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Cork O'Connor #8
Red Knife
When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father, strong-willed and brutal Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge. His target is the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the girl's fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red.
Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.
Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2008
1875 people are currently reading
3868 people want to read
About the author
William Kent Krueger
80 books16.2k followersRaised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He currently makes his living as a full-time author. He’s been married for over 40 years to a marvelous woman who is an attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves.
Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last five novels were all New York Times bestsellers.
"Ordinary Grace," his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. "Windigo Island," number fourteen in his Cork O’Connor series, was released in August 2014.
Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last five novels were all New York Times bestsellers.
"Ordinary Grace," his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. "Windigo Island," number fourteen in his Cork O’Connor series, was released in August 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,132 reviews
June 19, 2021
Red Knife (Cork O'Connor #8) by William Kent Krueger (Author), David Chandler (Narrator)
Red Knife is a very complicated story and I struggled to keep up with all the people and factions as gangs, drugs, and racial tensions make for an extremely violent mix. I can't help feeling that there will never really be peace in the lives of Ojibwe or the lives of the Cork O'Connor family. At the end of the book, when we learn a bit of the future, I'm left with the feeling of how fleeting the present is once that time is past. I don't know if that makes sense and I'm sure poets have said it much better than I did.
Published October 11, 2019 by Recorded Books (first published September 2, 2008)
Red Knife is a very complicated story and I struggled to keep up with all the people and factions as gangs, drugs, and racial tensions make for an extremely violent mix. I can't help feeling that there will never really be peace in the lives of Ojibwe or the lives of the Cork O'Connor family. At the end of the book, when we learn a bit of the future, I'm left with the feeling of how fleeting the present is once that time is past. I don't know if that makes sense and I'm sure poets have said it much better than I did.
Published October 11, 2019 by Recorded Books (first published September 2, 2008)
August 8, 2017
Another great episode in this excellent series. Cork involves himself again in police work, although this time he is encouraged by the Sheriff to do so, and he finds himself in conflict between his native Indian and his white cultures.
As in the last book there is a lot about Cork's family. This time it is Annie's turn to take centre stage and I enjoyed her story very much. Again Jo and Cork manage to rise above their disagreements and life is good.
I was blown away by the ending. I had no idea at all that that was coming. It was shocking but amazing and left me thinking this has to be five stars. William Kent Krueger really knows how to write a good book.
As in the last book there is a lot about Cork's family. This time it is Annie's turn to take centre stage and I enjoyed her story very much. Again Jo and Cork manage to rise above their disagreements and life is good.
I was blown away by the ending. I had no idea at all that that was coming. It was shocking but amazing and left me thinking this has to be five stars. William Kent Krueger really knows how to write a good book.
August 27, 2017
Racial tensions reach dangerous levels in Tamarack County when the daughter of a prominent (and volatile) businessman dies while under the influence of meth, supposedly provided to her by a member of Red Boyz, an Ojibwe gang. When the gang's leader, who has protected the man responsible for dealing the drug, is executed along with his wife. Cork O'Connor finds himself thrust in the middle of all sides (including law enforcement) as they look to him to take a side and bring some kind of resolution even though he's no longer the sheriff.
There are so many angles in this story I needed to keep cheat sheets to remember all the potential motives. Conflicts abound within and outside of the various groups, and I mean all of them. Cork's reactions were sometimes curious but mostly in character and putting his family first. His daughter Annie has an important role in this story with a poignant ending that almost brought me to tears.
To say this story has complicated edges is an understatement. Family ties, those biological, emotional and otherwise, is a strong and prominent theme throughout. The ending is pretty shocking, one I should have seen coming but didn't despite Henry Meloux's prescient warnings. I had a tough time putting this one down, finishing in a day. It was narrated by Buck Schirner who does well except for the female voices but I'm a David Chandler fan and missed him. Good story, though, when you dig beneath the surface.
There are so many angles in this story I needed to keep cheat sheets to remember all the potential motives. Conflicts abound within and outside of the various groups, and I mean all of them. Cork's reactions were sometimes curious but mostly in character and putting his family first. His daughter Annie has an important role in this story with a poignant ending that almost brought me to tears.
To say this story has complicated edges is an understatement. Family ties, those biological, emotional and otherwise, is a strong and prominent theme throughout. The ending is pretty shocking, one I should have seen coming but didn't despite Henry Meloux's prescient warnings. I had a tough time putting this one down, finishing in a day. It was narrated by Buck Schirner who does well except for the female voices but I'm a David Chandler fan and missed him. Good story, though, when you dig beneath the surface.
