Cork O’Connor is launched into a sinister plot that endangers the people he holds most dear. A man has come to Cork seeking help in finding his missing wife, Delores Morriseau. It rapidly becomes apparent that the man is not the husband he claims to be, but an imposter, and the woman he seeks is currently in the company of Cork’s wife and an elderly Ojibwe mentor and healer, Henry Meloux. What follows is a harrowing race to expose an international criminal ring and capture those whose intentions are deadly.

Fox Creek by Henry Kent Krueger is a story that pits Ojibwe beliefs and practices against modern-day avarice and malice. Cork is guided by Henry’s past reminders to quiet the anxiety within and listen to the messages that surround him as he tracks killers through the extensive wilderness of the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. Readers are kept on the edge of their seat as they contemplate who will die and who will prevail.

I'm only a few books into the Cork O'Connor series and enjoying it immensely. The stories are rich in characterization and plot. The Northern Minnesota settings and Native American culture provide unique and absorbing details. When the opportunity arose to jump into the latest book, I was a little hesitant, fearing I might miss needed background. But I needn't have worried. This volume easily stands alone.

The mystery that the author weaves in Fox Creek takes the reader deep into the Boundary Waters region and beyond. There are plenty of twists and turns and as many as four simultaneous plot threads calling for attention. But the writing is clear and riveting and suspenseful. I never felt lost.

I recommend this book and series to any readers that enjoy good mystery, suspense or outdoor adventure.

Kreuger has become one of my favorite authors. His writing is so beautiful and transports you as if you are walking amongst the woods along with his characters in Fox Creek. His messages are subtle but inspiring. Listen to your heart, let it guide you. In this suspense filled but heartwarming story, Uncle Henry is a centenarian, an Ojibwe healer whose knowledge and wisdom help others to see within themselves to find their true selves. Uncle Henry is someone you would love to have in our own life. Cork O’Connor, a former cop and now a private investigator is married to his niece, and is known to be the protector of good from evil. But peace is threatened when mercenaries, led by someone as skilled as Henry who knows the woods, come to town intent on hunting down a woman who has come to Henry for help. As Henry leads her and his niece northbound into the woods to protect them, Cork sets off to track the would-be killers in hopes of saving Henry and the women. As night falls and then snow is threatening, can he find them in time? Something is not as it seems and there is a mystery to solve. I love that this book is about reverence for nature, courage, finding yourself, redemption and second chances. Well written, this story keeps you reading from the first page. The main characters are strong and well developed. The setting of northern Minnesota and the respect of the Native culture is inspiring. With his skilled storytelling, Kreuger transports you into the woods to become a part of their journey rather than just telling you a tale. You can read this as a stand-alone book or one of the series featuring Cork O’Connor. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Many thanks to #netgalley #foxcreek #atriabooks #williamkentkreuger for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love William Kent Krueger's novels, but hadn't read any of the series with this protagonist. This was a suspenseful and well=plotted mystery. Definitely going on the to-buy list for holiday giving for my favorite mystery readers!
Thank you for my copy!

Fox Creek is William Kent Krueger’s 19th entry in his Cork O’Connor series. Cork, retired sheriff, is now a private investigator, while still the owner of a seasonal burger shack patronized by summer visitors to this verdant area of Iron Lake in the Northwoods of Minnesota. Cork knows the rocky hills and the forest like the back of his hand, but his current case severely tests his skills as a tracker and crime solver.
The central character in this story is the beloved ancient wise man Henry Meloux. He and his great-niece Rainy, who is also Cork’s wife, practice as healers and try to help Dolores Morriseau, who has come to them to solve her marital troubles and learn more about her native roots. The suspense ramps up as a group of ruthless ex-mercenaries try to find Dolores, putting Henry and Rainy in grave danger. The cat and mouse game is complicated, and even Cork’s young adult son, Stephen, jumps in to help solve the case. The characters of Meloux, Rainy, and Stephen enhance the depth of this tale, and a new, mysterious character emerges as a budding Mide and important symbol of historical and contemporary Native issues.
William Kent Krueger is a master storyteller and, in my opinion, remains unchallenged in that respect, whether with the series of Cork O’Connor mysteries, or his wonderful stand-alone novels. His prose sings and touches the heart, and his deep regard for nature, Native wisdom and everyday heroes is always evident. This book is no exception.
I enthusiastically recommend this novel to readers who look for beautiful writing, skilled story-telling and excellent well-plotted suspense.

Much gratitude to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

It was only a few months ago that I found William Kent Krueger and his protagonist Cork O'Connor. I felt as if I had stumbled into a treasure trove. It is not all that often these days for me to find a new-to-me author and series. How I missed this one I still can't figure out.

"Fox Creek" is a terrific book,filled with suspense. I enjoyed that it was told by different characters, which made the narrative richer, but also ratcheted up the tension. If this is your first Cork O'Connor book you will have no trouble figuring out what is happening and who the characters are.

