This was my first William Kent Krueger novel and I honestly didn’t know what to expect as I went into this one blind (as I do with most books I read). While the story is a murder mystery the book is too beautifully written to really be called that – it is a small-town character study – almost like a painting. There are so many characters in this novel I can’t even begin to bring them justice in this synopsis.

James Quinn is found in the river and the town sheriff, Brody has to solve the mystery as to who has killed this disliked, often violent man. Most of the town wants to believe that Noah Bluestone, a Native American is the culprit (it is the 1950s in small town America and racism encompasses many small-minded views). The novel goes into every character’s backstory until, by the end, we find out who has killed James Quinn.

Because this is a character-driven novel, it is not a fast-moving mystery/thriller. While truly beautifully written, a reader has to be ready for a long read. I am fast reader and this took a while for me. You have to care about the story to read this one because it is a slow-paced book. I personally cared and because of that I really enjoyed it. I am so glad I picked this one, I will be thinking about it for a long time.

4.5 stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC

I loved William Kent Krueger's novel, Ordinary Grace, and I have been looking for another book of that caliber ever since. I am thrilled to say I found it in The River We Remember.

The plot is a murder mystery, but that genre doesn't capture the beauty of the novel. Krueger writes a tightly woven story about who may have murdered James Quinn, but he really shines in his character development. Although there is a large cast of characters, they are fleshed out so that they are genuine, flawed and vulnerable. From Sheriff Brody Dern to small town lawyer Charlie to Angie the cafe owner and her son, I knew these characters so well that they felt like friends I didn't want to leave behind.

As the sheriff investigates the death of James Quinn, we come to know the people who live in Jewel, Minnesota as well as what makes each one tick. As we learn each character's back story, we find out about their pain, trauma and dreams. Krueger writes with such an eloquent style; I found myself highlighting passages that were like poems. The resolution was fitting and satisfying though not happily ever after. I can't wait for his next stand alone novel.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

WKK always delivers, another great story although a bit more cutting edge than some of his other books. The nuances of post WW2 set in small town Minnesota with its already deeply instilled bias is especially poignant.

3.75☆

I love everything that William Kent Krueger writes, and The River We Remember is no exception. The story is a compelling mystery with wonderful character development. His descriptions and his way with words have no comparison. I made so many annotations of his beautiful language.

I also love that his novels are set in Minnesota, since this is also where I also live. This brings an added layer of enjoyment to his books for me, as I often recognize the places he describes, and recognize characteristics that are similar to people in my own small town.

William Kent Krueger is an author that just continues to improve with each novel he writes, and especially his stand alone novels.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title. I loved it and highly recommend it!

William Kent Krueger has a great way of writing stories and I think this is one of his best. The story takes place in rural Jewel, Minnesota in 1958, where we meet the residents and find out some of their secrets. The characters were described so well that you could keep a picture in your mind of each of them. We see how they interact with each other; some good, some bad, just like in our own lives. The River We Remember reminds us that we all do good and bad and sometimes the line between them is barely visible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance copy. This is a great book!

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this book which is set to be published on September 5, 2023. The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger is set in the small town of Jewel, Minnesota in the late fifties. It is an enthralling mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. I read it in two evenings. Krueger beautifully portrays the characters and the setting. I can highly recommend this book! I have read several of Krueger's standalone novels and this one is definitely my favorite.

What happens when the richest man in town is found dead in the river?

The year is 1958, & Jewel, Minnesota has suddenly lost its wealthiest resident, a man that not many people cared to interact with. With suspects plentiful, Sheriff Brody (a war hero who came back to his hometown & found a job in law enforcement) has his work cut out for him. Was it an accident? Suicide? Murder? Many local townspeople are convinced the man responsible for the murder is WWII veteran Noah Bluestone, who also happens to be Native American & has a Japanese wife named Kyoko. In addition to the accused, his wife, & the sheriff, we have a myriad of characters in town that we get to know throughout the story, & whose lives (& secrets) become irreversibly intertwined in the aftermath of the gruesome watery discovery.

