Resort to Murder

Resort Authors to Appear at Twin Cities Book Festival

2011-09-17T19:29:00.000-05:00

Resort to Murder authors William Kent Krueger, Michael Allan Mallory, Carl Brookins, and Jess Lourey will be appearing on a panel on mystery writing at the Twin Cities Book Festival. Others on the panel include Erin Hart, Sujata Massey, Raymond Benson, and Julie Kramer. Numerous other Resort authors can be found at the vendors' tables including Sisters in Crime, Penury Press. You can buy a copy of Resort to Murder and Silence of the Loons at the Nodin Press booth.
The book festival includes many panels, talks, activities for children, and a huge used book sale.See the festival schedule here: http://www.raintaxi.com/bookfest.
On another note, William Kent Krueger will deliver the keynote address at the Minnesota Library Association annual convention October 14th, in Duluth.

9th Annual Write of Spring at Once Upon a Crime

2011-02-14T22:51:00.000-06:00

Once more, a number of Resort to Murder authors will appear at Once Upon a Crime's annual spring fling. This year, the event features fifty writers, including Resort authors Pat Dennis, Scott Pearson, Joel Arnold, Barbara DaCosta, Jess Lourey, Michael Allan Mallory, Judith Borger, and David Housewright. Come meet the authors! All sorts of books of theirs will be on sale.
Once Upon a Crime is located at 604 West 26th Street in Minneapolis, 612-870-3785.

Resort Author News

2011-02-13T07:28:00.001-06:00

Why Did Santa Leave a Body: Yuletide Tales of Murder and Mayhem, is the title of a new collection of stories by Minnesota Authors. Edited by Brian Landon, and published by North Star Press, the anthology features wintertime foul play. Resort authors Michael Allan Mallory and Barbara DaCosta each have a story in the book. Michael's "Breakfast With Tiffany" takes a close look at a marriage, vengeance, and comeuppance. Barbara's "For Want of Some Gloves" examines the fine lines between honesty, delusion, and assumption.
Available through North Star Press or your local bookstore, or online.

Resort to Murder authors William Kent Krueger and David Housewright have once again been nominated for the Minnesota Book Award. Both have previously won the award!
Kent has been nominated for Vermillion Drift:
"When the Department of Energy puts an underground iron mine on its short list of potential sites for storage of nuclear waste, a barrage of protest erupts in Tamarack County, Minnesota, and Cork is hired as a security consultant. Deep in the mine during his first day on the job, Cork stumbles across a secret room that contains the remains of six murder victims. Five appear to be nearly half a century old—connected to what the media once dubbed "The Vanishings," a series of unsolved disappearances in the summer of 1964, when Cork’s father was sheriff in Tamarack County. But the sixth has been dead less than a week. What’s worse, two of the bodies—including the most recent victim—were killed using Cork’s own gun."

David's book is The Taking of Libbie, S.D.
Rushmore McKenzie is a retired cop, an unexpected millionaire and, occasionally, an unlicensed private investigator. So, it isn't the biggest surprise in the world when he's attacked and kidnapped from his home - McKenzie has more than a few enemies out there with a grudge against him. But it is a surprise when it turns out his kidnapping is a case of mistaken identity.

Michael Allan Mallory and Marilyn Victor's Killer Instinct is out: Four gray wolves are illegally shot in the North Woods of Minnesota and zoologist Lavender "Snake" Jones joins a team of wildlife investigators to discovery why. Threats from a local eco-terrorist group escalate an already tense situation with local anti-wolf ranchers. When a suspect is murdered, Snake finds herself entangled in a desperate struggle to trap the killer whose gun sights are now set on her!

Jess Lourey's Octoberfest should be out this March.

Resort to Murder: Authors New Works

2010-07-09T16:54:00.005-05:00

• Judith Yates Borger's Where's Billie? was published on Kindle in January 2009, by Nodin Press in fall 2009 and on iBooks and other ereaders in June 2010, with great reviews in Publishers Weekly, the StarTribune, Armchair Detective. The sequel, Whose Hand? is scheduled to be released on Kindle, IBooks and other ereaders in fall 2010. Meanwhile, Borger continues to write for www.Minnpost.com. She appeared recently on Minnesota Crime Wave Presents (William Kent Krueger, Ellen Hart, and Carl Brookins mystery discussions and interviews online and on cable).

