Guest Post

Guest Chick: Michael Rigg & #giveaway

I’m so happy to welcome Michael to the blog. He was my priceless guide to actually parading with krewes during New Orleans’ Carnival Season. We share a passion for the Big Easy that’s led to both of us setting series in the unique and fascinating city. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Michael’s terrific mystery. Take it away, Michael!

Ellen asked me if I’d like to be a Guest Blogger on Chicks on the Case to discuss what inspired me to write Voices of the Elysian Fields, my debut novel. It’s the first in a New Orleans-based series with the Coroner of Orleans Parish as protagonist. I won’t elaborate on the decision-making process when considering the invitation, except to say that there were cartwheels involved (figuratively, given my size) on the way to an enthusiastic, “Yes!” and “Thank You!”

So…

WHY NEW ORLEANS?

“Once you were inspired to write a novel,” inquiring minds ask, “why New Orleans?”

The wiseacre answer is, “Why not New Orleans?”

Actually, that’s a decent answer. But not the answer.

I’ve always been fascinated about forensic science, especially coroners. It’s probably the whole “We speak for the dead” thing. Or, even more cringe-inducing, “Dead men tell no tales, but their DNA does.” Any more coroner tropes out there?

Most often, coroners and medical examiners (that’s a distinction and a discussion for another day) conduct autopsies and offer conclusions about time, means, and manner of death. A very narrow focus, indeed. Louisiana is unique in many respects, including duties of the Coroner (notice the shift to a capital ‘C’). In Louisiana, Coroners have a three-pronged mission. They conduct autopsies in designated cases (usually death under violent or suspicious circumstances), supervise sexual assault examinations, and play a significant role in the mental health system, e.g., involuntary commitments. That tripartite mission gives a writer more “leeway to play” with a Louisiana Coroner as protagonist.

Also unique to Louisiana, each Parish (a political subdivision the equivalent of a “County” in other states) must have an elected Coroner who resides in the Parish. The Coroner must be a physician, unless no physician wants to run for office. In that situation, any (that’s right, any) resident of the Parish may run for office and, if elected, serve as Coroner. That leads to many smaller Parishes having non-physician Coroners. Often, it’s someone with law enforcement or medical experience, e.g., a former Deputy Sheriff, a paramedic/emergency medical technician, or a nurse. But there are situations where the Coroner has no law enforcement or medical experience, e.g., an insurance agent.

As you might imagine, the combination of the three-part coroner mission and the wheel-of-fortune possibility of dealing with a non-physician Coroner gives rise to a lot of possible story lines.

Setting a Coroner-based novel in New Orleans was icing on the King Cake—a lagniappe for a writer. As Tennessee Williams is alleged to have said, “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” On top of the uniqueness of the Louisiana Coroner system, a New Orleans setting adds so many other elements, among them: a cosmopolitan, culturally diverse population; noisy, slow-moving streetcars; humidity even in the supposedly cooler months; the mystique of Voodoo bubbling just below the surface; a political system rife with corruption (by reputation only, of course); an overtaxed police force; some really good eats; and, in the right time of the year, Mardi Gras. Oh, yeah, there’s the music, and . . .

Who could ask for greater inspiration than that?

Many thanks, again, to “the Chicks” for this opportunity. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Readers, what’s your favorite memory of New Orleans? Or, if you’ve never visited the city, do you have an impression (good or bad) you’d like to share? Comment to be entered in a giveaway for a copy of Voices of the Elysian Fields.

SYNOPSIS: Two days before Christmas, Jonathan Gray, M. D., Chief Deputy Coroner for Orleans Parish, learns that Robby O’Malley—his 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 Day, Catholic Archbishop Phillip Fontenot asks Gray to investigate the sexual assault of a parishioner, as well as the disappearance of her sister—without involving the police. As Jonathan digs for the truth about these seemingly unrelated crimes, he uncovers secrets that members of the city’s power elite would just as soon remain hidden.

PURCHASE LINK

BIO:Michael Rigg, 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.

