so vividly attest, Gary Troup was a master of quiet irony. Perhaps he would have savoured the cruel, but undeniable irony of his own demise on route from Sydney. In recent years, Australia had become an increasingly important part of his life. He loved the Land Down Under and the Land Down Under seemed to love him back. A new readership was discovering him in the antipodes. He seemed re-energised by the acceptance he found there, as evidenced by the letters that followed--correspondence that Troup shared with us when submitting his manuscript, just days before departing on his fateful journey. But it wasn't business alone that accounted for the author's increasingly frequent Transpacific travels. Somewhere in the skies above the ocean, he seemed to have found a great romance and this, to those of us who knew him well, came as a delightful surprise. Gary Troup was a confirmed bachelor. Long on charm, but short on commitment, he’d kept his affections ..."

"... re-energised by the acceptance he found there, as evidenced by the letters that followed--correspondence that Troup shared with us when submitting his manuscript, just days before departing on his fateful journey. But it wasn't business alone that accounted for the author's increasingly frequent Transpacific travels. Somewhere in the skies above the ocean, he seemed to have found a great romance and this, to those of us who knew him well, came as a delightful surprise. Gary Troup was a confirmed bachelor. Long on charm, but short on commitment, he’d kept his affections in check—until he met Cindy Chandler, a flight attendant on Oceanic Airlines. All indications are that he was completely smitten with her. It is to Cindy that he dedicated this book; with characteristic slyness, he even gave her a cameo role to play. If death can ever be kind, perhaps it was a kindness that the new lovers were lost in the same catastrophe, neither having to mourn the other.

Walkabout Publishing
Christine DeVries, Senior Editor
August 16, 2004
Mr. Gary Troup
481 West 68th Street
NY NY 10023
USA
Dear Mr. Troup,
I wanted to drop you a line to tell you how ..."

Walkabout Publishing
Christine DeVries, Senior Editor
August 16, 2004
Mr. Gary Troup
481 West 68th Street
NY NY 10023
USA
Dear Mr. Troup,
I wanted to drop you a line to tell you how delighted I am with the draft of BAD TWIN. I think it's the cleverest, and the same time spookiest, thing you've done. Good move setting some scenes in Sydney and at the reef not to mention including such an appealing, if not necessarily trustworthy Aussie woman as a love interest. Your growing audience in our hemisphere will no doubt appreciate the local references. I am happy to tell you that we are planning a major promotional push for your book, and I am wondering if we could lure you to Sydney sometime soon, to meet with our marketing people and to work out some details of your publicity tour. We would insist, of course, on arranging your accommodations and covering your expenses, as well as trying our very best to show you a damn good time while you are with us! Please let me know if you are willing to make the journey.
Warm regards,
Christine

Gary Troup
Ms. Christine DeVries
Walkabout Publishing
4200 Queen Street
Sydney, New South Wales
2316, Australia
August 23, 2004
Dear Christine–
Thanks so much for your kind note. Like every other sort of salesman, I rub my hands with glee at the thought of expanding my territory—and Australia is a big territory. Regarding my willingness to come to Sydney, you should know that I never miss a chance to visit your beautiful city—and if the trip is on the publisher's dime, so much the better. I trust that entertaining me will not be too difficult for you and your colleagues; just have a few bottles of your excellent Shiraz on hand at all times. Which reminds me, please don't call me Mr. Troup anymore, I write private eye books, not literary novels and I'm not to be taken too seriously. Let me know when it would be convenient to have me visit, early September would work for me.
Cheers,
Gary