Murder She Writes

Cara Black released her 10th Aimée Leduc investigation, Murder in the Palais Royal, earlier this month. To coincide with this event I was recently able to grill her about the series and her Paris inspirations, and discovered how being a writer can be compared to being a private investigator.

A while ago on this blog I pondered the life of the private detective in Paris. Their world was a secret one I found impossible to penetrate until I discovered Cara Black and her Aimée Leduc alter-ego. Black has previously said that the crime novel is the perfect genre to allow her to explore the dark side of Paris, and she counts several of the city’s private detectives and police chiefs as friends. These contacts have enabled her to build her stories, one for each arrondissement in Paris, with inspiration from real-life cases. The perfect witness then to give me an insight into the mysterious profession of investigative sleuthing!

In your stories, Leduc Detectives are based in the Rue du Louvre. This however is also the address of perhaps the most famous real-life agency in the city, the similarly named Deluc Détective. Can you explain the links between the two and how you came to use this name and address?
Leduc Detective is indeed based on the Duluc Detective agency. It happened one day years ago when I was at the bus stop on Rue du Louvre. Across from me on the street was the wonderful neon thirties sign of Duluc and I’d been interviewing female detectives in Paris and thought why not this agency? I crossed the street, met Madame Duluc who inherited this agency from her father who himself had inherited it from his grandfather who’d started in the Suréte. She was very gracious and told me the history, the cases they work on and much more. I used the agency as a template for Leduc Detective; Aimée had a grandfather who'd started the agency and went from there. But when the publisher suggested we use another name for legal reasons I agreed.

What is the everyday business of Leduc Detectives?
Aimée and her partner, René Friant specialize in computer security, for firms who hire them. A lot of the work is routine, security based and for Aimée hum drum but it pays the bills. She’s a licencsed private detective who’d helped her father with criminal cases before his death in the Place Vendome explosion five years earlier. She’d turned from criminal cases when she inherited the agency, drafted her friend René from the Sorbonne, who’s a hacker extraordinaire and now he’s her partner in the firm.

As an American living in San Francisco, why did you choose to create a fictional heroine based in Paris?
I’ve loved Georges Simenon’s Inspector Maigret and Leo Malet’s Detective Nestor Burma series for a long time. I wanted to see something contemporary set in Paris and wasn’t finding it. Though I’m not French I grew up in a Francophile family in California, my father loved good food and wine, my uncle had studied painting under Georges Braques in the 50’s and life in our house was very much of French appreciation. I went to a Catholic school with French nuns who taught us archaic French and felt a bond, some strange familiarity with all things French as I grew up. That’s partly why Aimée Leduc, my detective is half-American half-French because I knew I couldn’t write as a French woman. I can’t even tie my scarf properly.

What is it about Paris that inspires crime fiction?
The history maybe? For me, that’s a big part and my research gives me the chance and a nice excuse to go to Paris and scratch the surface. Dig deep and deeper to understand the quartier, the people who live there, the origins of the quartier such as Bastille with its old furniture making and artisanal roots. Paris holds so many secrets and stories that I want to keep discovering.

Each Aimée Leduc story concentrates on a different district in Paris. How do you go about researching the locations, and what kinds of things in particular are you looking for?
For me it’s about the place in Paris; capturing the ambiance, the streets, the rhythm and the flavor that makes it unique. Each part of Paris was once a village and that’s what I’m looking for. I talk with cafe owners, police, people at the Archives, research photos at the Carnavalet museum, take people out for wine and get them to talk. Talk about growing up in the district, or their mother who was born there. I’ve joined the Marais historic society and the Historic society of the 10th arrondissement and met people who share so kindly with me about the place, the way the things are and used to be. Often I’ve gotten lost and that’s the best because then I discover a corner of Paris, an alley, a place I’ve never been before and that becomes part of the book.

Credit: Laura Skayhan

Would you consider the research you do for the books as something akin to detective work?
Very much so and that’s a great question. It’s about solving a crime and everything it entails like a real investigation; the clues, the red herrings, the false trails, the witnesses, the evidence, the police whom I consulting the Archives, libraries, old newspapers, interviews with experts in the field a retired Brigade Criminelle inspector, a locksmith, a banking officer, To plot a crime novel it’s necessary to think like the investigator and be in the mind of the villain who orchestrates the events and masterminds the plot.

