Deceit in the City of Masks is the first book in Michal Strutin's 16th-century adventure mystery Blood & Wool trilogy. She's an award-winning author of eight books on natural and cultural history, including Places of Grace: the Natural Landscapes of the American Midwest and two volumes of Smithsonian Guides to Natural America. Michal's articles have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Outside, and others. She's worked as an editor at Outside and National Parks magazines, newspapers, and radio. Her first novel was Judging Noa: a Fight for Women's Rights in the Turmoil of the Exodus. Michal lives in San Jose.