Paw
Paw
In 1920s Paris a doctor dreams of change while a young woman is troubled by animalistic dreams. His desire to solve her puzzle leads to another, more dangerous, one: who is blackmailing the Parisian elite, and might he be next?
Is Camille actually becoming the animals she dreams of? Is Marcel in danger from the blackmailer? Who is the mysterious policeman with the historic past? And what does all this have to do with the war?
Find out as you explore post-war Paris with the doctor as he and the city grows to accept the modern age.
Douglas’ latest book is another tour-de-force of excitement and insight into the human psyche. The action draws you in while the characters keep you involved, resulting in the perfect book for reading pleasure.
Motivation and Author Notes
Paw came about from a holiday in Paris with my wife. We spent our time in Montemartre and I really started to wonder what it would have been to live there in the 1920s with the artists that filled the area.
Again the idea and plot came from the world of psychology with the introduction of the main character as a psychoanalyst, this time solving crimes as he deals with the strange dreams that plague Camille.
I had intended a completely different ending for Paw but as the work progressed and Marcel developed as a person, I had to change tack dramatically. There was a lot for forward planning for the crimes and the motivations of the characters but sometimes, I find, you just have to go with it.
My idea to include some vivid dreams was reinforced with the idea that I could use them to create drama and action in what might otherwise be a slow book. However, the crimes and the drama soon overtook this need and so, I think, balanced out the plot and action nicely.
I don't think this is my strongest book personally, but some who have read it already disagree. Feel free to read and judge for yourself.