Gerald Lynch was born in Ireland and grew up in Canada. Missing Children is his fifth book of fiction, the third set in the Ottawa suburb of Troutstream, and preceded by the novels Troutstream (1995) and Exotic Dancers (2001). He has also authored two books of non-fiction, edited a number of books, and published many short stories and essays and reviews. He has been the recipient of a number of awards for his writing, including the gold award for short fiction in Canada's National Magazine Awards. He teaches at the University of Ottawa.