• Scott Pearson’s Star Trek novella, Honor in the Night, will be published this December by Simon & Schuster in the trade paperback collection Myriad Universes: Shattered Light, along with two other short novels by other authors. Originally scheduled for release in October 2009, the anthology was a casualty of the rough times in publishing and the economy at large, but is finally making its way to bookstores just in time for last minute holiday shopping!

• Barbara DaCosta’s story “For Want of Some Gloves” will appear this fall in the holiday anthology Why Did Santa Leave a Body? Midwest Tales of Murder and Mayhem from North Star Press.

• Carl Brookins has a new Sean Sean P.I. investigation: The Case of the Great Train Robbery, is now available as a Kindle download. Other short works by Carl are all available as e-downloads.

• Joel Arnold’s new collection of short stories is now out. See article below.

• Michael Allan Mallory’s Killer Instinct (available December 2010 from Five Star/Cengage) finds zoologist Lavender "Snake" Jones in the North Woods of Minnesota investigating the illegal shooting of four gray wolves, a situation that soon escalates into murder. Michael's short story "Breakfast with Tiffany" will be in Why Did Santa Leave a Body? Midwest Tales of Murder and Mayhem from North Star Press, available Fall 2010.

Resort to Murder Author Joel Arnold's New Book Published

2010-07-05T09:12:00.001-05:00

Bait & Other Stories
By Joel Arnold

This collection of stories, by Resort to Murder author Joel Arnold, includes: "a father whose intense longing for his dead son leads to disturbing consequences.A group of college students tubing down a river through a burned forest who encounter terrifying creatures.
A man seeking redemption for a sinful past through the skill of a tattoo artist," and, the award winning stories Mississippi Pearl and Some Things Don't Wash Off. Bait & is available exclusively on Kindle ebooks.
Joel Arnold lives in Savage, Minnesota, and his writing has appeared in over five dozen publications, ranging from Weird Tales to American Road Magazine, and Cat Fancy, and honorable mention in the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror series.

Write of Spring VIII

2010-01-04T11:21:00.004-06:00

Write of Spring Author Schedule

Get your autographed copy of Resort to Murder and meet the authors at Write of Spring, Once Upon a Crime's annual celebration of Minnesota mysteries!

Saturday, March 20th, 12-4 pm

604 West 26th Street (off Lyndale Avenue South).

Copies of Silence of the Loons, Minnesota Crime Wave's first anthology, will also be available.

12:00

Joel Arnold, Judith Yates Borger, Laura Childs, Katie DeCosse, Pete Hautman, Monica Ferris, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Priscilla Herbison, Kathleen Hills, William Kent Krueger, Jackie Maher, David Oppegaard, Deborah Woodworth

1:00

Carl Brookins, Gary Bush, Jan Dunlap, Margaret Frazer, Brian Freeman, Ellen Hart, Jenifer LeClair, Victoria Houston, Camille Hyytinen, Andrea Sisco, Beth Solheim, Roger Stelljes, Richard Thompson

2:00

Barbara DaCosta, Pat Dennis, Barbara Fister, Steve Horwitz, David Housewright, Chuck Logan, Larry Millett, Julie Schaper, Rick Shefchik, Anthony Neil Smith, Steve Thayer, Christopher Valen, Lance Zarimba

3:00

KJ Erickson, William Fietzer, Lois Greiman, Judith Koll Healey, Dean Hovey, Julie Kramer, Michael Allan Mallory, Sujata Massey, Scott Pearson, Susan Runholt, Marilyn Victor, JP White

2009-09-16T08:37:00.002-05:00

For those in the Upper Midwest, there are two big book events coming up, including Resort authors:

The annual Twin Cities Book Festival is coming up, Saturday, October 10th at Mpls Community and Technical College. This is FREE and open to public, usually has thousands of attendees. Event includes readings, talks, used book sales, vendors (most of the area publishers and many authors), book arts, children's activities, and more.

