A chance encounter with an illusionist
I always like to incorporate my real-life experiences into my books. The same can be said for Paris Noir, where nothing is quite as it appears and the lines of obsession blur past the point of delusion. After Rafael is run down on the very day she is meant to be married, Hannah and her companions come to realize that the answers they seek are tied to the hidden stream in Las Vegas—the same secretive place Hannah visited in 2019 before Gonzalez destroyed her by harassing her and turning the college against her.
Like myself, Hannah loves magic, and it’s the one thing Rafael can never seem to comprehend about his goddaughter. He just doesn’t understand why she adores traveling to Las Vegas to take in a dazzling magic show. Hannah, however, gently reminds Rafael that sometimes the people you meet along the way—strangers, fellow travelers, or performers—might turn out to be the person who changes your life in a meaningful, positive way.
When Hannah arrives in Las Vegas, she tells Bree, Jonathan, and Rafael that she plans to go see Angel perform in his Mindfreak show. While seated in the front row, Hannah has a striking encounter with his illusionist, the woman who flies away with Criss while he levitates, and immediately senses that this performer could alter the course of her life for the better. After the ninety-minute spectacle, Hannah and the others make their way to Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen for dinner. Later, as Hannah re-enters the hotel — briefly separated from Rafael — she runs into Tatiana, the stunning illusionist from the performance. Hannah praises her and tells her how much she loved the act. At the airport, fate brings Hannah and Tatiana together again, and Hannah impulsively invites her to the wedding. Like Hannah, Tatiana changed my life in unexpected ways and reminded me that life is beautiful; sometimes a single chance encounter with one person is enough to change everything for the better. How will Tatiana impact Hannah’s life? To not reveal much, let’s just say Tatiana will arrive in the nick of time, just when Hannah needs it the most.
In the Thirteenth Riddle, Tatiana is now living her best life after many years on stage, turning her attention to giving thought-provoking TED talks, all while caring tenderly for her goddaughter Shayla and continuing to support Hannah in meaningful ways.
