A World I Never Made: The Invictus Cycle Book 1

By James LePore

Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan’s and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.This sends Pat on an odyssey that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on his search is Catherine Laurence, a beautiful but tormented Paris detective who sees in Pat something she never thought she’d find—genuine passion and desperate need. As they look for Megan, they come closer to each other’s souls and discover love when both had long given up on it.Juxtaposed against this story is Megan’s story. A freelance journalist, Megan is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of many—maybe even millions—at risk.A WORLD I NEVER MADE is an atmospheric novel of suspense with brilliantly drawn characters and back-stories as compelling as the plot itself. It is the kind of novel that resonates deeply and leaves its traces long after you turn the final page.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fiction Studio Books
• Release date: Oct 8, 1126
• ISBN: 9781943486335

Book preview

Lisieux.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to my wife Karen, to my daughters Erica, Adrienne, and Jamie, and to my friends Greg and Joy Ziemak for their unwavering support and their thoughtful and insightful comments.

I am also profoundly grateful to my friend and editor, Lou Aronica. This would not have happened without him.

Last, a special thank you to my brother Pat for his deep and steadfast loyalty to me and to family.

And how am I to face the odds

Of man’s bedevilment and God’s?

I, a stranger and afraid

In a world I never made.

A.E. Housman, Last Poems

~ 1 ~

Paris, January 2, 2004

Dad,

I don’t owe you or anybody an explanation, but I think you’ll appreciate the irony of a suicide note coming from a person who has abhorred tradition all of her life. I met a young girl on the street the other day who looked into my eyes and told me that Jesus was waiting for me in heaven. She was fourteen or so, selling flowers on the Street of Flowers, and had the look of a young Madonna. The red roses I bought from her were the last thing I saw before pulling the trigger.

If, as you read this, I am actually with Jesus in heaven, I will be one shocked woman. I doubt it, though. Megan Nolan is no more. Go and have yourself another daughter. It’s not too late, and the odds are very good that she will turn out better than I did. If I were famous, I would be joining the long line of suicides known to history. But as it is, in a matter of days, if not hours, my life and death will be as anonymous and as forgotten as a stray breeze.

Megan

P.S. You know how I feel about being buried. Please, no service and a quick cremation. Don’t let me down.

Pat Nolan read the note for the first time sitting in the cramped office of Assistant Chief Inspector Geneviève LeGrand at the Seventh Arrondissement Police Prefecture on Rue Fabert. When he was finished, he looked over at Madame LeGrand, sitting across from him at her cluttered desk.

One less hegemonic, imperialist American pig to worry about, he said.

Pardon?

Pat shook his head, and then watched as the bored look on the middle-aged inspector’s face—she was perhaps fifty or fifty-five—was replaced, in quick succession, by a widening of the eyes in surprise, their narrowing in concentration, and finally a slight smile.

You are perhaps weary from your traveling, Monsieur Nolan, she said, looking at him with what seemed to be a bit more interest than when he first entered her office and accepted her invitation to sit.

Pat was, in fact, jet-lagged. He had arrived in Paris from New York the morning before, slept as if drugged all day, and then, when he went out looking for a late dinner, got caught up in a walkabout involving thousands of beautifully dressed Parisians celebrating the New Year. His inner clock reversed, he had managed to fall asleep at seven AM for an hour before having to get up for his nine olock meeting with Inspector LeGrand.

I must be.

Would you like some coffee?

No, thank you.

I am sorry for your loss.

Pat nodded his head, keeping his acknowledgment of this declaration as perfunctory as its delivery.

I will not keep you long.

You have a job to do.

Yes, I do. The note is in your daughter’s hand?

Yes.

Did you know she was ill, Monsieur Nolan?

No.

She had last stage ovarian cancer. She would have been dead in another few weeks. You did not know this?

The police building, which looked to Nolan like a church, was a three-story affair located about a block from the Seine. Assistant Chief Inspector LeGrand’s corner office was on the third floor. Through the window behind her, Pat could see one of the bridges that crossed the river. It also looked like a church, or rather the type of bridge that a church would have if it needed one. Next to the bridge on the near bank stood a large tree. Settled on its numerous leafless branches were, he estimated, two hundred crows or black birds of some sort. Some watched a barge pass slowly under the bridge, others seemed to be staring directly at him. Megan had decided as a teenager that the crow—arrogant, malicious, intelligent, cunning—was her totem. He wondered, collecting his thoughts, remembering his only child, if she was sitting in that tree. If she was, was she looking at the barge or at him?

No, I didn’t.

Autopsies are required in France for all cases that are possible homicides. You understand it had to be done quickly in case the entry wound was inconsistent with suicide. We would want to start searching for the killer as soon as possible.

I understand.

There appears to be no doubt that she was a suicide. Our investigation is almost complete. I have only to ask you one or two questions.

Go ahead.

Do you know why she came to France?

She was a writer. She could work anywhere. She loved Paris.

Did you know she was living in Morocco?

No. Though he had spoken to Megan on Christmas day, prior to that he had not seen or spoken to her since the Christmas before. They were in Rome at the time, and she had told him then that she was thinking of heading to Sicily and possibly North Africa.I take it she was.

She had a Moroccan diplomatic visa.

What is that, exactly?

It is issued by their minister of Foreign Affairs. It allows a person to stay indefinitely in Morocco. It appears that she was there for some four months. Did she know people there?

Not that I know of.

She must have known someone very important to have secured such a visa. They are rarely issued to anyone outside the highest diplomatic circles.

Have you made inquiries in Rabat?

Pat watched Inspector LeGrand’s eyes narrow again. He could almost hear her thoughts: A semi-intelligent question coming from this American cowboy? Did he actually know that Rabat was Morocco’s capital? Under different circumstances, it might have bothered him that he was perceived as a caricature by the haughty and bored Frenchwoman sitting across from him. As it was, he just wanted to get to the end of the interview as quickly as possible, to get the identification of Megan’s body over with, and to figure out privately how it was he was supposed to grieve.