He is a Contributing Author to the MBTS blog “Sand in Our Shorts” at https://sandinourshorts.blogspot.com/. Mike is the author of a novelette, Ghosts of the French Market, and has short stories in several anthologies. His first novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, was released by Level Best Books in March of 2025. Visit Mike on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/michael.rigg.author or on his website:  www.michaelrigg.com.

44 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Michael Rigg & #giveaway”

    1. Thank you! A lot of NCIS New Orleans was filmed in a studio across the river from downtown. The facade of the office location is on St. Ann Street, near the Place de Armes Hotel across the street from St. Louis Cathedral.

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  2. Laissez le bon temps rouler indeed, Michael. Wonderful post! Welcome to the Chicks. Thank you for visiting with us.Congratulations on Voices of the Elysian Fields. I’ve visited New Orleans only once and want to visit again.

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    1. Thanks, Patricia! Along with attending Mardi Gras, taking a cooking class is a great way to get the “flavor” of New Orleans. I’ve participated in two or three classes at the New Orleans School of Cooking (New Orleans School of Cooking | NOLA Culinary Lessons & More), which is located in the French Quarter. In a pinch, I can make Bananas Foster. (And, even better, I finally learned the secrets to making a poached egg…)

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  3. I love to see a forensic or medical examiner/coroner focus. I find the whole thing fascinating. I’ve never been to New Orleans but it’s top of my list to want to visit someday- experience the culture, the French Quarter, cemetery tours, beignets, everything.

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    1. Thanks, Alicia! If you have the opportunity, visit the Hotel Monteleone and take a ride on the Carousel Bar. And it’s just like it sounds–a circular bar that looks like a merry-go-round. Tennessee Williams is rumored to have been a regular customer back in the day. But go early. People start lining up for a chance to ride as soon as the bar opens (around 11:00 a.m., I think).

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      2. I got a really funny look from our server (we sat at a nearby table) when I asked if the carousel played music. She pointed wordlessly behind me at the band unpacking in a corner.

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  4. Never been to new orleans but my Aunt and Uncle went to Mardi Gras every year in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and I would get all the goodies they got every year. They lived next door in mississippi.

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  5. Congrats, Michael! Up here in Pennsylvania, some counties have coroners and they are often funeral home directors (the counties hire pathologists with M.D. degrees for that side of autopsies). I’ve been to New Orleans once and did the trolley car all the way through the Garden District to the university. It was fun seeing the architecture – and the beads from that year’s Mardi Gras still hanging in the trees. LOL

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    1. Thanks, Liz! The Coroner (who shall remain nameless) from a large metropolitan area in Pennsylvania was a guest speaker one year at the Writers’ Police Academy. I used his physical appearance and mannerism to describe Robby O’Malley, my protagonist’s mentor and former Coroner, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances. If you read Voices of the Elysian Fields, let me know if you can figure out which PA Coroner it was.

      And about beads in the trees… When riding on the upper deck of a Mardi Gras float, I often yank the old beads out of the trees and throw them. I figure I’m just being environmentally conscious by recycling.

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  6. Michael, that’s a fascinating look at Louisiana Coroners. Everything is different in Louisiana, as I know being married to someone from south Louisiana. And how can you go wrong with New Orleans? Congratulations on the book!

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    1. Thanks, Mary! I’d been to NOLA before I started writing a novel set there. I decided I needed to know more about Mardi Gras, so I joined three krewes “for research.” What started as a one-time thing has tuned into a yearly obsession. I suppose there are more harmful addictions…

      Spoiler alert. The next in the series is in for developmental edits. Working title is Shadows of Frenchmen. Tagline: “The Zodiac Killer Comes to Mardi Gras.”

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  7. Welcome, Michael! What a great idea to have a NOLA Coroner as a protagonist! I was in New Orleans for Bouchercon and had a wonderful time. I really enjoyed walking down the closed streets in the second line parade. And the food in NOLA–beignets, shrimp remoulade, and those soufflé potatoes at Arnaud’s (thank for the intro, Ellen!)… Yum!