The private eye has traditionally been a laconic, anti-social male. Was the young and rather glamourous Aimée Leduc a reaction against this?
Yes in a way. I think I wrote what I wanted to read. I wasn’t finding any contemporary books with characters who lived in Paris. Or who were computer savy, vulnerable and had fashion sense. She’s battling the old boys network in the police, the ministry and those who brush her off as a woman. She’s in a trade which is less common for women, has trouble in relationships and is attracted to bad boys, has lost her family and has no ties except for her godfather who’s support is sporadic. She is in a way, a lone wolf, neither fish nor fowl, being half-French and an outsider.

What future locations do you have planned for Aimée in Paris?
I’ve written about ten arrondissements, I’ve got another ten to go...

Murder in the Palais Royal - an Aimée Leduc Investigation, published by Soho Crime, is available now.

Who Owns the Zoo?

It's like a jungle out there - or is it a zoo? Look across parts of the 11th, 19th and 20th arrondissements and you will see Zoo or Belleville Zoo written on the walls, including a monumental example at its heart in the Forge de Belleville, but who uses the name, and what does it refer to?

The first to use this term were groups of kids in the area. Although they are not a gang as such, the tag markers are certainly territorial. It is easy to plot the limits of their zone by following the very basic tags, often written in felt-tip pen or chalk, across the area. If the tags are not marker enough, this website makes it even clearer; Ramponeau, Rue Piat, Rebeval, l'Orillon, the social housing projects in Belleville. This is a territory they rarely leave, so perhaps it is this sentiment of being caged and confined in a particular sector of the city which has lead to them labelling it as a zoo.

But can you own a tag or a name? In July 2009, a collective of several artists working together produced a monumental fresque at la Forge de Belleville. The day was documented here, and therefore we know who put this up and why. No mention is made of the history, of the groups of kids who already use the term. For this collective, Belleville Zoo is "une vérité, car ici la population est métissée, hétéroclite" (the truth, because the population here is mixed and heterogeneous). They appropriated the term, but used it for different reasons. Sitting above these giant letters are a gorilla and an elephant, a comic book celebration of the vibrancy of the area.

The local kids who live alongside this creation do not seem to mind that Belleville Zoo has been used by someone else. In fact they are probably happy to see their territory identified so clearly.

Also in La Forge de Belleville, and at several other locations around the east of Paris you can find examples of the most mysterious zoo of all - Zoo Project. The artist (or artists) behind these creations has never been identified, and the only communication made is through the paintings.

The creations are always large, always painted and almost always in black and white. The name was almost certainly chosen to describe the pictures which are often human bodies with bird or goat heads. The fact that many of these creations can be found within the boundaries of the Belleville Zoo seems to be a happy accident. (Many more Zoo Project creations can be seen here).

So who does own the zoo? Nobody of course! Belleville is the city melting pot, shared by all its inhabitants, but how much interaction is there really between the different populations? Perhaps the zoo is just the individual, invisible cages we all have.

Something for the Weekend (26th – 29th March)

Although we will lose an hour’s sleep this weekend in France, I have nevertheless made it a longer one than usual by including an event on Monday evening!

If you have any events or activities you think should be promoted or which you would like to promote yourself, please add them in the comments. Let me know also if you have any events in the coming weekends you would like to promote.

Les Lundis de Lutèce : 50 years of Motown !
On the last Monday of each month, Sylvanie de Lutèce takes over the Baron Samedi bar and gives a sparkling themed presentation on the history of Paris. This month is slightly different however, as she will be spinning through the history of Motown records in honour of its 50th birthday. Such a presentation would have to include music you would think and you would be right. Sylvanie is also an excellent DJ and will be performing afterwards, but during the presentation she will be accompanied by singers Rachel and Orlando from Brown Sugar. Details are still a little sketchy, but expect something soulful, funky…and informative!
Monday 29th at Le Baron Samedi from 7pm.
12 Rue des Goncourt, 75011 (M° Goncourt)

No Sarkozy Day
How do you turn a virtual protest into a real one? This is the challenge that a rag-bag group of bloggers and Facebook users have set themselves this Saturday across France. 300,000 or so people have signed up to the virtual group, but how many will turn up to the various flashmob style gatherings around the country?

The group were inspired by a similar anti-Berlusconi event that took place last December in Italy, even going as far as adopting the same violet colours. They would like to see themselves as part of a new pan-European form of political movement, organised by citizens outside of the traditional power groups such as the unions and political parties, but can this work in a country so used to organised and controlled demonstrations? We'll see at 2pm on Saturday at the Place de la République if this virtual anti-Sarkozy movement will make a real splash and just a gentle ripple.

