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Welcome, Angela and congratulations on your new
novel, "Montbel" which comes out in November. Let's take a look at the blurb:
A clear-cut case?
A re-examination of a closed
police case brings investigator, Jacques Forêt, up against an old adversary.
After the murder of a key witness, Jacques finds himself, and his team, being
pursued.
When a vital piece of evidence
throws a completely different light on Jacques' case, his adversary becomes
more aggressive, and Investigating Magistrate Pelletier threatens to sequester
all of Jacques papers and shut down the investigation.
Can Jacques find all the
answers before Pelletier steps in?
Sounds very compelling - I'm off to pre-order it. (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Montbel-French-Murder-Mystery-Jacques-ebook/dp/B07GGGZYYD/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8)
Here comes a few questions about it. Are you comfy? Off we go, then:
Sue: I know
"Montbel" is the third in the series starring delightful investigator Jacques Forêt. I
described him in my review of the first book in the series, Messandrierre, as
“enjoyable,
attractive character, with all the features that's expected of a French
policeman: humour, determination, quirks.” Did I get him right, or is there
more to him than that?
Angela: Yes, you did get him right and it's great to be able to say thank you
in person for that lovely review too.
Jacques - what can I say about him?
I think he's a great guy, he's
honest and principled, but he still needs to settle down in his personal
life. And then there are those quirks -
his grudging acceptance of computers, his dislike of lifts, and his repulsion
of blood - which for an investigator handling murders can be a bit of a
problem. When I started thinking about
what kind of man he would be I made some instant decisions - he had to have
good manners, patience and be very astute. The rest of his character was built
in the same as I build the characters I play on stage. That means asking myself a lot of questions
starting with the shoes.
Sue: What made
you want to set your novels in France?
Angela: I don't recollect there being a conscious and
deliberate decision to set my books in France.
But, I was travelling in the Cévennes (south central France) in
September in 2007 when the weather dramatically changed overnight. I woke up to freezing temperatures and a
stunningly beautiful mountainous landscape covered in snow. It got me thinking about how remote the area
was and how easy it would be to use snow to cover someone's misdeeds. I just jotted down some notes at the
time. About 4 years later, I was in
Charente and having tea and cakes with some people I'd met in the local
supermarket. It was a chance remark
during an innocent conversation that got me thinking about murder. Some months after that I realised I had my
crime and my location and that was when I started planning Messandrierre and
the following three books in detail.
I've maintained the location, because it works and it is one of my
favourite areas of France to visit, so I know it well.
Sue: I see in
your reviews of “Merle”, the second in the series, that one reviewer said: “The
BBC has given us a wide selection of tv detective dramas over the last few
years - on BBC4 - and the career of Jacques Forêt would make a great addition
to them. Producers please take note!” That’s wonderful. Who would you cast for
your main characters?
Angela: Yes, that is a truly amazing accolade and I'm
very grateful to that particular reviewer for saying so. I'm still waiting for the call, though! As for my cast - I haven't the least idea,
but I would insist on the actor playing Jacques, having the right
physicality. He's tall and lean and he
has a soft timber to his voice. So
Gerard Depardieu is absolutely out of the question. Obviously, all the French characters would
have to be French actors and little Pierre Mancelle would have to have a cheeky
smile. So, BBC, if you are reading this
and want to make me an offer, just acknowledge up front that I will be doing
the casting - OK
Sue: No, I don't think I can envision Gerard Depardieu. Let's give the BBC a shout-out! Tell us
about your third novel, “Montbel” – perhaps a little excerpt?
What appears to be an open and shut case
actually turns out to be something much more sinister and here's the opening
section :
la lettre
…families
fracture, Monsieur Forêt. No one desires it or intends it, but it happens. A
harsh, unforgiving word begets a rash and revengeful action, and a sliver of
ice takes hold in a dark corner of the hearts of those at odds with each other.
And there it wedges itself, the frost gradually deepening and destroying. One
of us has to stop the cold, as this impasse can continue no longer.
I have to put
things right with my son, Monsieur…
june
3rd, 2011
Sue: Wow, that's beautiful prose. Finally,
would you recommend your new readers to take the books in order, or can they be
standalone novels?
Angela: Each story is a specific crime but there are
themes that run through from one story to the next. Where there is reference to something that
happened in a previous story it is briefly explained. And of course, the villagers in Messandrierre
crop up on the other books too as Jacques frequently visits the village. It's not essential to read them in order, but
it linkages between the stories will be clearer if you do.
Thank you, Angela. I’m really looking forward
to reading Montbel and I wish you every success.
It's a pleasure, Sue, and thank you very much
for inviting me to your blog today.
If you’d like to know
more about the novels and author, here are her social media links:
Amazon : AngelaWren
Website : www.angelawren.co.uk
Blog : www.jamesetmoi.blogspot.com
Facebook : Angela Wren
Goodreads : Angela Wren
Contact an author : Angela
Wren
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