APOSTLE'S COVE

4 stars out of 5

It's always a treat to open a book knowing you're going to enjoy it - one of the hallmarks of an excellent series. For me, this is a perfect example. I've loved watching the main character, Cork O'Connor, as he's grown old enough to be married twice and have a grandson. And I love reading about his Native American roots and "meeting" characters who live and work on the reservation in Tamarack County, Minnesota.

This story begins as Cork's son, Stephen, calls his father. Stephen, who's in law school and helping prison inmates who believe they've been wrongly convicted, is working with an inmate named Axel Boshey. Cork gets the call for a simple reason: two decades ago, Cork was the county sheriff and the official most directly responsible for putting the man behind bars. Needless to say, Cork is crushed, so he vows to review the investigation that happened back then to see what, if anything, went wrong.

He hits his first major snag, though, with Axel himself; the man, who was shall we say impaired back when he was arrested and really didn't remember whether he killed his wife or not, still isn't totally sure he didn't. More to the point, he's now carved out a niche in prison helping other inmates and, after all these years, isn't much interested in being sprung. Compounding that is the fact that just about everyone Cork tries to speak with who were around at the time are downright adament about not speaking again - and some are openly hostile. So how on earth can he find out what really happened?

A big chunk of the book revisits Cork's initial investigation, when his first wife, Jo, was the attorney representing Axel. Then it returns to the present, focusing on his attempts to make things right with the help of his lovable grandson Aaron, better known as Waaboo, and Ojibwe Mide healer Henry Meloux.

More details, though, I'll just have to leave for others to read about, but suffice it to say it's another winner in my book. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to once again catch up with some of my favorite book characters (and, of course, a favorite author).

Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books, August 2025); 336 pp.

SPIRIT CROSSING

5 stars out of 5

This is a wonderful series I wish I'd learned about sooner; this book, the 20th, is only the fourth for me. Former Chicago cop Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor, who's part Irish and part Anishiaabe Indian, early on left the Windy City for remote Aurora, Minnesota; his wife, Rainy, is a Native American who maintains close ties to the local reservation - including to her great uncle, Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux (is he really 100 years old or older? Well, I for one believe it).

These days, Cork still runs a local burger joint and helps with the new Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police. His three children are grown, and his young grandson Aaron, a.k.a. "Waaboo," already is showing signs of becoming a healer like the elder Meloux. His abilities are evident as he visits a hidden blueberry patch with his grandfather and "sees" a shallow grave amid the bushes that turns out to be connected to the missing teenage daughter of a local politician. Cork, ever helpful, thinks Waaboo may be helpful in ferreting out more details; Waaboo's mother, though, is less than enthusiastic about encouraging her son's newfound talents.

Into the mix come Cork's daughter, Annie, who's visiting for a while for her brother's upcoming wedding. She's brought her partner, Maria Lopez, a nurse with whom she lives in Guatemala. But the wedding isn't the only reason for her visit; she's got a secret she doesn't want to share with anyone, let alone her family - yet she knows she must.

The plot turns timely as locals stage ongoing protests against construction of a pipeline that would carry crude oil over local sacred wetlands of Spirit Crossing to a refinery on Lake Superior. The highly charged situation brings with it the real possibility that someone will get hurt - perhaps even someone from Cork's family. And once word gets out about the grave Waaboo sensed, the child's life also may be in danger from the person or persons who are afraid he'll be able to "see" them as well. Other issues of the day such as human trafficking and police investigations that go nowhere when the victims aren't lily white rear their ugly head as well, making for even more nasty and life-threatening situations.

As always, books in this series are a pleasure to read (well, given the topics, perhaps "pleasure" isn't quite the right word, but you get my drift). I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. Well done once again!

Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books, August 2024); 336 pp.

FOX CREEK

4.5 stars out of 5.

Unless I know a series is at an end, I never worry too much about whether or not the main character will survive. Oh sure, he or she can get pretty mangled up, but dead? Nope. Not gonna happen. The same can't be said for their loved ones, though - and in this case, worrying about that outcome is one of the main things that kept me flipping the pages of my Kindle.

The other key attractions are the colorful, detailed descriptions of the territory and Native American ways. Former cop Cork O'Connor, now a private investigator who mostly runs a burger joint on Iron Lake in Minnesota, not far from the Canadian border, shares that ancestry; his wife, Rainy, is a Native American who maintains close ties to the local reservation. That includes to her great uncle, Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux, who by most counts is at least 100 years old and still going strong.

