Friendly Ghosts in Cézanne’s Ghost

As much as I ramp up the suspense in my newest novel, Cézanne’s Ghost, I assure you I’m not using ghosts to scare you. (Did you know half of Americans believe in ghosts, usually of the mean or grumpy kind?) You won’t see filmy gray and white forms of long dead people swishing through my scenes; don’t expect drifting, brooding specters, rattling bones, cold zones, and slamming doors, either. I’m taking a kinder, more intellectual approach to ghosts in this story.

Some of our dead leave unforgettable legacies, which I call a friendly kind of ghosting.

In the heart of every artist I know, is the hope her creative efforts live forever…in a good way. People are dying (sorry, couldn’t help it) for the New York Times to celebrate their lives on the famous NYT obituary page. Ghosts yearn for such a coming out party!

Many of you already know I stayed a month in an Aix-en-Provence apartment, part of a home once owned by Cézanne’s mother. The artist lived with her months, even years, at a time, enough so that Aix regarded Cézanne as a ‘regular.’ His old workshop, his favorite restaurant, and other places he often visited, painted in, or lived in, are carefully labeled and charted on maps for tourists. His paintings hang in galleries and reproductions of them abound, even on mugs and magnets. Bronze medallions with Cézanne’s name boldly etched on every one, are affixed to the sidewalks, breadcrumbs eagerly followed by those interested in the artist’s haunts and works.

Yes, Cézanne is everywhere in Aix, and he’s omnipresent in my novel, sharing his wisdom and his art. He inspired me in a good way; I hope he does the same for you.

Blurb:

Three young American women vanish in Aix-en-Provence, France.

The FBI suspects their American tour guide.

Leon Beaudet, formerly a U.S. Olympic wrestler, is proud of his five-star guide business, but when tourists disappear on his watch, the FBI dredges up a violent episode in Leon’s past and tap him for the crime. Worse, his new tour group includes Aline Kerig, who is as beautiful and carefree as the three missing women. Leon is fascinated and puzzled by Aline even while he fears for her safety. She refuses to go back to the States, forcing the FBI and local police to involve her in the hunt.

With the French tourist industry about to collapse and Leon as a prime suspect, how does he protect Aline and find his lost tourists?

Cézanne’s Ghost

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