VOICES OF THE ELYSIAN FIELDS: AGATHA FINALIST by Michael Rigg

Each year, attendees (authors and “fans” a/k/a readers) at the Malice Domestic conference in Bethesda, Maryland vote for nominees in six categories to receive an “Agatha.” According to the conference website:

The Agatha Awards celebrate the TRADITIONAL MYSTERY, best typified by the works of AGATHA CHRISTIE. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that contain no explicit sex, excessive gore, or gratuitous violence, and would not be classified as "hard-boiled."

​The Agatha Award categories are:

• Best Contemporary Novel
• Best Historical Novel
• Best First Novel
• Best Nonfiction
• Best Short Story
• Best Children's/Young Adult Novel

(For more information about the Agatha Award process, see: Agatha Award Process | Malice Domestic Ltd.)

VOICES OF THE ELYSIAN FIELDS: IT'S HERE! by Michael Rigg

Finally. It seems like it took forever. But it's here. Voices of the Elysian Fields, my debut novel, published by Level Best Books, launches on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The e-book version is on Amazon.com for preorder. Future availability and distribution of both the e-book and paperback will be forthcoming. 

Voices of the Elysian Fields is a medico-legal thriller. Two days before Christmas, Jonathan Gray, M. D., Chief Deputy Coroner for Orleans Parish, learns that Robby O’Malley—Jonathan’s mentor for nearly forty years—died under mysterious circumstances. Within hours, Gray takes the oath of office as Coroner and participates in autopsies of an elderly couple murdered in their Garden District home. After Mass on Christmas, Archbishop Phillip Fontenot asks Gray to investigate the sexual assault of a parishioners, as well as the disappearance of her sister—without involving the police. As Gray investigates, he uncovers secrets that members of the city’s power elite would just as soon remain hidden.

I plan to outline some lessons learned and experiences in future blog posts. For now, please order your copy of Voices of the Elysian Fields. And, feel free to nag your local library about adding Voices of the Elysian Fields to their collection. 

Enjoy. And, as always, laissez le bon temps rouler!

For more information about me, check out Facebook ( www.facebook.com/michael.rigg.author), my website (www.michaelrigg.com), Twitter/X (@MDR102030), and Instagram (Instagram).