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Portrait image of Pierre Ayraud Pierre Ayraud (right) with Pierre Boileau
Photo: Jean-Claude Deutsch/Paris Match via Getty Images (1977)

Sample of authors

Ayraud, Pierre

Pierre Ayraud, who published his books under the pseudonym Thomas Narcejac, and Pierre Boileau are two of the best known names in French crime writing. Together, they wrote a large number of detective novels signed Boileau-Narcejac, and they were prominent figures on the late 20th century literary scene. Ayraud was also a great connoisseur of crime writing, and he wrote several famous...

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Literary figures

Cordelia Gray

Gender: Female

A young private detective in only two novels by P.D. James; many readers have complained that there weren’t any more. She grew up with her foster parents – her mother died an hour after the birth of her daughter – and as an adult became the secretary to the private detective Bernie G. Pryde. When he died of cancer, Cordelia Gray inherited his agency. She is attractive, but despite her successes sh...

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