Suzanne Blumel, known as Suzanne Blum (24 November 1898 in

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; oc, Niòrt; la, Novioritum) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the u ...

, France – 23 January 1994) was a French lawyer and writer under the pseudonym L.-S. Karen with three crime novels.

Early life

Suzanne Marguerite Blumel was born at

in western France, daughter of merchant Joseph Blumel and Amélie, née Cahen. The family were from Alsace.

Career

As a lawyer, she joined the bar in 1922 and worked on several famous cases, notably representing

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

against

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in a copyright case, and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

during her divorce from

Prince Aly Khan Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan (13 June 1911 – 12 May 1960), known as Aly Khan, was a Pakistani diplomat of Iranian and Italian descent. He was the son of the Aga Khan III, and the father of Aga Khan IV. A socialite, racehorse owner and jockey, ...

. Upon the death of the

Duke of Windsor Duke of Windsor was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 8 March 1937 for the former monarch Edward VIII, following his abdication on 11 December 1936. The dukedom takes its name from the town where Windsor Castle, a ...

, she looked after the assets of

Wallis, Duchess of Windsor Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986), was an American socialite and wife of the former King Edward VIII. Their intention to marry and her status as a divorcée caused ...

, and gradually became her single representative, until her death in 1986; Blum's presence and actions during these years are a subject of controversy.Andrew Morton. ''Wallis in Love'' (2018), Michael O'Mara Books Ltd. P.336.

Personal life

In 1934, she married Paul Weill, the Duke of Windsor's attorney in Paris. He died in 1965, and she subsequently remarried, to General Georges Spillmann (died 1980).

References

1898 births 1994 deaths 20th-century French women lawyers People from Niort 20th-century French lawyers 20th-century French novelists 20th-century French women writers French crime fiction writers {{France-novelist-20thC-stub