Harold Q. Masur (1909–2005)

This is a lively whodunnit murder mystery story, set in New York City circa 1950. It opens with a dramatic death on stage at the Metropolitan Opera. There's a closed circle of suspects and the pacing of the storytelling creates suspense. The setting is the Metropolitan Opera and there's plenty of opera trivia included in the story. Most of the characters are connected with the world of opera, either as a performer or a behind-the-scenes person. They bring their egos and ambitions to the story giving a real life dimension to their actions. Detective Sam Quentin of the New York Police leads the search for the killer and follows a trail of red herrings.
A "contextual" Introduction and explanatory footnotes help the reader put the book in perspective. (One revelation is that it was ghostwritten by Harold Q. Masur, a writer of several crime novels).
Recommended.… (more)