For how much longer remains to be seen; in fact, both Henry and Cork's grown son have experienced dreams in which Henry is dead. For now, though, he's not only alive, but he and Rainy are performing healing rituals for a woman named Delores Morriseau, who came to them looking for help with her marriage. Problem is, some not-so-nice people are looking for Delores - but helping her is the farthest thing from their minds.

Henry, though, is at least one step ahead; foreseeing trouble, he leads Delores and Rainy deep into the Boundary Waters to escape. Needless to say, he's an expert guide; but so, apparently, is at least one of their trackers, and they have no intention of leaving the wilderness without their quarry. For the rest of the book, the chase is on - as is the quest by Cork and his friends to find out why the chasers are so intent on capturing Delores and finding her missing husband (hint: It's a timely topic). The ending was to me a bit unexciting, but the ride in between is well worth the time it took to read (which wasn't much, since it was hard to put down). Overall, it's another winning installment in this outstanding and highly recommended series. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books, August 2022); 397 pp.

BOUNDARY WATERS

5 stars out of 5

There are so many books on my to-read list that I try - really - to mix things up; when I find a new-to-me series I love, I force myself not to run through every single one with nothing else in between. With this series, which I discovered quite recently, I stuck to that pattern and followed up the first book with something different. But an hour after that, I couldn't stand it; out came the next from this author's series featuring former backwoods Minnesota sheriff Cork O'Connor.

This time, a famous country-western singer named Shiloh - originally from Cork's neck of the woods in the Quetico-Superior Wilderness near the Canadian border - has gone missing. She left years ago to find fame and fortune and never returned, but her father, believing she may have come back, hires Cork to find her. Others, however, are intent on finding her as well, so a search party is formed that includes the father (who manages his daughter's successful recording company), a couple of FBI agents and a 10-year-old boy and his father from the local Anishinaabe tribe. 

Back in the small town of Aurora, Cork's mostly estranged wife, Jo - a lawyer who specializes in Indian affairs, gets involved by working with the local sheriff to ferret out information on their end. As issues that change the direction of their investigation turn up, the search team's body count starts to climb as they follow the path they believe Shiloh took through the wilderness. Clearly, someone wants her dead - but now the search team has lost contact with civilization and are themselves being stalked. Who will be the next victim - perhaps Cork? And can whoever is left find Shiloh before the killer does? 

There's plenty of action, starting at the beginning and finishing at the end, and it's is interspersed with interesting (to me, anyway), Indian stories and legends. There's also a bit of humor, such as Cork's observation when he notes that while the area is backwoods, tourism is in growth mode: Still, "In Aurora, a Lincoln Town Car would be as inconspicuous as a nun in a G-string."

Yes, folks, this book is another winner that makes me more eager than ever to see this series through to the end. 

Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books Reprint, June 2009); 352 pp.

IRON LAKE

5 stars out of 5

This series is far from new, and in fact I've collected copies of a few because other folks have told me they're excellent. But for whatever reason (mostly too many other books on my to-read list), I didn't open one till now. And it took only a handful of chapters to convince me this won't be my last. And if you're a fan of C.J. Box's park ranger Joe Pickett or Steve Hamilton's Alex McKnight as I am, I'm pretty sure you'll love this as well.

It's the first in the author's series featuring former Chicago cop Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor, who moved to remote Aurora, Minnesota, with his wife and three kids. He's part Irish and part Anishiaabe Indian, and Aurora, near Iron Lake, is at the heart of the reservation that includes a wildly successful casino. Cork now is dealing with a soon-to-be ex-wife (a local attorney who mainly represents tribal issues) and the loss of his job as town sheriff. He's moved out of the family home to a place that doubles as a not-fancy gift shop and restaurant. He's also unofficially dating Molly, a local waitress, with mixed feelings about it because he hasn't given up on getting back together with his wife.

But then, a prominent but very unlikable judge apparently commits suicide, and a young boy who might have information goes missing. An old Indian claims a Windingo - an unseen spirit that supposedly calls out the names of its victims - is behind it all. Cork basically dismisses that idea, though given his Indian background, not completely. In fact, he sets out to prove that the judge was murdered, putting his own life (and the lives of the people he loves) in danger. 

There's no shortage of action here, and the cultural information on the Anishinaabe and Ojibwe tribes really adds spice to the story. I can't say I was happy with everything that happened, but it all works and convinced me that this is a series well worth reading. Now my only question is, what took me so long? Answer: I don't know, but for sure I won't waste any time getting to the next one!

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger (Atria, August 1998; reprint June 2009); 352 pp.)