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Cork O'Connor #18
Fox Creek
9 hours, 54 minutes
The latest in the New York Times bestselling Cork O’Connor Mystery Series from the “master storyteller” (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author) follows Cork in a race against time to save his wife, a mysterious stranger, and an Ojibwe healer from bloodthirsty mercenaries.
The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life. But peace is destined to elude him as hunters fill the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had come to the healer for shelter and the gift of his wisdom.
Meloux guides this stranger and his great niece, Cork O’Connor’s wife, to safety deep into the Boundary Waters, his home for more than a century. On the last journey he may ever take into this beloved land, Meloux must do his best to outwit the deadly mercenaries who follow.
Meanwhile, in Aurora, Cork works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit, but he has little to go on. Desperate, Cork begins tracking the killers but his own skills as a hunter are severely tested by nightfall and a late season snowstorm. He knows only too well that with each passing hour time is running out. But his fiercest enemy in this deadly game of cat and mouse may well be his own deep self-doubt about his ability to save those he loves.
From “an author who never disappoints” (Bookreporter), this is another gripping and richly told addition to a masterful series.
The latest in the New York Times bestselling Cork O’Connor Mystery Series from the “master storyteller” (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author) follows Cork in a race against time to save his wife, a mysterious stranger, and an Ojibwe healer from bloodthirsty mercenaries.
The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life. But peace is destined to elude him as hunters fill the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had come to the healer for shelter and the gift of his wisdom.
Meloux guides this stranger and his great niece, Cork O’Connor’s wife, to safety deep into the Boundary Waters, his home for more than a century. On the last journey he may ever take into this beloved land, Meloux must do his best to outwit the deadly mercenaries who follow.
Meanwhile, in Aurora, Cork works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit, but he has little to go on. Desperate, Cork begins tracking the killers but his own skills as a hunter are severely tested by nightfall and a late season snowstorm. He knows only too well that with each passing hour time is running out. But his fiercest enemy in this deadly game of cat and mouse may well be his own deep self-doubt about his ability to save those he loves.
From “an author who never disappoints” (Bookreporter), this is another gripping and richly told addition to a masterful series.
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First published August 23, 2022
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About the author
William Kent Krueger
80 books16.3k 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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September 8, 2022
Fox Creek (Cork O'Connor #19)
by William Kent Krueger
A young woman, Delores, asks Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux and his niece, Rainy, to help her understand the problems she is having with her husband. He is missing and if he is finished with her she wants to learn to accept it but if he needs help of some kind, she wants to help him. Then Cork arrives at the cabins to tell his wife Rainy and Meloux that the wife's husband is looking for her. But no, it's not her husband, it's one of a group of mercenaries, trying to find the husband through his wife.
Meloux is past 100 years old now. But he's been walking in the wilderness daily, sometimes not coming back to the cabin for days. Old as Meloux is, he is also more than prepared to lead Rainy and Delores into the wilderness to escape the men who are following them. Such an old man shouldn't be able to outwalk these mercenaries, especially since they have a skilled tracker with them. But Meloux doesn't use his body to elude the men, he uses all the knowledge he's gained over the last century. And he has Rainy with him, a former nurse and a woman who has learned so much from Henry.
The Boundary Waters have played such a huge part in this series and Cork knows the Boundary Waters, too. His father, his mentor Sam, and Meloux have all shared it with him over the years. Now, he and the missing man's brother are tracking the men who are tracking his wife, Delores, and Meloux, not knowing why these men want Delores and her husband. There is so much more to the story and it takes us to several locations, introducing us to some new characters who I hope will be a part of the series, in the future.
Pub: August 23, 2022
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
by William Kent Krueger
A young woman, Delores, asks Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux and his niece, Rainy, to help her understand the problems she is having with her husband. He is missing and if he is finished with her she wants to learn to accept it but if he needs help of some kind, she wants to help him. Then Cork arrives at the cabins to tell his wife Rainy and Meloux that the wife's husband is looking for her. But no, it's not her husband, it's one of a group of mercenaries, trying to find the husband through his wife.
Meloux is past 100 years old now. But he's been walking in the wilderness daily, sometimes not coming back to the cabin for days. Old as Meloux is, he is also more than prepared to lead Rainy and Delores into the wilderness to escape the men who are following them. Such an old man shouldn't be able to outwalk these mercenaries, especially since they have a skilled tracker with them. But Meloux doesn't use his body to elude the men, he uses all the knowledge he's gained over the last century. And he has Rainy with him, a former nurse and a woman who has learned so much from Henry.
The Boundary Waters have played such a huge part in this series and Cork knows the Boundary Waters, too. His father, his mentor Sam, and Meloux have all shared it with him over the years. Now, he and the missing man's brother are tracking the men who are tracking his wife, Delores, and Meloux, not knowing why these men want Delores and her husband. There is so much more to the story and it takes us to several locations, introducing us to some new characters who I hope will be a part of the series, in the future.
Pub: August 23, 2022
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 23, 2022
***NOW AVAILABLE -- GREAT NOVEL! ***
This is the 18th installment in the Cork O’Connor series by Mr. Krueger. I have read only a handful of the books, but enough that I understood the characters and how they related to each other.
Cork O’Connor is such an interesting character. Half Irish, half Native American, he is married to an Ojibwe woman. He has made his home in the small town of Aurora, Minnesota which abuts the boundary waters leading all the way to Canada.
Cork is a retired sheriff who now owns a burger joint and works as a PI when a case presents itself.
A man comes to speak with Cork, stating that he is looking for his wife, Dolores Morriseau. Cork gives him no information but he does snap a photo of the man.
Dolores has come to speak with Henry Meloux, an aging healer. She is looking for help with her marriage and her newly discovered Native heritage. When Cork finds the woman she states that she has never seen the man in the photo and that he is not her husband, Lou.
The plot will become more and more tangled as mercenaries appear to hunt for Dolores, no one knows the real story of why they are there. Dolores has no idea what they want and they can’t get in touch with Lou, he seems to have vanished.
We will follow the group and the mercenaries during their treks through the beautiful, if sometimes dangerous, areas of the boundary waters, marshes and bogs.
This is a richly detailed, multi-layered mystery. We don’t find out the details of this complex story until the last third of the book. However, that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the novel and the wonderfully interesting details of the Native people, their beliefs, ceremonies and love of the land.
This story is as much about Henry Meloux as about the present mystery. At over 100 years old he is still considered a great healer and leader. Cork’s son, Stephen, has had visions of Henry that have everyone concerned for his well being.
All in all this is an excellent addition to the series. I did find that the action sagged just a bit in the middle but the ending more than made up for that small snag in the story.
I can highly recommend this novel to fans of Mr. Krueger’s series and anyone who enjoys a multi-cultural, complex mystery based on facts. The Author’s Notes are very informative and should not be missed.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
This is the 18th installment in the Cork O’Connor series by Mr. Krueger. I have read only a handful of the books, but enough that I understood the characters and how they related to each other.
Cork O’Connor is such an interesting character. Half Irish, half Native American, he is married to an Ojibwe woman. He has made his home in the small town of Aurora, Minnesota which abuts the boundary waters leading all the way to Canada.
Cork is a retired sheriff who now owns a burger joint and works as a PI when a case presents itself.
A man comes to speak with Cork, stating that he is looking for his wife, Dolores Morriseau. Cork gives him no information but he does snap a photo of the man.
Dolores has come to speak with Henry Meloux, an aging healer. She is looking for help with her marriage and her newly discovered Native heritage. When Cork finds the woman she states that she has never seen the man in the photo and that he is not her husband, Lou.
The plot will become more and more tangled as mercenaries appear to hunt for Dolores, no one knows the real story of why they are there. Dolores has no idea what they want and they can’t get in touch with Lou, he seems to have vanished.
We will follow the group and the mercenaries during their treks through the beautiful, if sometimes dangerous, areas of the boundary waters, marshes and bogs.
