Murder in Paris '68

A True Story of Death and Glamour

Edward Chisholm

"Evocative, gripping and beautifully written. I've recommended this book to everyone I know!” —Emerald Fennell, award winning film director of Saltburn and "Wuthering Heights"

A riveting true crime investigation into the 1960s Parisian underworld and an unsolved murder that brought the country to its knees.

An intimate, shocking true story from the Parisian demi-monde of the 1960s, Murder in Paris ’68 evokes an era when the high-life and the low-life went hand in hand. It was a time when the French New Wave of cinema was taking the world by storm, a time of glamour, sports cars, casinos, and night clubs—and at the heart of it all, the man of the moment, the enigmatic film star Alain Delon, dubbed "the most beautiful man in the world."

With a shady past and a taste for bad company and high-living, Delon lived on the edge. But when a dead body turns up in the outskirts of Paris that turns out to be Stevan Markovic, Delon's friend, “bodyguard,” and associate, questions begin to be asked. That Delon shot to stardom playing Tom Ripley with all those stylish and murderous associations does not go unnoticed. Is art imitating life or is life imitating art? What is Delon involved in? And who was Stevan Markovic?

In an exceptionally skilful and highly readable work of narrative nonfiction, Edward Chisholm uses his own detailed in-depth research to weave the reader into an intimate patchwork of events as they unfold, submersing us in 1960s Paris. And as we meet the characters—actresses, directors, petty criminals, state prosecutors, high-level gangsters, star-struck policemen, compromised politicians—we witness what became to be known as The Markovic Affair from the inside, as it spirals out of control and not only pulls down Alain Delon, but everyone within his orbit.

Edward Chisholm was born in England and moved to Paris after graduating from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. A resident in the City of Lights for seven years, Chisholm spent the first four of them working all manner of low-paid restaurant jobs, from waiting and bartending, while trying to build a career as a writer. Now Chisholm makes a living as a freelance writer. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, and the Financial Times magazine. He lives in England.

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Endorsements & Reviews

“A propulsive account of the so-called ‘Markovic Affair,’ a salacious murder case that touched various corners of French society. With the pacing and polish of a top-shelf crime novel, Chisholm’s account digs deep into Delon’s and Markovic’s pasts, considering whether they were friends, co-criminals, or sometime lovers, while zooming out far enough to illustrate how the press both fanned the flames of the case and inhibited its investigation. The result is an uncommonly assured work of true crime.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“One of the best works of crime nonfiction to be published in a long time. The author’s writing is superb, the deeply compelling mystery reads like a fictional thriller, and the late-1960s setting is carefully and evocatively rendered in this masterpiece of true crime.” Booklist (starred review)

"This is a stylish, intelligent page-turner, as gripping as a thriller film script a shrewd move when real crime drama dominates TV, podcasts and publishing. Generations who have never heard of Stevan Markovic have a lurid mystery to enjoy; for all ages, it is a clever reworking of a great scandal.” The Times (London)

'Written more like a novel in both spare and fast-moving prose, Chisholm's gripping book takes us into the heart not just of an era but into the inner world of a single man: Alain Delon. It is, in a way the world depicted in his most iconic film, Melville's Le Samurai—a world of gangsters, violence and underworld Parisian conspiracies, whose denizens possess their own cold elegance and charisma. Consequently, it's also a portrait of an entire culture at a single moment in its history, one that is now half-forgotten. A magnificent read.” Lawrence Osborne, author of The Glass Kingdom and The Ballad of a Small Player

"Highly original, atmospheric and brilliantly conceived, Murder in Paris '68, a true story, reads like a tremendous thriller: fascinating, disturbing and shrewdly compelling.” William Boyd, author of The Predicament

Praise for Edward Chisholm’s A Waiter in Paris:

"Mr. Chisholm’s story is immersive and often thrilling. The book is an amalgamation of his experiences in Paris, where he spent four years working various waiting and bar jobs while trying to make it as a writer. By all accounts he learned the métier and was a capable waiter. He’s a fine writer.” Benjamin Shull, The Wall Street Journal

“A portrait of Paris is painted by a waiter in this candid memoir that forces you to take off your rose-colored glasses to see the complicated truth of the city. Behind the allure of luxury, behind the romance and charm, Edward Chisholm can see Paris for what she truly is during his time as a waiter. As he exposes the realities behind a Parisian restaurant’s ‘luxurious calm,’ he exposes the city of love as well.” Town & Country

“Chisholm’s fortitude in the face of hot-headed, violent chefs and infernal fourteen-hour days without breaks in pursuit of his goal is admirable, and makes for compelling reading. An entertaining and enlightening memoir.” The Times Literary Supplement

"A Dickensian tale of a young man’s trial by fire in a French bistro gives rise to biting commentary on Parisian culture in Chisholm’s intoxicating debut. Chisholm renders the City of Light in vivid scenes of squalor and splendor. Bittersweet and enchanting, this serves as a potent look at the gritty underbelly of a glittering world.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)