Jason Starr was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1966. He grew up playing sports, such as tennis and baseball, and dreaming of pitching for the Yankees. In college, he took an interest in literature. He worked as a dishwasher, telemarketer, financial reporter, publishing assistant (he was fired from a publishing job at St. Martin's Press for reading and writing at his desk), and computer networking salesperson before publishing his first novel in 1997. Starr is the author of nine international bestselling crime novels, set mainly in the New York City area. Andrea Mutti is an Italian illustrator who has worked for numerous European comic publishers including Glenat, Soleil, Dargaud, and Casterman. In the American market Mutti has contributed to work at Vertigo including DMZ and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, along with work for Marvel and IDW.