This is a richly detailed, multi-layered mystery. We don’t find out the details of this complex story until the last third of the book. However, that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the novel and the wonderfully interesting details of the Native people, their beliefs, ceremonies and love of the land.
This story is as much about Henry Meloux as about the present mystery. At over 100 years old he is still considered a great healer and leader. Cork’s son, Stephen, has had visions of Henry that have everyone concerned for his well being.
All in all this is an excellent addition to the series. I did find that the action sagged just a bit in the middle but the ending more than made up for that small snag in the story.
I can highly recommend this novel to fans of Mr. Krueger’s series and anyone who enjoys a multi-cultural, complex mystery based on facts. The Author’s Notes are very informative and should not be missed.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
July 19, 2022
The Cork O’Conner series does a great job of blending mystery, politics, Indian affairs and action packed suspense. This time, a woman has come to Henry Meloux seeking healing. While there, men come looking for her, but Henry is able to steer both her and Cork’s wife, Rainy, away into the woods. Thus begins a fast paced race of the men tracking them while Cork tracks the men. Told from three POVs, including one of the trackers, the book moves at a furious pace while never sacrificing the Indian mysticism and philosophy the series is known for. There’s a new character that I can only hope re-appears in future books.
In an interesting twist, given recent developments with climate change, WKK uses real life events from the early and mid-20th century as the basis of this mystery.
I have read many of the books in this series (not always in order). I don’t think it’s necessary to have read all of them to appreciate this book, but having some prior experience with the series would help. I will say, every time I do read one of the books it makes me want to catch up with those I’ve missed. In the past, I’ve recommended this series to fans of Louise Penny and I believe that is still a fair comparison.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.
In an interesting twist, given recent developments with climate change, WKK uses real life events from the early and mid-20th century as the basis of this mystery.
I have read many of the books in this series (not always in order). I don’t think it’s necessary to have read all of them to appreciate this book, but having some prior experience with the series would help. I will say, every time I do read one of the books it makes me want to catch up with those I’ve missed. In the past, I’ve recommended this series to fans of Louise Penny and I believe that is still a fair comparison.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.
August 23, 2022
When I saw this book on NetGalley I got very excited as it was a book by William Kent Krueger. It didn't mention it was part a series which I have not read before. Thankfully, this worked nicely as a stand-alone novel for me.
Henry Meloux, an ancient Ojibwe healer, has had a vision of his death, as he prepares, mercenaries enter the woods looking for Delores Morriseau, a woman who sought him out seeking wisdom. Now Henry, Delores and his niece Rainey go on a journey of survival in the woods.
Cork O’Connor, a private investigator was approached about Delores previously by a man claiming to be her husband, is now searching for Rainy (his wife), Henry and Delores, hoping to find them before the mercenaries do.
As with all of William Kent Krueger's books, this one was beautifully written and plotted. I was completely invested in the story which kept me wondering why the men were looking for Delores, what was going on with her husband and how thing would play out. I found the book to be atmospheric and loved the descriptions of the Boundary Waters.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Henry Meloux, an ancient Ojibwe healer, has had a vision of his death, as he prepares, mercenaries enter the woods looking for Delores Morriseau, a woman who sought him out seeking wisdom. Now Henry, Delores and his niece Rainey go on a journey of survival in the woods.
Cork O’Connor, a private investigator was approached about Delores previously by a man claiming to be her husband, is now searching for Rainy (his wife), Henry and Delores, hoping to find them before the mercenaries do.
As with all of William Kent Krueger's books, this one was beautifully written and plotted. I was completely invested in the story which kept me wondering why the men were looking for Delores, what was going on with her husband and how thing would play out. I found the book to be atmospheric and loved the descriptions of the Boundary Waters.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
October 26, 2022
I do so love the natural easy way that William Kent Krueger lends to his writing. This is book nineteen in the series and it is still a very decent story that has us once again meeting up with Henry Meloux and his niece, Rainy. Henry is a healer who possess the innate ability to read the air around him.
Cork is Rainy's husband and it is he who is always involved in the tribes, the legends and of course the beloved Henry.
In this installment, a woman, Delores Morriseau, comes to ask both Henry and Rainy, for help with her husband, Lou, who seems to have disappeared. She seeks guidance for she loves him desperately and doesn't understand both his remoteness and his disappearing. While being with Henry and Rainy, Delores is tracked down by men looking for her husband and she, Rainy and Henry escape into the woods surrounding Boundary Waters.
Now a game of cat and mouse ensues, and as the group heads deeper into the forest, they have a very clever Native tractor who pits his wits against those of Henry. Cork is desperate to find the party as he and others have realized the men searching for Delores will stop at nothing to get to her.
It's a trial of the lessons learned over one hundred years by Henry and the innate ability of their pursuer. We do ultimately learn the reason behind the issue of finding Delores as she was to be held as a hostage so that the pursuers could get to her husband,
Most of the characters have Ojibwe and Native American roots and their unison with nature make them admirable and wanting to preserve the beautiful land they reside in.
Will Cork be successful in helping to save the crew of escaping people or will he fall short and lose those two people he loves?
Thank you to William Kent Krueger, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this story that published in August of 2022.
Cork is Rainy's husband and it is he who is always involved in the tribes, the legends and of course the beloved Henry.
In this installment, a woman, Delores Morriseau, comes to ask both Henry and Rainy, for help with her husband, Lou, who seems to have disappeared. She seeks guidance for she loves him desperately and doesn't understand both his remoteness and his disappearing. While being with Henry and Rainy, Delores is tracked down by men looking for her husband and she, Rainy and Henry escape into the woods surrounding Boundary Waters.
Now a game of cat and mouse ensues, and as the group heads deeper into the forest, they have a very clever Native tractor who pits his wits against those of Henry. Cork is desperate to find the party as he and others have realized the men searching for Delores will stop at nothing to get to her.
It's a trial of the lessons learned over one hundred years by Henry and the innate ability of their pursuer. We do ultimately learn the reason behind the issue of finding Delores as she was to be held as a hostage so that the pursuers could get to her husband,
Most of the characters have Ojibwe and Native American roots and their unison with nature make them admirable and wanting to preserve the beautiful land they reside in.
Will Cork be successful in helping to save the crew of escaping people or will he fall short and lose those two people he loves?
Thank you to William Kent Krueger, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this story that published in August of 2022.
September 3, 2022
Run for your life!
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Delores Morriseau shows up in Aurora seeking the assistance of native healers Henry Meloux and Rainy O’Connor, but now they are all running for their lives from mercenaries in the rugged Boundary Waters of Minnesota. But why is someone after them and who is behind it? Former cop and current PI Cork O’Conner is chasing after his wife and her companions all while seeking these same answers.
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: The book brings up some political and environmental issues of the moment but since that’s a bit of a spoiler, sorry but I’m not gonna ruin it! Lol… (but I love that in novels!)
I’ve read alllll of the “Cork” books and this is a solid installment. My only issue is it’s a little “been there” as far as Cork, the setting, and running from something in the Minnesota wilderness, but it’s also why I enjoy Krueger’s books so how can I complain? It’s how Aurora wound up on my bucket list.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: I didn’t read the Cork books in order and this one would be fine to read as a stand-alone. All the Cork fans will like this one!
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Can’t think of any one group.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me miss the North a little more every day.
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Delores Morriseau shows up in Aurora seeking the assistance of native healers Henry Meloux and Rainy O’Connor, but now they are all running for their lives from mercenaries in the rugged Boundary Waters of Minnesota. But why is someone after them and who is behind it? Former cop and current PI Cork O’Conner is chasing after his wife and her companions all while seeking these same answers.
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: The book brings up some political and environmental issues of the moment but since that’s a bit of a spoiler, sorry but I’m not gonna ruin it! Lol… (but I love that in novels!)
