A French mystery writer is being sued for defamation by the owners of the well-known Parisian fabric store where she set her latest crime novel.

Lalie Walker's psychological thrillers are often set around Paris, and her latest, Aux Malheurs des Dames, is no exception.

Walker says she is shocked by the court action and that she wrote the novel from "an affectionate point of view."

Published in 2009, the book takes place at Marché St. Pierre, a 60-year-old landmark store in the Montmartre district of Paris known for its extensive selection of fabrics and low prices.

The fictional book features voodoo, abductions of the store's staff and a crazed killer who is threatening business. Walker also imagines a mysterious malaise affecting the "kingdom of fabric."

The corporation that owns the store, Village d'Orsel, is suing for two million euros ($2.7 million Cdn), according to a report in The Guardian newspaper.

"No one can have anything to do with or talk about the Marché Saint Pierre without the authorization of the owner and the director," Robert Gabby, the store's director, told the website Rue89. "It's defamation."

François Besse of the publishing house Paragramme has shot back, declaring the legal action "unfair, abusive and crazy."

Walker says the legal action puts a chill on fiction writing.

"It represents a big threat to our liberty," she told The Guardian.