Devastatingly disappointed…

Rant coming in 🔥, so continue at your own risk….

Let me first start by saying that I have absolutely adored Krueger’s stand-alone novels, This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace. Both of these have firm spots on my ‘favorites’ self. They are beautifully written and are stories that touched my heart in a profound way. They are, also, novels that I never hesitate to recommend.

This is why I’m so disappointed in his latest novel, Lightening Strike. I’ve been meaning to start his Cork O’Conner series for some time and was delighted to see that this was a prequel to it. What perfect timing to start this series!

I’d been reading for a couple of days and the story didn’t grab me the way his others had. The plot was good, but something just felt forced. The grandmothers behavior and her treatment of her son-in-law really bothered me, however, my faith in Krueger’s purpose kept me reading on until this sentence, which is thought by 12 year-old Cork…

“Logic was a part of that, sure, but was something else at work, something dark in him that he didn’t want to acknowledge? He was only a quarter Shinnob. Three-quarters of his blood came from European ancestry. Was his thinking swayed by all that whiteness?”

I read this sentence several times to make sure I was reading it correctly… ‘swayed by all that whiteness’? This is a thought made in 1963 by a 12 year-old boy? Seriously? How very 2021… and, unfortunately, that is where this story ended for me.

Krueger has lost me. I will not read the rest of this series, nor will I read any of his novels moving forward. My heart is broken…

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace but had not read any of the Cork O'Connor series. I love the way this author builds his characters, particularly with young boys coming of age.. I appreciated the complicated relationships of being between two cultures.and the author did a great job of viewing it from multiple perspectives. I look forward to reading more in the series!

I loved Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land so was excited to read this new Krueger novel which is a prequel to his Cork O'Connor series. Once again Krueger does not disappoint and delivers a novel with rich characters and setting. While I didn't love this one as much as Ordinary Grace, it once again has an intriguing mystery, conflict between the native American and Caucasian populations/cultures and captures the scene through the eyes of a child. Krueger does a great job with dialogue and description, painting a vivid scene for his reader and creating an interesting cast of characters. This is more of a straightforward mystery - not as compelling to me personally, as his other novels - but still well executed.

I really enjoyed this background story to the Cork O'Connor series. I actually had never read any of that series, but it has been on my to-read list for a while. After reading this, I started it. I can see now, after having read the first book, how much fans of this series by William Kent Krueger will love getting some insight into Cork's childhood and how he became the man he is. I loved that even his young self was drawn to mystery and solving crimes and seeking out justice. I am definitely hooked and plan to read the rest of this series in due time.

I thoroughly enjoy Krueger's Cork O'Connor's series and this book finally gives the reader Cork's story as an adolescent and his relationship with his dad, Liam. I look forward to the next book!

Lightning Strike
by William Kent Krueger
Another wonderful book by William Kent Krueger!
In this installment of the Cork O'Connor Mystery series, we are taken back to when Cork is twelve years old and his father, Liam, is the sheriff of Tamarack County. When Cork and his friend discover a dead body at Lightning Strike, it appears as though the victim, Big John, died by suicide, but soon the evidence points to murder. Then, a young Native American girl's body is discovered and it looks as though the body had been weighted down and sunk in the lake. Cork and his father work to solve this intriguing mystery. Loved it!

William Kent Krueger is a favorite author of mine for a reason. This is the prequel to Cork O’Conner series and it’s rich with images from the Midwest, and the bonds and struggles between fathers and sons that I have come to expect and love. Read this book!

Another great story by Mr. Krueger. This is a prequel to the Cork O’Connor series and it is a wonderfully written account of Cork’s family and his relationship with his dad, mom, grandmother and friends. It deals with issues of the Native American culture and dealings with the caucasion officials after a popular man is found dead of a possible suicide.

Cork helps find the truth of many an issue, along with his dad, Liam, who is the county sherrif. At first it seemed that a 13 year old boy had a lot of freedom and a lot of responsibility. Then I remembered the book takes place in1963 and kids had a LOT more freedoms and a lot more responsibilities.

This book was hard to put down and I believe every reader will get something fulfilling from reading this book.

Krueger’s longtime hero, Sheriff Cork O’Connor, lives way the hell up in upper Wisconsin where he deals with the locals, natives, and various out-of-towners attempting to upset the proverbial apple cart. This book is a departure. It presents some of O’Connor’s backstory (probably the first to do so, I think).

Lightning Strike takes place in one of those lazy summers when Cork was around 12. Most days are he and a couple buds biking around town and camping and canoeing in the Boundary Waters area. His dad is the Sheriff of Aurora, WI who sort of unwittingly is showing Cork the tools of the trade that will help him as an adult when he himself becomes the sheriff.