I’ve read alllll of the “Cork” books and this is a solid installment. My only issue is it’s a little “been there” as far as Cork, the setting, and running from something in the Minnesota wilderness, but it’s also why I enjoy Krueger’s books so how can I complain? It’s how Aurora wound up on my bucket list.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: I didn’t read the Cork books in order and this one would be fine to read as a stand-alone. All the Cork fans will like this one!
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Can’t think of any one group.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me miss the North a little more every day.
August 7, 2022
Henry Meloux, the midi, is now very old and spending much time in the Northwoods, preparing his spirit for the time his creator calls him home. This does not, however, stop him from answering a call for help from a young woman who appears at his home. Above all else, Henry is a healer. His niece Rainy, Corks wife, has been staying with him when the woman comes calling. Unfortunately, others are also looking for this woman, and they are dangerous, so the three must flee into the woods in a quest to survive. Although Henry knows the woods better than anyone, will his knowledge be enough to save them?
Henry is one of my favorite characters and I will be very sad when he is no longer part of my fictional world. This, the 19th in series, didn't disappoint as Cork and his family are now like old friends. I found myself, many times, on the edge of my seat, as events unravelled, and the safety of the three at times seemed in doubt. Love Krueger's writing in the many books he has written, but this series claims a soft in my heart.
ARC from edelweiss.
Henry is one of my favorite characters and I will be very sad when he is no longer part of my fictional world. This, the 19th in series, didn't disappoint as Cork and his family are now like old friends. I found myself, many times, on the edge of my seat, as events unravelled, and the safety of the three at times seemed in doubt. Love Krueger's writing in the many books he has written, but this series claims a soft in my heart.
ARC from edelweiss.
January 4, 2023
I like the details Mr. Krueger provides as well as the story. A stronger end needed for 5 stars. 8 of 10 stars
August 12, 2022
I’d been in a reading slump, with most of my reading carrying an element of obligation; I love reviewing except when I don’t. Something had poked a hole in my reservoir of joyful discovery, and all the juice was leaking out. William Kent Krueger’s new entry in the Cork O’Connor series, Fox Creek, put a stop to all that. I found myself looking for extra openings in my day, craving the chance to bury myself in this absorbing mystery. I haven’t felt this great about a galley since last winter.
My thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books for the invitation to read and review.
The story is set way up north in Minnesota, near the Canadian border, in the tiny community of Aurora. Cork, our protagonist, has left law enforcement and instead runs a diner, hiring himself out as a private investigator when the opportunity arises, which doesn’t happen often. When a man comes to the diner and asks Cork to help find his wife, Cork says he’ll think about it. Meanwhile, Dolores, the wife in question, is engaging in a sweat ritual out in the woods where the ancient and very wise Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux lives. It turns out that Cork’s would-be client is not her husband, and she doesn’t know him at all. He’s got a hidden agenda, alrighty, and he’s brought some rented thugs along to make his chore easier. Now there are two tasks: the first is to hide Dolores, and the second is to find out who these guys are and why they want her so much.
Meanwhile, Cork’s wife, Rainy, guides Dolores deep into the woods near the Boundary Waters; Henry joins them. What follows is one of the most suspenseful stories I’ve read recently. I have a hunch that Cork will be okay, since killing him would also kill the series, but the others—Henry, Rainy, and Dolores—might make it out, or they might not.
I was about to say that this is character-based fiction, so well rounded are the main characters, but the setting is resonant and important to the characters and the plot. All told, this is the way a novel is supposed to work, with strong characters and settings that make the plot believable and urgent. And as always happens when I read Krueger, I also learn some things about the setting, and about Ojibwe culture and history. (His depiction of the art of disappearing and eluding pursuers reminds me a little bit of Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield series, but that’s all the two series have in common, apart from genre.)
This is the 18th book in the series. Can you dive in, right here right now? Emphatically, yes! I began with the prequel to the series, which came out last year, and I loved it so much that I went to the library to check out the first book in the series—and then, I found it disappointing, because over the course of this long series, Krueger’s skill has increased, so the first book, Iron Lake, is decent, but nowhere near as brilliant as his more recent work. Now I look forward to more of this series, but always going forward, never back.
This riveting novel will be available to the public on August 23, 2022. If you love this genre, you should get this book and read it—or better still, preorder it right now. You won’t be sorry.
My thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books for the invitation to read and review.
The story is set way up north in Minnesota, near the Canadian border, in the tiny community of Aurora. Cork, our protagonist, has left law enforcement and instead runs a diner, hiring himself out as a private investigator when the opportunity arises, which doesn’t happen often. When a man comes to the diner and asks Cork to help find his wife, Cork says he’ll think about it. Meanwhile, Dolores, the wife in question, is engaging in a sweat ritual out in the woods where the ancient and very wise Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux lives. It turns out that Cork’s would-be client is not her husband, and she doesn’t know him at all. He’s got a hidden agenda, alrighty, and he’s brought some rented thugs along to make his chore easier. Now there are two tasks: the first is to hide Dolores, and the second is to find out who these guys are and why they want her so much.
Meanwhile, Cork’s wife, Rainy, guides Dolores deep into the woods near the Boundary Waters; Henry joins them. What follows is one of the most suspenseful stories I’ve read recently. I have a hunch that Cork will be okay, since killing him would also kill the series, but the others—Henry, Rainy, and Dolores—might make it out, or they might not.
I was about to say that this is character-based fiction, so well rounded are the main characters, but the setting is resonant and important to the characters and the plot. All told, this is the way a novel is supposed to work, with strong characters and settings that make the plot believable and urgent. And as always happens when I read Krueger, I also learn some things about the setting, and about Ojibwe culture and history. (His depiction of the art of disappearing and eluding pursuers reminds me a little bit of Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield series, but that’s all the two series have in common, apart from genre.)
This is the 18th book in the series. Can you dive in, right here right now? Emphatically, yes! I began with the prequel to the series, which came out last year, and I loved it so much that I went to the library to check out the first book in the series—and then, I found it disappointing, because over the course of this long series, Krueger’s skill has increased, so the first book, Iron Lake, is decent, but nowhere near as brilliant as his more recent work. Now I look forward to more of this series, but always going forward, never back.
This riveting novel will be available to the public on August 23, 2022. If you love this genre, you should get this book and read it—or better still, preorder it right now. You won’t be sorry.
December 29, 2022
The 19th book in the Cork O’Connor series provides us with a desperate chase through the forbidding Boundary Waters region of Minnesota and a fascinating glimpse at the bushcraft involved in tracking and evasion.
A stranger arrives at Aurora looking for his wife and wants to hire Cork O’Connor to do the searching for him. He tells Cork he believes his wife has become infatuated with indians and, in fact, he believes she is in a heavy relationship with an indian man. He claims she has run off and left him to be with a man named Henry Meloux.
The fact that Cork was very familiar with Henry isn’t particularly surprising. That he is in a sexual relationship with a young woman is…considering he’s 105 years old.
When Cork goes out to Crow Point to visit Henry, who is also being assisted by Cork’s wife Rainy, he meets the woman, Dolores. She has just participated in a sweat, a ritual used by the Ojibwe to help ease troubled minds, but she is still feeling uneasy. She becomes more perplexed when Cork shows a photo of the man who hired him. She has never seen the man claiming to be her husband before in her life.
Promising to return, Cork heads back to Aurora. It’s time to notify the local sheriff, check in with the rest of the family and get some supplies before heading back out to Crow Point.
By the time he returns he discovers the place is deserted. Henry, Raini and Dolores are gone, but there is also evidence of the presence of at least 3 others, and by the shape and size of the footprints, it appears they are men. From the tracks in the ground it seems that they are being hunted.
No one knows the Boundary Waters like Henry Meloux. But the man is ancient and the Ojibwe healer can only stay ahead of his pursuers for so long. What follows is a tense chase through rugged terrain with an expert (if old) tracker attempting to thwart the chasing pack who have with them an extremely accomplished tracker, too.
