Ask a Bookseller: A northern Minn. author explores the aftermath of a shooting

Sally Wizik Wills of Beagle and Wolf Books and Bindery in Park Rapids, Minn., recommends a new book by a local author this week: Doug Mayfield’s “The Saint Patrick’s Day Hero.” The novel begins after a horrific mass shooting at a fictional college in Minnesota.The story follows professor William Kessler, who has been declared the hero of the day, though he’s never told anyone the exact details of the day. He discovers that the college’s active shooter alert did not launch in time and that the college is trying to cover it up, but revealing the truth could bring more pain to those around him. Wizik Wills wants readers to know that the shooting happens largely off-stage in the novel and the tragic events are tempered by humor. She enjoyed reading this page-turner novel, as Kessler discovers the healing powers of a close friendship, a new dog, meaningful work and fishing.