Behind the story of Murder in Second Position

Her debut mystery won the Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery, and the opening book in her On Pointe Mystery Series, Murder in First Position, won the Indie Book Award for Best Mystery and was a finalist for a Silver Falchion. Murder in Second Position was a finalist in the Readers’ Choice and Indie Book Awards.

Appearances aren’t everything

Lori said, “I’m quite conscious of the fact that many people judge others by what they’ve done professionally, as opposed to who they are personally. I taught AP English for many years in an extremely competitive high school, and it really bothered me that the students were valued more for their accomplishments than their character.”

She added that this issue is central to both books in my On Pointe Mystery series. The protagonist, a thirty-something ballerina whose future career is rather precarious, worries constantly about what she’ll do after retirement. “Leah has to learn that there’s more to life, and to her, than being onstage. Investigating the murders helps her understand that her life has meaning, and worth, beyond her talent as a dancer. I began the first book before the pandemic, but the professional upheaval in so many people’s lives since then has made this issue even more relevant.”

Behind the curtain

Lori noted that the world of professional dance is filled with inherent drama. “The competition, against others and against oneself, is unrelenting, which lends itself well to a murder mystery. Also, I was actually at a dance performance at the Metropolitan Opera House when a murder was committed, a fact I filed away until I was ready to begin this series. No one in the audience had any idea what was going on backstage, and I only learned of it in the newspaper a few days later. Nonetheless, the thought stayed with me, as a real-life inspiration for my completely fictional book.”

From a writing standpoint, Lori began Murder in Second Position with a fairly detailed outline that included a character list, key scenes, and an overall narrative arc. “And yet, halfway through the book, I realized the killer was so clever, even I was fooled into believing the wrong person did it. This was the second time I’d written a book in which a completely fictional killer temporarily outwitted me. Now that I’m writing the next book in the series, I’m on the lookout for the real killer. I’m also slightly worried I will once again tag the wrong person and not realize it until I’m more than halfway through.”

In real life

“I’m much funnier on the page than I am in real life, which is why I became a writer and not a standup comedian. Quite a lot of snarky humor emerges as I write. I love giving my characters lines I would never say. Somewhat counterintuitively for someone who writes crime fiction, I have trouble killing people. I have to resist the temptation to simply toss the victim off a rooftop, although that possibility is always on the table, as my books mostly take place in New York City.”

Not everyone has doctor visits that include questions about how to commit murder, but Lori did. “I asked my doctor how to stab someone without killing the person. She quite kindly helped me out but stopped short of helping me identify poisons that would have the same effect! “

Learn more about Lori Robbins at lorirobbins.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.