Welcome to Wolfgang’s World
NOTE: This blog was originally published on a previous website on June 24, 2021
Wolfgang Pierce — a globetrotting, no-limits espionage operative with a sexy fellow operator to win and terrorists to catch. His series is fast-paced, action-packed, and one of the most challenging things I’ve ever written.
I designed the series in reverse - beginning with the locations, and then crafting the story. Wolfgang’s series would take place in six international cities—Paris, Cairo, Moscow, Rio, Tokyo, and Sydney—and I was thrilled to write about all of them. But I had a small problem.
I’ve never been to Paris. Or Cairo. Or any of those places. In fact, I’ve never been outside North America. How could I write authentically about six cities that I’ve never visited?
It’s very important to me to get details right wherever possible. When it comes to setting, I’m particularly obsessed with accuracy, so I consumed everything I could find about each city.
I leaned heavily on internet tools like Google Earth to map street routes, Yelp to learn about local restaurants, Hotels.com to get a peak inside the suites of expensive hotels, and YouTube for guided tours of landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tower, and the Sydney Opera House.
As much as possible, I immersed myself in a six-city tour, all without leaving my home office. And man, what an adventure it was. With every book I learned so much about each city, and made it a personal goal to include at least one awesome, unknown location as a key part of every story.
Now I’d like to introduce you to some of those cool places! I curated these images as part of my research, and I hope you enjoy a glimpse into Wolfgang’s world. Let me know if you’ve visited any of these hallmarks in person!
(If you haven’t read the series yet, no worries. There are no spoilers here!)
Café Les Deux Magots - Paris
Located in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris, you may remember this café from an early scene in Paris where Charlie Team stakes it out while waiting for the terrorist code-named Spider to show. As a side note, I hear the food is delicious!
The Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild - Paris
Constructed in the 1870s and located in the heart of Paris, this hotel is featured near the end of That Time in Paris. I wanted an iconic and decidedly French locale for this specific scene, and I think this hotel was perfect.
The Great Pyramids of Giza - Giza
The great pyramids need no introduction, and even though they play only a background roll in That Time in Cairo, they are too special not to share a picture of here. I used a lot of pictures like this to help me capture the mood of the area around Cairo/Giza, and this one in particular really speaks to the brightness and heat of the desert.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities - Cairo
Originally constructed in 1901 and featuring over 120,000 items, this museum rests on the east bank of the Nile River, just inside Cairo city limits. It is the site of another important Charlie Team stakeout, and this photograph is taken not far from where Wolfgang sits during that scene.
Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya - Moscow
Built in 1954 in the Stalinist neoclassical style, this hotel is actually one of seven sister buildings constructed around the world. It is the operational headquarters of Charlie Team during their mission in Moscow, and is a tremendously ornate and beautiful building on the inside. From the outside…well. I can’t say I find it very welcoming.
The Red October District - Moscow
On the tiny island in the left of this photo you'll note the Peter the Great Statue, and to the right of it the core of what the Russians call the Red October District. Bar Gipsy (a real bar) is located here, and is the site of an iconic fight scene in That Time in Moscow. The river flowing around the district is the Moskva - and yes, that's where a certain somebody takes an unexpected swim!
The Favelas - Rio de Janeiro
Located on the sloping mountainsides around downtown Rio, the favelas are shantytowns. Illegally constructed by poverty-stricken residents with nowhere else to go, favelas are historically neglected by local government, and take a prominent roll in the story of That Time in Rio.
Cristo Redentor - Rio de Janeiro
No visit to Rio is complete without Cristo Redentor - Christ the Redeemer, a 98 foot statue built on a mountain peak 2,300 feet above the city. The statue was constructed in the 1920s out of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and weights 635 metric tons. Of course it makes an appearance in That Time in Rio…but you’ll have to read the book to find out how.
Shinjuku - Tokyo
Shinjuku is ward of Tokyo, but when you hear the name people are most often referring to the very busy and bright shopping, entertainment, and restaurant district located within that ward. Shinjuku is featured heavily in That Time in Tokyo, but looking at this image now, I’m not sure I captured the brightness and intensity of the place. I’m not sure it’s possible to describe…you just have to see it.
Tokyo Tower - Tokyo
Nope - that's not the Eiffel Tower (although it does look a lot like it). This is Tokyo Tower, a 1,092 foot tall communications and observation tower located in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo. A pivotal scene of the series takes places at Tokyo Tower...but of course I can't talk about that. If you know, you know.
Soldier Field - Chicago
Appearing in the early pages of That Time in Sydney, I included this image of Soldier Field because of the iconic columned entrance. It’s a unique take on a football stadium, and is mentioned in the story.
The Sydney Opera House - Sydney
Iconic to both Sydney and Australia, the Opera House is a three building collage and the site of Wolfgang’s final operation at the end of the series. I’m sure you’ve seen many pictures before, but the Opera House is simply too beautiful not to include here.
I hope you enjoyed this visual tour of some of the awesome places included in the series! Of course, there are many more, just waiting for you to discover them on the pages of Wolfgang’s adventures . . .