The Loft Literary Center is having its first Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Festival, Sat-Sun, Nov. 14-15, at Open Book. Vince Flynn is the keynote speaker. Others presenters include: Carl Brookings, Masha Hamilton, Mary Logue, William Kent Krueger, Jan Dunlap, Philip Donlay, Jess Lourey, Ellen Hart, Susan Runholt, Erin Hart, Rich Thompson, and more. $180 members/$195 non-members.

Twin Cities Sisters in Crime will have a booth at both of these events. See you there!

Reading Minnesota Blog

2009-08-30T09:30:00.003-05:00

A new blog covers Minnesota authors, bookstores, and publishers. Reading Minnesota Carl Brookins and Jess Lourey are current Resort to Murder authors currently featured.

Resort to Murder Authors News

2009-08-16T07:39:00.010-05:00

Resort to Murder authors have been keeping busy since the book's release in 2007. New offerings include: Joel Arnold's story "The Siege"; Judith Yates Borger novel debut: Where's Billie? features Skeeter Hughes; Carl Brookins' latest about PI Sean Sean adventures in The Case of the Deceiving Don (2008). Barbara DaCosta's story "Hands" was published online at Penny Dreadful; Monumental Minnesota: A Guide to Outdoor Sculpture is Moira Harris latest work; and Ellen Hart's The Mortal Groove, won the Golden Crown Literary Award. David Housewright's latest Rushmore McKenzie novel is Jelly's Gold,
Jess Lourey's by-the-month series continues with September Fair (Jess also serves on the national board of the Mystery Writers of America), William Kent Krueger features Cork O'Conner in Heaven's Keep, and Michael Allen Mallory (with Marilyn Victor) has a forthcoming novel Killer Instinct. Scott Pearson's "Finders Keepers" was in Full-Throttle Space Tales #3. Pat Dennis, Kent Krueger, and David Housewright have all contributed to Once Upon A Crime a tribute anthology in honor of the bookstore of the same name in Minneapolis. Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart, William Kent Krueger, and Jess Lourey will be presenters at the Loft Literary Center's first Mystery Writing Festival in November 2009, and numerous RTM authors will be attending and presenting at Bouchercon 2009.

See author website links to right for more author events.

Review of Resort to Murder

2009-01-29T09:52:00.002-06:00

Resort to Murder was recently reviewed by Sarah Terzo at Helium:

"I am a sucker for anthologies, especially mystery anthologies, and I was intrigued by the premise of Resort to Murder. The theme of the anthology is that every story takes place on a resort in Minnesota. The book features writers from Minnesota who are spinning yarns about their own state. Although I've never been that far West, I was intrigued. I felt it was an interesting theme for an anthology. I also thought that it would be nice to explore the work of some new' authors, writers who I had not read before...." more

Bookstore Holds Write of Spring

2009-01-22T10:04:00.005-06:00

Once Upon a Crime, one of the Midwest's leading independent mystery bookstores, is sponsoring its seventh annual Write of Spring event, featuring over 60 mystery writers—including almost all of the Resort to Murder authors! Besides RTM authors, you'll have a chance to meet Robert Alexander, Lois Greiman, Laura Childs, Monica Ferris, Steve Thayer, Pete Hautman, Sujata Massey, Julie Kramer, and many others.
Don't miss this fabulous event!

Directions: Once Upon a Crime is located at 604 West 26th Street (by Lyndale) in the Uptown/Whittier area of south Minneapolis. Bus: Any #4 bus on Lyndale (runs every 15 minutes). Car: Lyndale is a main thoroughfare, 26th Street is westbound one-way. Park on street. From freeway, take I-94 Hennepin-Lyndale exit, take Lyndale south to 26th Street and park.

Write of Spring March 28th

2009-01-13T09:39:00.001-06:00

Once Upon a Crime welcomes Resort to Murder writers to its annual Write of Spring. For details, see their website.

Resort to Murder Now Available on Audio Books!

2008-08-03T23:28:00.005-05:00

We're pleased to announce that Amazon.com and Borders.com and now taking orders for the audio book edition of this fine anthology, produced by Holton House Audio of St. Paul.in conjunction with the Minnesota Crime Wave.

