The Paris Files

“Slow burn” has become quite the cliche, but sometimes it’s all too accurate in describing fiction consisting of passionate, romantic narratives; the layering of tension between characters; and letting protagonists develop at their own pace. Forty-year-old Genie St. Onge has lived through several heartbreaks, but her affair with thirty-year-old Jacob Ford gives her a renewed feeling of confidence. One American, the other Canadian, they met in Asia and parted with the intent to meet up in Paris’s 11 arrondissement. And to both of their delight, they each actually show up. Days are filled with dining out, seeking pastries, and making love…until one morning Genie wakes up to find Jacob gone, and concern about his absence grows from anxiety to near hysteria, with the search extending for days. Police interviews, interviews with neighbors, and conversations with friends back home all barely scratch the surface. When Jacob’s corpse is finally discovered, his story makes little sense and the truth remains on the verge. Who killed Jacob Ford?—Brian Kenney