OLEN STEINHAUER was born in Virginia and grew up in Texas where he attended the state University in Austin. He was inspired to write his Eastern European series while on a Fullbright Fellowship in Romania to write about the 1989 revolution. He moved to New York to sell his book and began the second while in Florence. It was in Budapest, Hungary, that he finished it and still resides. His first two novels, ‘The Bridge of Sighs’ and ‘The Confession’, have garnered thus far an Edgar nomination, an Anthony nomination, a Macavity nomination, a Historical Dagger nomination and rave reviews. 'The Vienna Assignment' was his first novel published with HarperCollins and received excellent hardback reviews in the Guardian and Daily Telegraph.