Resort Midsummer Review

2008-07-13T22:36:00.006-05:00

Veteran reviewer Kevin Tipple takes on Resort to Murder at Blogger News. Tipple writes: "Like the anthology “Silence of the Loons” the tales in this book feature intriguing character from a variety of viewpoints and walks of life. Some have seen this collection as darker in tone, but, I would not agree. Graphic descriptions are not present here with the focus being on the characters and the tales they tell. Each tale, well told, often is filled with misdirection while touching on some of the age old concepts of deceit, family honor, envy and others that ultimately lead to murder. Murder, well told and another good read compiled and edited by the members of the 'Minnesota Crime Wave.'" See the whole review at Blogger News, 7/13/08).

Resort to Murder Editors Television Show

2008-07-10T11:01:00.000-05:00

Meet Resort to Murder editors and authors Ellen Hart, Carl Brookins, and William Kent Krueger (AKA Minnesota Crime Wave) as they discuss reading, writing, and the mystery scene with guests Pete Hautman, Mary Logue, Robert Alexander and others. Catch this innovative and informative program on local cable teleivion CTV-15 or on the Minnesota Crime Wave website.

New Anthology Announced

2008-06-22T09:17:00.006-05:00

Minnesota Crime Wave has issued a call for submissions to MURDER ON A STICK, its newest anthology, due for release in August 2009. Yes, as the title and release date imply, the key element of these stories will be the Minnesota State Fair. The fair, which this year opens August 21st and runs through Labor Day, is one of the biggest state fairs in the country, and features everything under the sun—from bees to beef to butterheads, and more kinds of food on a stick than you can imagine!

Aspiring writers can read the call and view the quirky list of clues to include at Carl Brookin's blog. The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2008. If you're a reader and want to savor the suspense of finding the story clues later when the book comes out, DON'T read the blog entry!

Resort to Murder Reading--St Cloud Barnes & Noble

2008-05-19T15:13:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, June 4, Resort to Murder authors, William Kent Krueger, Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart, David Housewright, Scott Pearson, Michael Allan Mallory, Jess Lourey, and hopefully more will be reading from and signing Resort to Murder, at the St. Cloud Barnes & Noble starting at 7:00. The event is free and informal, and everyone is welcome. Miniature versions of summer camping food will be served.

Resort to Murder's Jess Lourey Interviewed

2008-04-04T11:23:00.002-05:00

Resort to Murder author Jess Lourey was interviewed by Minnesota Crime Wave recently. Click here to get a glimpse into the mind of this wonderful writer and her thoughts on mysteries.

Write of Spring—Meet Resort to Murder Authors

2008-03-21T09:15:00.002-05:00

It might still be snowing, but the venerable independent bookstore Once Upon a Crime is holding its annual "Write of Spring" Saturday, April 22, from 12–4 pm. Most of the Resort to Murder authors will be attending. Don't miss this fun event!

The store is located at 604 West 26th Street (by Lyndale) in Minneapolis. 612-870-3785.

Resort to Murder Readings and Signings--December

2007-11-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Resort to Murder makes a great gift! Come meet the authors and get your own signed copy! We'll read excerpts from stories, take questions, and sign books at the following locations (please check with host location close to date in case of changes)
The December reading will be the last of the group readings, so it will be your last chance to get multiple authors to sign.

Resort to Murder editors Ellen Hart, Carl Brookins, and William Kent Krueger (collectively known as Minnesota Crime Wave) will carry on with readings and signings of Resort to Murder as well as their own numerous books. For the latest on their touring schedule, visit their website.

Don't forget! You can purchase Resort to Murder at many fine bookstores throughout the Midwest and beyond.

DECEMBER 2007

Friday, December 14, 7:00 pm, Barnes & Noble Minnetonka

November Events--Resort to Murder

2007-10-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

Resort to Murder authors will appear at a number of events in November (more may be added, so check back).

