Best-selling author Cara Black may live in San Francisco, but she left her heart in Paris. All 19 of her popular Aimée Leduc mystery books are set in the City of Light — each rooted in a different neighborhood. And her latest novel, “Three Hours in Paris,” is a riveting World War II thriller that follows Kate Rees, a young American markswoman recruited by British intelligence to drop into occupied France and pull off a perilous mission: assassinate Adolf Hitler.
Q So why does Paris have such a hold on you?
A Apart from me wanting to go there more and more? I don’t know. I just love it, and I don’t think I have an idealized view of it. I love its warts, too. It’s like Audrey Hepburn said: “Paris is always a good idea.”
Q What motivated you to break from your mystery series for a stand-alone period piece?
A I’ve always been fascinated by World War II. My family served, and I heard a lot of stories growing up. When I first went to Paris at 18, I was struck by all the layers of (war) history there — walls pockmarked with bullet holes and so much more. And over the years, I accumulated all these little notebooks (of research) with things that didn’t fit into the Aimée books. Much of it was about World War II.
I started thinking: What if I wrote about an American woman involved with the war? I love John le Carré’s espionage stories and books like “Day of the Jackal” (by Frederick Forsyth). But I’m so tired of the fact that they never have a female protagonist.
Q Does Kate share any traits with Aimée?
A They’re both headstrong and very resilient women. And they’re both outsiders in France. But while writing Kate, I wanted to get away from fashion. Aimée is much more fashionable than I am. I wanted Kate to be an everywoman. She’s a mother, a wife, a daughter. She’s a brash, big-boned gal from Oregon who would never fit in on the streets of Paris without some help. She represents a fun break for me.
Q She’s also someone who thinks fast on her feet.
A Yes, that’s something I can’t do, but really admire. I’m the kind of person who, 10 minutes later, comes up with the perfect reply.
Q What’s next for Aimée? Will you return to your mystery series?
A I’m doing edits for the next book right now (due out next November). It takes place two months after 9/11 and is set in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.
Q That will be No. 20 in the series. Are you ready for more — or is that it?
A Hard to say. At the end of this book, there are some big questions. A cliffhanger. Big changes are coming. I don’t know what will happen. I want to have some options. Also, I’ve been considering a second Kate book — and thinking about what I could throw at her.
5 BOOK PICKS FROM BLACK
“Blacktop Wasteland” by S.A. Cosby: A thriller about a getaway driver in the South, it’s packed with emotional conflict, and it never lets go.
“Madame Fourcade’s Secret War” by Lynne Olson: The true story about a woman who led a spy network in France during WW II. Absolutely fascinating.
“A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II” by Sonia Purnell: I love that this book about Virginia Hall, as well as “Madame Fourcade,” reveal real women who played vital roles in the war and got men to listen to them.
“The Ratline” by Philippe Sands: Another amazing true story about a Nazi war criminal on the run. It gets up close and personal. (Due out in February).
“Bernie Gunther” series of historical crime novels by Philip Kerr: I love anything by Kerr. Bernie Gunther, a German detective, is such a great character. (Black paid homage by naming a “Three Hours in Paris” character Gunther.)
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that "Day of the Jackal" was written by Frederick Forsyth.
