2014 Winter Saturday at Minneapolis Mystery Bookstores

As we did a year ago Sharon and I spent a few days in Minneapolis this month. As I love to do when in the Twin Cities I head to the mystery bookstores - Uncle Edgar’s and Once Upon a Crime – located a short distance apart in Minneapolis.

A few inches of snow on Friday night meant there was no parking on the street outside Uncle Edgar’s but the parking lot next door was available.

On this trip I was not going to make a random tour of the store looking for books. I had some lists of recommendations from reviews, especially from other bloggers.

I had heard that Maurizo De Giovanni’s series set in Naples and featuring Commissario Ricciardi was well worth reading. As I looked on the roundel of award winning books next to the purchase desk I found a paperback copy of I Will Have Vengeance. I was off to a good start.

I have not read any Israeli written and based mysteries. As I looked around the store I came across a hardcover copy of The Missing File by D.A. Mishani. The back cover says:

D.A. Mishani is the editor of Israeli fiction and crime literature at Keter Books in Israel and is a literary scholar specializing in the history of detective literature.

The Missing File is his first crime fiction. Having enjoyed other professors, Margot Kinberg and Rob Kitchen, who have written mysteries as well as academic works I am looking forward to seeing what Mishani has written as he either ascended or descended to crime fiction from academe depending on your perspective.

Jose Ignacio from the blog The Game’s Afoot, suggested Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller when I sought out recommendations for Sharon to buy me books for Christmas last year. When Norwegian by Night did not find its way under the Christmas tree I looked for it in Minneapolis. I did not see it as I wandered the store but Elizabeth promptly went into the stacks to get a copy for me.

I then went over to Once Upon a Crime which was hosting an author event for local author, Jess Lourey. The store was filled with people looking to say hello to Jess and get copies of her new book, January Thaw, in the Murder by Month Mystery series.

When I got a chance to speak to Jess I told her that I had not read any of the books and asked for a recommendation on where to start. She said December Dread and handed me an autographed copy.

She is a busy person teaching English and Sociology at St. Cloud Technical and Community College while writing in different genres – crime fiction and young adult fiction - and raising a family.

I then enjoyed a cookie and a Coke, courtesy the publishers, as I looked around the store for more books.

I had heard good things about Black Fridays by Michael Sears and made way to the front where I asked Gary Shulze thoughts on the book. He highly recommended it to me and brought over a paperback copy.

Before going to the bookstores that day there had been another Israeli mystery author I had wanted to look for but had not written down the author’s name and could not find online where I had read about the author and his book. As I am standing at the counter I look down and there it was - Lineup by Liad Shoham. It was clear the reading gods had intended me to read the book and I made it my final purchase of the day.

Temptation abounds in each of the bookstores and the staff is so knowledgeable it makes book shopping a great experience. It is a good thing I had set myself a limit before starting the day or I would have returned with far more than 6 books.

Any mystery book lover who is in Minneapolis will equally love the stores.