Behind the Scenes: Five Memorable Mysteries for Performing Arts Lovers

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Behind the scenes, high drama and intrigue often far surpass any performance audiences get to see.  Colliding ambitions, rivalries, burning resentment, not to mention illicit love affairs, provide wonderful fodder for mysteries. 

In Missed Cue, I drew on my background as an ex-dancer to set my tale in a dance company.  When detective Caitlin O’Connor investigates the suspicious onstage death of an apparently healthy ballerina, she discovers an impatient rival, jilted lover, betrayed husband, secret pregnancy, and a bitter ex-wife. At one point, her partner says, “I feel like we’ve landed in the middle of a soap opera.” No kidding. 

If you’re a mystery fan who loves the performing arts, here are five memorable mysteries to check out:

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

Slocumb masterfully draws on his own background as a violinist to pen this page-turner about Ray McMillan, a determined young violinist who not only overcomes an unsupportive family but relentless racism and prejudice endemic to the classical music world. When Ray discovers that the family fiddle given to his great-great grandfather by his slave-holding master is actually a priceless Stradivarius, he and his violin take the concert world by storm. But shortly before the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition, Ray’s violin is stolen. Heartbroken, Ray is determined to recover his treasured instrument and launches his own investigation. Suspects abound, but the truth about what happened to Ray’s violin is something he never expected. 

I could not put this book down, not only because of its twists and turns as a mystery, but for its insider’s view of the devastating impact of racism. Moreover, Slocumb’s lyrical, poetic descriptions of Ray’s experiences playing music are unforgettable. A genuinely remarkable debut!

Aria for Murder, a Julia Kogan Opera Mystery, by Erica Miner

Erica Miner spent 21 years as a violinist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and her knowledge of the opera world shines through this delightful mystery starring brilliant young violinist Julia Kogan. 

Thrilled to be making her debut as a new orchestra member of the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera, Julia is devastated by the shocking assassination of Abel Trudeau, her mentor and the renowned conductor of the orchestra.  When Julia’s closest friend in the orchestra is named the chief suspect, she’s intent on clearing his name and uncovering the identity of the real killer. With the help of an opera-loving NYPD detective, Julia uncovers long-held secrets and lethal rivalries in the opera company. Meantime she finds her own life in danger as she becomes the killer’s next target.

Miner skillfully interweaves the backstories of Julia and her mentor, which hold the key to the killer’s motivations. And her scene-setting in the opera world, replete with divas, wannabe stars, and snarky stagehands, makes for a delicious read. 

Murder in Second Position, an On Pointe Mystery by Lori Robbins

I highly recommend all three of Lori Robbins’ On Pointe Mysteries, but a particular favorite of mine is Murder in Second Position. For the second time in less than a year, ballerina Leah Siderova finds herself in the thick of a homicide investigation after discovering the body of the ballet company’s autocratic new director. The victim’s nasty assistant immediately accuses Leah, one of the last people to see the director alive, of the crime. Despite the pleas of Detective Jonah Sobel to leave the investigating to him, Leah feels compelled to uncover the identity of the real killer. Fortunately, she has a tribe of helpers, including her mystery-writing mother, ex-dancer best friend, the company’s Russian ballet mistress, a wily cleaning lady, and the hilarious ballet-loving Weird Sisters.

Robbins’ background as a professional dancer provides us with rich insights into the rivalries and politics of the ballet world. With fully realized characters and generous dollops of humor, romance, and intrigue, Murder in Second Position is a terrific read. 

A Fatal Finale by Kathleen Marple Kalb

A Fatal Finale is the first in a mystery series starring Gilded Age opera singer Ella Shane who has built her career around assuming “trouser roles”—male characters played by women. Her turn-of-the-century company is hugely successful, and Ella is single-mindedly devoted to her art. But when an overacting young Juliet takes real poison during the final act of Bellini’s I Capuletti e I Montecchi, Ella is understandably upset and distracted. The authorities rule the death a tragic accident, but the more Ella learns about the fledging singer, the more she begins to suspect her death was no accident. And when a charming English duke arrives on her Greenwich Village doorstep to find out what happened to his late niece, Ella is more determined than ever to uncover the truth about the young singer’s untimely demise. Meantime, the mutual attraction between the duke and Ella surprises and confuses her. She’s eschewed marriage and motherhood in favor of dedicating herself wholly to her career. But the duke seems quite enlightened and doesn’t seem to care about their class differences or the prospect of having a working wife.

The twists and turns in this mystery absorbed me, as well as the portrayal of a female performing artist’s life in 1899 New York City, a time of enormous questioning of women’s roles amidst a myriad of societal changes. Ella is spunky and warm-hearted, and I found myself rooting for her as she solves a puzzling mystery and negotiates her complicated personal and professional life.

The Turnout by Megan Abbott

If your reading tastes run to the darkly hypnotic, you’ll be entranced by Megan Abbott’s The Turnout. Siblings Dara and Marie Durant grew up dancing in their mother’s dance school, which they inherited after their parents’ tragic car accident. Along with Charlie, Dara’s husband and once their mother’s prize student, the sisters now run the school together and are busily preparing for the school’s annual Nutcracker performances.

The trio appears to operate as a smooth team managing their young students with aplomb. But when they hire a charismatic, barrel-chested contractor to repair the damage from a fire in one of the studios, their unity is disrupted. Marie begins a passionate affair with the contractor, and it soon becomes evident that he has his own agenda for the studio building, as well as the stately home the trio has inherited.

In this beautifully disturbing portrait of a troubled family, Abbott moves between the past and present to reveal a web of long held secrets and abuse that culminate in murder. Along the way, she vividly evokes the sights, sounds, and smells of a dance school filled with competitive young people eager for a future in ballet at almost any cost.

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