Crime et Chatiment
Popular opinion has it that Sarkozy was elected in 2007 on a law and order ticket, so he would surely approve of the Musée d’Orsay’s latest exhibition! Crime et Chatiment (Crime and Punishment – a title chosen as reference to this year's Russia celebrations in France) is a look at the way in which crime has been treated by the art world over a two hundred year period between the French Revolution and the abolition of the death penalty in France. Definitely one of the most interesting and thought provoking exhibitions of the year, but organisers have warned that it is not for the faint hearted!
Musée d'Orsay
Until June 27th
Opening days and times can be found here.

Grand Salon d'Art Abordable
If you have ever been tempted to invest in some art but felt intimidated by high prices and snobbish galleries, the Salon d'Art Abordable (affordable art) could be a good opportunity for you to have a relaxing browse. To describe the spirit of the event, the organisers have simply taken the dictionary defintion of the word 'abordable' : accessible facilement, accueillant, aimable, bon marché et raisonnable. Is the art itself interesting and worth purchasing though? Judge for yourself: http://www.salon-art-abordable.com/
La Bellevilloise
21 Rue Boyer, 75020 (M° Menilmontant)
Friday 2pm - 10pm, Saturday 10am - 10pm, Sunday 10am - 8pm
Note: Entrance is normally €5, but you can download a free entrance ticket for two here.

Lights Out for the Territory
A reminder that this Saturday between 8.30pm and 9.30pm is 'Earth Hour'. The exterior lights of many public buildings and monuments will be switched off by the city of Paris, and even the Eiffel Tower will go dark for five minutes. At the same time, 1600 candles will be lit beneath the old lady, which could be a sight worth seeing!

Le Phare du Quartier

What is the best-preserved art deco building in Paris? Surprisingly, the answer may well be a little-known neighbourhood church in the 20th arrondissement. Spotlight on a fascinating structure that merits greater recognition.

Approaching from the south, the view up towards Saint Jean Bosco is misleadingly Mediterranean. With a backdrop of lustrous blue skies, the whitewashed reinforced concrete church gives the impression of being in the heart of a medina. The form of the spire, vaguely reminiscent of a minaret, has also given the church its nickname – le phare du quartier (the district lighthouse), an affectionate term for what has become a beacon in this multicultural area of Paris.

The decorative style of the church, labelled ‘gothic art-deco’ by the art historian Simon Texier, was the work of a little-known architect called Dumitru (Démetrius) Rotter. The church, funded by the Salesian sect, was originally conceived as just one element of a much larger project to provide education to the young disadvantaged of the area, but because of financial difficulties, only the church was ever built.

Instead, when built between 1933 and 1937, the final project divided the structure into two halves; an upstairs and a downstairs. The upstairs was to act as a traditional neighbourhood church, whereas the downstairs was designed to fulfill the Salesian educational role. Although to some extent this continues today, you are just as likely to find groups of multicultural and multi-faith kids enjoying an afternoon party in these converted function rooms.

Whereas many churches have decorative elements and bolted on extensions covering centuries and a multitude of styles, here is a building in which everything was planned and designed at the same time. Although the outside, with its claustra latticework, was clearly influenced by the Perret brothers' Notre Dame de la Consolation in Le Raincy (1922), the interior is far more original.

The similarities between Saint Jean Bosco (top) and Notre Dame de la Consolation (beneath) are very clear.

The level of preservation is remarkable, even down to the sculptured wooden chairs in the pews. It is a resolutely modern church, a rectangular box structure, but the angled concrete pillars, polychrome mosaics and elegant stained glass windows mask the simplicity of the building and give it a monumental air.

What is most striking is the coherency of the ensemble. This is largely due to the fact that one company, Maumejean frères, had responsibility for the design and construction of the majority of works present in the church. They not only produced most of the stained-glass windows, but also worked on the mosaics and the marble fonts and alters.

The play of light and colour inside the building is almost theatrical, thanks in large part to a zenithal band of stained-glass windows around the edge of the ceiling. This light sets off the mosaics perfectly, although the chosen subjects seem a little dubious to my eyes. I can’t help wondering what the local North African population, who sometimes use the function rooms below, would make of a rather bloodthirsty fresque celebrating military victories over Muslim forces. An understandable choice in an 18th century church perhaps, but not one built in the 1930s.

The craftsmanship throughout is wonderful, particularly on the stained-glass windows which are expressionistic and sometimes almost cubist. Valérie Gaudard in her 2009 essay on the church points out that these were amongst the last examples of pictorial arts being used in a religious structure in France before abstract modernism took over in the 1940s. Their artistic qualities and their well-preserved state are the reasons why the building was classified as a historical monument in 2001. They should also be reason enough for you to make a visit!

