The Story Behind Lauren
When I was writing Treasure of Saint-Lazare, there was one character who refused to stay in the background.
Lauren.
In the novel, she exists mostly as an absence — a love lost before the story begins, a wound that never quite heals. But as I worked deeper into Eddie Grant’s world, it became clear that I didn’t fully understand him until I understood her.
Lauren began as an attempt to answer a simple question:
WHO WAS EDDIE BEFORE THE SECRETS, BEFORE PARIS TURNED DANGEROUS, BEFORE EVERYTHING HARDENED?
The answer was a young man shaped by love, ambition, and the belief that some things in life are solid and permanent. Lauren Adams was part of that belief. Their relationship wasn’t a prelude to adventure — it was the foundation that made everything else possible, and everything else tragic.
The events of Lauren ripple outward through the rest of the series. Decisions Eddie makes years later — whom he trusts, what risks he takes, what lines he won’t cross — all trace back to that earlier time.
If you’ve already read Lauren, I hope it added depth to Eddie’s story and gave weight to what follows.
If you haven’t yet, it’s the quiet place where the Eddie Grant saga truly begins.
You can start there anytime:
In a few days, I’ll send one more note about where Eddie’s story goes next — and why Treasure of Saint-Lazare picks up the thread the way it does.
À bientôt,
John Pearce
Part-Time Parisian