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer! Next time you’re in New Orleans, you’ll have to up your foodie game by adding a Cajun staple, boudin, described thusly:

      Boudin (pronounced “BOO-dan,” at least in Cajun country) is a cooked sausage made from pork meat, rice, vegetables, and seasonings stuffed in a natural pork casing. Traditional boudin features pork liver and/or pork heart with scraps of pork meat from just about any part of the hog.

      Not sure it’s on the menu at Arnaud’s yet, but maybe someday…

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  8. Thank you Michael, for educating me about coroner, medical examiner and non-physician coroner!! I love forensic science too, and the book sounds interesting!!

    I haven’t been to New Orleans but it’s on my bucket list. I would love to experience its culture and customs and its voodoo vibes!! Love Cajun food!! – Emily

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    1. Thanks, Emily! Looking forward to your comments once you read Voices of the Elysian Fields.

      New Orleans has many nicknames, e.g., The Big Easy, Crescent City, The City That Care Forgot. My nickname for it is “The Chameleon City.” New Orleans is different each time you visit. And it can be almost anything you want it to be. I often comment (only half-jokingly) that there’s a church on every fourth corner, with a bar, a restaurant, and an “adult’s only club,” on each corner in between.

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      1. Michael, thank you for these interesting recommendations! Speaking of churches and “adult’s only – that brought back my memory of my trip to Amsterdam in 1990s. That’s my first trip to Europe – I’m always fascinated by the beauty and serenity of churches (as I was from the east side of the globe), and one evening, after admiring one beautiful church, I walked through the back alley to get to the other side, and boom! That’s the red light district with numerous adult’s only stores! – Emily

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  9. I love the blurb on your book. The explanation of Louisiana coroners is fascinating. I’ve a number of misconceptions now clarified. NOLA is such a fabulous place to visit and the good, oh my! Have added your book to my hold requests at the library! New one will be on my list as well.

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    1. Thanks! Hope you enjoy Voices of the Elysian Fields. And, of course, my interest in New Orleans is only “for research.” (Eye roll.) But no one says that research can’t also be fun and delicious!

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  10. Favorite memory of New Orleans… there are so many! I think it was the time a spontaneous party broke out at Frenchy’s art gallery a couple of doors down from Jacque-Imo’s and they welcomed us in like we were locals, just because it’s New Orleans and that’s how things go! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today — your book sounds terrific!

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    1. Thanks, Marla! I appreciate the opportunity be a “Guest Chick” and talk about New Orleans and my novel.

      New Orleans is full of many “lagniappes,” like the pop-up party you mentioned. Some are festive. Some are more laid back. Next time you’re in the French Quarter, look for the cat (like in feline) who hangs out on the portico of the Eighth District Police Headquarters on Royal Street. Kind of an odd sight for a urban/touristy area, but it brought a smile to my face.

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  11. I absolutely love the idea of an insurance agent acting as a coroner–some great plot lines there!

    My favorite memories of NOLA are the graveyards and the food, which I guess have a kind of connection, when you think about it. Jonesing for some crawfish boil right about now….

    Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks, and congrats on the new book–it looks great!

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    1. Thanks, Leslie!

      In all my visits to NOLA, I’ve never been inside any of the cemeteries, unless you count a visit to the Haunted Mansion on Canal Street which has a cemetery on the grounds. A group I was with participated in an escape room inside the mansion. Sad to say, though, we all got eaten by zombies…

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  12. Michael, thanks for visiting Chicks today. Your book sounds amazing–it’s going straight to the TBR! I made my first visit to NOLA for Bouchercon. I was bowled over by the WW2 Museum, and I definitely felt the voodoo vibes elsewhere, even in broad daylight. I did learn that traipsing Bourbon St. alone at night while trying to find Renaud’s (duh on me) was not the best idea.