Yes, she replied. The Moroccan official who vouched for her diplomatic status is out of the country. Did she ever mention any Moroccan friends or acquaintances?

No, never.

When did you speak to her last?

On Christmas Day.

Where was she?

She said she was in Paris.

Where in Paris?

She didn’t say.

And she didn’t tell you she was ill?

No.

Do you find that unusual?

Through the window behind LeGrand, Pat could see the crows beginning to stir. One of them had taken flight and then circled back and attacked another one on one of the top branches. They left the tree and continued their fight, if that"s what it was, in the air, while the rest raised their wings and lifted their beaks, no doubt to express their contempt—or glee—at the spectacle above them.

No, Pat answered.I don’t.

Were you estranged from your daughter, Monsieur Nolan?

Yes and no. Pat had been avoiding asking himself this question for twelve years. His answer surprised him in that it wasn’t a definite yes.

I see. Well ... She arrived in Spain from Morocco on May 16. She checked into her hotel in Paris on December 24. She must have traveled by rail or bus because her name does not appear on any airline manifests from Spain or anywhere else. We do not know where she was from May 17 to December 24.

What about her credit cards?

The last charge was at a hotel in Casablanca on May 15. There is no record after that.

So she might have been in Spain?

The EU’s borders are open now, Monsieur Nolan. She might have gone anywhere in those seven months.

Have you checked the hospitals, clinics?

Yes. There is no record we can find of her receiving treatment for her cancer. She killed herself on December 30. Her concierge says she had one visitor, a woman who arrived on the thirtieth and stayed for a half hour. Do you know who that might be?

No, he answered.

She came to Paris often. Who were her friends here? Her associates?

I don’t know. I thought you were certain it was suicide.

LeGrand looked down at her paperwork before answering and Pat took the opportunity to study her. Were you estranged from your daugbter, Monsieur Nolan? The EU’s borders are open now, Monsieur Nolan. Her voice not quite neutral, not quite professional. To the pain of Megan’s death was now added the pain—the dishonor—of having to expose their failed relationship to the contemptuous eye of Inspector Geneviève LeGrand. French Inspector Geneviève LeGrand. He would not, at least, give her the pleasure of showing in the slightest how he felt.

I am, the inspector said finally. But it is a curious suicide. Your daughter did not live an ordinary life, Monsieur Nolan. Her passport has dozens of entries in Europe and North Africa over the past ten years. She never returned to America. Was she ever married?

No.

Are there other next of kin? Her mother? Siblings?

No. Her mother died giving birth to her. I’ve had no other children. Are we done? I’d like to bury my daughter.

Bury? Her note talks of cremation.

Megan, who held strong opinions on many subjects, had never mentioned any squeamishness about being buried. But there it was, in her neat cursive hand, and he would abide by it.

That’s what I meant.

The body is at the morgue at the Hospital of All Souls, not far from here on the river. I have arranged for one of my officers to take you there to officially identify it.

Can I have the note? Pat asked.

I will give you a photocopy. The original must stay in the official file.

I would like to visit her room.

Mademoiselle Laurence will take you there.

Mademoiselle ... ?

She is the officer who will accompany you to the morgue. She must be present at the identification.

I see. Are there any male police officers in Paris?

They are busy hunting hegemonic imperialists.

Pat Nolan was careless about his looks. Some would say he could afford to be. A lifetime spent outdoors had kept his six-foot-three, two-hundred-twenty-pound body trim and supple, and burnished his naturally high color to a reddish gold, a perfect setting for his clear, forthright, and often piercing eyes. The lines around these eyes and on his brow when it knitted in thought added a depth and interest lacking in the faces of men who are young or who haven’t lived much. His thick black hair, swept away from his forehead and carelessly long, framed a face that was handsome in a wry, laconic way. His feelings, more often than not, went unexpressed. Much more often than not. But Inspector LeGrand had turned human for a second and so, despite his predilection to dislike her—to caricaturize her—he smiled. He could see her features soften for a brief moment when he did.

Yours is not an easy job, he said, rising and extending his hand to Inspector LeGrand, who also rose. For a second, they made eye contact. You have been touched—physically and sentimentally—by the prototypical American bête noire, Pat thought. Have no fear, you will survive.

Where are you staying, Monsieur Nolan?

Le Tourville. Do you know it?

Yes. Officer Laurence will collect you there. Say at noon? She will have your daughter’s effects and a copy of the note.

Thank you.

"De rien ... Monsieur Nolan."

Yes?

I am quite sorry for your loss.

~ ~ ~

Inspector LeGrand’s words echoed in Pat Nolan’s head as he stepped outside of the police building and turned right toward the river. Your loss. For almost thirty years, Lorrie, his twenty-year-old bride, had been his loss. In the summer of 1974, he had married Lorraine Ryan—impossibly young and beautiful—impregnated her, and dragged her to Paraguay where he had been offered a job operating an earth mover at the site of what was to become one of the official Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Itaipu Dam. Six months later, Lorrie was dead of eclampsia and Megan—the name Lorrie had chosen for a girl baby—was lying in an incubator across the border in Montevideo, Uruguay. Two months premature, sticklike, she clung tenaciously to life, oblivious to Pat’s weekend visits and haggard look. If she lives and if it is your wish, we will help you place her for adoption, one of the sisters at the hospital had told him, her face grim, as if she had read his angry, tortured thoughts. In the end, he had not given Megan away. But he had come close. He and a crew of five hundred had merely been in the midst of shifting the course of the Paraná River—the seventh largest in the world—around the eventual construction site. A one-point-three-mile long, three-hundred-foot-deep, five-hundred-foot-wide diversion. He would never get work like that again, not with a child to care for. That was his second loss. Or was it his first? The intervening years had blended the loss of Lorrie and of his big dreams into one, and then blurred them and worn them down until they were no longer separate and no longer hurt. They were long years, in which his sticklike girl baby had grown up and run away. Loss on top of loss.