I like mysteries and thrillers, and I read a lot of them. The Cork O'Connor books, however, are special. There is always an excellent plot, and fine writing, and this book is no different. This series, however, is more than that. The setting and its people bring a richness to the stories which is, in my experience, both rare and precious.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

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.

Cork O’Connor returns as he goes on the search of his lifetime: hoping to find his wife, Rainey; her uncle, Henry, a midi, and an unknown other woman who are trying to evade a group of mercenaries who are in search of the unknown women. The characters are fascinating: Henry, a healer and aware that he is nearing the last stage of his life; Rainey, wife to Cork and dedicated to her family yet has felt the need to be with her uncle in the Northwoods of Minnesota at this stage in his life and the stranger, a woman, showing up at Henry’s home asking for help. A suspenseful read which will involve the entire O’Connor family and friends from long ago who respond to Cork’s help to find and rescue the family before dangerous mercenaries find the mystery woman.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book; this is my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger
Series: Cork O’Connor Mystery Series | Book 19
2022 Publication Date: August 23

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read
T.I.M.E. Best Book Club Books
T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Thriller
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Small shifts can add up to big changes...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
For all the things we are dealing with in our current world at this time, one of the things we can be grateful for is that we are living in the time of William Kent Krueger's writing.

His book, This Tender Land, is on my Top Ten All-T.I.M.E. Favorite Books list... which represents my top ten favorite books I have ever read from any year. It was my first William Kent Krueger book... and it made me a fan for life. If you have not read it... drop everything and do so immediately. I am not kidding.

My next step was to dive right into his very popular Cork O'Connor Mystery Series beginning with Book 1. To date, I have read thru Book 7... And then received the wonderful news that a new installment was being released as Book 19 entitled Fox Creek.

Although the Cork O'Connor Mystery Series is a cumulative series, you can read each book as standalone books… But, I highly recommend reading the series in order for the best reading experience.

Each book does have a complete story arc. However, at the center of the story is Cork O'Connor, his family, friends, and the community they live in.

So, as you can imagine, we see the characters grow up, the community evolve, and experience great challenges. The history and attachment to the characters and culture deepen quickly.

But, could I wait to read the new book until I finished the first 18 books? Absolutely not. Yep... I do not follow my own advice!

As a result, when I started Fox Creek, it was a bit of a time warp for me to jump from Book 7 to Book 19. But once I got my bearings, I was quickly into the adventure of this new installment.

At the heart of this series is William Kent Krueger's love of the Boundary Waters region and his deep interest and respect for the Native American culture. Each one of his books always leaves me with a new chapter in American history that I had no previous knowledge of... And folks, we need to learn.

Because the darker forces of this world are learning something faster than the rest of us… Small shifts can add up to big changes. Their new weapon of choice? Patience.

With Fox Creek, I closed the last page with my head spinning as to what this story reveals from past history... what it reflects on current history... and what it foretells.

Perfect for readers who want a thrilling adventure filled with twists and turns... while exploring the twists and turns of who we are as human beings.

With the added layer of the mystical Native American understanding of how the divine works among us, I hope you will find truths that will provide guidance... and ultimately your own understanding of how small shifts can add up to big changes... ✨😎✨

Pages: 400
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Mystery Series
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Minnesota | Boundary Waters Region

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Cork O'Connor Series by William Kent Krueger (Read in order!)
♡ T.I.M.E. TIP: Although it is a cumulative series, you can read this book series as standalone books… But, I recommend reading the series in order for the best reading experience... ✨😎✨
TV Series: Wallander

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In Fox Creek, William Kent Krueger weaves a thrilling adventure story with deep insights into the human condition.

The novel centers on the character of Cork O'Connor, a former sheriff who now does occasional private investigative work. And Henry Meloux, a 100 year old healer who has recently had a vision of his own death.

When a young woman named Dolores Morriseau comes to Henry seeking shelter and advice. Along with his niece (who is also Cork's wife), Henry agrees to help her but they all soon find themselves in the middle of a life or death hunt from hunters who are after Delores for unknown reasons involving her husband.

They set out into the Boundary Waters wilderness to try and find a safe haven for Dolores. Along the way, they must outwit the hunters who are hot on their trail, while also dealing with the challenges posed by the harsh wilderness.

Meanwhile, Cork and his son are desperately trying to find them before it is too late.

Throughout the novel, Krueger expertly weaves in themes of love, loss, hope, and redemption. And ultimately provides a powerful reminder of the importance of championing kindness in the world we live in.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• The importance of championing kindness in the world we live in.
• How small shifts can add up to big changes, both good and bad.
• The history of the Native American culture in the landscape of American history.

