Mystery / Thriller

Mystery and/or Thriller writers from Minnesota.

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Mary Casanova

Once a can’t-sit-still reader, Mary Casanova now writes stories that matter and books readers can’t put down. She is the author of numerous award-winning books, from picture books (One-Dog Canoe) to books and book-inspired movies for American Girl (Grace); from middle grade adventure novels (Wolf Shadows and The Klipfish Code) as well as historical fiction…

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Marcie Rendon

Marcie Rendon, citizen of the White Earth Nation. Rendon received the McKnight Foundation 2020 Distinguished Artist Award and was listed in the Oprah Daily 2020 list of “31 Native American Authors to Read Right Now.” Girl Gone Missing, Rendon’s second Cash Blackbear mystery series novel, was nominated for the Mystery Writers of America – G.P.…

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William Kent Krueger

William Kent Krueger is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cork O’Connor mystery series, set in the great Northwoods of Minnesota. He is a five-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award. Among his many other accolades is the Edgar Award for Best Novel for his 2013 release Ordinary Grace. He lives in Saint…

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Allen Eskens

Allen Eskens is the bestselling author of The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, The Deep Dark Descending, and The Shadows We Hide. He is the recipient of the Barry Award, Minnesota Book Award, Rosebud Award (Left Coast Crime), and Silver Falchion Award and has been a finalist for the…

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Brian Freeman

Brian Freeman is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 psychological thrillers, including the Duluth-based Jonathan Stride series. His novel Spilled Blood won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the Thriller Awards, and his Midwestern mystery The Deep, Deep Snow was a 2021 Minnesota Book Award winner and…

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Cary J. Griffith

Cary Griffith was born and raised in the rampant verdure of the Upper Midwest and spent many hours wading the clear waters of Indian Creek. During his sophomore year in college he read Hemingway’s short story “Big Two-Hearted River” and was spellbound by Nick’s camping trip and fly fishing the Big Two-Hearted. The experience led…

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Erin Hart

Erin Hart writes archaeological crime novels set mainly in the shadowy boglands of Ireland. Haunted Ground won the Friends of American Writers Award, was shortlisted for mystery’s prestigious Anthony and Agatha awards, and was translated into 11 languages. Lake of Sorrows, False Mermaid, and The Book of Killowen have been Minnesota Book Award Finalists. Hart…

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Ellen Hart

Ellen Hart is the author of more than 30 mystery novels. She is the six-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, the four-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Genre Fiction, and was recently named a Grand Master, the highest distinction in the mystery writing field, by Mystery Writers…

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David Housewright

David Housewright, is a past president of the Private Eye Writers of America. His first novel Penance earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America as well as a Shamus nomination from the PWA. He won three Minnesota Book Awards for Practice to Deceive, Jelly’s Gold, and Curse of the Jade Lily. Housewright…

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Traci Lambrecht

PJ Tracy was the pseudonym of mother-daughter writing duo P.J. and Traci Lambrecht, winners of the Anthony, Barry, Gumshoe, and Minnesota Book Awards. Their ten novels in the Monkeewrench series: Monkeewrench, Live Bait, Dead Run, Snow Blind, Shoot to Thrill, Off the Grid, The Sixth Idea, The Guilty Dead, and Ice Cold Heart, have become…