A few notes on Research in Paris for Murder in the Latin Quarter

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A few notes on Research in Paris for Murder in the Latin Quarter
I can’t write as a French woman, I can’t even tie my scarf the right way because, let’s face it, French women have that scarf-tying gene. It’s important to me that Aimee Leduc, my detective, be a young, contemporary woman like the Parisian women I know, have a strong fashion sense and be fierce in her pursuit of justice, the justice that often eludes people in daily life.   And that Aimée know much more about computers than I do. I want to paint the off-the-beaten-track Paris that I’ve discovered, with its history, to show a vibrant, living darker side of the City of Light.  Research is the best part of what I do. I interview cafe owners, shopkeepers and people who live in the quartier, study the street, learn about the architecture and history of the district, crawl in the sewers, and explore the tunnels of old quarries underground. I consult police records, the National Archives and photo libraries in Paris, go to the flea markets and visit the bouqinistes–those book stalls with old books and magazines lining the Seine.   Over the years I’ve gotten to know several female detectives, police officers in different branches and even have a friend who works in the Ministry of Interior. I take them out to dinner, ply them with wine, and ask them about their work, their cases and law enforcement procedures.   In the case of Murder in the Latin Quarter, which takes place in September 1997 two weeks after Princess Diana’s car crash, I’d met a retired Commissaire from the Brigade Criminelle who was in charge of the Princess Diana investigation and ran ideas by him, i.e., would you do this, is this credible? He was so kind and helpful insisting he wanted me to "get it right."  I’ve hung out in a smoke-filled police station radio room, gone to target practice with flics at their police firing range in Paris, toured the Prefecture–the central Police HQ, seen jail cells, the courts, consulted with lawyers, air traffic controllers at Charles de Gaulle airport, and the corner kiosk news vendor.   I’m a member of two neighborhood historic associations, one on the Canal Saint Martin and the other in the Marais. I travel to Paris twice a year, sleep on my friend’s couch in Montmartre, and take to the streets. Even getting lost in Paris is wonderful because I discover new neighborhoods, a "new" old shop, or meet the local wine merchant, always a great font of information.    www.carablack.com
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