Megan, who had left Bennington at the beginning of her freshman year and gone directly to Europe, claiming that America was so bourgeois she could not take another minute of it, had since then made her living writing and, not to put too fine a point on it, seducing men. The writing, mostly for women’s magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour, she could do from anywhere, which facilitated her lifelong urge to move from place to place, which in turn afforded ample venues for meeting men willing—gladly willing—to pay for having her on their arms and in their beds. Pat had met one or two of these victims early on and quickly got the picture. There would be no son-in-law or grandchildren in his future. No Sunday dinners with the family in rural Connecticut or Westchester when he got old, with a fire burning in the fireplace and football on the television. This wound also healed over in time.

Instead of getting a civil engineering degree and designing megaprojects around the world, he went into business with his older brother, Frank, building homes, strip malls, and car dealerships in the tristate area. When Frank had retired last year, Pat sold Nolan Brothers. He wanted no part of the office work that Frank had handled for thirty years. Since then he had been entertaining offers to manage projects, large and small, near and far, from companies and architects he had met in the course of a long career of completing jobs on time and at or under budget. He had brought a folder of these offers with him, and started looking for a not too pretentious café where he could sip coffee and read through it to kill time until twelve o’clock.

He found a place on a corner across from the Pont de la Concorde. It was nearly empty and its outdoor tables were set up to take advantage of the surprisingly balmy weather: fifty degrees Fahrenheit or so under a cloudless pale blue sky diffused even in the dead of winter with Paris’s famous silky light. Pat expected the waiter to sniff at him, and he did, his large Gallic nose rising higher with each step as he made his way from the front door to the table Pat had chosen in the full sun near the sidewalk. In his jeans, worn-out workboots, and thick black sweater, his Americanness was obvious.

Parisian condescension was not new to Pat. He had spent Christmas with Megan in Europe, usually Paris, for the past twelve years. In between they talked on the phone a few times and occasionally she sent him a short letter or a cryptic postcard. The Christmas just past had been the first one since she left home that they had not spent together. And neither had he heard from her since he left her in Rome the year before. She had finally called on Christmas day.

A few days later she killed herself.

Pat sat now, and instead of looking at his folder, which he carried in a canvas knapsack slung over his shoulder, he sipped his coffee and reviewed that last conversation.

Dad, hi.

Hello.

How are you?

I’m fine. Where are you?

Paris.

Pause.

Where have you been?

Traveling. No place special.

Pause.

How are you? (Megan).

I’m okay.

Pause.

I’m sorry, Dad.

For what?

That Lorrie died and not me.

Is that why you havent called?"

I’m calling now.

How long will you be there?

I’ll probably leave tomorrow or the next day.

Where to?

I’m not sure exactly.

Megan ...

You’re angry, I know. I’ve had a hard year.

A hard year?

It’s almost over. My birthday’s coming up. You can bring me a present.

Megan ...

I’m sorry, Dad. I have to go. I love you.

Click.

One of Megan’s former lovers, a famous novelist, had described a beautiful, twenty-five-year-old female character as having the ability to slip in and out of your psyche in a matter of a few hot and thrilling seconds, exposing the thing you loathe most about yourself while whispering a promise of joy to your secret heart. Afterward you wanted more, oblivious to the bruise on your soul. When the book came out, Megan sent Pat a copy of the page on which this passage appeared with a note on the margin that read, Dad, I would sue this guy, but the writing’s so bad I’d be too embarrassed. Pat knew the Megan the spurned writer was describing. The heartless Megan. Megan the cynic. This knowledge was one of the few ties that he felt bound her to him. Other fathers felt more positive things of course, but this was something. Something to cling to. He did not know the Megan he talked to on Christmas day, the one planning to kill herself. Such a bitter thing not to know, invalidating as it were their tenuous bond, exposing it for the sham it was.

Pat walked along the river after finishing his coffee, then turned away from the water in the neighborhood of the Eiffel Tower, which was teeming with tourists, who, trancelike, were streaming to the giant structure like insects to the sacred seat of their queen. His hotel was in this neighborhood, as was the Rue des Fleurs, which he decided to visit before being collected by Officer Laurence. He knew from looking at his city map the night before that it ran only two blocks, from Rue de l’Universitè roughly southerly to Rue de Montessuy. When he made the turn from Rue de l’Universitè onto Rue des Fleurs, he saw a city worker in hip boots using a hose connected to a truck that followed him slowly as he methodically sprayed the sidewalk on Pat’s side. Rather than backing up, Pat stepped into a doorway that turned out to be the foyer of a small apartment house. There, squatting before him, was a woman arranging bouquets of flowers in two large wicker baskets.

Would you like to buy a bouquet of flowers, Monsieur, she said without looking up, apparently deducing from his shoes and jeans that he was a man. For your daughter? Your wife?

The woman’s hair was pitch-black, and at first Pat thought she was one of the gypsies who pestered the tourists in virtually all of Europe’s capitals. Then she stood and Pat saw that she was not a gypsy and not a woman, but rather a girl of thirteen or fourteen with large luminous eyes set in a pale face of immaculate complexion and indecipherable national origin. The foyer was small, only ten feet by ten feet, but its richly paneled walls reached up some twenty feet to meet in a darkly latticed cathedral ceiling. The floor beneath them was a pink-and-gray striated marble. The transom above the front door was made of stained glass of pale blues and greens, and the light spilling from it cast the girl’s face in an angelic glow. Outside, the street washer was passing. The girl, holding a bouquet of roses in one hand and wiping the other on her poorly cut cloth coat, smiled and said, The street cleaner has sent you to me.

