Vargas, Fred

Fred Vargas is a pseudonym used by the French historian, archaeologist and crime writer Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau. "Vargas" was a character played by Ava Gardener in The Barefoot Contessa; the name was first used by Audoin-Rouzeau’s twin sister Joëlle, the visual artist Jo Vargas. Their father, Philippe Audoin-Rouzeau, was a journalist and a famous figure in surrealist circles. He was very particular about his daughters’ cultural education and vetted every book they read, which meant that Frédérique, like her father, became interested in folklore and superstition, and her books often include elements of the superstitious.