When the richest man in town's body is discovered eaten by catfish in the local river, a chain of events begins that brings to light long-held secrets and the beauty and cruelty of life. Krueger once again writes a beautiful novel full of descriptive settings and characters who are all human, built from flaws and strengths that remind the reader to live life to the fullest.

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger is a character-driven novel set in a small Minnesota town in 1958 where the wealthiest man in the county has been found dead in a river bend. Almost all who knew him had reason to dislike him. Focusing on several characters, all of whom have traumatic life experiences, makes the actual mystery of who might have murdered the man take a backseat. Some characters, like the endearing teen Scott who was born with heart issues, don't serve the narrative focus and force a predictable ending.. When Noah Bluestone, a Dakota Sioux, is arrested for the crime, the prejudices of many residents reveal themselves. Unlike Krueger’s previous stand-alone books, this one feels forced in pushing issues over plot. The novel’s heavy-handed treatment of several topics including PTSD, alcoholism, misogyny, and sexual assault makes the story feel almost incidental.

Ebook/Mystery: I want to thank Netgalley for a copy of the book. Since this is an ARC, I will only tell you how I felt about the book with no spoilers.
This is the second Krueger I've read. The first one was modern day mystery in first person. This one is a storyteller's account of a murder investigation back in the 1950s. Most of the town's men are WWII vets and really messed up. The town has lots of secrets. Everyone dislikes the murder victim. I read this very quickly. The book can get confusing because the reader has to remember everyone's issues, lies, and drama.

I was given an advance copy from NetGalley in return of an honest review. The following opinions are my own!

OKAY. First off, 4.5 stars.
So this one…. I texted my girlfriend and was like “terry, this book requires you to read every single word [speed readers where you at] but I’m loving it” and that was like 30 pages in. As I read, I was so so so immersed in the story I hardly sensed time passing.

This novel is so well done. The characters have issues, they have depth, they have moral struggles. They run the gamut of likable to annoying to heartbreakingly human.

This was my first WKK book so I have nothing to compare it to, but holy cannoli it was good. I hate writing reviews where you just summarize the story - that’s what the book jacket is for, so I’ll leave you with this:

This book makes you feel like everything else you’ve read this year is twaddle. CANT WAIT TO BUY THIS ONE.

The River We Remember is an excellent book, like every other William Kent Krueger book that I’ve had the pleasure to read. I finished it in just over a day because I could not resist the draw of seeing how the tale unfolded. For those that have read Krueger’s other books, the pacing and tension will be familiar. Even though the setting is southwestern Minnesota instead of northern Minnesota, there’s still a localized mysterious crime spree and a dutiful, flawed sheriff (just not *that* sheriff) and the plot lines of all involved don’t come together until the end. I was guessing things wrongly throughout the entire book. I especially liked the epilogue that made it clear that this is a one-off, stand-alone book that requires no sequels by tying up loose ends that would have otherwise left me wondering. Krueger fans and those new to him that enjoy mysteries will all find this book enjoyable.

I was graciously lent an advance copy of this book by the publisher, Atria Books, through NetGalley. All opinions and ratings are my own.

I am a big fan of William Kent Krueger. And while, this wasn't quite This Tender Land, it was still a fantastic novel that I will remember . The Minnesota setting is one of the things that really draws me to his novel and that is certainly true in this novel. This is a crime novel, that sort of reminded me of Law and Order. Part 1 mostly focused on the local sheriff arresting the suspect, while part 2 mostly followed the defense attorney. But it was so much more than that. Each character is reveled layer by layer to become deep and complex people. While I didn't necessarily like what some of the characters were doing, by the end, I deeply cared for this community and those who are a part of it.

The son of a b*tch needed killing! While you can't justify murder with that defense, it is human nature to agree with the sentiment. Such is the case in the murder of Jimmy Quinn. In 1958, his body is found floating in the Alabaster River in Black Earth County, near Jewel, Minnesota. Jimmy Quinn "was a man of appetites. Land, money, power, sex." His death caused little mourning among his family, employees, and neighbors.