October 26, 2021
Oh man did this one catch me way, way off guard. I don’t even know what to say. This is why I love this series and continue to come back to it, time and time again. I mean, holy shit WKK…
William Kent Krueger has probably reached my top five favorite authors list after the last run of books in this series. It really is one of the best out there, and transcends the mystery genre. I don’t even want to say anything about the plot here, and I recommend you don’t read any of the specifics beforehand as well, as this book takes a shocking turn that I did not see coming even slightly, and I’m sure someone has spoiled it in their review without a spoiler tag, because this is Goodreads after all.
William Kent Krueger keeps this series fresh in so many ways; the last book was largely a flashback and told the life story of one of my favorite characters, and he often switches up the perspective and tries all kinds of different things to keep you coming back, and it has worked for me. This one feels like a pretty standard Cork O’Connor story for most of the book, before taking a turn towards the end. Can’t wait for the next one. 4.5/5
William Kent Krueger has probably reached my top five favorite authors list after the last run of books in this series. It really is one of the best out there, and transcends the mystery genre. I don’t even want to say anything about the plot here, and I recommend you don’t read any of the specifics beforehand as well, as this book takes a shocking turn that I did not see coming even slightly, and I’m sure someone has spoiled it in their review without a spoiler tag, because this is Goodreads after all.
William Kent Krueger keeps this series fresh in so many ways; the last book was largely a flashback and told the life story of one of my favorite characters, and he often switches up the perspective and tries all kinds of different things to keep you coming back, and it has worked for me. This one feels like a pretty standard Cork O’Connor story for most of the book, before taking a turn towards the end. Can’t wait for the next one. 4.5/5
August 23, 2017
Unputdownable addition to the series. Each time I think I have a favourite book in this series, the next book blows me away. Another five star read.
What lengths will a person go to in order to do what they believe is right? This is a question Cork O'Connor faces over the course of the book.
If you aren't reading the Cork O'Connor series, it's well worth making the time to try the first book in the series Iron Lake.
What lengths will a person go to in order to do what they believe is right? This is a question Cork O'Connor faces over the course of the book.
If you aren't reading the Cork O'Connor series, it's well worth making the time to try the first book in the series Iron Lake.
January 18, 2011
I am not going to go into a plot synopsis, you can read plenty of those elsewhere. One of my least favorite of the series so far. I thought the show-down with the Latin Lords was a bit on the ridculous side, and I also felt that Cork would never make the decision to stand with "The People" when they were deciding to do what they did. There were a lot of little sub-plots in this book and I thought that was how Kruger hid the truth rather than a good standalone mystery. Hopefully that makes sense.
September 11, 2024
An unrealistic plot. An abundance of dysfunctional characters. Actions from beginning to end that simply would not happen, from the initial disappearance of a young man by tribe-pressured suicide, to the sniper attacks on innocents in misguided vigilante justice, to an almost ridiculous final confrontration with drug warlords who will now stay away from the reserve...or not. Secrecy and loyalty on the reserve that are above the law and keep the law looking for murderers who have already been dealt a unique form of their own "justice" on the reserve. And a final ending with a school massacre unrelated to the major plot, as if the author just wanted to fill pages.
Undertones that subtly attempt to endorse SM as a "therapy". Overdrinking, adultery, rebellion against authority, illogical thinking and lack of impulse control, unhappy marriages and families, inconsistency and confusion... it was almost depressing reading this novel. True, a good book makes the imaginary seem real. But this was too much.
An argument against killing and a man who eventually gets rid of his guns and is tired of killing, yet in the novel, a school is saved by a person who kills the killer, the reserve is supposedly saved from drugs by an ambush and deceit, and people use guns to defend themselves against the fear of unknown killers. No consistency in characters. Pro-guns or anti-guns? I don't know.
I am amazed that this book and series have had so many positive reviews. Perhaps it is just not my style of book. But when a novel occurs in our time period and our geographical area, I expect the plot and characters to be realistic. I also think, and I am hesitant to say this, that some people might find this book offensive to native American cultures. Others might find it complimentary. I personally do not think it is a realistic representation of native American reserve life and behavior. This is simply my opinion, but if I were a native American, I think I would be insulted by some of the representations in this book. And those native Americans who wish to restore their old cultural paths to the younger generation can do it but I don't think they would do it in the ways represented in this novel. Of course, it is always a goal to bring the older and younger generations together in any culture.
You will need to read the many highly positive reviews to get a balanced viewpoint of this book.
