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Resort to Murder
Editors Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart and William Kent Krueger (known as the Minnesota Crime Wave) have solicited 13 riveting stories of murder, mystery and mayhem, in this follow-up to the best-selling short story anthology The Silence of the Loons.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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271 people want to read
About the author
Carl Brookins
26 books81 followersBefore I became a mystery writer and reviewer, I was a television program producer, a counselor and faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul and a mystery fiction reviewer for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Mystery Scene Magazine. I'm an avid recreational sailor (hence my sailing series and a member of Sisters in Crime, and Private Eye Writers of America, as well as MWA. You can frequently find me touring bookstores and libraries with my companions-in-crime, The Minnesota Crime Wave. You can also catch me on tv! Just check out the Minnesota Crime Wave website, www.MinnesotaCrimeWave.org.
I live with my wife Jean, a retired publisher and editor, in Roseville, Minnesota.
I live with my wife Jean, a retired publisher and editor, in Roseville, Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 19, 2017
Another fine collection of crime fiction short stories by Minnesota authors.
July 12, 2010
Q: Why should you read this review?
A: I'm not an author with a story in it.
The number of ratings on this book is fairly low but I think I counted three author reviews. And since 13 of them have stories in this anthology, if the other ten sign up for Goodreads we'll have even more inflated reviews. Whoopee!
Anyway, aside from making that observation I'm not sure there's a whole lot more to add. Some of the stories were good. Some were better than good. Some were mediocre. Yadda, yadda, yadda, typical anthology and all that.
Each short story takes place at a real Minnesota resort (under an assumed name) and each story includes approximately one murder. Some of the stories are whodunnits and some have quirky endings that end on a surprising note - it was a good mix of both. I enjoyed trying to picture the real resorts that coincide with the book resorts; I could positively identify one and have my suspicions on two others!
This was a very fast read so would be a nice vacation book. And because of the local flavor, I definitely think it would be a wonderful additon to a Minnesota UP NORTH cabin or vacation property library.
A: I'm not an author with a story in it.
The number of ratings on this book is fairly low but I think I counted three author reviews. And since 13 of them have stories in this anthology, if the other ten sign up for Goodreads we'll have even more inflated reviews. Whoopee!
Anyway, aside from making that observation I'm not sure there's a whole lot more to add. Some of the stories were good. Some were better than good. Some were mediocre. Yadda, yadda, yadda, typical anthology and all that.
Each short story takes place at a real Minnesota resort (under an assumed name) and each story includes approximately one murder. Some of the stories are whodunnits and some have quirky endings that end on a surprising note - it was a good mix of both. I enjoyed trying to picture the real resorts that coincide with the book resorts; I could positively identify one and have my suspicions on two others!
This was a very fast read so would be a nice vacation book. And because of the local flavor, I definitely think it would be a wonderful additon to a Minnesota UP NORTH cabin or vacation property library.
April 26, 2020
When you read books like this you need to remember what you are walking into. These are not the Kings, Koontz or any other well known author name you want to fill in the blank with. These are lesser known. I read all but 1 of the 13 stories. There was one I just couldn't get into at all. None were spectacular, none of the 12 I finished were horrible. Surprising most were not predictable.
If I found another round a this type book would I read it? Maybe. This was in the little library in town. It was free, no loss for me. If I found another free I'd probably grab it.
If I found another round a this type book would I read it? Maybe. This was in the little library in town. It was free, no loss for me. If I found another free I'd probably grab it.
February 10, 2024
I don’t usually enjoy short stories, but this book was excellent. Really enjoyable, and loved the common theme of mid western/Northwoods stories.
May 30, 2023
Searching for an anthology of short stories that includes Jess Lourey, Google led me to “Mrs. Bern’s Ponderings”, an excerpt from her short story “Death by Potato Salad”. Mrs. Berns just happens to be my favorite character in Lourey’s Murder-by-Month Mysteries. So now of course, I’m searching for “Death by Potato Salad”.
In the meantime, I found Resort to Murder featuring “Thirteen More Tales of Mystery by Minnesota’s Premier Writers” Jess Lourey’s contribution is “The Locked Fish-cleaning House Mystery”. Behold, there was Mrs. Berns in the very first sentence! I was hooked.
