I wrote much of DANGEROUS TO KNOW while housesitting in Normandy. Setting is extremely important to me, so I wanted to share images of the landscape that inspired the book. First, here are pictures of my writing environment.
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Below are scenes typical of the Norman countryside. Walking through it is like stepping into an Impressionist painting.
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Next, some of my favorite crumbling châteaux...
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Emily, Colin, and Cécile visit their friend, Claude Monet at his stunning house in Giverny. The gardens are truly marvelous, and the home a welcoming, cozy place.
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Below are images of Rouen, starting with the tower in which Jeanne d'Arc was imprisoned and the square in which she was burned. The city preserves some wonderful medieval architecture, but there are also reminders of World War II in the modern buildings constructed to replace those destroyed by Nazi bombs. I've also included a shot of the city's famous cathedral.
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Étretat is situated on a rocky beach with spectacular cliffs. The real Maurice LeBlanc lived here, and it's possible to visit his house. Reading about him prompted me to bring Sebastian Capet back into Emily's life because LeBlanc's iconic character, Arsène Lupin, reminded me so much of my own gentleman thief. When I learned that there had been rumors LeBlanc based Lupin on a real cat burgler, I couldn't resist the temptation to link him to Sebastian. The picture in the center shows the café where Emily, Cécile, Sebastian, Mrs. Hargreaves and M. LeBlanc pause for refreshment before making a grisly discovery.
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I stumbled upon the ruins of l’abbaye de Fontaine-Guérard while driving one day and spent an amazing afternoon exploring it. The feel of the place and bits of its architecture detail were at the front of my brain when I created the Markhams' château.
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No trip to France would be complete without lots of good, good food. Here are some examples of what happens when you shop while hungry...
(Yes, that's NINE different kinds of cheese. Obscene? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely!)
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Finally, here are some links to people/places/etc. important to the novel:
Giverny and the village of Vernon
Gorgeous photographs of Normandy
An interesting piece from The Telegraph on Monet's depiction of Rouen Cathedral
Maurice LeBlanc's house in Étretat
An online exhibition detailing the history of medical electricity
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