Sheriff Brody Dern wants the whole thing to go away, but soon, a local Dakota Sioux Indian is arrested for his murder. Noah Bluestone, along with his Japanese wife, had been recently fired by Jimmy Quinn. Noah refuses to plea nolo contendere (no contest) or to participate anyway in his defense. That leaves Sheriff Dern as well as Noah's court-appointed attorney on their own to figure out why. Along the way, many others in the small town are deeply affected by the prejudice surrounding the Bluestones.

William Kent Krueger slowly draws the reader into this story about justice, virtue, and redemption. This isn't an action-packed mystery but is still a very enjoyable read. There are some sexually related trigger warnings, including rape.

William Kent Krueger is truly a masterful storyteller. His latest is told over the course of the summer of 1958 when the body of a universally despised man washes up on the banks of the Alabaster River in Jewel, Minnesota.

Through the investigation we meet countless Jewel residents, many with strong motives for the murder of Jimmy Quinn. We meet veterans, widows, and people just searching for their place in the world.

Krueger writes about the natural world in such a visceral way; you smell the wet earth after a summer rain and vividly picture the mysterious waters of the Alabaster that hold small-town secrets. Krueger’s ability to craft nuanced characters facing formative events is unmatched.

If you liked THIS TENDER LAND and ORDINARY GRACE (two of my all time favorites) you’ll feel right at home here.

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)

I was really excited to get an early copy of this because I absolutely love @williamkentkrueger 's writing, and this completely lived up to my expectations! It's an absolutely beautiful story that on its face is about a small-town sheriff trying to determine why a man has died (or solve a murder as everyone else immediately jumps to.) It has wonderful characters, and deals with some heavy issues (beyond murder). I was engrossed so quickly, and while I found the resolution of the death interesting, I would have kept reading no matter what happened.

The River We Remember is a mystery set in the fifties. The blurb fascinated me, and therefore I eagerly started to read the story.

William Kent Kreuger’s captivating writing took me to a small village in Minnesota in the fifties and gave me a vivid insight into the small-town life of that period. The pacing is sometimes a bit slow, maybe because of the slower life back then? On the other hand there are many side characters with all kinds of secrets that no one likes to reveal and therefore the story doesn’t get boring. William Kent Krueger investigates themes such as racism, love, abuse, loss, and especially PTSD. This book pictures people who got mentally hurt in the past (most of all the war), in different forms, from Felix, who constantly talks about the war and gets drunk whenever he can, to Brody, who holds his tongue about all the horrible ways there are for people to die. I really liked how the author handled PTSD in the story, and I loved the end and the epilogue.

I think fans of William Kent Krueger will love this. Having read his stand alone novel Ordinary Grace, I can see the humanity he brings to all of his characters in this new novel as well. I thought the writing was very good but not his best. Did any sensitivity readers take a look at this book? There are a few places where I questioned the tone of voice. Although I could see where it was trying to be historical fiction, I felt it could have been worded differently.

Set in the fictional town of Jewel, MInnesota in 1958, The River We Remember is so much more than the mystery it revolves around. The story opens with the suspicious death of Jimmy Quinn, a local rich land owner and town bully so despised that numerous people probably would like to see him dead, including our main character, Brody Dern, the local sheriff and WWII veteran who is struggling with secrets from his past. In fact, most of the characters are struggling with secrets and past trauma. Krueger's storytelling is atmospheric, emotional, and powerful. The story and the beautiful writing drew me in immediately, and as compelling as it is, I knew I needed to take it in more slowly and appreciate Krueger's masterful storytelling.

l loved the epilogue that wrapped things up and lets the reader know what happens to these much loved characters.