I am not insulting those who enjoyed this book. Some people like shrimp; others like steak. I don't like shrimp... that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with shrimp. I just don't like it and don't eat it and have stopped trying it. I have eaten it in expensive restaurants in Paris and fresh from the ocean in Seattle. Some of the best shrimp in the world. But I don't like it. Excellent chefs, excellent recipes. But they still couldn't get me to like shrimp.
Personal preference. But I don't criticize people who enjoy shrimp.
Same with this book and series. You might enjoy this book. Many others have.
Undertones that subtly attempt to endorse SM as a "therapy". Overdrinking, adultery, rebellion against authority, illogical thinking and lack of impulse control, unhappy marriages and families, inconsistency and confusion... it was almost depressing reading this novel. True, a good book makes the imaginary seem real. But this was too much.
An argument against killing and a man who eventually gets rid of his guns and is tired of killing, yet in the novel, a school is saved by a person who kills the killer, the reserve is supposedly saved from drugs by an ambush and deceit, and people use guns to defend themselves against the fear of unknown killers. No consistency in characters. Pro-guns or anti-guns? I don't know.
I am amazed that this book and series have had so many positive reviews. Perhaps it is just not my style of book. But when a novel occurs in our time period and our geographical area, I expect the plot and characters to be realistic. I also think, and I am hesitant to say this, that some people might find this book offensive to native American cultures. Others might find it complimentary. I personally do not think it is a realistic representation of native American reserve life and behavior. This is simply my opinion, but if I were a native American, I think I would be insulted by some of the representations in this book. And those native Americans who wish to restore their old cultural paths to the younger generation can do it but I don't think they would do it in the ways represented in this novel. Of course, it is always a goal to bring the older and younger generations together in any culture.
You will need to read the many highly positive reviews to get a balanced viewpoint of this book.
I am not insulting those who enjoyed this book. Some people like shrimp; others like steak. I don't like shrimp... that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with shrimp. I just don't like it and don't eat it and have stopped trying it. I have eaten it in expensive restaurants in Paris and fresh from the ocean in Seattle. Some of the best shrimp in the world. But I don't like it. Excellent chefs, excellent recipes. But they still couldn't get me to like shrimp.
Personal preference. But I don't criticize people who enjoy shrimp.
Same with this book and series. You might enjoy this book. Many others have.
April 12, 2016
I'm hooked on the Cork O'Connor series. Absolutely hooked. But this contribution? So far removed from Krueger's usual powerful fare.
I found it extremely contradictory and---well---hypocritical for O'Connor to participate in a highly over-dramatized scene (the showdown with the Latinos)and then make an about-face at the end and give a lengthy (and extremely unnecessary) political diatribe about gun control (complete with statistics).
And, to top that off in this novel that seemed to be full of cheap tricks to try and stun the reader. The contrived (as another reader referred to it) ending masquerading as a 'taut' rendition of the Columbine tragedy. Complete with the long black coat and Goth teen. For some reason, I found this addition (which added NOTHING to the story) to be an insult to the actual tragic incident.
And...oh, if this all weirdness wasn't bad enough...the author continued on to sort of give a universal spoiler to the rest of the series. What the girls would be doing and how (Annie in particular) would spend the rest of her life. It was almost as if (I wondered) the author had not planned to continue the series and was attempting to wrap up the whole shebang.
I truly loved some of the supporting characters. Will and Luci! Boy, oh, boy, would I love to know more about them. Will was very complex and I DID appreciate the author's thoughtful and very insightful handling of a subject seldom approached in mainstream fiction: sexual domination, S & M.
All that being said, I love the author's work and this strange side-step from his better works won't stop me from reading the rest of the series.
I found it extremely contradictory and---well---hypocritical for O'Connor to participate in a highly over-dramatized scene (the showdown with the Latinos)and then make an about-face at the end and give a lengthy (and extremely unnecessary) political diatribe about gun control (complete with statistics).
And, to top that off in this novel that seemed to be full of cheap tricks to try and stun the reader. The contrived (as another reader referred to it) ending masquerading as a 'taut' rendition of the Columbine tragedy. Complete with the long black coat and Goth teen. For some reason, I found this addition (which added NOTHING to the story) to be an insult to the actual tragic incident.
And...oh, if this all weirdness wasn't bad enough...the author continued on to sort of give a universal spoiler to the rest of the series. What the girls would be doing and how (Annie in particular) would spend the rest of her life. It was almost as if (I wondered) the author had not planned to continue the series and was attempting to wrap up the whole shebang.