Pat could not find his tongue for a second and then, without thinking, he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and withdrew his wallet, a slender beat-up leather affair with little in it except some cash, his driver’s license, two credit cards, and a picture of Megan. This he slid from its clear plastic cover and showed to the flower girl.

This is my daughter, he said. Do you know her?

Oui, Monsieur, the girl answered. And then, switching back to her lilting schoolgirl’s English, She told me you would come.

She told you I’d come?

Oui, Monsieur.

When was that?

When she purchased flowers from me last week.

What kind of flowers?

"Roses. Comme ça." She looked down at the bouquet in her hand and then back up at Pat.

What else did she tell you?

"Rien, Monsieur, just that you would be coming."

She’s dead, Pat wanted to say. I’m too late. But he could not form the words. He heard them echoing in his head, but though he tried he could not get them to his lips. Then suddenly he was crying, holding his hands to his eyes to hide his tears. Embarrassed, he opened his wallet again and began fumbling in it for euro notes to pay for the bouquet. The girl, however, gently clasped her hands over his, forcing them to close the wallet and at the same time deftly placing the flowers into his right hand. There was more comfort in her touch than Pat had felt in years. He stood there mute, wondering at the sweetness of this child who was a head shorter than him but whose presence seemed to fill every corner of the small room.

She was troubled, Monsieur.

Troubled?

Yes, Monsieur. It is good that you have come. You must go to her.

There was no point in telling the girl that Megan was dead, that in a few minutes he would indeed be going to her, but only to her corpse.

I am going to her now, he said.

Have faith, Monsieur. You will be led to her.

~ 2 ~

Paris, January 2, 2004

Pat arrived at his hotel at a few minutes before noon, which gave him just enough time to put the roses into a vase with water and wash his face and hands before going down to the lobby to meet Officer Laurence. When he unwrapped the roses, a prayer card of some kind fell out; he put this in his pocket without thinking much about it. He told the desk clerk that he was expecting an Officer Laurence of the Paris police and pointed to a stuffed chair in a corner where he would be waiting for her. There he sat and began to ponder his strange meeting with the flower girl, but within seconds, or so it seemed, he was interrupted by a tall angular woman in her mid-thirties dressed in a chic dark blue suit over a white silk blouse. Her nose was on the large side and slightly bumpy, and would have dominated her face except that it was nicely in proportion to her high, wide cheekbones and full-lipped broad mouth. The eyes in this face, forthright eyes that met his squarely, were an arresting shade of gray-green that Pat had never seen before. Her gold bracelets jangled as she extended her hand to him and introduced herself with a half smile and a nod of her head.

Do you speak French, Monsieur Nolan?

Un peu.

You prefer English?

Yes.

"Mais oui. Of course. You seem surprised, Monsieur. I am not dressed to chase criminals today."

I was expecting someone in a uniform. Inspector LeGrand said you were an officer.

I am an officer of the judiciary police. In America I would be a detective.

Pat was surprised at Laurence’s appearance, but it wasn’t at the way she was dressed. Nor was it solely how lovely she was, although she was quite lovely to look at. It was, he realized, how interesting the look in her beautiful eyes was. There was no French arrogance in them, but its opposite, something akin to humility or a complicated, frustrating sadness not unlike his own. This look, whether imagined or real, and the thought it sparked in his overworked mind, took Pat for a moment—a very brief moment—out of himself, a process that on some wider level he observed with gratitude.

Shall we go? Laurence said softly, bringing him swiftly but gently back to the grim task at hand.

The ride to the hospital in Laurence’s black Peugeot station wagon was short and quiet. Once there, Laurence spoke rapidly in French to a desk clerk, then shepherded Pat into an elevator which took them to the basement.

Wait, she said when they exited the elevator; then, turning, she walked quickly down a long corridor, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor. She disappeared behind double swinging doors, reemerging a moment later and gesturing to Pat to come. It was a long walk for Pat, longer even than the one he had taken twenty-nine years ago to confirm for himself that his wife of eight months was dead. Laurence held open one of the swinging doors for him and he entered a squarish, harshly lit room with a wall of stainless steel body lockers at one end and an autopsy station at the other, where a lab technician in a white smock stood next to a gurney. Pat took this scene in for a moment and then felt Officer Laurence’s hand on his left forearm. At the gurney, Laurence nodded to the technician, who pulled down gently on the pale green sheet. Pat’s eyes went first to the shaved head, then to the crude sutures at the right temple, and then finally to the face, white and stony in death these last four days. It was not Megan. It was a woman generally of Megan’s age and size and coloring, but it was not her.

This is your daughter, Monsieur Nolan?

Pat’s mind had stopped working for a second, but it started again when he heard Officer Laurence’s voice. Other voices then filled his head.

My birthday’s coming up. You can bring me a present.

A quick cremation.

Have faith, Monsieur. You will be led to her.

Megan was alive but wanted the world to think she was dead. The world except for Pat and the flower girl on the Street of Flowers.

Yes, he answered, nodding, and at the same time reaching out and placing his right hand over the body’s left hand. He pressed through the sheet to feel for the heavy silver ring that he had bought for Lorrie on their honeymoon and then given to Megan when she

Reviews for A World I Never Made

[theeclecticreview · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It’s January 2004 and Pat Nolan has received a call from Paris informing him that his estranged daughter Megan (well-travelled, freelance journalist) has committed suicide. When he gets to Paris it is revealed that the body is not Megan and she has left behind a strange suicide note to stage her death. The plot thickens when he finds out she had been staying in Morocco for some time with an extended diplomatic visa and she is hiding from a powerful enemy who stops at nothing to exact revenge. Pat’s all consuming quest is to find his daughter before her enemies do. He is aided by Officer Catherine Laurence, a hauntingly beautiful and competent Parisian detective who finds corruption in her department and puts her career on the line to help solve the mystery.Intermixed with Pat’s story is Megan’s quest to stay alive. It starts in January 2003 with her visit to Morocco to do research and she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. With all her worldliness and experience with men, she has met her match and has made a dangerous mistake. Megan is running for her life, but can her father save her?LePore’s first novel takes us to Paris, Morocco and the Czech Republic and is packed full of raw suspense, terrorism, corruption, and the love of a father who wants to save his daughter. I was hooked at the beginning and was not too surprised at the end, but I enjoyed the unique plot, diverse characters and exotic settings.

