"Murder in the Pit"

Courtesy Twilight Times Books
www.twilighttimesbooks.com

Mystery writers are always looking for a unique setting.  With Murder in the Pit, Erica Miner has written a novel incorporating that unique setting.  Miner said, "No one has ever done a novel about the Met from the point of view of someone who worked there and knew about the dark corners." 

In Murder in the PIt, a sheltered young violinist witnesses the assassination of her mentor on the podium of the Metropolitan Opera. When her best friend is indicted for the murder, she discovers that the Met is full of secrets, intrigue, and danger and comes face to face with an inner power she didn't know she had.

Miner said she wrote the book because she "couldn’t resist the draw of the setting."  A former violinist with the Met, her career was cut short by an auto accident.  Miner began writing to satisfy her creative outlet.  It was her old frustrations from long days in the pit that got her started on an original screenplay that later became the novel.  While the screenplay languished, it was the attraction to the setting that kept her going.  Miner turned to writing a mystery because "People who love opera are everywhere. Lots of music lovers and opera lovers also love mysteries." 

The jury is still out in New York and at the Met about the reaction to the book. "Some people may have doubts about a mystery novel set in the home of some of the world’s most talented and creative opera artists, especially one with some controversial views of the world behind the golden curtain," Miner says. "On the other hand, controversy sells tickets. I’ll be curious to find out what New Yorkers think.”

The initial reviews of Murder in the PIt are strong.  Amy Lignor of Bookpleasures.com called it "an absolute joy to read."  And Brian Wamsley, author of Bloody Big Muddy said, "You hooked me in the first few paragraphs."

In the San Diego area, the book is available from Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore (www.mystgalaxy.com), where it just made the bestseller list, and from Warwick's Books (www.warwicks.com).  You may also purchase the book directly from Miner's website at www.ericaminer.com.

 Related article: Interview with Erica Miner, author of Murder in the Pit

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