I truly loved some of the supporting characters. Will and Luci! Boy, oh, boy, would I love to know more about them. Will was very complex and I DID appreciate the author's thoughtful and very insightful handling of a subject seldom approached in mainstream fiction: sexual domination, S & M.
All that being said, I love the author's work and this strange side-step from his better works won't stop me from reading the rest of the series.
July 29, 2011
Def. still a fan of the series and another 3.5 for me on this one. I enjoyed more of the back story with the Ojibwe (always love reading those parts!), but I grew a little tiresome and sort of reached that "jumped the shark" point? Maybe??? With the obvious event at the end (saw that one coming), I couldn't help thinking it was very cliche' and I just kind of sighed.. I already read #10, so I know things are about to get VERY good (or bad)... so I'm excited to move on to the next book.
June 7, 2022
“There was something magnificently hopeful about staring into the dark together.”
January 25, 2010
This is the eighth book in the series. If you look through the previous seven, you'll see three and four star ratings. This one almost got two stars. I found it less interesting than the others. It's based on vengeance/vigilante type thinking.
Having said that, the ending was different from the others, and appealing.
There is a secondary story that surfaces at the end, that I have mixed feelings as to its inclusion, but the way it is written (stylization) I found very interesting/compelling.
He added a time frame shift that he'd never done before. Also well written.
Then he adds a coda in the last chapter that is very poignant. As a father, anyway, the very last sentence of the book, expressed figuratively, was very effective.
Having said that, the ending was different from the others, and appealing.
There is a secondary story that surfaces at the end, that I have mixed feelings as to its inclusion, but the way it is written (stylization) I found very interesting/compelling.
He added a time frame shift that he'd never done before. Also well written.
Then he adds a coda in the last chapter that is very poignant. As a father, anyway, the very last sentence of the book, expressed figuratively, was very effective.
February 2, 2018
It's always good to connect with Cork O'Connor. William Krueger is such a good storyteller. I enjoy his writing and the characters he creates. This was another good mystery. The O'Connor family figures more in this book and the story line. It's especially interesting to see, Annie, the daughter grow and develop. I'm glad there are more of this series to enjoy.
July 12, 2018
Giant cliché. Sadly, Krueger has become a clown.
August 5, 2023
Have you ever read a book that took a turn and thought to yourself, "I think I saw that coming, but just never acknowledged it"? That was Red Knife for me.
I've become a little lazy about William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series. After 8 books (including the prequel) I've begun to sink into hypnosis, like when you drive a long, straight road at nighttime. I always pick out the criminals early on; I know who Cork will turn to for help; I know who all the players are. Red Knife turned out to be a surprise on two or more fronts.
Let's see... the book starts with Alex Kingbird and his wife Rayette getting killed execution-style just behind their home, their infant daughter left crying in her crib inside. Alex was the leader of a group called the Red Boyz, mostly twenty-something straight edgers who are all about taking pride in their native heritage. In spite of the Red Boyz' renouncement of alcohol and drugs, it's all too easy for people to attribute drug activity to a gang. When Christy Reinhardt turns up dead from an overdose, her father lays the blame at the feet of the Red Boyz.
This is where the plot gets confusing with characters - all the Red Boyz and Anishinaabe elders, plus the Reinhardts, the Kingbirds, the Richards, a Gallagher... you get the idea.
Cork O'Connor, the part-Ojibwe former Sheriff of Tamarack County, now just a private investigator, gets pulled into the mess. As his involvement grows, he personally becomes the target of a sniper, leading him to stay away from his family (yet again) until the sniper is caught. Meanwhile, his daughter Annie's friendship with Ulysses Kingbird, Alex's little brother, gets intensely strained. Since his brother's murder, he's become friends with Darryl Gallagher, a troubled boy who seems to hate everybody.
I did not predict the killer of Alex and Rayette (but probably should have). I did not predict There was also a decidedly weird showdown in the last half of the book involving Red Boyz, Anishinaabe elders, and a third party that would be a spoiler - and Cork joins the elders! Not the behavior/choice I would have expected from former Sheriff O'Connor, law-abiding citizen.
Red Knife was good in many ways, but also... weird and troubling in many ways. I have mixed feelings about several of the plot developments. Let's see how the next one goes, Heaven's Keep.
I've become a little lazy about William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series. After 8 books (including the prequel) I've begun to sink into hypnosis, like when you drive a long, straight road at nighttime. I always pick out the criminals early on; I know who Cork will turn to for help; I know who all the players are. Red Knife turned out to be a surprise on two or more fronts.