In alternating chapters we follow the progress of Henry, Rainy and Dolores as they flee, the hunters - referred to as the Wolf Pack and then Cork as he follows the trail they leave behind. Meanwhile, while the chase continues, Stephen, Cork’s son, is off looking for answers as to why the men are hunting for Dolores.
As with earlier books in the series this is a richly complex story set in a beautifully described picturesque setting. The cultural beliefs of the Ojibwe play a significant part as does the connection with the lands through which the characters traverse. Plus there’s a perplexing mystery that, while it’s there in the early stages, remains largely ignored, forgotten in the hectic moments of the chase. As you’d expect, it all gets neatly drawn together over the final third of the story.
I’ve always felt that the stronger books in the Cork O’Connor series are the ones where Henry Meloux, the ancient Mide and healer, plays a prominent part. In Fox Creek he is front and center and his quiet calm and certainty, interspersed with his many enigmatic comments, help to make this one of the best in the series.
A stranger arrives at Aurora looking for his wife and wants to hire Cork O’Connor to do the searching for him. He tells Cork he believes his wife has become infatuated with indians and, in fact, he believes she is in a heavy relationship with an indian man. He claims she has run off and left him to be with a man named Henry Meloux.
The fact that Cork was very familiar with Henry isn’t particularly surprising. That he is in a sexual relationship with a young woman is…considering he’s 105 years old.
When Cork goes out to Crow Point to visit Henry, who is also being assisted by Cork’s wife Rainy, he meets the woman, Dolores. She has just participated in a sweat, a ritual used by the Ojibwe to help ease troubled minds, but she is still feeling uneasy. She becomes more perplexed when Cork shows a photo of the man who hired him. She has never seen the man claiming to be her husband before in her life.
Promising to return, Cork heads back to Aurora. It’s time to notify the local sheriff, check in with the rest of the family and get some supplies before heading back out to Crow Point.
By the time he returns he discovers the place is deserted. Henry, Raini and Dolores are gone, but there is also evidence of the presence of at least 3 others, and by the shape and size of the footprints, it appears they are men. From the tracks in the ground it seems that they are being hunted.
No one knows the Boundary Waters like Henry Meloux. But the man is ancient and the Ojibwe healer can only stay ahead of his pursuers for so long. What follows is a tense chase through rugged terrain with an expert (if old) tracker attempting to thwart the chasing pack who have with them an extremely accomplished tracker, too.
In alternating chapters we follow the progress of Henry, Rainy and Dolores as they flee, the hunters - referred to as the Wolf Pack and then Cork as he follows the trail they leave behind. Meanwhile, while the chase continues, Stephen, Cork’s son, is off looking for answers as to why the men are hunting for Dolores.
As with earlier books in the series this is a richly complex story set in a beautifully described picturesque setting. The cultural beliefs of the Ojibwe play a significant part as does the connection with the lands through which the characters traverse. Plus there’s a perplexing mystery that, while it’s there in the early stages, remains largely ignored, forgotten in the hectic moments of the chase. As you’d expect, it all gets neatly drawn together over the final third of the story.
I’ve always felt that the stronger books in the Cork O’Connor series are the ones where Henry Meloux, the ancient Mide and healer, plays a prominent part. In Fox Creek he is front and center and his quiet calm and certainty, interspersed with his many enigmatic comments, help to make this one of the best in the series.
November 23, 2025
At this point, I know I’ll enjoy the next Cork O’Connor book. In fact, I oftentimes go into them blind, without reading the summary. Kent Krueger always delivers, and David Chandler narrates Cork and the other characters like a master.
Fox Creek starts with a man approaching Cork to help find his wife.Then he tells Cork that she has run off to be with Henry Meloux - yes the same Ojibwe healer we all love, but Henry is over 100 years old. When Cork visits Henry’s cabin in the woods, his wife is also there, helping the woman with a sweat, as she has reached out to them for healing.
Quickly we discover all is not what it seems, and the man searching for Delores is not her husband. When men come after them at Henry’s cabin, he leads the two women into the woods. The mercenaries after them are experienced, but Henry Meloux is one with nature and he is committed to getting the women to safety, even if he has to sacrifice himself.
The story is great and keeps your attention, and I love that the book is focused on Henry. But Cork and law enforcement are working to find them, as well as Cork’s son Stephen and others. The characters bring such richness to this, and it’s easily a 5 for me.
Fox Creek starts with a man approaching Cork to help find his wife.Then he tells Cork that she has run off to be with Henry Meloux - yes the same Ojibwe healer we all love, but Henry is over 100 years old. When Cork visits Henry’s cabin in the woods, his wife is also there, helping the woman with a sweat, as she has reached out to them for healing.
Quickly we discover all is not what it seems, and the man searching for Delores is not her husband. When men come after them at Henry’s cabin, he leads the two women into the woods. The mercenaries after them are experienced, but Henry Meloux is one with nature and he is committed to getting the women to safety, even if he has to sacrifice himself.
The story is great and keeps your attention, and I love that the book is focused on Henry. But Cork and law enforcement are working to find them, as well as Cork’s son Stephen and others. The characters bring such richness to this, and it’s easily a 5 for me.
September 7, 2023
Buddy read with Simon. A captivating story that highlights the effects of water shortage. "Water is the next gold." People are emigrating to find it when it becomes scarce in their area of the world, and wars will be fought over this essential life sustaining commodity.
Favorite quote: "Imagining the world without Meloux would be like trying to imagine the world without sunshine or the songs of birds." I feel the same. He is my favorite character in this series.
Favorite quote: "Imagining the world without Meloux would be like trying to imagine the world without sunshine or the songs of birds." I feel the same. He is my favorite character in this series.
March 8, 2024
The term 'page turner' originates with the mystery genre, the 'engine' being crime, violence and often darkness. Here, the author manages to achieve the momentum feigning these elements which in and of itself, is mastery. This is the most current 'episode' in the Cork O'Connor series and unlike the others, its lightning paced.
Now in his early 50's, Cork runs the local burger joint, Sam's Cafe with his daughter Jenny and son Stephen, and is now married to Rainy Bisonette, an Ojibwa Mide (medicine person) and niece to the elder, Henry Meloux. At the window, Cork is approached by a stranger claiming to be Lou Morriseau and wants to hire Cork to locate his wife, Delores who he feels is having a an affair with Henry. This raises suspicion since Henry passed the 100 year mark and lives in the forest. We learn Delores was distressed over the disappearance of her husband and was taken to Aurora by her brother-in-law, Anton, a tribal police member with the intention of being healed by Henry. Once Cork learns the truth, he heads to Henry's cabin at Crow's Point and fear rises when Henry shares a vision which requires Rainy and Delores join him to escape imminent danger.
As the trio make their way into the woods, we learn mercenaries Herring, Kimball and LeLoup were hired to capture Delores and bring her to their employer so he can learn of Lou's whereabouts. Meanwhile Cork and Anton join forces to hunt the 'hunters' who the author refers to as Wolf. The story toggles back and forth between Cork, Wolf, Stephen and Rainy rapidly assembling the mystery puzzle which is multi-layered and complex.
At one point LeLoup, the Dakota Indian tracker turns on his colleagues when Henry shares his 'vision' of his future adding depth to this extremely suspenseful story. Layer upon layer, bit by bit, the reader grows eager for what each chapter will reveal. Krueger demonstrates his skill at explosive momentum and suspense while steering clear of gore, darkness and blood letting. He also plays cards close to the chest in order to launch a final 'sneak attack' at the end. The story is filled with countless twists and turns, revealing them will spoil the experience.
Engaging, spiritual and explosive, this is by far one of Krueger's best!