Saint Jean Bosco, 79 Rue Alexandre Dumas, 75020 (M° Alexandre Dumas)

Obscura at the Musée Fragonard

The first international Obscura day on Saturday celebrated the strange and the wonderful around the world. In Paris, around 20 people met up to visit the impressive Musée Fragonard where anatomical curiosities mix with French architectural classicism.

Saturday is caught on the cusp of winter and spring, and the clouds don't know whether to let sun break through or throw down more rain. We were told to meet up at 2pm at the Musée Fragonard in Maisons Alfort, a short Metro trip from Paris, but it seems that people are having trouble finding the exact spot. I take what I presume to be a short cut through brick and stone stables, but when I see a 'Keep out - contagious disease' sign, I'm not sure I've made the right decision.

The stables are a surprise, but they shouldn't be. This is a vetinary school and a working animal hospital. As well as sick horses on site, there are also cats, dogs, reptiles and even cows, but these are the lucky ones. Alongside them, in the museum, are the bones, brains and disected innards of their bretheren and forefathers.

Inside, the guided tour begins. The museum is an integral part of the school and has been since 1765 when it was founded by Louis XV. Even today it is run by students, and it is one of them, a third year scholar called Marie-Aude, who shows us around.

As she points out immediately, this is an institution that has always had a rather awkward dual role. It was designed to educate undergraduates at the school, but Louis XV also wanted it to enlighten a wider audience from outside. To attract them through the doors though, it was clear that informative dissections would have to be balanced with examples of the outlandish and the freakish. The balance still exists, although students at the school today learn little from the exhibits, and its role is more of an artistic or historical one.

It is perhaps easier for us visitors to look at the rather gruesome cut-ups and jars of preserved objects from an aesthetic perspective too. The craft of the creators, men such as Petitcolin in the 19th century, is admirable in its meticulousness. Washed through and carefully blown dry stomachs and digestive tracts sit mounted in cabinets, impressive in their enormity. In another, the delicate bronchial trees of horses stand on shelves like a tiny petrified forest.

After the educational comes what Marie-Aude calls 'the monsters'. In fact, these are the abnormalities and deformities, mostly birth defects such as two-headed lambs and one-eyed pigs. These were displayed here clearly to impress, but they did initially help scientists to provide answers to age-old questions. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire for example used these examples to point out that most mythological beasts were probably just well-known species with certain abnormalities.

After being quickly whisked through a room of skeletons, we arrive at the secret heart of the museum. Honoré Fragonard, always the main draw, gave his name to the institution, but today his work is tucked away in a small darkened room known as the 'cabinet des curiosités'. Eternal revenge on a man whose renown had grown too large, it is made clear to us that we are entering a science-free zone.

Honoré Fragonard was a cousin of the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard, but the creations he left behind were perhaps more revolutionary than those of his more illustrious relation. He was a scientific man, a qualified surgeon and a member of the world's first veterinary school in Lyon. He was brought to the new school at Alfort where he worked for six years preparing thousands of anatomical pieces. He had mastered a new technique for preserving flesh, but it was one that he was determined to keep to himself. Whether it was due to this secrecy or because his success inspired jealousy, he was eventually fired from the school in 1771, ostensibly for being 'mad' and scaring visitors.

He continued creating outside of the school, selling his works to the aristocracy. His pieces became more and more theatrical, with creations such as a cavalier mounted on horseback. The objects, known as his 'écorchés' (flayed figures) have miraculously survived for over 200 years, mostly, as Marie-Aude informs us, because of his choice of varnish. This was not only the same as the one used by his painter cousin, but also had the benefit of being an insect repellent!

The final resting place of his 21 remaining creations is perhaps the most atmospheric in the museum, and there is silence as our group observes the wild eyes of one of his cadavres. It is impressive stuff, but it is perhaps best not to ask where he found the bodies!

Our visit comes to an end here, alongside a ceiling-high cabinet of carefully labelled jars and tubes. We push back through the doors, back into the light, back into the enlightenment. We have learned things, thanks to the clear explanations of Marie-Aude, but above all we have been thoroughly impressed by the collection. Perhaps we'll all meet again for next year's Obscura Day!

Note: the museum is open to visitors on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 2pm - 6pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 1pm - 6pm.

Listen to a podcast from this event here: http://www.english.rfi.fr/culture/20100418-pounds-flesh