Michael Rigg Interview by Teresa Inge

Meet Michael Rigg, whose debut novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, is scheduled for release on April 8, 2025, by Level Best Books.

Michael, who has been an attorney for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel.

He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.

Tell us about your new novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, a Jonathan Gray, MD Mystery.

Two days before Christmas, Jonathan Gray, M. D., Chief Deputy Coroner for Orleans Parish, receives shocking news. Robby O’Malley—Gray’s mentor for nearly forty years—has died under mysterious circumstances. Within hours after Robby’s death, 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 morning, Archbishop Phillip Fontenot asks Gray to investigate the sexual assault of one of his parishioners, as well as the disappearance of her sister—without involving the police. As Jonathan winds his way through what appear to be separate incidents, he uncovers connections and secrets that members of the city’s power elite would just as soon remain hidden.

What inspired this book?

A detailed response would likely take up this entire blog and more. The basic idea for the plot in Voices of the Elysian Fields started with a newspaper article about an elderly couple—both of whom had been Navy officers in World War Two—celebrating their seventieth wedding anniversary. After that came a series of “what-ifs,” “whys,” and “how-abouts,” until, voila, a novel emerged.

What kind of research did you do for the book? Any strange or odd fact that you uncovered in your research?

Voices of the Elysian Fields involves the Coroner of Orleans Parish. So, there was a lot of medico-legal research, e.g., learning about autopsies. And the Louisiana Coroner system is unique. Along with autopsies, Coroners in Louisiana are responsible for conducting sexual assault examinations and are involved in mental health commitments. This added a level of complexity to the research. Of course, having New Orleans as the locale required a lot of in-person research to ensure that the story and narrative were authentic to the area.

Among the many odd, strange, and interesting facts I learned about is perhaps my favorite, the resurrection fern. The resurrection fern is a plant that grows on the ubiquitous live oak trees in New Orleans.

I’m not a botanist, so here’s the description from the National Park Service website:

This fern is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on other plants (usually live oaks or cypress trees). They do not commandeer any water or nutrients from the plants they grown on; instead they absorb them from the surrounding air. In periods of no rain, they conserve water by shriveling up their fronds and turning brown. Resurrection ferns can lose up to 75% of their water content, a feat not many living species can survive. Once sufficient moisture soaks the area, they ‘resurrect’ and unfurl with fronds of vibrant green again. Because it looks like they come back to life each time this happens, they have received the common name of resurrection fern. 

I’m not quite sure why learning about the resurrection fern struck such a chord with me. But it did. Perhaps it’s a symbol of New Orleans. Just when you think the city’s dead, it’s spirit broken—from a hurricane, pandemic, terrorist attack, or other disaster—it roars back to life.

Where are your books available for purchase?

In addition to Voices of the Elysian Fields, I am the author of a novelette, Ghosts of the French Market, and have short stories in several anthologies—including Coastal Crimes 1: Mystery by the Sea and Coastal Crimes 2: Death Takes a Vacation, which were produced by our Sisters in Crime chapter, Mystery by the Sea.

All of my published works are available on Amazon.com.

What are you currently writing?

My primary work-in-progress is the follow-on novel to Voices of the Elysian Fields. The working title is Shadows of Frenchmen Street.

Anything else you want readers to know about you? Where can readers find you online?

Before I say anything else, I want to give a heartfelt “thanks” to Teresa Inge and the members of “Writers Who Kill” for this outstanding, much appreciated, opportunity.

Along with Teresa, I am a Contributing Author to the Murder by the Sea blog, “Sand in Our Shorts” at https://sandinourshorts.blogspot.com/. You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/michael.rigg.author), my website (www.michaelrigg.com), Twitter/X (@MDR102030), and Instagram (Instagram).

Michael Rigg