[dtchantel-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As someone who loves spy, espionage and international suspense thrillers (beginning with The Bourne Identity when it was first published), I found James LePore's book (the first I've read by this author) to be a fine example of the genre. With a very up-to-date plot that didn't make the mistake of becoming too convoluted, this book kept me riveted until the end. I also came to care deeply about each of the three main characters, which is an ode to how well LePore portrayed them. I will definitely read more by this author.

[madmoosemama · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A World I Never Made is a novel of international suspense and mystery. With mild to moderate expletives and violence, it is not suggested for those who are not mature readers. Written from both Pat Nolan's and Megan's perspective, we are taken back and forth in time to enrapture the reader as author, James LePore, sheds light on the mysterious Megan and her ties to the influential and wealthy men of Europe.Pat Nolan receives a call from the French police in Paris that his estranged daughter, Megan, has committed suicide and he is needed to come and identify the body. Upon seeing that the woman laying in the morgue was not his daughter, he lies and says she is, setting him on a journey that will take him across France and into the Czech Republic to unravel the clues as to his daughters whereabouts.Along the journey he is aided by policewoman, Catherine Laurance, who later becomes his love interest, the gypsies, who have sworn to protect Megan, for a cost and American FBI agent, Max French, whose agenda may not be what it seems. Following the clues, Pat learns that his daughter is suspected of being a terrorist, and dodging the DST, Saudi Arabian secret agents and the French police, with his life at risk, he continues, each step closer to learning the truth. With everyone on the hunt for Megan, Pat knows his daughter hasn't much time, will he make it to her to save her life or will the secret world of Megan finally catch up with her and be her final doom?SYNOPSIS:"Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help."

[bookworm_naida · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In A World I Never Made, American Pat Nolan is called to Paris to claim the body of his daughter Megan. Apparently Megan was suffering from cancer and commited suicide. Megan had been traveling the world working as a freelance journalist for many years and Pat went for long stretches of time without seeing her. Pat raised Megan alone because her mother died during childbirth. However, when Pat sees the body, he knows right away it is not his daughter. For some reason Megan faked her death and Pat is trying to find out why she did it and where she is now. With the help of a beautiful Parisian detective Catherine Laurence, Pat goes on a hunt to find his daughter. Slowly but surely, startling secrets are revealed about Megans life. As the book goes on you get glimpses into Megans life. She met a Saudi businessman named Abdel Lahani and began to have an affair with him. What Megan doesn't realize is the danger she has put herself into because of her connection to Abdel. I really enjoyed A World I Never Made. There were alot of plot twists and turns. I liked Pat's chracter and I was quickly drawn into the story. If you're in the mood for a suspenseful story with interesting characters, pick this one up.

[mmoj_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book I found on Pixel of Ink. It's the story of a father and so have been lost to each other from the moment of the daughter's birth but it is also the story of faith and patriotism. Pat and Megan Nolan were separated by the death of Pat's wife who died while giving birth to Megan. Megan becomes a product of the blame Pat placed on her at birth and in time flees to Europe and becomes a writer. There she hears of the 9/11 attacks which change the direction of her life. She begins investigating terrorist cells. And so begins her destiny and which sends Pat on a search for his daughter. This has been one of my favorite books of the year. It was perhaps written in a way that was too matter of fact for me which stopped me from giving it 5 stars but if you like spy novels (which I don't typically read) you will probably like this one.

[dougbq · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A solid read. Well-written and it kept my attention. Lots of twists and turns. If you like international intrigue coupled with some personal angst, this book might just work for you. Language gets rough in a few spots, so you need to be aware of that.

[mikedraper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pat Nolan is summoned to Paris to claim his estranged daughter, Megan's body. When he gets to the mortuary, she sees that it isn't Megan. He realizes that she staged her death and is in danger and needs him.When Catherine Laurence, a police detective in Paris, is told by her superior that they question that the dead body is Megan and are suspicious at the quick creamation. She is told to befriend Pat and see what she can learn.Catherine is told that the Saudi government suspects that Megan was part of a group of terrorists who blew up a number of buildings.We follow the story of how Megan, a freelance journalist, went to Morocco and what happend there. We also follow Pat and Catherine as they search for Megan and become romantically involved, something they never thought they'd experience at this point of their lives."A World I never Made" is a well crafted mystery with rich characterization who the reader comes to care for. The story flows smoothly and was an entertaining read.

[sms352 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this back in May. A good thriller about a father and daughter relationship. The story is told during two different time periods. The daughter's death brings Pat Nolan to Paris to identify her body. Woven with terrorist activites; Pat investigates the dangerous people she was involved with. A bittersweet ending to the story; Megan leaves one last gift for Pat.

