Opera Meets Murder and Mayhem in the New Mexican Desert
"It occurred to me that an opera house was the perfect setting for a murder mystery."
Please extend a warm welcome to author, screenwriter, arts journalist and former Metropolitan Opera violinist Erica Miner! Last week, I interviewed E. A. Mayes about how Santa Fe inspires her mysteries. Erica read the interview with Elizabeth and mentioned that one of her Opera House mysteries is also set in Santa Fe: the prestigious Santa Fe Opera to be precise. Of course I had to interview her!
(If I were a high school English teacher, I might assign the class to read Aria for Murder and Mayes’ Minoa Diamond novels and ask them to write a 3-5 page essay comparing and contrasting the two versions of Santa Fe, how the authors describe the area, how different aspects of Santa Fe culture impact the character and plot, etcetera, etcetera. Come to think of it, that might be more interesting to the students than the rather depressing novels teenagers are forced to read.)
It was lovely to have this unexpected opportunity to interview another author. It was also lovely to virtually introduce Erica and Elizabeth to each other on our Sisters in Crime forum! I enjoy connecting people with something in common.
Without further ado, welcome, Erica!
You have an inspiring journey from being a violinist to becoming an author, screenwriter, journalist, and a lecturer. Tell us a little about this journey.
I actually started writing before I studied the violin. Growing up in Detroit (100 years ago!) there was an excellent public school system with a number of outstanding afterschool programs. At age 7 or 8, I was placed in one for Creative Writing. I found that I loved the process of creating characters and plot lines and weaving them together to tell stories. But when I started playing the violin, I found it all-consuming, especially as a little kid.
I never stopped writing, though. During my 21 years as a violinist with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, I took writing classes whenever I could fit them into my schedule, and when I retired from the Met, I went back to my writing as my creative outlet. I moved to Southern California, started studying screenwriting and had some success placing in competitions. But I found my true passion was writing novels. My first published novel, Travels with my Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards.
Then it occurred to me that an opera house was the perfect setting for a murder mystery, and I wrote the first in my “Opera Mystery” series. I started lecturing when I realized I had to talk about my books in order to get people to read them. People started asking me to lecture about writing, then about opera. One of the music websites found my writing online and asked if I would write music criticism for them. Now I’m writing all of the above.
How were you inspired to write the sequel to Aria for Murder at Santa Fe Opera?
Ah, that is one of my favorite stories. One of my very erudite, opera-savvy readers asked me to write a sequel and insisted Santa Fe Opera was the perfect setting. I had never been to Santa Fe, but I had heard about the company from my Met Orchestra colleagues who had been playing there during the summers when the Met is on hiatus. Santa Fe Opera is legendary: one of the world’s most prestigious summer opera festivals, with performances at a stunning outdoor theatre in the middle of the New Mexico desert between two mysterious mountain ranges. What could be a better setting for a mystery?
Luckily I had a close friend, a neighbor in Manhattan who also sang at the Met, who had been director of the famed Apprentice Program at Santa Fe. He generously offered to show me around the entire opera campus and introduced me to many of the major people in the company, some of whom spent time showing me their respective departments. From them, I got tons of ideas for characters, plot points, and locations for murderous goings-on. That’s how Prelude to Murder was born. It ended up a Distinguished Favorite in the 2024 NYC Big Book Awards, and glowingly reviewed by Kirkus Reviews https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erica-miner/prelude-to-murder/
How has Julia’s character transformed from the previous novel, and how do you see her journey from here?
Julia has come a long way from her early days as a starry-eyed neophyte violinist thrilled to be making her debut in the Met Orchestra in Aria for Murder to the sophisticated amateur sleuth who can solve operatic murders the police can’t seem to unravel in Prelude to Murder. Because of her profound sense of justice, she tends to place herself in dangerous situations; but she has learned to be self-protective and to follow her intuition, which continues to increase in intensity. After using her smarts to foil a ruthless killer embedded within the Santa Fe Opera, at the end of Prelude to Murder she finds herself in an unanticipated dilemma, which catapults her into a major life change leading to the next book, Overture to Murder.
Your love for opera and music shines through every interview and story I’ve read from you. What is your favorite opera?
That is a difficult question, since I love so many of them. But the one that always rises to the top is Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, his first breakout success that came just before his more famous La bohème. Most opera aficionados know Puccini best for La bohème and his two other well-known masterpieces, Tosca and Madame Butterfly.
But I love Manon Lescaut more than any opera of any composer. From the very first opening notes, you feel the exuberance of his youth, and the beauty of the music just grabs you and doesn’t let go. The story is hugely tragic, but you feel for Manon despite her many flaws and her journey is irresistible, both musically and dramatically. I played the opera countless times at the Met and I’ve never stopped loving it.
For those who may not be familiar with this amazing work, I urge you to check out the Met performance we did on Live from the Met back in the day:
Santa Fe is a rich atmosphere in which to set a story. Describe your research for this novel.
I had the most fascinating time researching the history of Santa Fe, the second oldest city in the US, and its opera. Aside from touring the opera house and interviewing the people who worked there, I spent much time exploring the city and its many facets: the famous Plaza with its Native American artisans, where I had a chance encounter and an enlightening conversation with a member of the Navajo Tribe, who became a character in the book; the stunning, iconic cathedrals; the terrain in and around the city and further out to such places as Chimayo; and much, much more. It all fascinated me. In addition, I spent weeks online studying the history of the other groups that had such an impact on Santa Fe: other native tribes, the Conquistadores, the Crypto Jews and more. I ended up going down some of the most amazing rabbit holes. Absolutely captivating. New Mexico truly is the Land of Enchantment!
What else would you want readers to know about you?
I passionately appreciate my readers, value their comments, feedback, and impressions of my work, and love to hear from them. I’m happy to respond to emails via my website (https://www.ericaminer.com/contact.php) and my social media (see below). I especially love hearing from book lovers who are discovering the unique operatic art form for the first time through my Opera Mystery books.
Where can readers find you online?
Social media:
https://www.facebook.com/erica.miner1
https://twitter.com/EmwrtrErica
https://www.instagram.com/emwriter3/
ISBNs:
ISBN-10: 1685124429
ISBN-13 : 978-1685124427
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Prelude-Murder-Julia-Kogan-Mystery/dp/1685124429/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prelude-to-murder-erica-miner/1144067662?ean=9781685124427
Kobo Books: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/prelude-to-murder-2
Thank you, Erica, for sharing your work and passion with us today! Have a question for Erica, Santa Fe story to share, or just want to say hi? Share in the comments.
To all my readers: Like Erica, I appreciate everyone who reads my work, whether you opened my email or read on the app or even just stumbled upon it while browsing Substack. I hope that each of you has a safe, peaceful holiday season.
That photograph with the lightning strike hits like a cymbal crash, reverberating with kettle drums. What a perfect setting. And what an insight gained. Of course... opera is everywhere ( ;
Fascinating to read about Erica's combination of music and murder mysteries! Great interview!