Let's see... the book starts with Alex Kingbird and his wife Rayette getting killed execution-style just behind their home, their infant daughter left crying in her crib inside. Alex was the leader of a group called the Red Boyz, mostly twenty-something straight edgers who are all about taking pride in their native heritage. In spite of the Red Boyz' renouncement of alcohol and drugs, it's all too easy for people to attribute drug activity to a gang. When Christy Reinhardt turns up dead from an overdose, her father lays the blame at the feet of the Red Boyz.
This is where the plot gets confusing with characters - all the Red Boyz and Anishinaabe elders, plus the Reinhardts, the Kingbirds, the Richards, a Gallagher... you get the idea.
Cork O'Connor, the part-Ojibwe former Sheriff of Tamarack County, now just a private investigator, gets pulled into the mess. As his involvement grows, he personally becomes the target of a sniper, leading him to stay away from his family (yet again) until the sniper is caught. Meanwhile, his daughter Annie's friendship with Ulysses Kingbird, Alex's little brother, gets intensely strained. Since his brother's murder, he's become friends with Darryl Gallagher, a troubled boy who seems to hate everybody.
I did not predict the killer of Alex and Rayette (but probably should have). I did not predict There was also a decidedly weird showdown in the last half of the book involving Red Boyz, Anishinaabe elders, and a third party that would be a spoiler - and Cork joins the elders! Not the behavior/choice I would have expected from former Sheriff O'Connor, law-abiding citizen.
Red Knife was good in many ways, but also... weird and troubling in many ways. I have mixed feelings about several of the plot developments. Let's see how the next one goes, Heaven's Keep.
January 9, 2025
I love, love this series. All the same elements that continue to grow as the series moves forward. Minnesota, nature, tribal relations, murder and battle lines drawn.
This was a heartbreaking book! My 💔 poor heart hurts.
My only regret is that I listened to this. I now know I have to be very choosy when listening to certain books. The audio version was good but doesn’t do justice to some genres. This book is the perfect example
of this.
I will continue on to the next one, but by physical copy!
This was a heartbreaking book! My 💔 poor heart hurts.
My only regret is that I listened to this. I now know I have to be very choosy when listening to certain books. The audio version was good but doesn’t do justice to some genres. This book is the perfect example
of this.
I will continue on to the next one, but by physical copy!
September 21, 2019
Cork O'Connor is now a PI, but he seems to forget he's no longer the sheriff. It doesn't help that people seem to also forget, except his wife who doesn't understand why he puts himself and his family in harm's way. But he cares about his town and the people, and they need him to prevent the powder keg that's building from exploding. People are dying, other people are being blamed, and things are about to explode. The problem is, there are only assumptions, yet some people are willing to kill based on their assumption with no proof. They think they know who's guilty, and the law is too slow because they look for proof.
One of the lessons of this story is to learn the difference between an assumption and a fact. Hopefully, the people in the town learned something from this series of events, but I won't count on it.
I really didn't like this one as much as some of the previous books, but I really like the series, so I rounded up to 5 stars based on that.
One of the lessons of this story is to learn the difference between an assumption and a fact. Hopefully, the people in the town learned something from this series of events, but I won't count on it.
I really didn't like this one as much as some of the previous books, but I really like the series, so I rounded up to 5 stars based on that.
February 23, 2015
I have read several of Krueger's Cork O'Connor series, and one other stand alone work, and this one surprised me. It is my least favorite; not bad, but not great.
This booktook involves drugs, gangs, secrets, prejudice, and murder. Once again, Cork finds himself too Indian for the whites, and too white for the Indians, which is a perpetual problem for Cork. At one point, Cork finds himself in a position where he must choose between the two branches of his heritage.
I cannot exactly pinpoint why this particular book left me a bit cold. As I said, good, but not great.
This booktook involves drugs, gangs, secrets, prejudice, and murder. Once again, Cork finds himself too Indian for the whites, and too white for the Indians, which is a perpetual problem for Cork. At one point, Cork finds himself in a position where he must choose between the two branches of his heritage.
I cannot exactly pinpoint why this particular book left me a bit cold. As I said, good, but not great.
June 6, 2025
Cork O'Connor book #8 where Cork is asked to help with the oncoming blowout between a local (and very tough/merciless) businessman who has lost his only daughter due to her meth addiction. The father blames the Ojibwe youth gang called the Red Boyz who he claims supplied her with drugs.
