Paris Then and Now--a date with Cara Black

RHYS BOWEN: Every March I look forward to sharing a pub date and subsequent tour with my friend Cara Black. I’m sure most of you know that Cara writes the Aimée Leduc series set in 1990s Paris.  Wonderful, atmospheric books each one taking us to a different arrondissement of the city. 

So hi, Cara. I’m dying to know what the new book is called.

CARA BLACK : It’s called Murder in Pigalle and comes out March 4 - same day as yours, Rhys. Set in that that naughty neighborhood of the Moulin Rouge at the base of Montmartre. 

RHYs: That’s amazing because this time my Molly Murphy book is also not only set in Paris but is centered just off Place Pigalle. And I swear we didn’t talk to each other about it before we wrote! So what drew you to set your book there--yes I know you’re working your way around all the arrondissements, but why Pigalle

CARA: I have an old friend who has an apartment in the neighborhood. She raised her family there and I love to visit her. It’s an area full of history—Degas lived there. Chopin. George Sand. And it’s like two different places—by day families picnic in the park and at night the less salubrious folk come out. It’s also the theater district with thirteen live theaters still going strong and lots of theater folk living nearby.

 So we have the mixture of the wholesome and the not so wholesome.

RHYS: This is so fascinating for me because I also chose the area just off Pigalle because my story has to do with the art world of 1905 Paris. Do you know that there was a market for artist’s models every Monday morning in Place Pigalle? Degas also has a cameo role in my books, as do Picasso, Gertrude Stein and many others. I have several scenes that take place at the Café des Novelles Athenes…

CARA: Which I also mention, in fact I have a murder there!  I’m fascinated that it’s an area of lovely old mansions with inner courtyards.  In fact it was really countrified until not too long ago.

RHYS: You’re right. A lot of my book takes place on Montmartre and In 1905 it was rural—little wooden shacks among vegetable gardens with goats grazing. Most of those artists garrets had no heat or light (remember La Boheme?) That’s why the cafes were so popular. One could sit all day in the warmth and chat for the price of a cup of coffee.

So Cara, you’ve said why you chose to set the story there, but what about the actual story?  I know each of your books seems to have a fabulous real-life story trigger. Does this one?

CARA: It was based on a real case. I had lunch with a friend who is a retired homicide inspector and was told about a case that happened in 1998—exactly the time I am writing about. The police were searching for a serial rapist who targeted young girls on their way home from school. The police couldn’t catch him. Parents formed vigilante groups and beat up the wrong guy.  In Paris, as you know, each quartier is like a village and these attacks shocked everyone. Finally he was caught and seemed really normal and unassuming. He was sentenced and killed in prison. 

So in my story Aimee is pregnant but asked to find a missing girl so it hits close to home.  This is a book about mothers, parenting, about trying to separate personal life from a job and the toll it takes.

RHYS: Aimee pregnant? That is such a game-changer for her. I’m dying to see how she handles it. And I love the way you always bring in real events. I try and do the same. It makes the stories matter more, somehow. In my book part of the story involves the Dreyfus affair and how it divided Paris.

CARA: The big real event that comes into my story is the soccer World Cup, held in Paris in 1998. World cup fever is sweeping the city, with crowds and rioting fans, making it a time of heightened danger. 

RHYS: This all sounds terrific, Cara. I’m dying to get my hands on a copy. When we go on tour together you can drive and I’ll read! And for those of you who are interested, both Cara and I have our tour schedules up on our websites. We’ll be doing events in the Bay Area and in Southern California together at the end of March. Come and say hello and hear about Paris, then and now. Thanks for stopping by, Cara. See you soon.

Cara's website is www.carablack.com and mine is www.rhysbowen.com