15 October 2023
“We’re booked into the middle of 2025, bringing the best of our crime and mystery writers,” Rob Junghans says, describing Minnesota Mystery Night. “This event has found its pulse.”
Marcie Rendon (Courtesy of Minnesota Mystery Night)
A group of volunteers has a right to be proud of co-founding this monthly reading series for crime/mystery fans, hosted by Junghans, which celebrates its first anniversary Monday, Oct. 16, at Axel’s Restaurant in Mendota. Guest presenters are Marcie Rendon, author of the award-winning Cash Blackbear series, in conversation with Patrick Scully, dancer, choreographer, and art entrepreneur whose performing career spans more than 45 years across venues in the U.S., South America and Europe, and founder of Patrick’s Cabaret, Minneapolis art incubator for local performers.
Junghans, who writes thrillers as Rob Jung, says Minnesota Mystery Night grew out of the Bookstube at the Bierstube series in Hastings that ended a 15-year run in 2022 after COVID and the retirement of the hosts.
During discussions about how to reinvent the series, Junghans says he raised his hand, joined by fellow author Brian Lutterman. They added John Baird Rogers, Chris Norbury and Julie Holmes and the group made up the new board of directors and event sponsor.
“We found there was pent-up demand for live events after COVID and we decided to have Minnesota Mystery Night serve to satisfy some of that demand,” Junghans said.
The new board partnered with Axel’s, adding the option of attendees having a meal before the free program. The series was successful from the first event last October, which featured bestselling William Kent Krueger in conversation with Carl Brookins. Krueger said he hadn’t known what to expect and was amazed at the turnout. Another Standing Room Only audience welcomed WCCO alumni and authors Don Shelby and Ron Handberg.
Junghans, an affable and easygoing host, is familiar with the Midwest landscape so many local writers use as settings because he grew up in Trempealeau, Wis. After working at newspapers in Mankato and Duluth, he graduated from Harvard law school in 1972. As a lawyer he works mostly with business owners.
Writing came into Junghans’ life through the stories he told his two grandchildren. When the kids were teens they asked if he had written down his stories. He hadn’t, but the idea of writing intrigued him. After finishing a manuscript that he tucked away so as not to embarrass the literary community, he realized that “journalism and lawyering didn’t teach me squat about writing fiction.”
As a history buff, Junghans found his inspiration in Barcelona, where he learned of a painting by his favorite artist, Joan Miro, that disappeared after the 1937 Paris Expo. That led to his first thriller, “The Reaper.”
Now Junghans is in discussions with radio station KRWC 1360 AM in Buffalo, Minn., to broadcast Minnesota Mystery Night readings. Production people from the station were checking things out at last month’s program.
“My hope is to get independent (radio) stations throughout the Midwest interested so we can expand our audience on air as well as live,” Junghans says. “Then we can draw in some national authors. Wouldn’t it be great to welcome Louise Penny?”
Monday’s anniversary party begins at 6:30 p.m. at Axel’s, 1318 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota. Seating is limited; reservations are requested at 651-686-4840.
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