Lorna Landvik wrote the Introduction to Resort to Murder. Honestly, this couldn’t have been a more perfect set-up. Two like-minded Minnesnowtans in cahoots.
I’m familiar with some of the writers and delighted to have a list of new ones to check out. Anthologies are a terrific way to discover authors you’ve so far failed to come across. Also a terrific way to find Mrs. Berns where you’d least expect her.
In the meantime, I found Resort to Murder featuring “Thirteen More Tales of Mystery by Minnesota’s Premier Writers” Jess Lourey’s contribution is “The Locked Fish-cleaning House Mystery”. Behold, there was Mrs. Berns in the very first sentence! I was hooked.
Lorna Landvik wrote the Introduction to Resort to Murder. Honestly, this couldn’t have been a more perfect set-up. Two like-minded Minnesnowtans in cahoots.
I’m familiar with some of the writers and delighted to have a list of new ones to check out. Anthologies are a terrific way to discover authors you’ve so far failed to come across. Also a terrific way to find Mrs. Berns where you’d least expect her.
December 9, 2017
13 different murders at lake resorts/cabins up in northern Minnesota? As a fellow Minnesotan, I thought it sounded like a fun read. Maybe if they didn't all have the EXACT, same setting, it would have been better. Most were too similar and predictable. It was an easy enough read to pick up every once in a while and read a story or two when I had time. I enjoyed The Locked Fish-cleaning House Murder by Jess Lourey, 14-A by Ellen Hart and Miss Behavin' by David Housewright the best.
December 20, 2019
An audiobook chosen because it was short! All the stories took place at northern Minnesota resorts, which having grown up on a northern Minnesota resort was quite fun for me! Some were better than others. My favorite was about a couple who show up at a resort along the North Shore and get embroiled in a missing persons case. They get locked in the sauna and the main female character was quite sarcastic. I really enjoyed her! Great fun for me!
July 17, 2019
A; I really enjoyed this and wish the second installment were available on audio. There are 13 mini stories (on the audio they vary between 10-25 minutes in length). Most were a bit predictable but still enjoyable. All were authors I already enjoy so it was a fun quick dose of each.
May 11, 2017
Some stories are good some not so much. Best part was discovering that I knew one of the authors when I was in high school.
October 28, 2019
Some interesting short stories. All set in Minnesota resorts and mostly dealing with murder. Some of the stories were great; a couple bland, and one I just didn't understand.
January 17, 2022
Leave No Wake, The Moose Whisperer, Cabin 6, and The Body at Dust Bowl Lake are quite good. The rest are not.
August 11, 2012
I'm from northern Minnesota, the setting for all of these little murder mystery stories, so I found some particular enjoyment out of listening to this book (I had it as an audiobook). Because I thought the stories were a bit of a mixed bag for readers, I decided to offer my opinion on each story individually. In general, I would say that I would listen to another, similar collection of stories again. It wasn't too bad. Here are my more specific thoughts, per story/author:
Hills Like White Rabbits – William Kent Krueger. As it is – thoroughly groan-worthy. The idea was good but the story could have been executed much better. The man has GOT to stop using so many similes as a writing crutch. The problem is not limited to the story’s title. (Please see my earlier review of a Kreuger book.)
The Body at Dust Bowl Lake -- Moira F. Harris. I thought the story was too long and the ending very anti-climactic, but, to be fair, perhaps I was too distracted at the time I was listening to it.
Bird of Prey – Michael Allan Mallory. Interesting story narrated from a unique point of view. Perhaps my perception is affected by the fact that I listened to this book as an audiobook, but I found the story rather chilling. It definitely kept my attention, and even surprised me along the way.
Leave No Wake – Joel Arnold. The mystery isn’t very mysterious, but the story is tolerable.
14-A – Ellen Hart. Excellent, well-written, and even somewhat believable story that keeps one’s attention. I liked this one.
Locked Fish-Cleaning House Mystery – Jess Lourey. This story offers a different perspective on life in northern Minnesota. It’s a little stereotypical, as all characters are essentially rough living, hard-drinking, partying types, and that is not the case in real life, but I wouldn’t say that the depiction is completely inaccurate of a certain demographic in N. MN (or anywhere else, for that matter). The story is acceptable, but doesn’t offer anything special. I wouldn’t have finished reading it as a standalone story, if it hadn’t been part of this anthology and in audiobook form.