BOOK QUOTE:
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." — Fox Creek | William Kent Krueger

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Cork O’Connor Mystery never disappoints!
A man shows up a Cork’s looking for his wife Delores, she is supposed to have gone looking for Henry Meloux. Cork as always cautions tells the man he’ll see what he can do. And this sets a whole chase into action, which sees Henry (age 100 years plus) heading into the Boundary Waters, with his niece (Cork’s wife) Rainy with the Delores. Cork follows in and doesn’t know where they are heading or how many people are chasing Henry and company. In the meantime, Stephen (Cork’s son) is working on why people are after Dolores. Both Henry and Stephen have had visions of Henry’s death is this trip the end?
As always well writing, great inside and respect to the Indigenous people, their faith, their way of life.

Henry is preparing for the end of his life. But, as usual, life throws a curve ball and Henry ends up protecting a woman on the run and Cork must do everything in his power to find out why someone is chasing this woman. This could have deadly outcome if Cork does not succeed.

Henry is one of my favorite characters in any series. He ranks right up there with Agent Pendergast. Henry is as old as dirt and everyone in the whole novel expects him to die any day. But, Henry being Henry, continues to show everyone his strength and his Indian ways…and these are not to be laughed at.

This story had me guessing which way it was going to go! And believe me, it could have gone many different directions. I love a story which twists around and leads the reader on a merry chase! And this one definitely does that!

This is number 18 or 19 in the Cork O’Conner series. Amazon has it at 19, Goodreads has it as 18. When you get this many…it may be time to stop. And I really believe that is why I only gave this 4 stars. I absolutely love this author. And no, I have not even come close to reading all these in this series. But, I am already kinda of tired of them. But, I guess if it’s selling books for this author he will continue to keep this series alive.

Need a good mystery/thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I love the way William Kent Krueger writes and I've always preferred his standalone books, but Fox Creek is my favorite of the Cork O'Connor series. Fox Creek reads like a slow burn - it's a mystery/thriller, but it's also about family relationships, discovery, and gives insight into the Indigenous community around Fox Creek. I look forward to the next one and really anything written by WKK.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow, what a riveting story! William Kent Krueger knows how to write books that pull you in from the very beginning. Fox Creek is the 18th book in his Cork O’Connor mystery series. I’ve only read the first few in the series and was a little nervous about jumping right to this latest one, but it worked just fine (although I did find out about the death of a semi-main character that must have happened in one of the earlier books I haven’t yet read). It could work as a standalone, but of course you’d have missed some of the backstory.

A good portion of the book is a detailed game of cat and mouse in the fabulously described Northwoods of Minnesota. No one quite knows why, but a number of men are after a woman, Dolores, who has come to the area to seek the help of the aged Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux. Henry, with Dolores and Rainy, Cork’s wife, leads these men on a “merry chase” due to his amazing knowledge of the woods. It was fascinating to read about everything that was happening from three different viewpoints: Cork, Rainy and the tracker called Wolf, always in the third person, but from their POV. Fairly late in the book, we do find out why these men were after Dolores and what her husband Lou was so worried about. Don’t miss the Author’s Note at the end!

As always, Krueger informs the reader about aspects of Native culture, in a beautiful way, and makes me want to visit this part of the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the author’s 19th book in his Cork O’Connor series. Cork is no longer the sheriff in Aurora, Minnesota, but he works as a private investigator and runs a well-known hamburger joint.

Henry Meloux is a 105-year-old Ojibwe mide (pronounced mid-day: a healer and mystic). He has been a close friend and advisor of Cork for decades. Now both Henry and Cork’s son have seen a vision of Henry’s death.

Dolores Morriseau has come to Henry, hoping he can help heal her marriage. With the help of Rainy Bisonette (Cork’s wife and also a healer), the three are working toward that goal when they suddenly take flight into the boundary waters.

Cork and others soon follow as mercenaries pursue Henry and the women, and the mysteries surrounding this chase expand and deepen.

Followers of this series will find this book to be a great addition. And even if you are a newcomer, you will enjoy this book ... and then probably wonder if you should start reading the first book in the series, "Iron Lake".

Fox Creek might be the best book in the Cork O’Connor series so far. I’ve read them all and the pacing and switching between points of view in this book drew me in even more than before. Fans of William Kent Krueger’s earlier works will love the familiar characters, but new readers will find that this book stands on its own as well. Fox Creek takes place mainly in and around Aurora, Minnesota, a fictional town near the Boundary Waters Wilderness. There is no shortage of action as Cork, his family, and his friends try to nail down a new mystery that has visited their lives. With trips to suburban Minneapolis and into Canada, the action kept me turning pages well past my bedtime and I highly recommend this a book to all mystery lovers. Even though I have enjoyed all of Krueger’s past novels, after reading Fox Creek I intend to go back and read the entire Cork O’Connor series again. I look forward to the 20th in the series, hopefully coming in 2023!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for giving be the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.

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.

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.

The 19th book in the Cork O’Conner series is as fresh as the first book. The fully developed main characters continue to grow to meet new challenges and the new characters are a welcome addition . A fast paced plot, told from multiple perspectives kept me reading late into the night. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy.

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.

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.