Overture to Murder by Erica Miner
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Overture to Murder
The curtain comes down on murder in OVERTURE TO MURDER, the third novel of the Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series.
Julia heads to the San Francisco Opera, this time with her significant other, former NYPD detective Larry Somers, and their five-year-old daughter Rebecca. Julia is under inordinate amounts of pressure as she replaces the ailing concertmaster, Ben, who has suffered serious injuries in a suspicious hit-and-run accident, which Julia suspects might not have been accidental. Then, one prominent company member becomes the victim of a grisly murder, and Julia cannot resist becoming involved in the investigation.
As in her previous sleuthing at the Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera, Julia once again discovers that fiery artistic temperaments and danger lurking in the dark hallways and back stairways of an opera house provide a chilling backdrop for murder.
This time, however, it’s not only her own life that is in peril.
To purchase your copy of Overture to Murder, click the following link: Amazon.
Interview with Overture to Murder author Erica Miner
Overture to Murder is the third in the Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series. What would you like readers to know about Julia?
Julia has evolved over the series. In the first book, Aria for Murder, Julia is much like I was when I first started out as a violinist for the Metropolitan Opera: a naïve, a starry-eyed neophyte who knows nothing about the relentless political machinations behind the scenes. She’s just thrilled to be making her debut in the orchestra of the most prestigious opera company in the world. Little does she know something terrible is about to happen. That’s how she gets entangled in a murder investigation and starts her sleuthing, becomes the target of a ruthless killer, and trusts her instincts to save her own life.
This readies her for more operatic chaos in Book 2, Prelude to Murder, where she performs at the Santa Fe Opera and again finds herself in jeopardy when she gets involved in another murder investigation. Ghosts abound in Santa Fe, and between those and a vengeful murderer who wants Julia out of the way, she discovers new strengths she never knew she had to survive. But she also makes an unexpected discovery about herself that propels her life in a whole new direction. Enter Book 3!
Overture to Murder takes place at the San Francisco Opera. The first two were set at the Metropolitan and Santa Fe Operas. What are some of the differences between those three venues? How do they impact the stories they appear in?
The Met is the most renowned opera company in the world, in a city like no other: New York. This venerable institution is the epitome of glamour and sophistication, where people have been flocking for the last 141 years. Audiences go to performances for the operatic superstars, the glitzy atmosphere, and a musical-dramatic experience that can’t be matched. People have no idea what goes on behind the scenes in this high-profile atmosphere; there are secrets hidden in its dark hallways and back stairways, and countless clashing egos among the 4,000 people working there who, more often than not, are in conflict with each other. Julia struggles to perform her art while dealing with these difficult personalities. Her resolve to find the murderer of an important person in her life pits her against them, and her probing the dark side of the opera house leads to her perilous situation.
The Santa Fe Opera could not be more different: founded in 1957, it is a much younger company than the Met. It performs in an outdoor theatre located in the middle of the New Mexico desert between two mysterious mountain ranges, one of which is called Sangre de Cristo, or “Blood of Christ.” (Yikes.)
Julia is a fish out of water here: a city girl in a milieu wildly different from what she is accustomed to, in a place reputed to have more ghosts than other city in the US. And Julia does not like ghosts. The stakes at Santa Fe Opera are not as high as the Met, so the people who work and perform there may not seem as pressured. But artistic temperaments do flare, and murderous intent is rampant. Plus, according to legend, the ghost of John Crosby, the company’s founder, is often seen darting among the chaparral surrounding the opera house. Being sensitive to apparitions, Julia connects this and other spirit sightings to the grisly murders that take place. There’s also swordplay involved. Fun!
San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House has the most fascinating history of the three venues. The opera company played their opening performance in 1932 and, among other things, President Harry Truman signed the United Nations Charter in the Veterans Building just across from the opera house.
The atmosphere there is both elegant and mysterious. The red-carpeted Patrons’ salon with its plush, velvet-upholstered chairs, floor-to-ceiling gilded mirrors, and Beaux Arts period feel, create a huge contrast to the dark basement with its ancient, creaky equipment, the scary 100-foot catwalk above the stage, and other throwbacks to the early- to mid-20th century period of its initial construction.
This was the opera house where the film Foul Play was filmed; its mystery and murder precede the operatic turmoil that occurs in Overture to Murder. The founding of San Francisco Opera was the eventual result of the miners’ need for entertainment during the Gold Rush, evolving into a great necessity for a more edifying diversion for the city’s French and Italian immigrants when they descended upon the city. From the get-go, Julia finds this venue the most conducive to suspense and mayhem. I myself found it to be the classiest opera house I’ve ever seen; also the creepiest, but in the best sense as a background for murderous action. What better place than this to perform some of the bloodiest operas ever written onstage, while chaos occurs both offstage and on?
Overture to Murder came about, in part, because you are a former Met Opera violinist. While you didn’t solve murders during your time in the pit, you did get to work with some amazing performers. How much of your real experiences make it onto the page? Tell us about something that might surprise readers to learn was true?
It was impossible for me not to write about the performers, the people who worked behind the scenes, and my orchestra colleagues at the Met who, despite their foibles, make for intriguing character studies.
All of this inspired the atmosphere and plot points of my mystery novels.
Many if not most of the quirky personalities that populate my books are based on people I met and worked with there. Witnessing the greatest—and I’m not exaggerating—opera stars of the late 20th century was an experience I would not exchange for anything. I did have some exciting encounters with big opera stars, both at the house and on tour: Plàcido Domingo, Jose Carreras and others.