Miss Behavin – David Housewright. OK, but doesn’t stand out from the crowd.
Out of the Jacuzzi, Into the Sauna – Scott Pearson. Absolutely terrible. I thoroughly hated the protagonists and was actually cheering for the criminal when he threatened to shoot them. Unfortunately – spoiler but no surprise – he did not, so I fear they will reappear in another story in the future. The protagonists were perpetually and unrealistically clever, and, even worse, they were always overly pleased with their own cleverness. They did remind me of the most obnoxious type of tourists that visit N. MN every summer. Also, the “mystery” wasn’t exactly a brain-teaser.
Mother’s Day – Pat Dennis. Sinister and chilling. The author uses excellent story-telling techniques, although the actual story is quite depressing. A worthy read.
Fish Story – Carl Brookins. An OK short story. It offers a slightly different twist on a murder mystery.
Hunter’s Lodge – Judith Yates –Borger. An acceptable short story, although a little unbelievable from my perspective from the start (which leads the reader down the path to other things that aren’t believable).
The Moose Whisperer – Deborah Woodworth. If the title isn’t enough to turn you off, the unrealistic ambiance surrounding the narrative just might. The story contained another promising concept that simply needed better execution in order to really work.
Cabin 6 – Barbara DaCosta. Well-written. This author has potential. I’d read more of her short stories.
Hills Like White Rabbits – William Kent Krueger. As it is – thoroughly groan-worthy. The idea was good but the story could have been executed much better. The man has GOT to stop using so many similes as a writing crutch. The problem is not limited to the story’s title. (Please see my earlier review of a Kreuger book.)
The Body at Dust Bowl Lake -- Moira F. Harris. I thought the story was too long and the ending very anti-climactic, but, to be fair, perhaps I was too distracted at the time I was listening to it.
Bird of Prey – Michael Allan Mallory. Interesting story narrated from a unique point of view. Perhaps my perception is affected by the fact that I listened to this book as an audiobook, but I found the story rather chilling. It definitely kept my attention, and even surprised me along the way.
Leave No Wake – Joel Arnold. The mystery isn’t very mysterious, but the story is tolerable.
14-A – Ellen Hart. Excellent, well-written, and even somewhat believable story that keeps one’s attention. I liked this one.
Locked Fish-Cleaning House Mystery – Jess Lourey. This story offers a different perspective on life in northern Minnesota. It’s a little stereotypical, as all characters are essentially rough living, hard-drinking, partying types, and that is not the case in real life, but I wouldn’t say that the depiction is completely inaccurate of a certain demographic in N. MN (or anywhere else, for that matter). The story is acceptable, but doesn’t offer anything special. I wouldn’t have finished reading it as a standalone story, if it hadn’t been part of this anthology and in audiobook form.
Miss Behavin – David Housewright. OK, but doesn’t stand out from the crowd.
Out of the Jacuzzi, Into the Sauna – Scott Pearson. Absolutely terrible. I thoroughly hated the protagonists and was actually cheering for the criminal when he threatened to shoot them. Unfortunately – spoiler but no surprise – he did not, so I fear they will reappear in another story in the future. The protagonists were perpetually and unrealistically clever, and, even worse, they were always overly pleased with their own cleverness. They did remind me of the most obnoxious type of tourists that visit N. MN every summer. Also, the “mystery” wasn’t exactly a brain-teaser.
Mother’s Day – Pat Dennis. Sinister and chilling. The author uses excellent story-telling techniques, although the actual story is quite depressing. A worthy read.
Fish Story – Carl Brookins. An OK short story. It offers a slightly different twist on a murder mystery.
Hunter’s Lodge – Judith Yates –Borger. An acceptable short story, although a little unbelievable from my perspective from the start (which leads the reader down the path to other things that aren’t believable).
The Moose Whisperer – Deborah Woodworth. If the title isn’t enough to turn you off, the unrealistic ambiance surrounding the narrative just might. The story contained another promising concept that simply needed better execution in order to really work.
Cabin 6 – Barbara DaCosta. Well-written. This author has potential. I’d read more of her short stories.