[mrshemery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

CoverI get a sense of the mystery of this book by looking at the cover: The lady on it ... is it Catherine or is it Megan? Why is she standing in a hallway all by herself? Is she looking for someone? Waiting on someone? Is she friend or foe?PlotThe book was set in European countries, which helped lend an air of mystery to the story. The characters were extremely realistic and believable. Even though there were some back-and-forth moments in the book, the story flowed smoothly and flawlessly. The reader will remain engaged and wanting to know more the entire book.CharactersPat is Megan's widowed father. He appears to be the strong and silent type. He feels guilty for how he was never around while Megan was growing up.Megan is a wanderer with a gypsy spirit. She doesn't like to be tied down in one place for too long and her lifestyle reflects that.Catherine is a detective helping Pat search for Megan. She lost her husband in a bombing several years ago ... much to her relief. She is feminine, yet strong.If you want to know more about Pat and Megan's backgrounds, James LePore's Anyone Can Die gives you a great glimpse of that. I previously read Anyone Can Die (see review here) and went back and re-read it after I finished A World I Never Made and found it to be a wonderful addition.OverallI loved this novel. It was suspenseful and kept you on the edge of your seat until the end. The story flowed naturally. I would put this novel in the same category as Dean Koontz's suspense novels. It is a definite must read for mystery and suspense fans.

[pattylouise_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Murder, mystery, suspense and terrorists are what this book is about. I am not normally in the habit of reading a book of this nature but once you begin the first chapter this intense book is impossible to put down. I literally read it straight to the end…only stopping when I had to. So much for laundry…and dinner.It is a story about a father and his daughter in alternating chapters. The premise is that Pat Nolan is called to Paris to identify his daughter’s dead body. It is believed that she has committed suicide but when Pat Nolan sees the body it is not his daughter Megan. Due to a note left behind by Megan he knows that she is alive and in grave danger. Pat and Megan are not a typical father and daughter. They are sort of semi estranged and barely see each other. Megan is a writer and travels the world for her stories. At most the two of them would meet once a year at Christmas. Megan’s mother died during childbirth and Pat was not much of a stay at home dad.I was immediately thrown into this totally frightening terrorist culture. No one can be trusted and anyone helping Megan or Pat is met with an extreme deadly horrible punishment. The terrorists show no mercy. Not too many people are spared. That part was really sad. Luckily Pat meets a French detective who helps him in this quest to find his daughter and as he soon learns, he is also now searching for his grandson. Megan has reasons to hide her newborn from his father…a very wealthy extremist. Her faked death is the only way she can do this.There is so much going on within this novel. The minute you think you can catch your breath…someone else is caught up in Megan’s plight and my breathless reading began all over again.There is an amazing ending. There is a love story. There is hope.I truly did enjoy this book. Again…not to overstate this but I could not put this book down. I just had to sit and read it until I couldn’t read any more. I put it away and then found myself picking it up again just to see what would happen next. The ending was exciting. My thanks to “Pump Up Your Book” and Lou Aronica for sharing this author with me.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a crisp, well-written thriller. Pat Nolan comes to France to identify the body of his daughter but, instead, begins a hunt for her. Megan is on the run from both terrorists and the intelligence community. Pat joins forces with French police detective Catherine Laurence as they travel across Europe on Megan's trail while trying to elude both the terrorists and intelligence officers who hope they will lead them to Megan.

[thoughtsofjoylibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A World I Never Made is James LePore's debut novel and is one of suspense, indeed. The story is told in alternating parts: Pat's search for Megan in 2004, and Megan's life in 2003, which leads up to the 2004 search. Both parts contain continual action and kept me turning the pages. I really liked the writing technique of the two years eventually merging.It's unfortunate for me when I read a lot of foreign names and places because I tend to get mixed up. Due to the large cast of characters and the unfamiliar territory, I found it difficult to keep every person/group straight. I managed, but in the beginning I had to work at it. Also, in general, I liked the main characters, but would have liked to have known them at a deeper level.Interestingly enough, the book has left me with an unexpected curiosity. A group of Gypsies played a role in this book, and they have piqued my interest. I hope to learn more about them and their ways.Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

[writergal85 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yet another attorney turned thriller writer, James LePore adeptly draws the reader into a page-turner involving a faked suicide, a young journalist on the run and a possible terrorist plot. His simple, straightforward writing style propels the story and sets its pace and mood. LePore’s exhaustive research on the various countries, as well as the unique historical elements, provides authenticity and increases the level of intrigue of A World I Never Made, Expatriate American journalist Megan Nolan has lived abroad off the luxuries of well-to-do lovers (and freelance articles) for well over a decade, accumulating an impressive array of passport stamps. Megan’s father, Pat Nolan, gets a call that she has committed suicide and he needs to come to Paris to identify the body. Megan has actually faked her suicide and left some clues for her father. Pat teams up with a beautiful, savvy French detective named Catherine Laurence and the two risk their lives to find Megan. They also fall in love. Meanwhile, Megan is in Morocco seducing her latest man and also doing some risky research on a terrorist cell. The Saudi Arabian businessman Abdel Lahani is more dangerous than even worldly Megan can handle and she soon finds herself in grave danger. Soon the FBI, French police, Saudi version of the FBI, gypsies and some terrorist thugs are all searching for Megan, Pat and Catherine. Pat had not talked Megan into anything since she was in high school, maybe even grammar school. But this was not as hollow a statement as it would have been a few weeks ago. He was convinced that his one-of-a-kind daughter had laid down a trail for him, a trail through a minefield, trips wires everywhere. The characters zigzag through France, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the Czech Republic. While there are some superfluous moments with the romance between Pat Nolan and Catherine that slow the story down, in general it is a fine debut. A World I Never Made contains plenty of unexpected twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the shocking ending.

