William Kent Krueger crafts compelling mysteries set against the evocative backdrop of Minnesota's north woods. His narratives delve into complex human relationships and cultural intersections, often through the lens of his protagonist, Cork O'Connor, whose mixed heritage is central to his compelling journeys. Krueger's writing is distinguished by its atmospheric depth and keen psychological insight, offering readers not just thrilling plots, but profound explorations of identity and justice.
The latest installment in the Cork O'Connor mystery series continues to weave intricate plots filled with suspense and rich character development. Set against the backdrop of the Northwoods, this novel explores themes of family, loyalty, and the complexities of human nature. Readers can expect a gripping narrative that combines elements of mystery and adventure, showcasing the author's signature storytelling style that has captivated fans in previous works.
"On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn's murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past. Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn's death threatens to expose"--
From the bestselling author of This Tender Land and Lightning Strike, the
latest book in the Cork O' Connor mystery series sends Cork on a thrilling
journey deep into the Boundary Waters where the people he loves most are being
hunted by ruthless mercenaries.
From the bestselling author of This Tender Land, the latest book in the Cork
O' Connor mystery series, a thrilling prequel that takes us back to the early
days of Cork's life as he works with his father, a police officer, to solve
his first ever murder case
The author of the instant New York Times best seller This Tender Land returns with a powerful prequel to his acclaimed Cork O’Connor series - a book about fathers and sons, long-simmering conflicts in a small Minnesota town, and the events that echo through youth and shape our lives forever.Aurora is a small town nestled in the ancient forest alongside the shores of Minnesota’s Iron Lake. In the summer of 1963, it is the whole world to 12-year-old Cork O’Connor, its rhythms as familiar as his own heartbeat. But when Cork stumbles upon the body of a man he revered hanging from a tree in an abandoned logging camp, it is the first in a series of events that will cause him to question everything he took for granted about his hometown, his family, and himself.Cork’s father, Liam O’Connor, is Aurora’s sheriff, and it is his job to confirm that the man’s death was the result of suicide, as all the evidence suggests. In the shadow of his father’s official investigation, Cork begins to look for answers on his own. Together, father and son face the ultimate test of choosing between what their heads tell them is true and what their hearts know is right.In this masterful story of a young man and a town on the cusp of change, beloved novelist William Kent Krueger shows that some mysteries can be solved even as others surpass our understanding.
"When a private plane carrying a U.S. senator and her family crashes in a remote area of northern Minnesota, killing everyone on board, Cork O'Connor, his son Stephen, and several Ojibwe men from the Iron Lake Reservation are among the first responders. The crash site lies in the shadow of Desolation Mountain, known to the Ojibwe people as Devil's Eye, a cursed place. They've barely begun to sift through the wreckage when the FBI arrives and assumes control of the situation, immediately dismissing Cork and the other searchers. Not long afterward, when the Ojibwe first responders begin to vanish mysteriously, the mountain seems to be living up to its sinister reputation. As Cork and Stephen investigate both the disappearances and the mystery at the heart of the crash itself, they find themselves blocked at every turn. They begin to understand that there is a menace lurking in the great Northwoods far more malevolent than they could ever have imagined" -- Back cover
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “If you liked Where the Crawdads Sing, you’ll love This Tender Land...This story is as big-hearted as they come.” —Parade A magnificent novel about four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the bestselling author of Ordinary Grace. 1932, Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion, a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee, he and his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.
Cork O'Connor has lost both his wife and his job as sheriff and falls into a profound emotional isolation. As a wild blizzard buries his lakeside town, a despised though influential resident is found dead, and a young Ojibwe Indian boy seems to have left home in a hurry. Cork has never taken Indian legends to heart, but when an old sage warns him that a cruel spirit with a heart of ice is near, all that changes
William Kent Krueger joined the ranks of today's best suspense novelists with this thrilling, universally acclaimed debut. Conjuring "a sense of place he's plainly honed firsthand in below-zero prairie" (Kirkus Reviews), Krueger brilliantly evokes northern Minnesota's lake country -- and reveals the dark side of its snow-covered landscape. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Embittered by his "former" status, and the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago's South Side, there's not much that can shock him. But when the town's judge is brutally murdered, and a young Eagle Scout is reported missing, Cork takes on a mind-jolting case of conspiracy, corruption, and scandal. As a lakeside blizzard buries Aurora, Cork must dig out the truth among town officials who seem dead-set on stopping his investigation in its tracks. But even Cork freezes up when faced with the harshest enemy of all: a small-town secret that hits painfully close to home.