March 24, 2011
I agree with Beth that it's always a little skeezy when you see most of the reviews for a book are from the authors or editors. That whole - "This is a great book! I know because I wrote it!" thing leaves me a little cold.
That being said - I really enjoyed listening to this in audio book format. Some of the authors that I thought I would really love I felt rather luke-warm about (William Kent Krueger - I am looking at you!) And there were other stories that I now need to figure out which author wrote what so I can look for their books. Days after hearing a couple of the stories I find myself still thinking about them.
And seriously - this should be on the bookshelf of every resort in MN.
That being said - I really enjoyed listening to this in audio book format. Some of the authors that I thought I would really love I felt rather luke-warm about (William Kent Krueger - I am looking at you!) And there were other stories that I now need to figure out which author wrote what so I can look for their books. Days after hearing a couple of the stories I find myself still thinking about them.
And seriously - this should be on the bookshelf of every resort in MN.
Read
August 1, 2013Resort to Murder: Mysteries by some of Minnesota’s premier mystery writers. A-minus, there are seven short stories, the most well-known authors include Ellen Hart, William Kent Krueger, Carl Brookins, and David Housewright. Narrators include: John Farrell, Charles Hubbell, Walt Weaver, Mary Sue Kruger, Heidi Ziman, Mary Ann Sullivan, Sarah Jones. Produced by Holton House Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.
An anthology of mystery stories set in Minnesota and written by Minnesota authors. All of the mysteries have at least one element in common: each tale
takes place at a fictional Northern Minnesota resort.
An anthology of mystery stories set in Minnesota and written by Minnesota authors. All of the mysteries have at least one element in common: each tale
takes place at a fictional Northern Minnesota resort.
June 17, 2012
This is such a nice compilation of mystery stories. I enjoyed them all, but some were really engrossing. I especially enjoyed the stories by Deborah Woodworth and Moira Harris. I liked the idea of all of the stories taking place at Minnesota resorts - pretty fun. I'm going to share this book via bookcrossing so that other people have the opportunity to enjoy these authors. If you vacation in Minnesota, leave the lights on outside your cabin.
September 21, 2013
I liked it, but didn't love it. The best part was actually the fact that the stories centered around lake resorts in northern Minnesota, which are dear to my heart. However, there were only 1 or 2 stories that kept my interest. When I read "murder mysteries" on a book cover, I hope that they will be spine-tingling. Not so much, in this case. But I enjoyed each author's unique style, and they were well written.
July 23, 2008
With pardonable pride I note that I am one of the editors of this fine anthology. A wide variety of murder mysteries set on real tho unnamed Minnesota resorts. Can you figure out which ones they are?
Some of these writers have never before written murder mystery fiction, so some of the stories are a little unusual, but we think the whole anthology is stellar.
Some of these writers have never before written murder mystery fiction, so some of the stories are a little unusual, but we think the whole anthology is stellar.
February 17, 2017
I found a couple of typo's & grammatical/spelling errors in this one too, but I did enjoy this one a bit more than the last one. I tried to savor it at then end.....the stories were hooking me. I hope they come out with another one!
July 15, 2015
Who knows what secrets lie beneath the surface of Lake Superior?
My story "Cabin 6" in this anthology tells you the answer.
My story "Cabin 6" in this anthology tells you the answer.
April 22, 2009
Great regional anthology set. Each story takes place at a real lake resort in Minnesota whose name has been changed. And I'm in it!
October 12, 2009
Also, a good cabin book. 13 more short stories to be enjoyed UP North.
March 24, 2010
Some good stories and some bad stories. A book to bring along to the waiting room or airport.
August 15, 2011
Great collection of stories, especially those by Jess Lourey and Ellen Hart.
August 23, 2011
Some were better than others, but it made me want to read some of these authors.
August 29, 2011
These short mysteries aren't very good.
June 1, 2015
I don't read collections pf short stories that often. I like longer stories where there are good characters to get to know. For short stories these were okay. Some better than others.
January 3, 2016
This book is a collection of short stories by Minnesota writers. They were fun to read and didn't always end the way I expected.
January 31, 2017
A nice break between heavier books - little gems by Jess Lourey and Wm. Kent Krueger amongst these flash fiction murder mysteries!
July 8, 2019
All good stories, some quite excellent.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews