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Chris Hewitt

Critic / Editor
Books
Armed with a degree in the lucrative field of history, Chris has written for publications that vary from a small-town newspaper to a city magazine to national sites. He's probably reading a good book right this minute.

Latest from Chris Hewitt

'Monopoly X' shows how the board game helped World War II spies

Did a board game help Allies spies foil the Nazis? Philip E. Orbanes' "Monopoly X" shows how the game aided prisoner escapes and information exchanges.
July 16, 2025
Black and white image shows a Monopoly board game, with the cover lifted to reveal money and other items hidden under it.

Duluth couple's new spy novel, 'Codebreaker,' has readers playing along

Andy Bennett and Katy Helbacka, writing under the name Jay Martel, created the interactive thriller "Codebreaker," complete with solvable codes and ciphers.
July 15, 2025

'The Feather Detective' caught murderers, solved plane crashes

Chris Sweeney's new novel is about Roxie Laybourne, a trailblazer in bird research, which led her to take part in feather forensics work for crime cases.
July 14, 2025

John Grisham, Stacey Abrams and more top authors headed to St. Paul for Talking Volumes

The popular book events return to St. Paul’s Fitzgerald Theater starting Sept. 10.
July 10, 2025
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Tasha Coryell's new novel mixes matchmaking and the macabre

The St. Paul native and Perpich Arts High School graduate releases "Matchmaking for Psychopaths" on July 15.
July 9, 2025

1972 shipwreck is subject of gripping true story 'A Marriage at Sea'

Sophie Elmhirst's debut novel is both a jaw-dropping story of survival in a rubber lifeboat and an insightful portrait of Maralyn and Maurice Bailey's unique bond.
July 2, 2025
photo of author Sophie Elmhirst
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Review: Meet a sweet, prickly, funny heroine in ‘The Satisfaction Café’

Fiction: Kathy Wang’s novel takes a deep dive into the life of wife, mom and entrepreneur Joan.
July 1, 2025
photo of author Kathy Wang

'The Great Gatsby' remixed by authors with new takes on race, gender

A litany of new books take fresh looks at the dynamics in F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, "The Great Gatsby."
June 30, 2025
This undated photo provided by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage shows the home where F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in from 1922 through 1924 in the village of Great Neck Estates on Long Island just outside New York City. Fitzgerald is believed to have written "The Great Gatsby" while living in the home. A spokeswoman for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage said Wednesday, May 20, 2015, that the asking price for the manor home that's for sale is just over $3.8 million. She declined to identify

A female painter breaks the rules in Nell Stevens' 'The Original'

"Briefly, a Delicious Life" author Nell Stevens examines a 19th century art forger who grapples with her relationships to her family, old and new, in "The Original."
June 24, 2025
photo of author Nell Stevens in front of a vine-covered wall

Our books editor has the tea on how we choose what to review

Louise Erdrich and Kate DiCamillo are easy calls, but how does the Minnesota Star Tribune books editor choose between the 3 million books published each year?
June 23, 2025
Magers and Quinn is one of many bookstores in the Twin Cities that is now closed to customers. Folks can order online and the bookstore is offering alley-side pickup.

5 books we can’t wait to read in July

A pair of Minnesota writers and a book that may be more helpful than aspirin are on the way to a bookshelf near you.
June 23, 2025

Review: ‘Lunch Therapy’ podcaster Adam Roberts’ comic novel is about a ‘Food Person’

Fiction: She gets a job ghostwriting a star’s cookbook and things go south from there.
June 19, 2025
photo of author Adam Roberts
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