[literaryfeline · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The novel, A World I Never Made, opens with Patrick Nolan sitting across from a French Inspector. He holds his daughter's suicide note in his hands. He had never been close to his daughter, Megan. After his wife died while giving birth to their only child, Pat held onto his guilt and kept his distance from her. Megan's death brings his regrets to the surface. Only, as Pat will soon discover, it is not Megan's body which lies in the coroner's office. Under the impression that Megan was trying to fake her own death, Pat remains silent, going along with the ruse that his daughter is, in fact, dead.Officer Catherine Laurence of the judiciary police is assigned to keep an eye on Pat Nolan. He is not the only one who knows his daughter is not truly dead, and there are those in power who hope he will lead them to her. Megan's name has turned up on a terrorist watch list, the Saudi police claiming she was involved with the planning of several suicide bombings in Morocco.Catherine and Pat are thrown together in the search for Megan when they realize someone else is stalking Pat as well--someone who is much more dangerous, and those under his order will not hesitate to kill everyone in their wake. Pat and Catherine must get to Megan before those she is hiding from find her first.Woven between the chapters of the race to find Megan, is the story of why Megan has gone into hiding, of why she felt the need to lie about her death. Megan, a freelance journalist, has always been an independent spirit, headstrong and motivated. She goes after what she wants, be it a man or a news story. And, in this case, she goes after both. There is much more to her current lover, Abdel al-Lahani, than she at first realizes. She soon finds her very life on the line, and she must flee before it is too late.The two storylines eventually intersect, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Author James LePore has crafted an exciting and heart pounding novel. A father and daughter lost to each other for most of their lives rediscover each other as death chases right on their heels. The death of his wife Lorrie had devastated Pat. He blamed himself. He closed himself off from not only his daughter, but also from letting anyone into his heart. Believing his daughter was dead, even if for a short while, changed all that, as did his meeting of Catherine Laurence, the beautiful detective who carried her own baggage. She, too, had a well guarded heart. At first I wondered at their falling for each other so quickly given their defenses, but taking into account the high emotions, their current circumstances and the common bond they felt for one another, it does fall in the realm of believability.I was not sure I would like Megan at first. She uses men and in the beginning came across as cold and calculating. She grew on me though. Like her father, she is a complex character with many layers. Her father's absence in her life wounded her and has influenced her life choices. She is intelligent and has a confidence and strength about her, which has seen her come out on top more often than not. It is easy to see why she was drawn to Lahani. He is charming and mysterious. They are very similar in that they hold parts of themselves back from one another. Neither wanting to let the other in, at least not completely. This in juxtaposition to Pat and Catherine whose hearts are just beginning to thaw.The novel takes the reader all over Europe and North Africa, including France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Morocco. James LePore puts the reader right there in the midst of it all. His descriptions of the locales and people are rich and detailed, which is balanced out by the crisp dialogue.I was most fascinated by the gypsies. They played a significant part in both Megan and Pat's stories. Their own history and mysticism is touched on ever so slightly in the novel. Having just read Precious by Sandra Novack, in which the mother was born to a gypsies during the Second World War, my interest was particularly heightened as I came across mention of that again in A World I Never Made.Another aspect of the book that interested me is related to Megan's journalistic work: the culture and influence of Islam, particularly that of fundamental Muslims, in European countries, such as France and Spain. It is not something I have given much thought to but is worth looking into further for a better understanding of world events.It was easy to get swept up in James LePore's novel. His writing is beautiful and the story is captivating. I really grew to care about the characters, especially Pat. It is a shame it ended so soon.

[jenforbus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In James LePore's debut novel, A WORLD I NEVER MADE, Pat Nolan is called to Paris to identify the body of his daughter Megan who was believed to have committed suicide. His relationship with Megan has always been a rocky one and at best they see each other once a year. But when Nolan arrives, he discovers that the body is not Megan's and she has left him a cryptic clue indicating she is in trouble and needs his help.As Nolan investigates further into the mystery of his daughter's disappearance he finds a complex network of international terrorism. With the help of French Detective Catherine Laurence, can Nolan find Megan before the terrorists who want her dead do?LaPore parallels Pat Nolan's odyssey with Megan Nolan's experiences leading up to her faked suicide. Interweaving the two stories, the reader is able to start locking the events together like pieces of a puzzle. And like a puzzle, the story isn't complete until the last piece is entered.In a day and age when our greatest fears revolve around terrorism, the antagonists create a great level of suspense that keeps the action moving swiftly.The characters in this novel are all carrying "baggage" that they must work their ways through. This, of course, helps to define who they are as well as show growth throughout the plot. While most parents don't have quite the relationship with their children that Pat has with Megan, they can probably identify a distance and wonder what they don't know about their own children's lives. And in the end, it is the relationships throughout the novel that are its greatest strength. Relationships are never perfect, but that lack of perfection doesn't prevent a person from being willing to go to the ends of the earth for another - sometimes we all have to be reminded of that.

[naidascrochet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In A World I Never Made, American Pat Nolan is called to Paris to claim the body of his daughter Megan. Apparently Megan was suffering from cancer and commited suicide. Megan had been traveling the world working as a freelance journalist for many years and Pat went for long stretches of time without seeing her. Pat raised Megan alone because her mother died during childbirth. However, when Pat sees the body, he knows right away it is not his daughter. For some reason Megan faked her death and Pat is trying to find out why she did it and where she is now. With the help of a beautiful Parisian detective Catherine Laurence, Pat goes on a hunt to find his daughter. Slowly but surely, startling secrets are revealed about Megans life. As the book goes on you get glimpses into Megans life. She met a Saudi businessman named Abdel Lahani and began to have an affair with him. What Megan doesn't realize is the danger she has put herself into because of her connection to Abdel. I really enjoyed A World I Never Made. There were alot of plot twists and turns. I liked Pat's chracter and I was quickly drawn into the story. If you're in the mood for a suspenseful story with interesting characters, pick this one up.

