Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery by Nupur Tustin. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery
by Nupur Tustin
Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Eighteenth-century Royal Hungary, Habsburg Empire
Foiled Plots Press (May 27, 2023)
Print length : 319 pages
When murder invades Haydn’s opera stage, scandal isn’t far behind . . .
Charged with ensuring that an imperial wedding transpires without mishap, composer Joseph Haydn has his hands full. Barely seventeen, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, the imperial bridegroom, is reluctant to marry. And the bride, Maria Beatrice, has her reservations as well.
But when an extortion note surfaces—an unpleasant reminder of the bridegroom’s shameful past—the wedding seems truly doomed. Worse still, all the evidence points to Haydn’s prima donna, Lucia Pacelli, being the blackmailer.
Before Haydn can confront her, however, Lucia is fatally poisoned. And Haydn is left to wonder whether his imperial charge had a hand in her death.
Troubled by the dark secrets he might uncover, Haydn is nevertheless compelled to investigate. Will the young Archduke be found innocent? Or must Haydn lead His Imperial Highness to the gallows?
Interview with Author Nupur Tustin
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Thanks for hosting me, Christy! I’m delighted to be here.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a former journalist with a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English. I’m also a Christian homeschooling mom, an avid mystery fan with an abiding love of music and art. And finally, I’m the author of two different mystery series, the Joseph Haydn series with five books so far, and the Celine Skye Psychic series based on the Gardner Museum theft.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve always loved writing, so in a sense I’ve been writing from the time I was about eight or nine years old. The first Haydn Mystery, A Minor Deception, was published in 2016, but the series itself was conceived in 2012 on Mother’s Day. And the reason I remember that is that it was my first year as a Mom.
I’d never written a book, didn’t know whether I had one book in me, let alone a series, and had no idea whether the Joseph Haydn Mystery series was an absolutely brilliant concept or the craziest thing I’d ever considered working on!
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
Yes, but as a young girl I didn’t really know how to go about it. I decided to study Literature in college because I love reading, and I figured I’d go into journalism because that way at least I’d be able to write. My father thought I was crazy, although later he was proud of how well I did. And I’m sure, if he were here, he’d be proud of all the books I’ve written so far.
My mother supported my creativity, but she wasn’t sure that using my creativity to make a living was a good idea.
It’s taken me several years to understand why. The business-end of things can be so daunting it can leave you jaded and it can suck the joy out of your creative work. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen Facebook posts from authors who’ve chosen to give up their calling. And I can’t tell you how sad that makes me.
I didn’t really know I was writing a cozy when I began my series. But that’s what I was reading. It’s what came to mind anytime I thought about mysteries.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
When I first started writing, I only read cozy and historical mysteries. My taste has now expanded to Romantic Suspense and even thrillers. I love Jayne Ann Krentz’s novels. Her Amanda Quick novels—especially the ones set in Victorian England—are absolutely superb. I’ve recently started reading the Preston & Child books, and I’m a fan! At the moment, I’m reading Iris Johansen’s Bullet.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
I usually write at my desk—it’s one that my husband had his friend make for me. It’s right behind our dinner table which doubles as the school table when the kids and I are at school. Through the window, I can see my neighbor’s lemon tree and another huge tree and an expanse of sky. And behind me, at the other end of the wall, is our kitchen. I can keep an eye on things—make sure the kids aren’t raiding the chips, cookies, and other treats we keep for them; and that someone can let the dog out when she’s sitting by the door.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
A mess of books, papers, hastily jotted notes, my laptop, and a clear plastic container with pens and pencils. There’s also a sharpener, since the kids keep losing theirs!
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
I used to love Enid Blyton’s books—still do as a matter of fact. There were very fairy tales and folk tales, and I remember there was a hardcover Robin Hood in the house that I really enjoyed reading as well. As I grew older, I started reading mysteries: Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden, and later still Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I prefer physical books. I tend to skip ahead, and that’s hard to do when you’re reading an ebook. I don’t particularly like looking at a screen for long periods of time, so that’s not for me. As for audiobooks, I don’t know. Reading is such a private experience. I’d hate to have the world listening in, and I’m not particularly sure I can stand being read to for long periods of time.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
While I was writing Death of a Soprano, I’d have loved to be in Eszterháza, where the novel is set. The Esterházy Palace is sumptuous. It used to be a hunting lodge until Haydn’s employer, Prince Nikolaus had it re-designed as a magnificent palace. No expense was spared. The baroque gardens were gorgeous.
There was an opera house on the grounds, a marionette theater, and a coffeehouse. Some distance away, the Prince had quarters built for his musicians. I believe this is now the public library in Fertőd, Hungary.
Visitors who saw the palace called it the Hungarian Versailles, and it was intentionally designed after the French palace. The place itself was initially a swamp, so the land had to be drained to prepare it for building. Still, mosquitoes abounded and it was so far from civilization, only the Prince had any fondness for the place.
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
Well, my mother encouraged my writing as she nurtured other areas of creativity—music and art. My teachers at school were enthusiastic fans as well! The writers I most enjoy are the ones who write intelligent mysteries backed by considerable research. I think that’s why I enjoy writers as diverse as Susan Wittig Albert and Jeffrey Deaver. Horace said that poetry should both teach and delight, and I think I take that to heart.
Fiction is a wonderful way to enjoy a different period in history as in the Joseph Haydn Mysteries, to find out more about art and their creators, about art heists and forgeries as in the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries. And mysteries, contemporary and historical, provide insight into how crimes get solved.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
I have author friends on Facebook, members of Sisters in Crime where I first met them. But my biggest source of support is—and always will be—my husband.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
Yes, I’m researching the third—fourth, if you count the prequel—installment in the Celine Skye Psychic Mystery series. This means reading about art heists, the recovery of lost artworks, forgeries, and the like. The series is based on the Gardner Museum theft.
I’ve been fascinated by that heist since I first heard about it. It’s astounding to me that the artworks have never been recovered and that we still don’t know very much about who was behind the theft and why.
My series proposes a theory to help answer these questions—more as a way of wrapping my mind around what happened. And since Celine manages to recover the lost art, there’s an element of wish fulfillment as well.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Christy. I enjoyed answering your questions. I hope readers will pick up the Joseph Haydn Mysteries. They can be read as standalones, and Haydn was such a wonderful, inspiring person, I would love to introduce him to readers.
If you’re not sure the mysteries are for you, take a look at the complimentary anthology of Haydn short mysteries I offer on my website (ntustin.com). If you sign up, you’ll also get a 50% off coupon so that you can get your first Haydn Mystery for about $3.99, less than a cup of your favorite beverage from Starbucks.
About Nupur Tustin
A former journalist, Nupur Tustin relies upon a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English to orchestrate murder. She also writes the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries based on the Gardner Museum theft. Childhood piano lessons and a 1903 Weber Upright share equal blame for her musical works.
Get Two Complimentary Mysteries At: ntustin.com
Music: ntustin.musicaneo.com
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Death of a Soprano TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
June 8 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
June 9 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
June 9 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 10 – Brooke Blogs – EXCERPT POST
June 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – EXCERPT POST
June 11 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
June 11 – FUONLYKNEW – EXCERPT POST
June 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – StoreyBook Reviews – EXCERPT POST
June 13 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 15 – The Mystery of Writing – EXCERPT POST
June 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – EXCERPT POST
June 16 – My Reading Journeys – EXCERPT POST
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I enjoyed answering your questions, Christy! Thanks for having me in your blog.
I’m glad! You’re welcome and thanks for stopping today!