The Metropolitan Opera Murders - (Library of Congress Crime Classics) by Helen Traubel (Paperback)

About the Book

"This edition ... is based on the first edition in the Library of Congress's collection, originally published in 1951 by Simon and Schuster"--Copyright page.

Book Synopsis

When the prompter falls dead during the second act of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre during a matinee performance at the Metropolitan Opera, as one can imagine, it causes quite a stir, especially when it is discovered that the deceased, a one time world famous Heldentenor has been poisoned. The detective assigned to the case, Lt. Quentin, finds himself immersed in the back stage drama of professional opera. His task is made more difficult when he decides that it had really been the star soprano who had been the intended victim, and not the prompter. Will he be able to solve the case before there is another Metropolitan Opera Murder?

Review Quotes

"A confection of insider knowledge and brio wrapped around a solid mystery plot concocted by its named author, Helen Traubel, then a soprano and concert singer of considerable reputation, in tandem with -- as the new edition, edited and annotated by Leslie Klinger, reveals -- the hard-boiled detective writer Harold Q. Masur...The window into the Met's expensive opulence as well as the folly of embarking upon a career that rewards so few, ups the enjoyment ante considerably." -- New York Times

"Intricate twists and turns add to the tale...[and] footnotes throughout the story are informative primarily about operas in general and singers in particular, and they educate as well as add to the intrigue." -- New York Journal of Books

"The obvious audience: opera lovers whom the pandemic has denied live performances. They'll get to visit the old Met too." -- Kirkus Reviews