NOVEMBER 2007

November 1, 7 pm Borders, Woodbury
November 2, 6-8 pm, CANCELLED Back to Books 520 second Street, Hudson, Wisconsin
Nov. 3, 7 pm CHANGED (to December) Barnes & Noble, Minnetonka

Resort to Murder at Raking through Books

2007-10-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, October 9, 5:30 p.m.
HAPPY HOUR BOOK CLUB
RAKING THROUGH BOOKS—Resort to Murder
Resort to Murder continues in the same tradition as Nodin Press’ Silence of the Loons, with some of the state's best writers delivering creepy, spine-tingling tales all of which are set at Minnesota vacation resorts, stories far more haunting than the cry of a loon and crimes more lethal than a lump of lutefisk. Featuring Carl Brookins, Pat Dennis, Michael Allan Mallory, David Housewright, Judith Yates Borger, Scott Pearson, and Joel Arnold. This event offers readers the chance to discuss literature with writers and each other in a super-casual setting. Free appetizers.
Cosponsored by the Loft, the Rake magazine, Kieran’s Irish Pub, University of MN Book Store, Peace Coffee, and KFAI Radio.
Kieran’s Irish Pub, 330 2nd Avenue South, Minneapolis. Free.

Resort to Murder Authors in Local Media

2007-10-06T21:52:00.000-05:00

Resort to Murder authors have been featured in local media recently. Judith Yates Borger made an appearance on WCCO TV on Oct. 6, where she explained the premise of the book and the genesis of her story. The interview can be seen on the WCCO site. She was also interviewed in the Park Rapids Enterprise.
Joel Arnold was the subject of a story in theSavage Pacer. They wrote, "Writing has been a passion for Joel Arnold ever since the second grade when he won a writing contest. 'My teacher told me I’d be a writer someday, and I believed her,” said Arnold.'" (Savage Pacer, September 20, 2007).

Armchair Interviews Review

2007-09-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

"Nodin Press and thirteen talented Minnesota writers took on a challenge of writing mystery stories that take place at a Minnesota resort. Let me tell you, going ‘up north’ to the cabin (resort) will never be the same for me. I will constantly search the woods for stray bodies, wonder what is buried near the volleyball court, and I will always check out the resort handyman—I could go on and on. Suffice to say, the thirteen Minnesota writers hit the mark with their anthology." Read the complete review by Andrea Sisco.

Resort to Murder Authors Head to Courtroom Sunday September 30th!

2007-09-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Resort to Murder authors will appear as part of the 125 Years of Words and Music celebration of the Schubert Club and the St Paul Public Library. Find us in the stately woodpaneled Courtroom #326, Landmark Center, 3 pm, Sunday, September 30th, 2007.
The day starts with a Parade, at noon, running along 4th Street, from at Wabasha Street and ending at Rice Park, followed by speeches from the mayor, the library director, and special guest Franz Schubert.
Also on the day’s calendar are everything from raptors to book arts, dance performances, gamelan, mariachi, accordian, storytelling to poetry to mystery, drummers, choirs, the history of the State Fair, plus the Café Accordion Orchestra, Teddy Bear Band, Minnesota Percussion Trio, Bill the Juggler, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, strolling musicians, costumed authors and composers from the past 125 years, and more!
Events will take place at the Central Library, at Rice Park, and the Landmark Center.
For the compete schedule, see the library website. The event is supported by Minnesota Public Radio, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Landmark Center.

Resort to Murder Readings and Signings--October

2007-09-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

Come meet the authors! Resort to Murder authors will appear at a number of events at bookstores, libraries and other events. Here are some upcoming events (more will be added, so check back).

OCTOBER 2007

Oct. 4, 7 pm, Barnes & Noble, Apple Valley
Oct 9, 5:30 pm Raking Through Books, Kieran's Pub co-sponsored by: Kierans, U of M Bookstores, The Rake and The Loft
Oct 13, 10–5 pm, Minneapolis Book Festival, Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Oct 14, 2 pm, Borders, Rosedale
Oct 16, 7 pm, Barnes & Noble, Har Mar
Oct 17, 7 pm, Barnes & Noble, Maplewood
NEWLY ADDED: Oct. 21, 2 pm, Barnes & Noble, Edina (Galleria)
Oct 23, 7 pm, Barnes 7 Noble, Eden Prairie
Oct 29, 7 pm, Borders, Minnetonka

Resort to Murder Launch--September

2007-09-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

SEPTEMBER 2007

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Resort to Murder: Thirteen More Tales of Mystery on Monday, Sept. 24, 7 pm at Once Upon a Crime, Minneapolis, Book Launch Party! This will be one of your few chances to purchase a fully signed book. Make sure to reserve a copy by calling Once Upon a Crime.
The store is located at 604 West 26th street, just east of Lyndale Avenue South. 612-870-3785.
Other upcoming readings for October and November are listed in entries below.