Now in his early 50's, Cork runs the local burger joint, Sam's Cafe with his daughter Jenny and son Stephen, and is now married to Rainy Bisonette, an Ojibwa Mide (medicine person) and niece to the elder, Henry Meloux. At the window, Cork is approached by a stranger claiming to be Lou Morriseau and wants to hire Cork to locate his wife, Delores who he feels is having a an affair with Henry. This raises suspicion since Henry passed the 100 year mark and lives in the forest. We learn Delores was distressed over the disappearance of her husband and was taken to Aurora by her brother-in-law, Anton, a tribal police member with the intention of being healed by Henry. Once Cork learns the truth, he heads to Henry's cabin at Crow's Point and fear rises when Henry shares a vision which requires Rainy and Delores join him to escape imminent danger.
As the trio make their way into the woods, we learn mercenaries Herring, Kimball and LeLoup were hired to capture Delores and bring her to their employer so he can learn of Lou's whereabouts. Meanwhile Cork and Anton join forces to hunt the 'hunters' who the author refers to as Wolf. The story toggles back and forth between Cork, Wolf, Stephen and Rainy rapidly assembling the mystery puzzle which is multi-layered and complex.
At one point LeLoup, the Dakota Indian tracker turns on his colleagues when Henry shares his 'vision' of his future adding depth to this extremely suspenseful story. Layer upon layer, bit by bit, the reader grows eager for what each chapter will reveal. Krueger demonstrates his skill at explosive momentum and suspense while steering clear of gore, darkness and blood letting. He also plays cards close to the chest in order to launch a final 'sneak attack' at the end. The story is filled with countless twists and turns, revealing them will spoil the experience.
Engaging, spiritual and explosive, this is by far one of Krueger's best!
September 7, 2024
Reading a book in the C0rk O'Connor series is like revisiting old friends having read the entire series. However this installment is my least favorite. Everyone's trek through the woods grew a little long causing me to lose interest in the story for a while. But still a good series that I will continue reading. 3.5 stars.
August 11, 2022
I've jumped into this series after reading the author's prequel, Lightning Strike. I found I had no problem picking up the details of these characters' lives but I'm sure the story would be richer for having read the series from start to finish.
This book centers around the Ojibwe healer, Henry Meloux, who at 105 is still going strong in the northwoods of Minnesota. A city woman named Dolores Morriseau comes to him for advice--she is trying to find peace in her life and is worried about her marriage. But unfortunately she brings trouble to Henry as she is pursued by four ruthless strangers. Henry leads Dolores and his great-niece Rainy, Cork's wife, into the Boundary Waters territory to escape these men but one of them is a very good tracker. Meanwhile Cork and Dolores's brother are also in pursuit and to make matters worse, an early spring snowstorm is threatening. A very dramatic and tense story with a wild natural setting and rich characterizations. I still do want to read this entire series some day!
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This book centers around the Ojibwe healer, Henry Meloux, who at 105 is still going strong in the northwoods of Minnesota. A city woman named Dolores Morriseau comes to him for advice--she is trying to find peace in her life and is worried about her marriage. But unfortunately she brings trouble to Henry as she is pursued by four ruthless strangers. Henry leads Dolores and his great-niece Rainy, Cork's wife, into the Boundary Waters territory to escape these men but one of them is a very good tracker. Meanwhile Cork and Dolores's brother are also in pursuit and to make matters worse, an early spring snowstorm is threatening. A very dramatic and tense story with a wild natural setting and rich characterizations. I still do want to read this entire series some day!
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
February 19, 2024
I initially intended to delve into the Fox Creek saga where I left off in book 3. However, I am always in catch-up mode and decided to jump into the series with this one. While I missed a bit of backstory with Cork's character development by skipping earlier books, I found Krueger's narrative to be accommodating for newcomers.
In this latest adventure, Cork O'Connor embarks on a gripping quest to unravel the mysteries in the rugged wilderness. The search for missing persons unveils a labyrinth of secrets and dangers, with plot twists and turns that mimic a treacherous river. Despite the myriad characters and their intertwining stories, the dynamic cast and pacing make the pages practically turn themselves, although I did struggle to keep pace with the events and characters.
William Kent Krueger excels in masterfully weaving together captivating storytelling with the rich tapestry of Native American culture, enriching the vivid backdrop of his settings and infusing his stories with depth and authenticity.
William Kent Krueger has crafted a realm of mystery, weaving together gripping suspense, authentic cultural insights, and unforgettable characters. With twists and turns that kept me on my toes, he delivers a truly satisfying read with a gripping pay-off.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
In this latest adventure, Cork O'Connor embarks on a gripping quest to unravel the mysteries in the rugged wilderness. The search for missing persons unveils a labyrinth of secrets and dangers, with plot twists and turns that mimic a treacherous river. Despite the myriad characters and their intertwining stories, the dynamic cast and pacing make the pages practically turn themselves, although I did struggle to keep pace with the events and characters.
William Kent Krueger excels in masterfully weaving together captivating storytelling with the rich tapestry of Native American culture, enriching the vivid backdrop of his settings and infusing his stories with depth and authenticity.
William Kent Krueger has crafted a realm of mystery, weaving together gripping suspense, authentic cultural insights, and unforgettable characters. With twists and turns that kept me on my toes, he delivers a truly satisfying read with a gripping pay-off.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 4, 2022
Huge thanks to Atria Books, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Fox Creek!!
How I love the heart and soul found in this series. Fox Creek is #18 in this series that never gets old: Cork O’Connor. This time out, hunters fill the Boundary Waters woods seeking a woman who had come to healer, ancient Ojibwe Henry Meloux, for the gift of his wisdom. Cork, ex-sheriff, and a man of mixed heritage, works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit.
The author has a way of delving into Native philosophies and mysticisms that I never tire of reading about. Mr. Krueger is also rather brilliant at consistently providing the reader with riveting, nail-biting plots!! I've found every earlier book in the series to be engrossing, and Fox Creek is definitely no exception.
This book can be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this fascinating series!
How I love the heart and soul found in this series. Fox Creek is #18 in this series that never gets old: Cork O’Connor. This time out, hunters fill the Boundary Waters woods seeking a woman who had come to healer, ancient Ojibwe Henry Meloux, for the gift of his wisdom. Cork, ex-sheriff, and a man of mixed heritage, works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit.
The author has a way of delving into Native philosophies and mysticisms that I never tire of reading about. Mr. Krueger is also rather brilliant at consistently providing the reader with riveting, nail-biting plots!! I've found every earlier book in the series to be engrossing, and Fox Creek is definitely no exception.
This book can be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this fascinating series!
September 6, 2024
Dolores Morriseau asks Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux and his niece, Rainy, to help her understand the problems she is having with her husband, Lou, a successful real estate lawyer who is hiding his native roots. He has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. A person pretending to be Lou shows up and asks for Cork O'Connor's help to find her, which he does, only to learn of the fake. Henry senses something is wrong and heads north into the Minnesota Boundary Waters as a group wants Dolores at any cost. The group has an experienced tracker (LaLoup or the Wolf), who quickly learns that 100+ year old Henry is a formidable and cunning foe. Cork and Lou's cousin Anton go after the hunters, while Stephen O'Connor joins Lou's sister to try to find Lou and why these men as so intent on finding him. Stephen is haunted by a vision of Henry's death, and there is an excellent showdown between LaLoup, Henry and Rainy, with an unexpected outcome. Another excellent mystery adventure by Krueger integrating important real world issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2023
I'M FINALLY FINISHED WITH MY CORK-O-THON! Thank Gitchi Manitou, it's over.
Fox Creek was a total dud. Not only was it super boring, but a certain long-foreshadowed event involving everybody's favorite 105-year-old Mide got a whole lot of play-up from the prologue until the very last page... then nothing. I feel ripped off.
SERIES SUMMARY:
I've completed the 19.5 books in the Cork O'Connor series including the prequel - everything published to date. Here's what I think.
• I never liked Jo O'Connor, but WKK did her dirty.
• The series-long gimmick I was harping on above really needs to end. Yes, that means what you think it means.