Cork and his friends canoe out for a campsite along one of the numerous nearby lakes. As they approach the site near sunset, they notice something terribly out of place. A man hanging from a tree. The evidence points to a suicide and Sheriff O’Connor tends to think so. And not just any man. The victim is a local legend around the Ojibwe peoples that most all the kids looked up to. He’d had issues with alcohol but seemed to have put that behind him. The Ojibwe people are suspicious of the Sheriff’s line of investigation despite the Sheriff being one-quarter Ojibwe.

Racial tensions percolate. The Ojibwe and the whites have an uneasy truce. And within the whites, there is a noticeable gap between the haves and the have nots. Not to mention some mingling of the races and classes make seemingly dozens of Some rich folks want to develop the lakeshore with a swank hotel and its false promises of jobs and prosperity for all the locals. If the truth can’t be uncovered, Aurora may well explode in a long awaited civil war.

Kruegar has given us (me in particular) two of the very best novels I’ve ever read. Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. I first stumbled across Krueger through his Cork O’Connor series and this title is his 18th in the series, but seeing as how this is a backstory book, call this one #0 and not #18.

Krueger is a smooth, experienced and masterful writer whose prose speaks across genders, ages, and ethnicities with equal grace. Start with Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, then venture into the Cork O’Connor series. A gentle hook will draw you into a mystical and mysterious land in a frozen border of the upper Midwest.

I had just recently read This Tender Land, by the same author, and really enjoyed it. So when I saw this on Netgalley, I decided to request it. I'm so glad that I did. Lightening Strike is a prequel to a series, which now I plan on reading. William Kent Krueger is a brilliant story teller. His characters come alive as you read. I'm actually glad that I read the back story to the character, Cork O'Connor and his relationship to his father, mother and other members of his family and friends. His being part Indigenous gave a for some interesting story telling with his other part being Irish. Look forward to reading the rest of the series. Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story.

Loved it. I so much enjoyed finding out about Cork's childhood and his parents. Brought back such great memories of saying "good bye, I'll be home at dark".

Cork and Jorge discover the body of John Manydeeds hanging from a tree at a location called Lightning Strike, a sacred spot to the local Ojibwe. Empty bottles of bourbon found at his feet when he had quit drinking years before. Over the course of Liam's (Cork's father) investigation a few suspects come to the front. While the investigation is an important part of the story, what kept my attention was the tension between the town and the reservation. Also learning about the Indian Relocation Act and the taking of Indian children away from their families for schooling. Learning about this the same week that over 200 childrens bodies were found at a school in Canada was devastating.

Kent is a wonderful author. Anything he mentions in the book will matter in the end, so pay attention.

Lighting Strike by William Kent Krueger
Rating: 5 stars

Summary: A twelve year old Cork O’Connor finds the body hanging from a tree at a location in the woods known as Lighting Strike for its history as a for logging location. The man found dead haunts a young. Cork and his two best friends so much they run a side investigation with his father who is the local county Sheriff.

Comments: Kent Krueger has be the best writer in Minnesota. His voice is loud among crime writers. Writing this prequel was an amazing opportunity to see Cork and his childhood growing up with his father. There is a pretty sad turn of events in the final pages just when I hoped we’d see more prequel work. Maybe we still will? Highly recommended.

My customers have come to appreciate Kent Kreuger's series and they have always been a good seller. After his last two stand alones, we have noticed an uptick in the sales of the Cork series. This new book Lightning Strike makes for a good introduction of the Cork character and bridges the two stand alones with the series. Cork has always been one of my favorite characters. It was great to get a little of his backstory and a glimpse of the man he is about to become. I will enjoy recommending this book.

While I loved Ordinary Grace and Tender Land I’d never read any of the Cork O’Connor series. Lightning Strike is a prequel and takes place when Cork is a boy and his father Liam is sheriff. Cork and his pal come across the dead body of a man he admires in a sacred place. His dad and others immediately assume it’s suicide but on closer inspection that may not be the case.
This is another piece of incredible writing by Krueger and he is now one of my top five favorite writers. I didn’t need to read any of the series as this book stands alone, but I’ve a great summer ahead reading the Cork O’Connor books. Excellent book.

Lightening Strike

This was an excellent mystery. I will certainly recommend it. It kept me thinking about it when I wasn't reading. The descriptions of the place added texture to the mystery at its core. The characters were believable. and the story unfolded a reasonable pace. The author included references to the pop culture of the time, like TV favorites and popular music. The antipathy between the native and non-native residents was an important element of the plot. The ending was not really surprising, but I think that was because it was logical and followed on the clues that were given throughout the story. This is a great addition to this series.