Resort to Murder Review—Pioneer Press

2007-09-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

"Resort to Murder is the second in a series (following "The Silence of the Loons") commissioned by Minnesota Crime Wave - William Kent Krueger, Ellen Hart and Carl Brookins. They asked contributors to "Resort to Murder" to set their stories at a Minnesota resort, and the 13 authors delivered. Some of the stories are about revenge, including David Housewright's "Miss Behavin' " and Hart's "14-A." Several tales offer an O. Henry-style twist, including Brookins' "A Fish Story" and Judith Yates Borger's "Hunter's Lodge." Pat Dennis describes a very odd mother-son relationship in "Mother's Day," and Deborah Woodworth evokes the dark north woods in "The Moose Whisperer." Barbara DaCosta's "Cabin" is the most surprising, and Michael Allen Mallory's "Bird of Prey" shows how far a writer will go for her craft. The sweetest tale is Joel Arnold's "Leave No Wake," featuring a pair of gay senior citizens. For lots of fun, there's Jess Lourey's "The Locked Fish-cleaning House Mystery," featuring a lively sleuth who lives in a nursing home and crashes weddings." - Mary Ann Grossmann (St Paul Pioneer Press, 9/23/07)

Meet the Authors: Pat Dennis

2007-09-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Pat Dennis grew up on the outskirts of south side Chicago, born into a pack of relocated southerners and religious fundamentalists. She's performed stand-up comedy for corporate events, woman’s shows, comedy clubs and on national television. Her fiction and humor have been published in publications such as Woman’s World, Minnesota Monthly, The Pioneer Press, Sun Current, and even Gurnee Gardening. Her short story "Jake" was featured in The Silence of the Loons.
Pat opened her own publishing company, Penury Press. Her book of culinary mysteries Hotdish to Die For, in which the weapon of choice is hotdish, was called by the Minnesota Women’s Press “wickedly wonderful.” It soon became a regional hit, selling close to 15,000 copies. Who Died In Here? is a collection of mystery short stories where the crime occurs in the bathroom, written by twenty-five of the top mystery short story writers. Hotdish Haiku, featuring 50 haiku and 30 tantalizing oriental hotdish recipes (such as Crouching Chicken, Hidden Veggies) was written by 13 exceptional humorists. She has just finished her first novel for middle-grades. Pat can be found at her website.

Meet the Authors: Barbara DaCosta

2007-09-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

Barbara DaCosta's story "Cabin 6" marks her debut as a mystery writer. "Lake Superior has a certain tug on many of us," she says, "and I wanted to explore what could go wrong on one of those misty evenings when one goes down the wrong path."
After many years of writing for work and school, Barbara decided to try her hand at something that would require a plotline instead of a deadline. She's at work completing her novel Death by the Depot.

Meet the Authors: Jess Lourey

2007-09-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

Jess Lourey spent her formative years in Paynesville, Minnesota, a small town not unlike her Murder by Month series' Battle Lake. She currently lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where she teaches writing and sociology full time at the local college. When not raising her wonderful kids, teaching, or writing, you can find her gardening and navigating the niceties and meanities of small-town life. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, The Loft, and Lake Superior Writers.

"The Locked Fish-Cleaning-House," her short story contribution to Resort to Murder, is set in Battle Lake--the same town her series is set in--and features Mrs. Berns, a recurring but peripheral character in the series. The story puts a Minnesota spin on the classic locked room mystery. And for the record, writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a novel. Her website has information about her newest release Knee-High by the Fourth of July.