Needless to say, Cork gets caught up in the drama and violence that usually accompany his interactions with those he ends up helping. As usual, the writing is excellent, and the story is fast-paced and hard to put down.
Needless to say, Cork gets caught up in the drama and violence that usually accompany his interactions with those he ends up helping. As usual, the writing is excellent, and the story is fast-paced and hard to put down.
July 6, 2020
I woud give this book 4.5 stars if I could. An excellent Cork O'Connor tale of drug running, revenge, and the need for weapons. Recommended, especially to O'Connor fans.
December 6, 2018
The story was interesting, up to a point. Not as engaging as the author's previous books in this series. I'm hoping as I continue this series, they do get better. Also, I'm not sure what is happening with the increase of gun control comments throughout the books, but it was ironic that at the end (SPOILER) at the school, a good guy with a gun stopped a bad guy with a gun (shocker...). It infuriated me that Cork decided to just give away all his guns after that happened. Especially as a retired cop, it absolutely made no freaking sense for the character to do that. The author is clearly uneducated in terms of the use of guns. I will continue this series solely for the fact that the author writes good stories but I do not appreciate him bringing his politics into it.
July 26, 2017
This is Krueger’s 8th novel in the Cork O’Connor murder/mystery series. Here we have the death of teenager due to her meth addiction. Her father vows revenge upon the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the fatal drug dose. Next, the leader of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered, and the body count just keeps rising. The theme of vengeance and vigilante justice will be disturbing to readers who believe in the rule of law. Pass.
March 8, 2015
There is a lot happening in this book, much of it dire and depressing. I understand the vigilantism of the Ojibwa and Whites in the story perhaps because I live in an area with that tension. The ending surprised me. There are changes coming. Although some of the future has been revealed, there is a feeling of dread in my heart.
September 7, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars
I've been reading this series in order. New readers will not be lost in the storyline, but the recurring characters might seem "flat" without having the character development of the previous books. The violence in Red Knife (published 2008) is very front and center. There is an especially violent part of the story involving a mass shooting at a high school. This reflected the mass shooting at a high school in Georgia (September 4, 2024) as I was reading this book. In fact, there were two schools that suffered gun violence in the past few days.
SUMMARY: When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father vows revenge. His target is the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the girl's fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red. Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.
I've been reading this series in order. New readers will not be lost in the storyline, but the recurring characters might seem "flat" without having the character development of the previous books. The violence in Red Knife (published 2008) is very front and center. There is an especially violent part of the story involving a mass shooting at a high school. This reflected the mass shooting at a high school in Georgia (September 4, 2024) as I was reading this book. In fact, there were two schools that suffered gun violence in the past few days.
SUMMARY: When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father vows revenge. His target is the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the girl's fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red. Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.
July 23, 2021
Book eight is a bit complicated and somewhat hard to keep track of everything happening and everyone involved. One must wonder if this community can ever co-exist peacefully. This story is full of gangs, murder, drugs and mistrust between the white and Indian communities. Cork’s wife Jo asks him to stay out of the investigations this time and he agrees for the good of his family. Despite his good intentions, he ends up being dragged into the middle of it all once again.
It would be impossible to describe everything that occurs, but this story hits close to home for Cork. Violence is the main character and Cork must come to grips with it. This time his daughter Annie is involved and although the ending is a bit cliched, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Krueger always seems to hit a home run with me. I listened to this via Audible and the excellent narrator, David Chandler, once again brought this story to life making these characters seem real to me. I gave it 4 ¼ stars.
It would be impossible to describe everything that occurs, but this story hits close to home for Cork. Violence is the main character and Cork must come to grips with it. This time his daughter Annie is involved and although the ending is a bit cliched, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Krueger always seems to hit a home run with me. I listened to this via Audible and the excellent narrator, David Chandler, once again brought this story to life making these characters seem real to me. I gave it 4 ¼ stars.
October 24, 2024
Besides Henry, one of the best things about this series are all the bits of truth you can look into and learn from.
May 30, 2021
What a way to finish May 2021…We find Cork caught between the “Indian way and the white way”! This book also focuses on Annie, Cork and Jo’s daughter. A very interesting twist at the end-another AWESOME read…
September 1, 2025
Now is as good a time as any to take a break from the Cork O’Connor series. Red Knife had an interesting plot but it’s clear the author constructed it merely to set up the very annoying and sermonizing end. I hated it.
