We certainly don’t want to wish away the summer, but there’s something nice about knowing that there are still fun things in store once the Minnesota weather starts to turn. In that spirit, MALF is pleased to add to your fall calendar with the return of Saturday Splash.

Saturday Splash is MALF’s one-day online conference “by, for, and about Friends of the Library.” Save the date for October 3 (10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) Need we specify it's a Saturday?

Full itinerary will be released later this summer, but we have one additional announcement to share right away: our keynote author and program emcee.

Emcee & Keynote Announcement: Brian Freeman

Brian Freeman is the chart-topping author behind more than 30 gripping thrillers to date. His debut, Immoral (2005), introduced readers to police detective Jonathan Stride. Set in Duluth and along the North Shore, the debut case of the intrepid Stride won Freeman the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and snagged several other high-profile mystery award nominations (including the Edgar, Anthony and Barry).

Stride has now appeared across 13 novels, novellas, and short stories to date. Standouts include Marathon (2017), centered around a brazen terrorist attack at the famous Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, and Funeral for a Friend (2020), in which a dear friend admits on his deathbed to burying a body in secret to protect Stride.

Fun fact: Freeman’s books have been translated into 23 languages to date. Thanks to Jonathan Stride, little Duluth, Minnesota is on the map for readers as far away as Spain, Italy and Germany!

Freeman is also the pen behind the Frost Easton series (set in San Francisco), Cab Bolton series (set in Florida), Shelby Lake duology (set in rural Minnesota), and a half dozen standalone novels.

In a representative review for Minnesota Book Award winner The Deep, Deep Snow (2020), Publishers Weekly raves about his layered storytelling: “Freeman brings all… characters to life, highlighting their strengths as well as the darkness that lies within each of them, thus adding a delicious sense of uncertainty as to their motives.”

Still more readers came to Freeman when the estate of Robert Ludlum selected him to continue Ludlum’s work on the perennially popular Jason Bourne franchise. Freeman has produced at least one Ludlum/Bourne novel a year since 2020, including most recently The Bourne Revenge (January 2026).

The author’s original protagonist returns on October 6. Where the Road Ends involves the gruesome murder of a Duluth area judge and a police-involved shooting controversy ensnaring Stride’s long-time partner Maggie Bei. Blackstone Publishing promises “a shattering finale that will change Stride’s world in ways he can’t imagine.”  

> CLICK HERE TO PRE-REGISTER FOR SATURDAY SPLASH 2026. IT'S FREE! <

Chart-topping novelist William Kent Krueger joined MALF in September 2020 for our inaugural Saturday Splash. 

Run Time: 1:50:43

0:00-3:59 – Introductions
4:00-51:49 – Author Keynote + Q&A
51:50-1:34:05 – Evy Nordley Awards
1:34:06-1:48:00 – Stand Up for Standout Friends
1:48:01-1:50:43 – Announcements + Miscellany

Minnesota author and comedienne Lorna Landvik joined MALF on October 9, 2021 for the second annual Saturday Splash. 

Run Time: 1:53:00

0:00-28:27 – Introductions + Keynote
28:27-55:47 – Lorna Landvik Q&A
55:47-1:32:47 – Evy Nordley Awards
1:32:47-1:50:08 – Stand Up for Standout Friends
1:50:08-1:53:00 – Announcements + Miscellany

Two-time Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo joined MALF on September 24, 2022 for the third annual Saturday Splash. 

Run Time: 1:47:40

0:00-35:01 – Introductions + Keynote
35:02-1:00:49 – Kate DiCamillo Q&A
1:00:50-1:30:34 – Evy Nordley Awards
1:30:35-1:45:48 – Stand Up for Standout Friends
1:45:49-1:47:40 – Announcements and Miscellany

Beloved thriller writer Allen Eskens keynoted the September 2023 installment of Saturday Splash.

Run Time: 2:52:21

0:00-4:36 – Introductions
4:37-1:00:42 – Author Keynote + Q&A
1:00:43-1:36:11 – Evy Nordley Awards
1:36:12-1:52:21 – Stand Up for Standout Friends