• These are like cozies, the soft porn of mysteries. There's very little tension and everything happens around a tiny one-horse town. How much evil could possibly befall a town containing a few hundred year-round residents, you ask? A lot.
• Even during action scenes, I generally felt disinterested.
• The settings are to die for! The mountains, lakes and wilderness are so gorgeously described that it's like I'm on vacation. Totally worth the price of admission. NOTE: the price of admission is just a free library borrow.
• I felt disconnected from the characters, even though I liked Meloux the most.
• There's a pervasive sense of goody-goodiness throughout the series. Sure, part of it's that the family attends church every Sunday; middle child Annie was almost a nun but she wound up "just" being a missionary; all the Ojibwe ceremonies and beliefs. But mostly I mean that the recurring characters, who have all been through pretty traumatic events, never seem to distrust strangers enough or anticipate the bad shit that's coming. This family should be jaded, but they're just not - including Cork, which is particularly frustrating.
• I would've liked these more if I'd read only one book a year or so. I was bored and continued reading anyway, which just wasn't going to turn out well. It was way too much Cork in too little time.
IMHO this is nowhere near the best Mystery series ever, but maybe your tastes differ. I prefer graphic crime scenes, lots of forensic-type details, tension you can cut with a knife, and MCs whose alignment skews toward Chaotic Good or Lawful Evil. None of that describes Cork O'Connor.
When the next book publishes, supposedly titled Spirit Crossing in August next year (MORE foreshadowing with that title? *yawn*), I'll prolly read it. And I'll likely appreciate it more after a nice long break.
Fox Creek was a total dud. Not only was it super boring, but a certain long-foreshadowed event involving everybody's favorite 105-year-old Mide got a whole lot of play-up from the prologue until the very last page... then nothing. I feel ripped off.
SERIES SUMMARY:
I've completed the 19.5 books in the Cork O'Connor series including the prequel - everything published to date. Here's what I think.
• I never liked Jo O'Connor, but WKK did her dirty.
• The series-long gimmick I was harping on above really needs to end. Yes, that means what you think it means.
• These are like cozies, the soft porn of mysteries. There's very little tension and everything happens around a tiny one-horse town. How much evil could possibly befall a town containing a few hundred year-round residents, you ask? A lot.
• Even during action scenes, I generally felt disinterested.
• The settings are to die for! The mountains, lakes and wilderness are so gorgeously described that it's like I'm on vacation. Totally worth the price of admission. NOTE: the price of admission is just a free library borrow.
• I felt disconnected from the characters, even though I liked Meloux the most.
• There's a pervasive sense of goody-goodiness throughout the series. Sure, part of it's that the family attends church every Sunday; middle child Annie was almost a nun but she wound up "just" being a missionary; all the Ojibwe ceremonies and beliefs. But mostly I mean that the recurring characters, who have all been through pretty traumatic events, never seem to distrust strangers enough or anticipate the bad shit that's coming. This family should be jaded, but they're just not - including Cork, which is particularly frustrating.
• I would've liked these more if I'd read only one book a year or so. I was bored and continued reading anyway, which just wasn't going to turn out well. It was way too much Cork in too little time.
IMHO this is nowhere near the best Mystery series ever, but maybe your tastes differ. I prefer graphic crime scenes, lots of forensic-type details, tension you can cut with a knife, and MCs whose alignment skews toward Chaotic Good or Lawful Evil. None of that describes Cork O'Connor.
When the next book publishes, supposedly titled Spirit Crossing in August next year (MORE foreshadowing with that title? *yawn*), I'll prolly read it. And I'll likely appreciate it more after a nice long break.
January 2, 2023
Cork O'Connor may have had enough adventures for eighteen previous books, but I jumped in right here at #19. William Kent Krueger is such a skilled storyteller that it didn't matter. I felt welcomed into Cork's circle of family and friends, offered enough backstory to round out Cork's past without bogging down the present, and was immediately engaged in a great story.
As a writer, landscape is as important to me as any sentient character, and as a reader, I need to be grounded in the story's surroundings. Krueger is a kindred spirit. His settings are integral to every story and he creates rich, real landscapes that help shape the arc of the plot. Northern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters wilderness are either heavenly or hellatious, depending on the character's particular journey-literal or internal.
The mystery here was somewhat beside the point for me: a man is missing, Cork and Friends are compelled to track him down. Cork's wife, Rainy, along with an ancient Ojibwe healer, Henry, and the missing man's wife, Dolores, are soon fleeing for their lives deep into the Minnesota forest. In hot pursuit are some very bad men with guns, including a Native American tracker who honed his skills as a mercenary in the warzones of Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Now Cork's sense of duty is overcome by his panic to save his wife and the beloved Native medicine man.
Cork is part Irish-American, part Ojibwe, a former Chicago cop turned owner-of-small-town-diner, and Krueger does a tremendous job weaving in First Nations cultures and issues into his characters' realities and the story's tension. In this particular story, he reveals the push-pull of identity and assimilation, the failures of federal policy and the deep need for independence by indigenous fighting to reclaim ancestral lands and existing cultures. All without preaching or objectifying Native characters.
There is something of an over-the-top nature to the hunt and chase, like everyone made it way more complicated than it needed to be, but my mild exasperation was second to the enjoyment I took from a great crime read. It's nice to know there are 18 more Cork O'Connors I can dive into!
As a writer, landscape is as important to me as any sentient character, and as a reader, I need to be grounded in the story's surroundings. Krueger is a kindred spirit. His settings are integral to every story and he creates rich, real landscapes that help shape the arc of the plot. Northern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters wilderness are either heavenly or hellatious, depending on the character's particular journey-literal or internal.
The mystery here was somewhat beside the point for me: a man is missing, Cork and Friends are compelled to track him down. Cork's wife, Rainy, along with an ancient Ojibwe healer, Henry, and the missing man's wife, Dolores, are soon fleeing for their lives deep into the Minnesota forest. In hot pursuit are some very bad men with guns, including a Native American tracker who honed his skills as a mercenary in the warzones of Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Now Cork's sense of duty is overcome by his panic to save his wife and the beloved Native medicine man.
Cork is part Irish-American, part Ojibwe, a former Chicago cop turned owner-of-small-town-diner, and Krueger does a tremendous job weaving in First Nations cultures and issues into his characters' realities and the story's tension. In this particular story, he reveals the push-pull of identity and assimilation, the failures of federal policy and the deep need for independence by indigenous fighting to reclaim ancestral lands and existing cultures. All without preaching or objectifying Native characters.
There is something of an over-the-top nature to the hunt and chase, like everyone made it way more complicated than it needed to be, but my mild exasperation was second to the enjoyment I took from a great crime read. It's nice to know there are 18 more Cork O'Connors I can dive into!
May 27, 2022
A stranger wants to hire Cork to find his wife, Dolores. When Cork locates Dolores, she confirms that the man who claimed to be her husband is an imposter. Why are these strangers tracking her? And if her husband Lou is still alive, where is he? Cork, his wife Rainy, Henry, and several others find themselves in the crosshairs of some ruthless men, and they must rely on someone whose loyalties are uncertain. I hadn’t read this series, but it worked as a stand alone—although now I want to go back and read more. Recommended for anyone who enjoys mysteries/thrillers, especially readers interested in First Nations culture. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
September 21, 2022
Book Review
Fox Creek
William Kent Krueger
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Krueger is certainly more well know after his multi-award winning and highly acclaimed stand-alone novels: Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. For those few living under a rock, he has masterfully weaved a series of eighteen mystery / thrillers in his Cork O’Connor series.
The debut novel, Iron Lake, won both the Anthony and Barry Awards for Best First Novel. Fox Creek is the nineteenth in the series, but can be enjoyed and revered as a standalone, in as much Krueger skillfully provides any necessary backstory to this riveting tale.