Red Knife starts in the past. Anishinaabeg warriors attack and kill a hunting party of enemy Dakota; they entered Anishinaabeg territory to hunt game that the Anishinaabeg need to survive the winter. This short dip into the past is told from the point of view of a young warrior; this is his first war party. The Anishinaabeg attack the sleeping Dakota and the young warrior, Blue Jay, shoots his first man. He is surprised to see that he is a young warrior like himself. The Dakota is not dead, only wounded, and they fight. Eventually Blue Jay kills and scalps him. Over the years, the Anishinaabeg repeat this story of their victory and call the land where it happened Miskwaamookomaan—Red Knife. In the 20th century, Tamarack County builds a school on the same land.
In Cork’s life, his eldest daughter Jenny is off at college. Annie, the younger daughter, has decided not to be a nun, and is going off to college herself in the fall. Stevie is ten and enjoying the dog his parents finally allowed him to get (I don’t know what the big deal was about it—why Cork was so weird about having a dog) and wife Jo is still a bitch. The Ojibwe have a gang problem of sorts. A group of young men, calling themselves the Red Boyz, have renounced their given Christian first names and taken Ojibwe war chief names. There are rumors that they run drugs and when a rich white man’s beloved daughter overdoses, anger and hatred split the small town of Aurora and the Ojibwe reservation. Cork is hired by the head of the Red Boyz, Alexander (Kakaik) Kingbird, to broker a meeting between himself and Buck Reinhardt, the grieving father who wants Alexander/Kakaik dead. Before Cork can do this, Alexander and his wife, Rayette, are murdered. Suspicion falls on Buck, Lonnie Thunder—a member of the Red Boyz responsible for giving the dead girl the drugs—who's in hiding, and a shadowy drug gang connected to the Red Boyz. Cork is asked by the local police chief to help and he does, to the extreme bitchy displeasure of his wife Jo who I have always disliked and always will.
Red Knife is not one of William Kent Krueger’s strongest novels in the series. There are a lot of suspects and Cork meticulously investigates them despite the icy disapproval of his loving wife, Jo, who apparently thought when she met him in Chicago oh-so-many years ago that he wasn’t a police detective, that he was a risk-adverse, always-drive-the-speed-limit, soft-handed accountant who pretended to be a cop. The plot moves along steadily because Kreuger is a good writer and the story is rarely dull, but it really picks up when
Red Knife is another good book in the series, but definitely not my favorite.
Red Knife starts in the past. Anishinaabeg warriors attack and kill a hunting party of enemy Dakota; they entered Anishinaabeg territory to hunt game that the Anishinaabeg need to survive the winter. This short dip into the past is told from the point of view of a young warrior; this is his first war party. The Anishinaabeg attack the sleeping Dakota and the young warrior, Blue Jay, shoots his first man. He is surprised to see that he is a young warrior like himself. The Dakota is not dead, only wounded, and they fight. Eventually Blue Jay kills and scalps him. Over the years, the Anishinaabeg repeat this story of their victory and call the land where it happened Miskwaamookomaan—Red Knife. In the 20th century, Tamarack County builds a school on the same land.
In Cork’s life, his eldest daughter Jenny is off at college. Annie, the younger daughter, has decided not to be a nun, and is going off to college herself in the fall. Stevie is ten and enjoying the dog his parents finally allowed him to get (I don’t know what the big deal was about it—why Cork was so weird about having a dog) and wife Jo is still a bitch. The Ojibwe have a gang problem of sorts. A group of young men, calling themselves the Red Boyz, have renounced their given Christian first names and taken Ojibwe war chief names. There are rumors that they run drugs and when a rich white man’s beloved daughter overdoses, anger and hatred split the small town of Aurora and the Ojibwe reservation. Cork is hired by the head of the Red Boyz, Alexander (Kakaik) Kingbird, to broker a meeting between himself and Buck Reinhardt, the grieving father who wants Alexander/Kakaik dead. Before Cork can do this, Alexander and his wife, Rayette, are murdered. Suspicion falls on Buck, Lonnie Thunder—a member of the Red Boyz responsible for giving the dead girl the drugs—who's in hiding, and a shadowy drug gang connected to the Red Boyz. Cork is asked by the local police chief to help and he does, to the extreme bitchy displeasure of his wife Jo who I have always disliked and always will.
Red Knife is not one of William Kent Krueger’s strongest novels in the series. There are a lot of suspects and Cork meticulously investigates them despite the icy disapproval of his loving wife, Jo, who apparently thought when she met him in Chicago oh-so-many years ago that he wasn’t a police detective, that he was a risk-adverse, always-drive-the-speed-limit, soft-handed accountant who pretended to be a cop. The plot moves along steadily because Kreuger is a good writer and the story is rarely dull, but it really picks up when
Red Knife is another good book in the series, but definitely not my favorite.
