Ask gary.

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Q: WHY ARE THE BOOK ALL SET MAINLY IN FRANCE AND WITH FRENCH TITLES?

A: When I first began writing what ended up being ‘Un Homme Qui Attend’, it was directly influenced by my first trip to Paris in years to see one of my favourite singers, Julien Doré. The first chapter (Hugo getting off the train at Gare de Nord) was inspired by my very own trip. Being a bit of a homebody, I was anxious, mainly because I’d left my two dogs at home for the first time without us. Around that time, a friend challenged me to start writing again, and that sense memory was the first thing I thought of. The first chapter was created on that fateful day, and the whole book poured out of me before I knew it. I never intended to write a story set in France, filled with mainly French characters, but it was just how it turned out.

As for the title, well, the same really. I was listening predominantly to French songs, which, of course, all had French titles, so when I came to name the book (which wasn’t until I had practically finished it), I spotted a line of text when one of the characters speaks those words, and I liked it so much I used it. The ‘Hugo Duchamp Investigates’ banner came right at the last second, practically just before publication, when it was pointed out to me that if I just called the book UNQA, everyone would assume it was all written in French, so at that moment I added the banner not thinking I had coincidentally decided it was going to be a series!

As for the ongoing use of French titles - once I’d started, it felt as if it would have been odd to switch to English suddenly. I know a lot of people would prefer English, and I do get a lot of comments about it. All I can say is: je suis désolé.

Q: WHAT IS THE FAVOURITE BOOK YOU HAVE WRITTEN?

A: The honest answer to that question is that once I’ve finished a book, I tend to remember it in terms of - was it easy to write? Did it give me problems to work out the plot? Some books are just so easy that they pass by in a blur, and suddenly, I’m typing “Fin.” That’s always a delight. Thinking about it, I remember I really enjoyed ‘Les Noms sur Les Tombes’ because it was my take on a serial killer story. I also enjoyed the dual timelines for ‘L’impondérable’ and ‘Les Mauvais Garçons’ (also LMG because it served as the start of the Coco adventure). As of now, I enjoy the Coco books, probably because they’re much less serious, and honestly, she is so much fun to write.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER FAVOURITE AUTHORS?

A: My interest in books began with a tiny library in my hometown. It was here where I first discovered Tintin (the start of my French obsession?) and the Hardy Boys, Alfred Hitchcock’s three detectives. It was also in this library I first discovered Agatha Christie, who really changed my life. Dame Agatha is undoubtedly my literary heroine. As I grew older, I enjoyed Anne Rice, amongst others. But honestly, these days, since starting my own books, I read very little. It’s complicated to explain, but it’s just something that happened, and that does make me a little sad. At the moment, though, I’m all about Barbra Streisand and her autobiography!