Krueger does an amazing job of immersing you in the time period & the location of this story - the Minnesota farm ground & rivers came alive, & the portrayal of the culture & mindset of rural America in the wake of several different wars was crucial to the plot. I really enjoyed the Iowa references here & there, & love that Charlie the lawyer met Steinbeck during her time representing migrant workers in California. The idea that many lives can be described as both broken & blessed was expressed & explored beautifully in this book. Some of this was tough to read so be sure to check the content warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely stunning, magnificent and amazing!!! Not enough words to describe how wonderful this book is!!!

In 1958 in Jewel, Minnesota the town’s most prominent citizen is found dead in the Alabaster River. The death of Jimmy Quinn affects every person in the town and this absolutely breathtaking story explores the lives of the townspeople and how they all are connected to this murder and to each other.

William Kent Kruger is an auto-buy author for me and I will think about this story for a long time!!!

I enjoyed The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger very much. Some sentences and paragraphs were so beautifully written, I read and reread them. Like most of Kreuger's novels, this story is character driven with the town of Jewel, Minnesota being as much a character Tas any person. Everyone in it was so fleshed out, I would enjoy a story about each one. I don't think I have ever read a novel set in the late fifties in a small town after the Korean War and WWII. I think the main takeaway of this story is human beings are such flawed individuals while also being capable of great redemption. Lots of times when I finish a book, I have a hard time thinking who I would recommend it to, with this I can't think of who I wouldn't recommend it to.

The River We Remember

4.5 ⭐️

If you’re into historical fiction mysteries, you definitely need to check this one out.

Set in a small Minnesota town in the late 50s, a murder brings to light events across the entire town as the story unfolds. This book has so many tough topics like racism, abuse, and rape.

The story was a bit slow to start but so moving once you get into it and get to know all of the characters. Definitely look for it when it comes out, September 5th!

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

I received a digital ARC from Atria and NetGalley and feel honored to have the opportunity to have read and write a review for The River We Remember. What an outstanding book. Set in 1958, rural Minnesota, I felt like I was there. Brody is the town sherif and has sworn to protect the innocent. James Quinn is found dead, eaten by catfish in the Alabaster River. Besides Brody, there is only a deputy and a couple of retired lawmen. The death of James Quinn is felt through the town and sides are chosen. Most men of the town seem to be veterans of wars. Most of them white, some of them honorable, some are lost souls, some are downtrodden and the dregs of society. Popular consensus in the town is that it must have been Noah, a Native American who dared to bring home a Japanese wife. Brilliantly written, Krueger, gave me a feeling for all the characters in this book--bad and good--and set them all up with human frailties. I could not put this book down. Five star read.

Memorial Day 1958. The citizens of Jewel, MN, gather to remember those killed in the country's wars. But the festivities are interrupted when the body of a wealthy but unpopular resident is found floating in the river. Suicide, accident or murder? If it's murder, sheriff Brody Dern has no shortage of suspects, since many locals had good reason to hate the man.

This is a stand-alone novel, like This Tender Land, not part of the author's mystery series. The plot is complicated and there are a lot of characters with detailed backstories, so many that I started keeping a list with their relation to the victim. The mystery almost takes a backseat to the characters themselves and the history connected to the place they call home. Ultimately the story is about the human condition that we all share - almost all of the characters experience some kind of loneliness or alone-ness, and many are still traumatized by the wars of the 20th century. Maybe not quite as good as This Tender Land, but this still a remarkable novel. Highly recommended.

The River We Remember
By William Kent Krueger

This book begins with the death of the "big man about town", Jimmy Quinn. Quinn is the richest and most influential man in the county – and a bully, feared by many, and convinced of his own right to do anything and everything he wants. So Jimmy's death is not greatly mourned and the persons of interest in his killing are many.

Solving the murder is tricky, but that is only one theme of this book. As more and more characters are introduced, the reader begins to understand what Mr. Krueger means by the title. As the story develops, the river represents the flow of life – and each character has his or her own take and what the river means from their own perspectives.

There are lessons to be learned here, about love and forgiveness; about how hatred destroys both the hated and the hater; about how clear understanding may lead to the best option being silence. The characters all share good and bad traits. After all, they are just human. And, as in previous works, the author manages to make even his most difficult characters worthy of a little understanding and maybe even empathy. Mr. Krueger, that is truly a gift.

I loved this book!