The main protagonist is Cork O’Connor, a highly principled man with a long history of law enforcement, and of mixed ancestry ( of Ojibwe and Irish), along with the story setting locales in his beloved Minnesota environs. Krueger magnifies the richness of his narrative by infusing the narrative with references to the Native culture. Krueger became intrigued with the Ojibwa culture in college and skillfully references the culture in his Cork O’Connor series. A main theme transcends his writings, as he recounts in one of his books: “History was a study in futility, Because people never learn. Century after century, they committed the same atrocities against one another or against the earth, and the only thing that changed was the magnitude of the slaughter.” This thread was to be repeated throughout this amazing series.
We find Cork slingin’ burgers in his burger joint, “Sam’s Place” when he’s approached by a stranger that calls upon his P.I. skills to find his wife, Delores, He identifies himself as Louis Morriseau, her husband. He would just like to talk to her. She has left for another man, reportedly a local Native paramour , named Henry Meloux. Although his curiosity is immediately piqued, he knows this is preposterous. Henry is an Objiwe healer, a Mide, and just happens to be one-hundred-and-five years old, hardly material for a tryst. Cork will “think about it “and surreptitiously takes his picture as he leaves. He later drives out to Henry’s isolated cabin out on Crow Point. Delores is there and has sought out Henry for solace, healing and an understanding of her troubled marriage. She is presently undergoing a “sweat” guided by Cork’s wife, Rainy ( also, grand-niece of Henry and a Mide herself) to cleanse her tortured soul. When shown the photo of “her husband” she denies knowing this man. Her husband has been acting strange for the last six months, and never returned from one of his frequent trips to Canada. She does not know where or why he left. Thus, the earliest inklings of this multilayered mystery presents as a scam. Why would someone pretend to be Louis Morriseau ? Inadvertently, Cork actually leads this pretender and his cadre of mercenaries to Delores’ location through a hidden tracker.
Henry senses the arrival of these “dangerous men” and flees to the sanctuary of the woods with Rainy and Delores. Thus begins a fast paced cat and mouse game, as the mercenaries track Henry and his group, while Cork tracks the mercenaries. Cork’s skill is tested as nightfall occurs along with an approaching snow storm. Cork and Henry are experts in the wilderness, however, the mercenaries are guided by their own Native expert tracker. Tension and suspense are incrementally ratcheted up to almost unbearable limits. Hopefully, this is not Henry’s last journey deep into the woods of the Boundary Waters. Time is running out, as nightfall and the increasing storm forces all parties to momentarily stop for shelter.
The narrative is told in multiple perspectives in short and tight chapters, resulting in a riveting page-turner. Told not only through the eyes of Cork, Rainy, Henry, the Mercenaries, but also Cork’s son, Stephen. He independently uncovers the presence of a Canadian map with multiple interconnecting lines all over the country–representing an unknown–perhaps pipelines? And on the back in Sharpie, the message: KILLCATIE and underneath the numbers: 5110. He’s certain this cryptic message is related to the motivation for the mercenaries’ tracking of Delores.
Krueger masterfully weaves a complex and twisted narrative with multiple unexpected reveals. His precise and lyrical prose and character building are essential to the complexities of the developing plot and soon to be discovered unscrupulous motivations behind this complex mystery. The story is enhanced by the fleshed-out locales, and the underlying theme of injustice. This immersive and gripping story will appeal to those who love the prose and settings of James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly. There are many side characters and relevant groups who heighten the enjoyment and complexities of this convoluted tale. I was truly amazed at how fast I turned these pages to obtain closure.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
.... Published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine .....
Fox Creek
William Kent Krueger
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Krueger is certainly more well know after his multi-award winning and highly acclaimed stand-alone novels: Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. For those few living under a rock, he has masterfully weaved a series of eighteen mystery / thrillers in his Cork O’Connor series.
The debut novel, Iron Lake, won both the Anthony and Barry Awards for Best First Novel. Fox Creek is the nineteenth in the series, but can be enjoyed and revered as a standalone, in as much Krueger skillfully provides any necessary backstory to this riveting tale.
The main protagonist is Cork O’Connor, a highly principled man with a long history of law enforcement, and of mixed ancestry ( of Ojibwe and Irish), along with the story setting locales in his beloved Minnesota environs. Krueger magnifies the richness of his narrative by infusing the narrative with references to the Native culture. Krueger became intrigued with the Ojibwa culture in college and skillfully references the culture in his Cork O’Connor series. A main theme transcends his writings, as he recounts in one of his books: “History was a study in futility, Because people never learn. Century after century, they committed the same atrocities against one another or against the earth, and the only thing that changed was the magnitude of the slaughter.” This thread was to be repeated throughout this amazing series.
We find Cork slingin’ burgers in his burger joint, “Sam’s Place” when he’s approached by a stranger that calls upon his P.I. skills to find his wife, Delores, He identifies himself as Louis Morriseau, her husband. He would just like to talk to her. She has left for another man, reportedly a local Native paramour , named Henry Meloux. Although his curiosity is immediately piqued, he knows this is preposterous. Henry is an Objiwe healer, a Mide, and just happens to be one-hundred-and-five years old, hardly material for a tryst. Cork will “think about it “and surreptitiously takes his picture as he leaves. He later drives out to Henry’s isolated cabin out on Crow Point. Delores is there and has sought out Henry for solace, healing and an understanding of her troubled marriage. She is presently undergoing a “sweat” guided by Cork’s wife, Rainy ( also, grand-niece of Henry and a Mide herself) to cleanse her tortured soul. When shown the photo of “her husband” she denies knowing this man. Her husband has been acting strange for the last six months, and never returned from one of his frequent trips to Canada. She does not know where or why he left. Thus, the earliest inklings of this multilayered mystery presents as a scam. Why would someone pretend to be Louis Morriseau ? Inadvertently, Cork actually leads this pretender and his cadre of mercenaries to Delores’ location through a hidden tracker.
Henry senses the arrival of these “dangerous men” and flees to the sanctuary of the woods with Rainy and Delores. Thus begins a fast paced cat and mouse game, as the mercenaries track Henry and his group, while Cork tracks the mercenaries. Cork’s skill is tested as nightfall occurs along with an approaching snow storm. Cork and Henry are experts in the wilderness, however, the mercenaries are guided by their own Native expert tracker. Tension and suspense are incrementally ratcheted up to almost unbearable limits. Hopefully, this is not Henry’s last journey deep into the woods of the Boundary Waters. Time is running out, as nightfall and the increasing storm forces all parties to momentarily stop for shelter.
The narrative is told in multiple perspectives in short and tight chapters, resulting in a riveting page-turner. Told not only through the eyes of Cork, Rainy, Henry, the Mercenaries, but also Cork’s son, Stephen. He independently uncovers the presence of a Canadian map with multiple interconnecting lines all over the country–representing an unknown–perhaps pipelines? And on the back in Sharpie, the message: KILLCATIE and underneath the numbers: 5110. He’s certain this cryptic message is related to the motivation for the mercenaries’ tracking of Delores.
Krueger masterfully weaves a complex and twisted narrative with multiple unexpected reveals. His precise and lyrical prose and character building are essential to the complexities of the developing plot and soon to be discovered unscrupulous motivations behind this complex mystery. The story is enhanced by the fleshed-out locales, and the underlying theme of injustice. This immersive and gripping story will appeal to those who love the prose and settings of James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly. There are many side characters and relevant groups who heighten the enjoyment and complexities of this convoluted tale. I was truly amazed at how fast I turned these pages to obtain closure.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
.... Published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine .....