Readers might be surprised to learn that Luciano Pavarotti, and any number of detestable divas I will not name, had temper tantrums onstage. But it was when one prominent company member started receiving death threats that my wicked imagination kicked in. I could not resist combining my operatic observations of real-world musical artists with fanciful plot fabrications that reveal the dark side of the fascinating world of opera, to guide readers through a dramatized version of the opera world.
As to what else is true and what is not, only the author knows for sure!
In addition to novels, you are a screenwriter, poet, and journalist, and do a lot of journaling. How do your writing processes differ across those categories?
I find screenwriting the most difficult of all. It’s so restrictive, so many rules: little or no description, minimal dialogue, show action without too many words or sentences.
Novel writing allows you all of that, plus getting inside of a character’s head, which is why I enjoy it the most. Poetry flows most easily for me. Like many writers, I started out as a poet and have amassed huge quantity of poetry. I rarely write poetry anymore, but on occasion I submit a poem to an anthology. One of them is being published in the upcoming the Bards West Poetry Anthology (Local Gems Press: https://www.localgemspoetrypress.com), which is exciting.
I’m a big fan of journaling. My first two novels, Travels with my Lovers and FourEver Friends, were based on my journals.
I’ve given numerous lectures and workshops on journaling, even on cruise ships. I believe in journaling as a jumping off point for writers of all levels and especially recommend it for those who are having trouble getting started with writing. As for my music journalism, that is intuitive for me. As a performer, I’ve been reading reviews of musical performances since I can remember. So it comes naturally for me to observe and listen and write my impressions, both of the history involved in the piece involved and of the performers interpreting it.
The same goes when I review theatre. It’s a great exercise for me. I try to be kind, to express my appreciation, rather than be critical. I know too well the tremendous amount of work that goes into creating a performance, whether musical or dramatic.
What can we find you doing when you aren’t reading and writing mysteries?
In the morning before I start writing, I spend as much time as possible doing exercise. As a writer, I sit too much, so I need to get that done early, before my creative juices take over.
On weekends I often attend the concerts or opera performances I’m reviewing. The writing comes before and after—I try to be well prepared with my research and text— so that I can enjoy the music as an observer rather than a performer or critic.
In the good weather, which is limited here in the Pacific Northwest, I try to treat myself to some lounging on the back deck and read. I also like to create in the kitchen. I’m a recipe collector, the woman who owns more recipes than she ever will have time to cook in her lifetime. Lately, I’ve found baking to be a good way to work off stress—as long as I can work off the calories!
You are celebrating the launch of your latest novel at a bookstore near Seattle. Tell us the time, place, and what readers can expect at that event.
Our local independent bookstore, Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park north of Seattle, has held all my book launches since I’ve been living here. One of the most cherished bookstores in our area, they love and appreciate authors and are especially good to us.
The official launch for Overture to Murder takes place there on November 18 at 7 pm: 17171 Bothell Way NE, #A101, Lake Forest Park WA 98155.
I’m hoping to have a good crowd for my presentation, in which I will tell of San Francisco’s history and that of the opera company, and describe mysteries of the City by the Bay and my personal history with the company, all of which inspired the story of Overture to Murder. I will then sign copies of all the books in my Opera Mystery series.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
I’ve adopted Dory’s famous line from Finding Nemo as my chief advice for those who wish to write: Just Keep Writing.
Every word you write makes you a better writer. Try to put down at least a few lines or paragraphs every day. If you need motivation, try journaling—whatever comes into your head: emotions, experiences, anything goes. Don’t edit, just let it flow. Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto the page gives insight into what makes you tick.
But also keep in mind that your life experiences are a gold mine, a wealth of material for any kind of writing that you want to do, no matter the genre or format. Once you start, you’ll be amazed at the result. So, go forth—and write!
Erica Miner — Author of Overture to Murder
Award-winning Seattle-based author, lecturer, screenwriter and arts journalist Erica Miner believes opera theatres are perfect places for creating fictional mischief! Drawing on her 21 years as a violinist
at the famed Metropolitan Opera, Erica balances her reviews and interviews of real-world musical artists with fanciful plot fabrications that reveal the dark side of the fascinating world of opera, guiding readers through a dramatized version of the opera world in her Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series.
Erica’s young violinist sleuth, Julia Kogan, investigates high-profile murder and mayhem behind the Met’s “Golden Curtain” in Book 1, Aria for Murder (2022), finalist in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Awards and Chanticleer Independent Book Awards. In Book 2, Prelude to Murder (2023) (‘A skillfully written whodunit of operatic proportions’—Kirkus Reviews https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erica-miner/prelude-to-murder/, Distinguished Favorite, 2024 NYC Big Book Awards, further operatic chaos and ghostly apparitions plague Julia at the Santa Fe Opera. In Overture to Murder, releasing in Oct. 2024, Julia finds herself in jeopardy once again at the San Francisco Opera.
Erica’s debut novel, Travels with My Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards. Her screenplays have won awards in the Writer’s Digest, Santa Fe, and WinFemme competitions. When she isn’t plumbing the depths of opera houses for murderous mayhem, Erica frequently contributes reviews and interviews for the well-known arts websites www.BroadwayWorld.com, www.bachtrack.com, and www.LAOpus.com.
To learn more about Erica, click on any of the following links: Website, Facebook, X/Twitter & Instagram.
Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell
I hear the lovable fish Dory in my head too, Erica. Though, I keep her original lines from the Nemo movie–‘Just keep swimming.’ Your adaptation fits the situation a bit better. Best of luck with OVERTURE TO MURDER.