Book Review: The River We Remember, William Kent Krueger ⁣
⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
⁣
It’s Memorial Day, 1958, and the people of Jewel, Minnesota are gathered to honor their fallen heroes, when Jimmy Quinn is found entangled in the driftwood along the turn of the Alabaster River. Quinn was a powerful land owner and not much loved by his community. It is up to Brody Dern, a reluctant war hero and the Sheriff of Black Earth County, to find the killer before long held prejudices and resentments boil over. Immediate suspicion is laid on Noah Bluestone, a Native American and war veteran. There is history between Bluestones’ family and the land Quinn laid claim to. It does not help Noah that he returned from the war with a Japanese wife. Even more confusing to Brody, and suspicious to the towns folk, is that Noah refuses to speak on the charges laid against him. Sheriff Brody is fond of Noah and believes in his innocence, but can he get to the truth of the matter before another tragedy occurs?⁣
⁣
Once again Krueger has written a beautifully landscaped and emotionally rich novel depicting the complexities of human nature. His characters are nuanced and flawed, each harboring their own personal histories and secrets as they struggle in the aftermath of WWII. I was immersed in this story and invested in the conflicts of Jewel’s citizens. On the surface, The River We Remember is about a crime, but most importantly it is about family sacrifice, home, small town life, the lasting wounds of war, abuse of power, xenophobia and the resilience of the human spirit. If you like a novel that slowly unwinds, is rich in character development and authentically depicts small town life, then you will not be disappointed. ⁣
⁣
TW: physical violence, PTSD, sexual abuse, incest, sexual assault.⁣
⁣
My thanks to the author @WilliamKentKrueger, @AtriBooks and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

William Kent Krueger is an exceptional storyteller. His characters are complex and yet believeble. This is a masterfully written mystery that I hard a difficult time putting down.
"Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from out beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about our past."
Thank you to NetGalley, William Kent Krueger, and Atria Books for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

The Alabaster River runs through Jewel, a small southern Minnesota town where William Kent Krueger weaves his story amongst a legendary river that possesses a powerful spirit for the native Sioux and the residents who now live next to it. Taking place in 1958, a shocking murder occurs in this expertly crafted story which captivates the reader and leads to false accusations, prejudice and turmoil in this small river town on the prairie. As in all his other novels, Krueger expertly creates each character with love, devotion, and many flaws, where their past experiences mold them into what they’ve become. Throughout the story, the reader will try to guess how the murder happened and who is involved, as many of the town residents are under suspicion. Krueger is a master storyteller and creates vivid scenes for the reader in great detail and draws you into the story with twists and turns in the plot that can throw off your guesses. A favorite author of mine, I appreciate the chance to read and review Krueger’s latest stand-alone book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reading copy.

Krueger is a master storyteller, a master at character development, and a master at drawing the character of the flawed hero. He does all of that and more in the prose of The River We Remember. I think this one even better than his The Tender Land. Set in 1958, our flawed hero is the sheriff of a small Minnesota farming community who is investigating the murder of the county’s most influential and wealthy citizen, who is also a drunken power hungry bully. So many of these characters would be cliched hacks if not in this author’s deft hands. Troubled veterans of WWII and Korean, town drunks, the lone Black man, widows with hearts of gold but troubled pasts, and ultimately the suspected killer is a Dakota Sioux man with a Japanese wife. Just to name a few.

I am not a big fan of final chapter “wrap ups” but this one is well written and brought on emotion. Also not a big plan of blurbs/synopsis that are so often exploitive and inaccurate but this line kind of sums up this novel for me, “a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.”

Great book, WKK, what’s next?

Another beautiful book by William Kent Krueger. Heartbreaking and tender. His writing always makes you feel something! I LOVED this book so much!

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Atria books for providing me with the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of "The River We Remember" by William Kent Krueger.

While the core of this narrative revolves around a murder mystery, this book encompasses much more. It delves into the intricacies of small towns, racism, and rage. As a Minnesota resident with familial ties to Southwestern Minnesota myself, the portrayal of Jewel, Minnesota, and its inhabitants resonated very authentically with me. As I have with Kent's previous works, I relished every single moment within the pages of this book, and I'm truly delighted to have experienced it ahead of its release.

The River We Remember is a beautifully rendered story set in Jewel, Minnesota. As in many towns power, racism, rage and kindness are all present. Each character is carefully developed and important to the story. I was captivated from the beginning. The River We Remember is a very worthy read.