Alix St Pierre is recruited as a spy by the American government in 1943 and finds herself sent to supposedly neutral Switzerland to help in the fight against the Nazis. Over almost two years, she learns a thing or two about what it takes to be a spy. Here are her top tips!
- Befriend a barman. People always tell their secrets to the barman late at night after they have a few Ritz cocktails under their belt. So Alix jumps behind the Ritz bar one evening when it’s busy and makes perfectly timed Bloody Marys, thus earning barman Frank’s undying gratitude and an extensive supply of clandestine information in return.
- Choose the perfect codename. Alix’s is Bisous – a little French kiss. It proves very effective – but not for the reasons you think!
- Master the art of cigar smoking. All the men in charge during the 1940s smoked cigars. So they know Alix means business when she shows them she can clip and draw with the best of them.
- Build up your long distance walking stamina. If you’re going to cross the Italian Alps at night on foot like Alix does, you’re going to want a decent set of calf muscles.
- Don’t get too close to handsome Italian partisans, especially ones with espresso-dark eyes and delicious lips. You might just get your heart broken.
—– The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre by Natasha Lester (Hachette Australia) is out now!
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre
Lavish and compelling, this is the story of a young woman trying to forget her devastating part in the war
1943. After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St Pierre comes to the attention of the US government and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organisation.
Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces - but there's also the chance he might be a double agent.
1946. Following the war, Alix moves to Paris to run the Service de la Presse for the yet-to-be-launched House of Christian Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realises that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.
This completely enthralling story takes readers from the dangerous, intrigue-filled rooms in Switzerland where elites of both sides mingled and schemed during the war, to the glamorous halls of the House of Dior in the golden age of French fashion and journalism.
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