July 2, 2023
William Kent Krueger's "Red Knife" is a rock-solid examination of the little universe surrounding Iron Lake, Minnesota, where Indian tribal lands abut towns with people who, in many cases, just don't like Indians.
Cork O'Connor, this great series' protagonist, is a retired sheriff now working on a nascent career as a PI. He's also very much a man in the middle, being half-Irish and half-Indian. He gets tied up in the murder of a young couple, the male of which had been considered the leader of a gang of young Indians who may have sold drugs to a girl who died with an overdose. Cork had met with the man just prior to his murder. The girl was the daughter of a local big mouthed and well armed business owner. So the mystery of discovering who had the motive to kill the couple becomes the major plot- was it the man whose daughter overdosed? The seller of the drugs who may have thought he was being turned in? Could it have been a cartel "hit" by the group that was the original supplier of the drugs? As Cork, ex-LE, half-Indian thrashes around trying to get a handle on the situation from cops who hold him at arms-length and the Indian community that may or may not trust him, he gets formally hired by one side of the equation to investigate one of the suspects. Additional violence and another murder follow.
Red Knife is a great vehicle for examining the dynamics of the relationship between the indigenous inhabitants of upper Minnesota and their neighbors. It's not always smooth and the general distrust doesn't help this investigation. Cork eventually has to pick a side and a violent ending ensues.
I continue to be amazed at Krueger's ability to spin these tales while showing such respect and reverence for the Indian communities at the heart of his stories. He's a fine writer and I love this series. Red Knife is a 5 rounded down due to the resolution of a subplot at the very conclusion that really didn't add much, if anything, to the main story.
Cork O'Connor, this great series' protagonist, is a retired sheriff now working on a nascent career as a PI. He's also very much a man in the middle, being half-Irish and half-Indian. He gets tied up in the murder of a young couple, the male of which had been considered the leader of a gang of young Indians who may have sold drugs to a girl who died with an overdose. Cork had met with the man just prior to his murder. The girl was the daughter of a local big mouthed and well armed business owner. So the mystery of discovering who had the motive to kill the couple becomes the major plot- was it the man whose daughter overdosed? The seller of the drugs who may have thought he was being turned in? Could it have been a cartel "hit" by the group that was the original supplier of the drugs? As Cork, ex-LE, half-Indian thrashes around trying to get a handle on the situation from cops who hold him at arms-length and the Indian community that may or may not trust him, he gets formally hired by one side of the equation to investigate one of the suspects. Additional violence and another murder follow.
Red Knife is a great vehicle for examining the dynamics of the relationship between the indigenous inhabitants of upper Minnesota and their neighbors. It's not always smooth and the general distrust doesn't help this investigation. Cork eventually has to pick a side and a violent ending ensues.
I continue to be amazed at Krueger's ability to spin these tales while showing such respect and reverence for the Indian communities at the heart of his stories. He's a fine writer and I love this series. Red Knife is a 5 rounded down due to the resolution of a subplot at the very conclusion that really didn't add much, if anything, to the main story.
October 31, 2024
Cork finds himself in the middle as the leader of an Ojibwa gang called the Red Boyz and his wife are found murdered. There is tension and recriminations in the community about who is to blame and what role the gang plays in local tensions and apparent drug trafficking. This is a complex story about family secrets, racial conflict, young men trying to find their purpose.
Without giving away too much… the book tests several people’s character and strength, and lives are changed dramatically when an unexpected terror occurs in their town. Lots to think about as this book closes, and I’m curious to see how Cork and family move on.
Without giving away too much… the book tests several people’s character and strength, and lives are changed dramatically when an unexpected terror occurs in their town. Lots to think about as this book closes, and I’m curious to see how Cork and family move on.
October 27, 2024
Book 8
When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father, Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge. His believe the Red Boyz, Ojibwe gang of youths, supplied the girl’s fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and Tamarack County brace themselves for war. The question is more who are they fighting. That does not become clear until almost the end of the book.
From me this was more a who,why done it . The victims seem to get lost for me in this. Ended left me sad and confused since it is far away from the start of this story.
When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father, Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge. His believe the Red Boyz, Ojibwe gang of youths, supplied the girl’s fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and Tamarack County brace themselves for war. The question is more who are they fighting. That does not become clear until almost the end of the book.
From me this was more a who,why done it . The victims seem to get lost for me in this. Ended left me sad and confused since it is far away from the start of this story.
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