Meet the Authors: Michael Allan Mallory

2007-09-08T09:09:00.000-05:00

Michael Allan Mallory grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in English Literature. Death Roll, his debut novel with Marilyn Victor, was published in May 2007 and features the first zoologist sleuth in the person of Lavender Snake Jones.
The original idea for "Bird of Prey" came to Michael over twenty years ago. He enjoys writing mysteries because in a mystery, "the world is made clear—motives are understood, actions are explained, connections between events are revealed. Not so in real life. In real life we often grope around in the dark hoping to find answers. As a mystery writer I can insert order and clarity into the universe, even if it is imaginary."

Meet the Authors: Scott Pearson

2007-09-07T08:01:00.000-05:00

Scott Pearson's first publication was in 1987 with “The Mailbox,” a Minnesota Monthly Tamarack Award winner about an elderly farming couple. Over the last twenty years he has published humor, poetry, short stories, and nonfiction such as The Mosquito Book, which he coauthored with Scott Anderson and Tony Dierckins, and a number of Star Trek stories. “Out of the Jacuzzi, Into the Sauna,” in Resort to Murder is his first mystery story. Scott says, "What appeals to me about writing mysteries is trying to create real characters and then putting them into thrilling, scary situations that we all hope we wouldn't find ourselves in. And, of course, I like the idea of trying to create the puzzle for the character—and the reader—to solve." The motivation for “Out of the Jacuzzi, Into the Sauna” was a particularly trying trip to a Lake Superior resort. Please visit Scott on his website.

How Resort to Murder Came to Be

2007-08-30T22:30:00.000-05:00

You might think that three successful, busy writers might already have enough on their plates besides editing an anthology, but when they tried their hands at such a task in 2005, the result was the very popular Silence of the Loons. The three editors (each of whom also contributed a story) William Kent Krueger, Ellen Hart, and Carl Brookins who comprise the authors' team known as Minnesota Crime Wave came up with a highly original idea. "We wanted to bring the Minnesota Mystery community together in order to showcase the talent of these wonderful writers and friends. A short story anthology seemed the perfect way. But that, in itself, was too easy. These are writers used to dealing with locked rooms and battling serial killers. We realized we needed to give them an additional challenge, something that would, in its way, unify the collection. This was the challenge. We created a set of eight clues or elements, a pool from which each author had to dip into in order to construct their stories."
Each author invited to be in the book had to include at least eight of the clues, among them a page torn from a dictionary, the sound of a train whistle, a wig— and the one that possibly piqued the public's fancy the most: a headless Barbie doll.
Naturally, readers demanded a follow-up volume, and thus was born Resort to Murder, thirteen stories united by one common theme: each had to take place in a real, but fictionalized Minnesota resort.
The result is a book that will keep you up late at night reading. Enjoy!

Resort to Murder's First Review

2007-08-28T09:42:00.000-05:00

Resort to Murder has been reviewed in the prestigious Publishers' Weekly. Here's what they had to say: "The Minnesota Crime Wave’s entertaining second volume of short stories from Minnesota writers (after 2005’s The Silence of the Loons) introduces some promising talent to a wider audience. Taking a somewhat darker tack than the previous anthology, many of the 13 stories center on actual or suspected infidelity or some other betrayal, concluding with satisfying but somewhat anticipated twists. No stories stand out as either duds or stunners, though Pat Dennis’s “Mother’s Day,” about a neglected son’s homicidal plans for the holiday, and David Housewright’s “Miss Behavin’,” which follows a philandering physician down a spiral of bad luck and poor choices, are particularly taut and suspenseful. Several authors include notes of local color, giving a nice sense of continuity from one piece to the next and appealing to Minnesotans and visitors alike." (Publisher's Weekly 7/23/07)

Interview with Resort to Murder Editor

2007-08-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

Carl Brookins, one of the three editors of Resort to Murder, was interviewed in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this week. He was asked why there were so many mystery writers in Minnesota, what were some of the personality traits of said writers, and what were some characteristics of the mystery field. Carl pointed out that mystery writers are "not really writing about killings and beatings and things of that nature, we're really writing about the human condition." Click here for the complete interview. Carl, along with Ellen Hart and William Kent Krueger, edited the volume, and together make up Minnesota Crime Wave.