Bestselling author to speak in downtown Gilman June 27

Area residents are invited to “An Evening with William Kurt Krueger” on Friday, June 27, from 6 to 9 p.m., at Celebration Hall in downtown Gilman. The event will include a book signing and discussion.

Krueger is a St. Paul-based author who is well known for his best-selling mystery series set in the northwoods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe.

Krueger’s work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last 13 novels were all New York Times bestsellers.

By the time Krueger graduated from high school, he had lived in 11 different houses in eight different cities in six different states. The only real constant in his life was the dream of becoming a writer.

Krueger fulfilled that dream and, in 1998 completed his first novel, “Iron Lake.” Since then, he has written more than 30 novels, novellas and been part of anthologies.

“Ordinary Grace,” his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America as recognition for the best novel published in that year. The companion novel, “This Tender Land,” was published in September 2019 and spent nearly six months on the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent standalone, “The River We Remember,” published in 2023, was featured on many best-of-theyear lists, as well as receiving an Edgar Award nomination for Best Novel.

Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, Krueger briefly attended Stanford University — before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota.

“An Evening With William Kent Krueger” is sponsored by the Friends of the Western Taylor County Public Library. Advanced registration is required for the event. People may register online at www.gilman.lib.wi.us on the Wester Taylor County Public Library Facebook page or by calling the library at 715-447-5486.

There will be food and beverages available for purchase at the event as well as some of Krueger’s books available for purchase.

Celebration Hall is located at 235 Main St. (Hwy 64) in Gilman.