Juan-les-Pins figures a few times as a key location in 3 WISE MEN. Later in the book, Romano leaves this sleepy seaside town for a final showdown with the elusive Jak Colins. En route he sees a rather attractive woman sauntering up from the beach and (showing his age) is reminded of the famous Peter Sarstedt’s song – ‘Where do you go to my lovely’ from the 1960’s …

[novel extract: Romano sat waiting on the motorbike, its engine idling smoothly. Stefan put his helmet on and they turned right out of the apartment building. Romano blinked a few times to adjust to the brighter daylight and followed the splotches of shadow cast by tall palms as they made their way up Avenue Maréchal Joffre toward the Juan-les-Pins train station. They quickly ducked left at the corner and sped down the one-way Avenue l’Estérel, dodging around slow cars on the busy, narrow road.

Stefan was hanging on grimly, hoping that his boss might slow down a little.

“This is the best way to get around on the Riviera,” Romano shouted.

He was suddenly distracted. A curvy, bikini-clad blond was sauntering slowly up the footpath from the beach, her hips and full breasts swaying gracefully in time with her white beach bag. When they got closer, Romano braked, throttled back and pulled over to have a longer look. Both he and Stefan looked like little boys gawking inside a candy store.

As the young woman walked past, Romano hoped to attract her attention. He unashamedly launched into song, singing Peter Sarstedt’s 1960s ‘Where do you go to my lovely’ at the top of his voice.

‘Where do you go to my lovely
When you’re alone in your bed,
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head…
When you go on your summer vacation
You go to Juan-les-Pins;
With your carefully designed topless swimsuit
You get an even suntan,
on your back and on your legs’

However, this bombshell was certainly not topless, although Romano wished she had been. She noticed Stefan shaking his head in disbelief at the poor singing, but simply strolled past them both with an air of importance, looking stunning in her polka dot bikini – black polka dot briefs and a rather loose-fitting, pink polka dot top. It was easy for Romano to image her ambling merrily up the road – in just the briefs, but still wearing her yellow over-sized sunglasses and floppy straw hat. It was almost too much to take in. He whistled and turned around.

“Very nice!” he enthused to Stefan, who grinned back and shouted,

“She looks hot!”

“Yes, and summer’s over now!” Romano laughed, “Now hang on!” he yelled as they pulled out into the traffic, then skirted around the boulevard intersection. Romano accelerated fast and made their way from the coast to Rue Pauline and then onto the D6017 route to Grasse.

At this pace they should be there in less than thirty minutes – just enough time for Romano to make his next, and final, move. ]