Publisher's Note

Roger Barr introduces his new book, A Murder on the Hill, at Next Chapter Booksellers, St. Paul

Spring book season is upon us! On April 4, Roger Barr kicked off the month with a reading from his new book A Murder on the Hill: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Ruth Munson at Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul–not far from where the murder occurred in 1937, in the old Aberdeen Hotel on Cathedral Hill. A packed house of true crime fans enjoyed listening to excerpts from the opening chapters and then engaged in a lively question and answer session about the author's deep research into this still unsolved crime. The book details the many leads police explored and invites readers to draw their own conclusions. Does the author have his own idea about who the murderer was? You'll have to read the book to find out! 

New Releases

Now available!

A Murder on the Hill

Roger Barr
“A splendid case study, A Murder on the Hill is a detailed account of the investigation of a young woman’s murder that took place in St. Paul in 1937. We are led step-by-step through what the police did right and where they fell down. Mesmerizing and thorough, Roger Barr’s narrative put me right in the thick of it. The most fascinating and meticulously told tale of true crime I’ve ever read.” –Mary Logue, author of The Big Sugar

Events

Twin Cities Metro

4/13/2024, 2:00 PM, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, The Essential Dear Dara, Barnes & Noble Galleria, Edina 

4/17/2024, 7:00 PM, Roger Barr, A Murder on the Hill, Magers & Quinn, Minneapolis 

4/18/2024, 7:00 PM, Christopher P. Lehman, It Took Courage book launch, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis

4/30/2024, 7:00 PM, Christopher P. Lehman, It Took Courage, Magers & Quinn, Minneapolis 

5/2/2024, 6:30 PM, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, The Essential Dear Dara, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis

Greater Minnesota

4/10/2024, 7:00 PM, Cathy Coats, To Banish Forever, St. Cloud State University Atwood Theater, St. Cloud  

4/13/2024, 11:00 AM, Cathy Coats, To Banish Forever, La Crescent Public Library, La Crescent 

4/22/2024, 7:00 PM, Christopher P. Lehman, It Took Courage, Miller Center Library at St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud 

5/4/2024, 6:00 PM, Joe Friedrichs, Last Entry Point launch, Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais 

In the Media

Last Entry Point, Joe Friedrichs, “New book highlights the BWCAW’s darker side,” The Timberjay, March 20, 2024  

Last Entry Point, Joe Friedrichs, “Duluth Book Releases in 2024,” Perfect Duluth Day, March 20, 2024 

A Murder on the Hill, Roger Barr, “New book delves into secret life and mysterious death of Ruth Munson, 31,” My Villager, March 26, 2024 

Last Entry Point, Joe Friedrichs, “Stories of danger, death in Boundary Waters,” Duluth News Tribune, April 6, 2024 

It Took Courage, Christopher P. Lehman, “St. Cloud professor's book paints nuanced look at enslaved woman freed in Minneapolis,” Star Tribune,  April 6, 2024 

How the Birds Got Their Songs, Travis Zimmerman, Illustrated by Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik, “Readers and writers: Delightful picture books for the little readers,” Pioneer Press, April 7, 2024 

Noteworthy

Extra, extra: we’re hiring! MNHS Press is accepting applications for a director.

Look for the Spring 2024 issue of Minnesota History on April 15, featuring articles on precision instruments for the Atomic Age, uncovering queer history in Minneapolis, and the politics of sound in the Boundary Waters, as well as a close look at a recently acquired COVID-19 scrapbook. MNHS membership includes a subscription to the magazine.

We are looking forward to the Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony on May 7 at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in St. Paul.  Minescapes: Reclaiming Minnesota's Mined Lands by Pete Kero has been named a finalist for the Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction! Join us to honor all the nominees, and to celebrate the state's vibrant literary and publishing community!

New in MNopedia

Northland / Mesaba Transportation Company

In 1914, miners often walked two miles from their homes in Alice, Minnesota, to their jobs in the iron mines of Hibbing, even during dangerous winters. Former driller and failing car salesman C. Eric Wickman changed that when he decided to use a Hupmobile to transport miners for a small fee: 15 cents for a one-way trip and 25 cents for a round trip. Wickman’s service became one of the earliest examples of intercity busing in the US and, fifteen years later, led to the establishment of the multimillion-dollar Greyhound Bus Corporation.

Lac qui Parle Mission

Lac qui Parle Mission in Chippewa County was the leading station of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions’ work among Dakota people between 1835 and 1854. Though missionaries cited it as the most successful project of its kind among the Dakota, the mission failed in its objective to replace Dakota culture with European American lifeways. Throughout its existence Lac qui Parle was a multicultural community, where Dakota people and European Americans cooperated with each other but experienced deep divides.

Forthcoming Releases

April 16: It Took Courage: Eliza Winston’s Quest for Freedom, Christopher P. Lehman

April 30: Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters, Joe Friedrichs

May 7: How the Birds Got Their Songs, Travis Zimmerman, Illustrations by Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik

Bestselling Backlist