BOYS GREW UP A LITTLE FASTER IN 1963, ESPECIALLY IN SMALL TOWN MINNESOTA!

This is the summer that Cork O’Connor turns 13 and while this is a coming of age novel it is so much more.

There is a tangled mystery to unravel which causes strained tensions between some of the white men in town and the Ojibwa Indians. Cork’s mother is half Ojibwa and half Irish. His father is Liam O’Connor, town sheriff, Irish and relatively new in town. He left his old life as a police officer in Chicago hoping for a better life for his family.

The novel takes off pretty quickly when Cork and his friend discover a well known and respected Indian mentor hanging in Lightning Strike. The shock of this sight will haunt Cork throughout the story and he is just as determined to solve this crime as his father. There are many changes coming both to the town and to Cork.

At first appearances Liam and others believe that Big John committed suicide, but his family and friends say he would never kill himself and especially not in this sacred site.

There is a tug and pull between how the Indians want things to proceed and how Liam insists things are done. He takes the law very literally, he knows that to convict someone he needs solid evidence!

What is so captivating in this novel is how Mr. Krueger is able to speak so clearly in the voice of this young man and his two friends. I think that was a lot of the appeal of Ordinary Grace as well as This Tender Land.

I quickly felt as though I was surrounded by the beauty of this area “Beyond a line of aspen, the water of Iron Lake burned with the gold light of early day”. Living in Wisconsin I can relate to the beautiful woods and lakes that my parents took me to.

If you loved this Tender Land you will find a lot of the elements that you enjoyed in this novel This is a prequel to his long standing series, which features Cork as a grown man, he also as the town sheriff !!!!!!

I THINK THIS IS STORYTELLING AT IT'S BEST AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!!

This novel is set to publish on August 24, 2021

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
This is the first of this author's books that I have read and it made me want to read more in the Cork O'Connor series. A coming of age story with wonderful characters. The plot has twists and turns and surprises. Great read.

I was not familiar with the Cork O'Connor series, but after reading Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, I was interested in reading other books by Krueger. While this is the most recent book, it is a prequel to the series and takes place when Cork is a Young boy who, together with his two best friends, discover the body of a local Native American, Big John, hanging from a tree in a place held sacred by the local Native Americans. While it is initially thought to be a suicide, Cork and his father Liam, the local sheriff, soon suspect it to be murder.
Krueger explores the relationships between the towns white population and those living on the reservation and reveals how Liam must confront his own prejudices, even though his spouse is half Ojibwe.
Krueger writes beautifully and his descriptions of the area are beautiful and almost poetic. At times, this story reminded me of Ordinary Grace as Krueger dealt with the Native American history and experience.
I would highly recommend this to readers of the series and to those who enjoy a good detective story with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing almost to the end.
I will definitely start other books in this series.

If you are a fan of the Cork O’Connor series like I am, then this newest installment is a must read. The catch for this particular title is we flashback to Cork as a young boy. You will recognize the cast of characters and learn of his Indian heritage. This book is a mystery and a ghost story all at once. This is a must read. Go get it as soon as it hits shelves!

Lightning Strike (Cork O'Connor #0) by William Kent Krueger

Having read and greatly enjoyed Krueger's two stand alone novels, Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, I knew I wanted to tackle his long running Cork O'Connor series. Now Krueger has written a prequel to the entire series which gives me a great opportunity to jump in before it all began. Lightning Strike takes place at a very pivotal time in Cork's life, the summer before he turns thirteen. 

It's 1963 and Liam O’Connor, Cork's father, is Aurora’s sheriff. Cork has his paper route, friends, baseball, biking, camping, church, family and dog. He's on the cusp of learning that all he thought was sacred and simple isn't so. The racial tension that he barely noticed in the past comes to a head when Cork finds a man he considered a mentor, hanging from a tree, in an apparent suicide. But Cork and his dad suspect otherwise and as they try to determine who might have killed this man, not only does the town's divide become more apparent between white and Ojibwe, but even his family starts to show cracks. Liam is white, Cork's mother is half white, half Ojibwe, Cork is a quarter Ojibwe.

No one is happy that Liam is looking for "facts' in the death of the dead man, when each side wants the other blamed for his death. This summer will harden Cork, as he loses his naivety and wonder about life and the future. Cork's summer reflects what is happening to us today and so often there seems to be no answer to the problems of the world. This has been a great introduction into the Cork O'Connor series and I look forward to all the books ahead of me. 

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.