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Welcome! I’m John Pearce — former journalist, lifelong traveler, and author of historical thrillers set in Paris and beyond.

My career began covering the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi, then moved on to economics in Washington and Germany. These days, I write novels that blend history, suspense, and international intrigue — many of them inspired by the years my wife Jan and I have spent living part-time in Paris.

We recently returned to Washington, D.C., where our story began — as reporters covering the capital (she for The Washington Post, I for The Associated Press). Now we’re rediscovering Dupont Circle, where we first met and married, and sharing a new chapter.

I call myself the Part-Time Parisian because Paris is both a part-time home and a full-time inspiration. My debut novel, Treasure of Saint-Lazare, starts in Nazi-occupied Poland and ends decades later in the U.S. and Paris, tracing the true story of a Raphael painting looted by the Nazis and never recovered. (Readers’ Favorite named it the year’s best historical mystery.)

The novels that follow continue the story — culminating in The Final Heist, a fast-paced finale that pits former Special Forces commander Eddie Grant against his nemesis in a showdown on the high seas. Each book can be read on its own, though together they tell a sweeping tale of art, war, and revenge.

On this Substack, I share updates on new projects, behind-the-scenes looks at research and writing, and occasional posts about Paris, Washington, and the ideas that spark my fiction.

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