Some places become part of an author’s story.
For Dave Case, Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis is one of them. Twenty years after celebrating the publication of his first novel there, Dave returned to the bookstore this August for another signing—this time with his latest crime thriller, Up North.
Here, Dave looks back on both visits, the people who made them memorable, and why sometimes selling books isn’t even the best part of a book signing.
THANK YOU, one and all!
August 22, 2026, was a glorious day in Minneapolis, Minnesota: beautiful, sunny and warm, mildly hot, but nothing like the scalding heat of weeks past. And I had a book signing at my favorite bookstore in Minneapolis, and arguably anywhere! Why do I say that you might ask?
In 2006, when my first novel, Out of Cabrini, was published by Five Star out of Waterville, ME, we sold a lot of books. Pat and Gary, the original owners of the store, were fabulous people. My mom, dad, sister, wife (now ex), and all my kids were there, though I doubt any of my offspring were old enough to remember. Ron Ryan Sr stopped by, which was very special for me. The book was dedicated to his son, Ronnie, my academy mate, who was killed in the line of duty on August 26, 1994. I still wear a commemorative bracelet bearing his name and end of watch.
And John Sandford (Camp) stopped by.
Perhaps the single most significant result of my good fortune of being published was being able to introduce my mom, one of Sandford’s biggest fans, to her favorite author. How many of us can brag about reducing their mother to the demeanor of a giggling teenager? I can! It was awesome.
Now, in 2026, Pat and Gary are no longer the owners, Devin Abraham is, but she was on a vacation this past weekend. Jesse Chandler, a talented writer in her own right, was working at the bookstore and was an incredible host. There were two other amazing authors joining me to sign books, Julie Holmes and Betty Brandt Passick. They were very gracious and the three of us had a lot of fun.
I must shout out a special thanks to Julianne Case and Marshae Harvey; both were very helpful. And Marshae made an extra-special effort to be there. She’s a police officer and she’d worked the street the night before in a south suburban PD of Chicago and then drove all night to Minneapolis to be on hand for my signing. A part-time model, she also lent me a hand by posing for the cover of Up North, my latest book, which was the featured novel of this signing. I’m sure her pretty face helped sell more than a few copies.
From all appearances everyone had as much fun as I did. I also got to see some people I hadn’t seen in a very long time. My Minnesota buddies Rick Peterson, Layne Lodmell, both cops, and Eric Thompson, a friend from high school, stopped by. Thanks, fellas. And Melvin Carter Jr., a fellow officer of the law (retired) and an author himself, stopped by and reminded me how he supervised my SPPD 1993 recruit class’ sparring matches. Thanks, Melvin. I still remember not to drop my left when throwing an overhand right and to keep my guard up.
I was able to sell a good number of books, but more importantly, I made some new friends, and you can never have too many of those.
I can guarantee you, if Devin will have me, I’ll return for another signing when my upcoming book, Take Down, is released in November 2026.
I hope to see you there!
Until then, take care and stay safe!
Dave
Discover More from Dave Case
From the streets of Chicago to the frozen north of Minnesota, and even the aftermath of the Civil War, Dave Case brings firsthand experience, authenticity, and an unflinching eye to stories of crime, justice, violence, and consequence.
Whether you’re discovering Dave’s work for the first time or have been reading him since Out of Cabrini, there’s more waiting for you.
Explore Dave Case’s books and find your next read.
