Fred Vargas is the pseudonym of Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau, a French author, historian, and archaeologist. She was born in Paris on June 7, 1957, and is the daughter of Philippe Audoin, a surrealist writer. As a child, Vargas was not allowed to watch television and instead spent her time reading books, which sparked her interest in storytelling.
Vargas is best known for her crime thriller novels, which have won the International Dagger Award twice and the International Dagger Award three successive years. She is the author of the Commissaire Adamsberg series, which features the adventures of Chief Inspector Adamsberg and his team in Paris. Vargas' interest in Medieval history often comes out in her novels, particularly in the character of Marc Vandoosler, a young specialist in the period.
In addition to her work as a novelist, Vargas is also a respected historian and archaeologist. She joined the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in 1988 and later worked as a eukaryotic archaeologist at the Institut Pasteur. Her scientific work on the epidemiology of the Black Death and bubonic plague, published in 2003, is still considered definitive in the field. Vargas uses her pen name to separate her public persona as a writer from her scientific persona. The pseudonym "Vargas" is a nod to the Ava Gardner character in "The Barefoot Contessa," and is also shared by her twin sister, Jo Vargas, a painter.