“An expert in the opera world, Miner strikes a major chord!”—Gerald Elias, Author of The Devil’s Trill -- Aria for Murder was a Finalist in the 2023 Agatha Christie Murder and Mayhem Awards and the Eric Hoffer Book Awards
A ruthless and clever killer haunts the Metropolitan Opera and the hidden recesses of Lincoln Center. Violinist Julia Kogan, a rising star in the pit, must unmask the murderer -- or become a victim herself!
"A cosy mystery at its very best...A fun read from cover to cover, 'Aria for Murder' (is) The stuff of which Hallmark TV mystery movies are made" - Midwest Book Review
Synopsis
The night of her debut in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, sheltered young violin prodigy Julia Kogan is traumatized when she witnesses the assassination of her mentor, a famous conductor, on the podium. Julia is devastated at the loss. But when her best friend Sidney is accused of the murder, Julia must thrust aside her grief to prove Sidney's innocence. Forced out of her protective shell and into the dark corners and hidden hallways of the Met to find the real killer, she teams up with the opera-loving NYPD on the case and is shocked to discover an opera house full of secrets, intrigue and danger. But all bets are off when Julia realizes she may be the killer's next victim.
What Critics are Saying
"has just submitted Feedback for Aria For Murder.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Well written with tons of memorable characters. It's hard not to get swept away by the setting. Loved this one!" - Marian Elizabeth ,
NetGalley Reviewer
"Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This was a great start to the Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, it had a great concept for a mystery. It had a great plot going on and did everything that a good mystery should do. The characters were what I hoped they would be and really enjoyed getting to know them. It left me wanting more and really glad I was able to read this. I hope there is more in this series.
Would you purchase this book for yourself or a friend? Yes
Will you recommend this book/author to your audience? Yes" - Kathryn McLeer ,
NetGalleyReviewer
"Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Such a unique book, I loved the plot and oh my god the characters we're so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!
Additional Questions:
Are you interested in connecting with this author (interviews, events, etc)? Yes
Would you purchase this book for yourself or a friend? Yes
Will you recommend this book/author to your audience? Yes" - Mai Haque ,
Reviewer, NetGalley
* The quote, "Mystery doesn't get
ANY better than this!!!!
Buy it ASAP!" is by Amy Lignor, BookPleasures.com. |
REVIEWS AND MEDIA CLIPS
|
In the Lynnwood, WA area,
Aria for Murder
is available at:
Barnes and Noble
19401 Alderwood Mall Parkway
Lynnwood, WA 98036
(425) 771-2220
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2888
In the Edmonds, WA area,
Aria for Murder
is available at:
Edmonds Bookshop
111 5th Ave. South
Edmonds, Wa 98020
425-775-2789
http://edmondsbookshop.com/
In the Lake Forest Part, WA 98155 area,
Aria for Murder
is available at:
Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE, #A101
(206) 366-3333
https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9781685121983
|
An Excerpt from
"Aria for Murder"
Prologue
Chi è morto, voi, o il vecchio?
Che domanda da bestia! Il vecchio. Who’s dead, you or the old man? What an idiotic question! The old man.
—Mozart, Don Giovanni, Act I
Collateral damage. Sometimes it just can’t be avoided.
That was what his partner had told him. When you’re trying to kill someone, other people can get in the way. It’s not planned. It just happens. Though the Metropolitan Opera’s orchestra pit was the largest in the world, when the orchestration of an opera was vast, as in Wagner or Strauss, things could get quite crowded for the one hundred or so musicians squeezed together there. Tonight’s Verdi was no exception. Grand opera at its loftiest, with plenty of brass, extra strings, and the like. He would do his best to hit his target precisely. But it wasn’t an exact science. And if, under pressure,
he was slightly off, well...
Tanto peggio, as they say in French.
He chortled to himself. Everyone in the Met knew “tanto peggio” was Italian, not French.
He salivated with anticipation as he lovingly cleaned his VAL Russian sniper rifle with its special bronze-bristled brush, and oiled and lubricated the ammunition chamber with the fine-spray One Shot gun cleaner and a cotton swab. He picked up the last tiny fragments of powder residue with an alcohol patch threaded through a needle attached to the brush. Then he polished the entire instrument with one of his special-order McAlister microfiber gun cleaning cloths.
viii
If you look after your firearm, when the time comes, it will look after you.
A vintage model, no longer available, the VAL was precious, but not be- cause of its monetary or historic value. It was his own personal Stradivarius: a thing of beauty, a state-of-the-art example of genius in design at its time, and still as reliable as ever. He knew that the cartridge of this rifle, with the immense power contained within its barrel, was capable of forcing a bullet to explode at a higher speed than a mere handgun: the kind of velocity he needed to accomplish his goal.
Lord knows I need something dependable—and powerful.
No one knew he kept the VAL right inside the opera house, practically under everyone’s noses. To head off the possibility that they might install metal detectors at the Met—which everyone seemed to be doing these days—he had found the perfect hiding place for his beloved firearm, in a far-off corner away from prying eyes. It remained there, at the ready, just in case he needed it. No one was aware of its existence, let alone its hidden location.
Except me. And my partner.
And what better time for an assassination than opening night at the Met?
My partner is a brilliant planner. I will do my part. Justice will be served. Finally.
With a sigh, he wrapped his instrument in its plush chamois cloth and painstakingly laid it in its temporary resting place beside its smaller sibling, the Beretta.
It won’t be long now, my trusted friend. It won’t be long.
|
