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A European adventure takes a dark turn in local author’s debut novel.
City of Love? More like crime epicenter. At least in Christopher Newman’s debut novel By Way of Paris. Loosely based on the local author’s own experiences abroad—with a lot of criminal embellishments, natch—the page-turner follows Raleigh-bred Luke on a dark journey to London by way of Paris after making a murderous discovery. Here, we chat with Newman about his own journey writing the book.
Why a crime novel as your debut? Crime stories have always fascinated me—especially those told from the criminal’s perspective. Exploring the psychology and environments of people who live on the edges of society has always intrigued me.
How do you and Luke differ/relate? Like Luke, I felt the immense pressure of proving myself as a writer and crafting an original story. The difference between us—and the heart of the story—is what happens when someone a lot more unhinged decides they’ll do anything to chase that story and the adrenaline high that comes with writing it.
Your character inspo? The diverse young gang is based on friends I grew up with in Raleigh who’re still my closest friends. Daniel was inspired by my friend David, who gave me a job as a bartender at The Curfew pub in Bath, England. Luke’s parents are pure fiction and nothing like my own. Whatever Luke’s parents would do, mine would’ve done the opposite. Then there’s Shane—based on a real, reformed gangster (now grandfather) I met in a pub. At first, he was hesitant to talk, but once a mutual acquaintance explained I was writing a London crime novel, he clapped me on the back, bought me a pint, and said, ‘Have I got some stories for you, my son…’
Why Paris and London? As an American storyteller, I was blown away by the history embedded in every street corner. Those cities are more than just backdrops—they’re characters themselves. Like Luke, I felt a humbling urge to leave my mark. But while I channeled that into literature, Luke lashes out at his own feelings of inadequacy. It’s not until he’s taken things way too far that he asks himself: ‘Have I left these places, and their people, better than I found them?’
Luke has some contempt for his NC roots. Do you relate? Luke’s contempt for NC stems from the traumas of his upbringing. No matter where he came from, he would’ve wanted to put it in his rear-view mirror. As for me, I love NC—even in that hipster way of loving it before it was cool.
How did you infuse the essence of NC into Luke’s character? Like the state itself, Luke has a storied past but undeniable charm. His temper can flare as hot as an NC summer, but he can also be as refreshing as a cool mountain breeze, tossing out Southern witticisms. Luke isn’t perfect, but he’s proof you can take the boy out of NC, but you can’t take NC out of the boy.
This Q&A has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
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