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  13. My then fiancée and now husband, first started visiting NOLA in 1976 when we moved from Harlingen, Texas to Fort Worth. We went every Memorial Day for 6 years adding another coupe each year until there were 12 of us. The first time (just us two) we went to Messina’s and learned what a Muffaletta was (we ordered one each not knowing how huge they were) and then to Houlihan’s for 10 cents an oyster Happy Hour and ate 3 dozen, drank Cuba Libres and could not find out car. We kept turning a block short. We thought that it was the drinks. We saw the real Streetcar named Desire at the French Market then (don’t know where it went since). We went to a female impersonator show which was actually amazing. I forgot the name. We did the tours, River Road, Baton Rouge, Natchez Riverboat, Chalmette Battlefield, Plantations (have photo of us at Oak Alley in 1976 and then in the same spot in 2015 or so). Then nothing until around 2010. Then we would meet friends from San Antonio, and we came from Alpharetta, Ga. It was about halfway for both of us. We would stay a week for Thanksgiving, sometimes in October and sometimes also in March. We stayed at the St. Charles Inn as we brought our dog Needa and then Texie with us. After Needa died, we stayed in the French Quarter at the Monteleone. Great places to stay, great staff who became like family, great food, great sights, great shopping, and great eating as I said. Tony Angello’s (do you want to order, or do you want us to take care of you?), Deanie’s, Tujaque’s, all the Brennan restaurants, Domilise’s, Manale Pascal’s, Vinny’s in Gretna, Arnaud’s, Napoleon’s, Court of the Two Sisters, Superior Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Parasol’s, Joey K, Parkway Bakery and Tavern, Camellia Grill, Vincent’s Italian, Ye Olde College Inn, and so many more but I have made this too long. We want to go back and eat at Kenner Seafood. We did the Mardi Gras Museum, the WII Museum, the Voodoo Museum, the cemetery, and more. We happened upon City Park and the old Art Deco Airport that were favorites. Last time we were there, one of the police cars was a mini-Cooper. Love NOLA. Can’t wait to read your book. Miss NOLA now.

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    1. I’m generally without a car when I visit New Orleans. One of my favorite activities is to ride the St. Charles streetcar to grab lunch or dinner at Superior Seafood (St. Charles and Napoleon Avenue). I’m also a devotee of Felix’s Oyster Bar (versus Acme Oyster House). Something about the ambiance…

      Hope you make it back to NOLA soon! And I hope you enjoy Voices of the Elysian Fields.

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      1. We have a car but unless driving the River Road or going to other places for food, or to Biloxi, we also ride the streetcar. It is right across the street from the St. Charles Inn which used to be the Best Western. One of the few places with free parking right behind the hotel with a garage door opener to the gate. Make sure you go to the Camille Grill on the streetcar line toward Carrollton. I think we ate at Felix’s last time as Acme always has lines outside and has gotten too touristy. We hope to get back soon. I know that I will enjoy the book. Thank you.

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  14. Welcome! Thanks so much for visiting us.

    I haven’t been to NOLA yet–was all set to go a few years back but a hurricane happened.

    Your explanation is very helpful. I remember hearing them talk about a Chinquapin Parish in Steel Magnolias and never really knew what that meant. 🙂

    Congratulations on your book!

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    1. Thanks, Cynthia!

      Years ago (many, many years ago), my parents lived in Natchitoches, Louisiana, which is where Steel Magnolias was filmed. In the local Native American (Caddo, maybe) language, Natchitoches apparently means something like “chinquapin eaters” or “place of the chinquapin.”

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  15. I’ve only been to New Orleans once, and that was for a few days meeting up with friends from all over the country. It was tons of fun, but there’s so much more to the city I’d love to explore. (If I’m not too late, I’d love to enter the giveaway.)

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  16. Thanks, Mark. If you make it back to NOLA, one of my favorite things to do is ride the streetcar lines. You can hop on and off at your leisure. I think rides are $1.25 each or you can buy a “jazzy pass” for unlimited rides (1/2 days) at most Walgreens on Canal Street.

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