[sensory-376444 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Life takes an interesting turn when Megan Nolan, a young American journalist investigating terrorist cells in Morocco, meets a handsome Saudi national who offers her easy access to the region where the terrorists are known to hide. Lahani, however, is not what he seems to be and Megan soon finds herself running from invisible assailants. Fast forward a year and Pat, Megan’s father, is called and asked to travel to Europe to identify his daughter. As his journey leads him to clues that Megan has left for him to find, Pat travels across Europe with a French police detective trying to find out what happened to his daughter but is soon on the run himself from unknown assailants.This book contains all the elements of a readable thriller: suspense, exotic locations, evil-doers and good guys and a touch of romance thrown in. Though I did not find the characters to be completely believable because they fit a mold too well, – Pat is tall and handsome and his daughter a beauty - I found their character flaws believable enough to lend the story a certain realism. They have life baggage to lug around and that added plenty of colour to the story.The plot could have been stereotypical because the bad guys were French and Saudi Arabian, but it was saved from that fate by having characters both good and bad from those cultures. Gypsies were also featured fairly prominently in the story line and that added interest as well. I was slightly confused about the plot here and there but that probably had more to do with having to put the book down for two days while I was busy.The story is told from two perspectives – Megan’s and her father’s. As it follows Megan, the reader is taken back a year to events that eventually lead up to Pat’s involvement. Then, it’s forward in time and we see things from Pat’s perspective as he desperately tries to figure out who is after him and why. I recommend this book for those who enjoy fast-paced, suspenseful novels with a touch of the exotic.

[myckyee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Life takes an interesting turn when Megan Nolan, a young American journalist investigating terrorist cells in Morocco, meets a handsome Saudi national who offers her easy access to the region where the terrorists are known to hide. Lahani, however, is not what he seems to be and Megan soon finds herself running from invisible assailants. Fast forward a year and Pat, Megan’s father, is called and asked to travel to Europe to identify his daughter. As his journey leads him to clues that Megan has left for him to find, Pat travels across Europe with a French police detective trying to find out what happened to his daughter but is soon on the run himself from unknown assailants.This book contains all the elements of a readable thriller: suspense, exotic locations, evil-doers and good guys and a touch of romance thrown in. Though I did not find the characters to be completely believable because they fit a mold too well, – Pat is tall and handsome and his daughter a beauty - I found their character flaws believable enough to lend the story a certain realism. They have life baggage to lug around and that added plenty of colour to the story.The plot could have been stereotypical because the bad guys were French and Saudi Arabian, but it was saved from that fate by having characters both good and bad from those cultures. Gypsies were also featured fairly prominently in the story line and that added interest as well. I was slightly confused about the plot here and there but that probably had more to do with having to put the book down for two days while I was busy.The story is told from two perspectives – Megan’s and her father’s. As it follows Megan, the reader is taken back a year to events that eventually lead up to Pat’s involvement. Then, it’s forward in time and we see things from Pat’s perspective as he desperately tries to figure out who is after him and why. I recommend this book for those who enjoy fast-paced, suspenseful novels with a touch of the exotic.

[phoenixterran · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I was in the process of reading and reviewing Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed by Marc Blatte, I was also offered an advance reading copy of another upcoming debut mystery novel--A World I Never Made by James LePore. Due to be released in April 2009, A World I Never Made promised to be an exciting novel of suspense and political intrigue and it mostly delivers on that promise. The book features locales such as Paris, Morocco, and the Czech Republic and a wide range of primary and secondary characters. Intrigued, I happily accepted a copy to review.When Megan Nolan, an American freelance journalist, is found dead in a Parisian hotel, her semi-estranged father is brought over form the United States to identify the body. He is given the suicide note she left for him to read, but something just doesn't seem right to Patrick. In addition to her strange request asking for an immediate cremation, he also learns for the first time that his daughter was dying of ovarian cancer. But nothing could have prepared him for the next surprise--the body that he was brought to identify is not Megan's. She has faked her own suicide. Knowing his daughter must be in grave danger to go to such lengths, he hopes to find her with the help of French detective Catherine Laurence before it's too late.I must admit, I was periodically baffled by the characters; I didn't always follow their logic or completely understand some of their actions and decisions. Despite the plot being a bit unbelievable at times, and on occasion a bit predictable, LePore still manages to create a story suspenseful enough to keep a reader's attention and the pages turning. Even though there was potential for the book to feel dated with the use of the events of September 11, 2001 as a major touchstone and the emphasis of terrorism as an element in the plot, this is avoided and it still feels relevant. While stereotypes aren't strictly used, some of the portrayal of the characters and various groups of people come awfully close at times.Overall, A World I Never Made is a fairly engaging read and a good debut. There were a few minor continuity problems, but as I was reading an advanced copy of the novel, this may be addressed in the final published version. The most frustrating thing for me, besides the continuity issues, was not always understanding the characters. But even so, I was very interested to see how LePore would pull together his two story lines--the search for Megan and Megan's own story. Ultimately, he was very successful in doing so, leaving very few if any loose ends. For those who enjoy LePore's first foray into modern mystery and suspense, he is already working on his next book, scheduled to be released in the spring of 2010.Experiments in Reading

[sherton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It?s January 2004 and Pat Nolan has received a call from Paris informing him that his estranged daughter Megan (well-travelled, freelance journalist) has committed suicide. When he gets to Paris it is revealed that the body is not Megan and she has left behind a strange suicide note to stage her death. The plot thickens when he finds out she had been staying in Morocco for some time with an extended diplomatic visa and she is hiding from a powerful enemy who stops at nothing to exact revenge. Pat?s all consuming quest is to find his daughter before her enemies do. He is aided by Officer Catherine Laurence, a hauntingly beautiful and competent Parisian detective who finds corruption in her department and puts her career on the line to help solve the mystery.Intermixed with Pat?s story is Megan?s quest to stay alive. It starts in January 2003 with her visit to Morocco to do research and she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. With all her worldliness and experience with men, she has met her match and has made a dangerous mistake. Megan is running for her life, but can her father save her?LePore?s first novel takes us to Paris, Morocco and the Czech Republic and is packed full of raw suspense, terrorism, corruption, and the love of a father who wants to save his daughter. I was hooked at the beginning and was not too surprised at the end, but I enjoyed the unique plot, diverse characters and exotic settings.