April 30, 2023
A marvelous example of Krueger's ability to create a thriller immersed in north-woods beauty and infused with Native culture and history. Read this (and the previous 18 Cork O'Connor novels) to be transported to the northern wilderness among the Natives who live in and understand this world. The plot is barely more ridiculous than those of Daniel Silva or Lee Child: mercenaries, hired by powerful forces, are searching for a man and his wife for unknown reasons. As the book proceeds, we learn there is a giant secret the rich and powerful want to suppress. All of that is perfect, but Krueger goes a little too far: The US Congress and Canada's Parliament have approved the action but nobody has noticed. So it's a secret known only to thousands of government workers, reporters, and employees of the concerned companies. Would killing this couple keep the secret? Krueger does a good job of selling the idea, but I still can't really buy it. In the end it doesn't matter because the story on the personal level: well-armed bad guys after spiritual good guys is irresistible.
September 10, 2022
Was away from internet for a bit, so dropping in late with major points about this book that endeared me: Tracking in the wilderness as demonstrated by native Americans in the worst of situations, otherwise known as life - or - death circumstances. This book is gripping and I consider nature in the northwoods of Minnesota to be a major character...heading for the Boundary Waters. Cork and "company" have the skills and knowledge but face a fierce enemy.
Really good read!
Library Loan
Really good read!
Library Loan
June 9, 2022
At long last! I finally got my hands on William Kent Krueger’s most recent Cork O’Connor book, Fox Creek. Krueger is my most favorite storyteller, so thank you, NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kent Krueger for the opportunity to read the newest addition to this fabulous series as an ARC in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story is as much Henry Meloux’s story as it is Cork’s, perhaps more so. When a woman, Dolores Morriseau, comes to the aged Mide for help, he willingly obliges. Dolores speaks to him of marital problems, but deeper than that, she seeks to learn more about her Native identity. Along with his great niece, Rainy, who is Cork’s wife, and is herself a healer, Henry and Dolores flee as Henry senses danger.
Meanwhile, Cork, who is a retired sheriff and now a burger joint owner/private investigator, is approached by a man trying to locate Dolores. The plot thickens as a small band of men search for the three fugitives. And no one seems to know what has happened to her husband Louis. Krueger builds intrigue and suspense as he portrays the men as desperate to locate Dolores. They are willing to cause harm, even kill, to get what they want.
Henry is a hundred, maybe older, but he is still a vital, wise human being who knows the ways of Nature and of humanity. He leads the two women on a winding path, intent on misleading their prey. Deeper and deeper into the forest they go, headed to the Boundary Waters. The men have an experienced tracker as well, and the hunt becomes like a game of chess. Can the old Mide keep the pursuers at bay? Can the two women keep up? Cork and Anton Morriseau, brother of Louis, hunt the hunters. Chapters alternate back and forth so the reader sees how each group is faring. Also, Cork’s son Stephen, is anxious to help. He joins Morriseau’s sister Belle, and the pair drive to Louis and Dolores’ home in the Twin Cities to see what information they can find.
As always, Krueger spins a magnificent tale as only he can tell. There is beauty in the language, and appreciation for nature and Native culture. It is filled with the wisdom of the Ojibwe Mide’s experiences and spirituality. Cork, who has Irish and Native blood, struggles to love and live as his wife and her people do, but he’s a good man. Stephen, like Henry, has visions. And what about “THE” vision? The one that Stephen and Henry both have had, of Henry lying under the pines? Dead? You need to read this book to find out.
5 stars
This story is as much Henry Meloux’s story as it is Cork’s, perhaps more so. When a woman, Dolores Morriseau, comes to the aged Mide for help, he willingly obliges. Dolores speaks to him of marital problems, but deeper than that, she seeks to learn more about her Native identity. Along with his great niece, Rainy, who is Cork’s wife, and is herself a healer, Henry and Dolores flee as Henry senses danger.
Meanwhile, Cork, who is a retired sheriff and now a burger joint owner/private investigator, is approached by a man trying to locate Dolores. The plot thickens as a small band of men search for the three fugitives. And no one seems to know what has happened to her husband Louis. Krueger builds intrigue and suspense as he portrays the men as desperate to locate Dolores. They are willing to cause harm, even kill, to get what they want.
Henry is a hundred, maybe older, but he is still a vital, wise human being who knows the ways of Nature and of humanity. He leads the two women on a winding path, intent on misleading their prey. Deeper and deeper into the forest they go, headed to the Boundary Waters. The men have an experienced tracker as well, and the hunt becomes like a game of chess. Can the old Mide keep the pursuers at bay? Can the two women keep up? Cork and Anton Morriseau, brother of Louis, hunt the hunters. Chapters alternate back and forth so the reader sees how each group is faring. Also, Cork’s son Stephen, is anxious to help. He joins Morriseau’s sister Belle, and the pair drive to Louis and Dolores’ home in the Twin Cities to see what information they can find.
As always, Krueger spins a magnificent tale as only he can tell. There is beauty in the language, and appreciation for nature and Native culture. It is filled with the wisdom of the Ojibwe Mide’s experiences and spirituality. Cork, who has Irish and Native blood, struggles to love and live as his wife and her people do, but he’s a good man. Stephen, like Henry, has visions. And what about “THE” vision? The one that Stephen and Henry both have had, of Henry lying under the pines? Dead? You need to read this book to find out.
5 stars
September 2, 2022
While I have read Krueger’s fiction before, this is my first time reading an episode from the Cork O’Connor series. Now I understand what all the positive comments have been about all this time. Apart from an interesting and topical plot that obviously builds on characters that have been skillfully and lovingly developed over years, this novel incorporates native culture and wisdom in appropriate ways, describes the natural world in such a way that it becomes another character, and uses a diverse group of people in the telling.
to be continued…
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
to be continued…
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 18, 2022
4.5 stars, actually.
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.
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.
May 18, 2022
I have read a couple of Mr. Krueger's stand alone novels, but this is the first one I have read in his Cork O'Connor series. Now I plan to read others of the series.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way the story is told by different characters. It definitely gives you more insight into the characters, but I felt it also definitely increased the suspense. I never liked putting the book down because I just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next.
Getting to know the various members of Cork's family and other characters vital to the story was fun, and I look forward to future installments of the series to see how these individuals will grow and develop.
I also want to say that I really appreciate the fact that Mr. Krueger's books that I have read include hope and redemption despite the troubles and awful situations the main characters find themselves in. Light in the midst of darkness. We all need that!
My thanks to the publisher for the free advanced reader copy of this book that I received as a Goodreads giveaway winner!
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way the story is told by different characters. It definitely gives you more insight into the characters, but I felt it also definitely increased the suspense. I never liked putting the book down because I just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next.
Getting to know the various members of Cork's family and other characters vital to the story was fun, and I look forward to future installments of the series to see how these individuals will grow and develop.
I also want to say that I really appreciate the fact that Mr. Krueger's books that I have read include hope and redemption despite the troubles and awful situations the main characters find themselves in. Light in the midst of darkness. We all need that!
My thanks to the publisher for the free advanced reader copy of this book that I received as a Goodreads giveaway winner!
August 21, 2022
As with other chapters in the excellent Cork O'Connor series, Kent Krueger gets his inspiration from actual events that have resulted in deleterious impact on the indigenous population, usually by a government. To say more about the specifics here would give away too much of a plot point, but Fox Creek is populated with Krueger's usual cast of complex characters, and what I particularly like is that they are flawed and human. Of course the baddies are uniformly bad, but just about everyone else has more than one side to them. His action scenes are almost cinematic in their rendering, easy to follow, and his landscapes are breathtaking.
January 29, 2023
Another excellent story from William Kent Krueger. The book is a real page-turner, told in a clear and suspenseful manner from the varying vantage points of the principal characters. The skeletal elements of the story are not particularly new or unique, but that does not detract from the suspense or the mystery. As is typical in Krueger novels, he weaves elements of Native spirituality and culture into the story very well, and a theme of redemption, found in some other Krueger works, is strongly present here, as well. Another positive aspect of the book is the development and evolution of his characters, who grow, mature and gain wisdom and insight from their experiences in prior Krueger novels. I can't get enough of Krueger's Cork series and now sadly I must wait.
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