Most people come to Paris for idyllic adventure but rarely, if ever, for the dangerous variety. Unlike the tough image that other European cities might elicit (think: a rougher, more flawed veneer like Berlin, Istanbul or even parts of London), Paris is far more tame. Like a capricious cat, the occasional hiss and swipe might be part of her game but ultimately she cajoles far more than she bites. That’s how most of us perceive the city.

For Cara Black, mystery author of twelve books in the bestselling Aimée Leduc series, the danger lurking in each Paris neighborhood is very real. A San Francisco resident most of the year, Cara has been coming to Paris since the early 80’s and knows firsthand after years of extensive research, perhaps better than us locals, that the city is much more than its royal vestiges – it traffics in the macabre.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge, Cara’s 12th Leduc novel, was just released last week and has all the evocative trappings of a powerful mystery – a likable protagonist (who dashes about on a moped wearing Chanel), a commanding backdrop and loads of trouble and intrigue. For mystery lovers who can’t get enough of Paris, there’s nothing better than this series.

I was eager for Cara to share her thoughts in this series given her rather particular relationship with France