Highly recommend for any reader, but especially WKK fans and readers who appreciate a story with as much character as plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Simultaneously heart-breaking and life-affirming, The River We Remember is another triumph for William Kent Krueger. Set in 1958, the book is packed with characters who are damaged in some way--from war wounds (both physical and mental), secrets from their past that they don't want revealed, brutality from family members, bigotry, and so on. Most lead an honest, hard-scrabble life in small-town Minnesota, doing everything they can to survive, if not thrive. Jimmy Quinn, by comparison, is a wealthy man, and one that most people in his life have thought about killing at one time or another. But when he is found dead and naked by the Alabaster River, they all suspect a Native American man and his young Japanese wife, both of whom had been in Jimmy's employ.

The story is told mostly from the perspectives of Brody, the town's sheriff, and Charlie (aka Charlotte), the free-spirited attorney who tries her best to exonerate the defendant . My favorite character is Scott, a 14-year-old being raised along with his two sisters by a devoted single mother. He was born with a heart defect, but he doesn't let it stop him from trying to live his best life and do the right thing, sometimes in the face of overwhelming odds.

The author excels at writing powerful stories and creating unforgettable characters while evoking emotional responses from the readers. I particularly appreciated the epilogue narrated by the attorney, then in her nineties. It was mostly satisfying to learn where the characters ended up. Some finally achieved redemption, some couldn't overcome tragic lives, and some managed to follow their dreams.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This was my first book by this author, and now I am eager to read his others. His writing style is spare, which I actually found refreshing. His character development is excellent, and he kept me guessing right up to the end. Looking forward to recommending this book to our library patrons!

The River We Remember will become the next William Kent Krueger classic. A standalone novel, in the tradition of Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, this book provides the reader with a large cast of characters, a winding narrative, a small town, some history, and a reverence for the land and river. In fact, the river almost becomes a character in it's own right. It is setting for much of the drama, while the land provides the gentleness that readers will find reassuring. Setting is huge in Krueger's novels. We see the sky, smell the air and feel the impending storms.
A good author provides such setting for his characters. A good author gives his characters a back story, and then a hook to connect the them to the story. A good author sets up scenarios that are intense and reveals emotions equally so. A good author leaves us with thoughts to ponder, lessons to learn and quotes to recall.
William Kent Krueger is a good author. The River We Remember is a good book.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC. It was a true pleasure to read.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. William Kent Krueger has written two superior stand-alone novels, both of which I highly recommend: Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. The River We Remember is his latest stand-alone, and I was thrilled to receive an early copy to review. There are things that come up in Krueger's novels that appear in this one as well. For instance, a grisly murder takes place and we want to know who did it. We see some Native American history and legend woven into the fabric of the story. Midwestern, white prejudice towards those considered "outsiders" creates a false narrative, and underdogs become heroes. Another thread is that "family" doesn't just mean people who share DNA. While all of these connect to Krueger's other successful novels, for some reason, this one was slow to hook me in. By about the last third I was glued, but it felt long getting there. I liked this one, but loved the others.

In 1958, the town of Jewell, Minnesota is shaken by the death of wealthy farmer Jimmy Quinn. Although no one particularly liked Quinn, the townspeople are quick to pin the apparent murder on Noah Bluestone. His Sioux Indian heritage and marriage to Japanese wife Kyoto make him an easy target for those holding onto racial tensions resulting from World War II. Sheriff Brody Dern investigates what really happened to Quinn, as the evidence against Bluestone is solely circumstantial. Brody suffers from his own demons after returning from the war, and the investigation brings up memories that he’d rather forget.

William Kent Krueger is a talented storyteller. He gives such life to the characters and places in his novels. The River We Remember was layered and deep. It included themes of racism, trauma, family secrets, and infidelity. Although it took me a few chapters to get into the story, soon it was hard to put down. I not only wanted to learn who killed Jimmy Quinn and why, but also hoped to better understand Brody, Charlie, and the Bluestones. There were several storylines throughout the novel, but the author tied them together well and they all added to the overall plot. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for an ARC of The River We Remember in exchange for an honest review!

If you are new to stand-alone books by William Kent Krueger, you are in for a treat. He definitely follows a formula, but his books are far from formulaic. In The River We Remember, we are presented with a cast of characters in small town Jewel, MN, in the aftermath of the murder of Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy and powerful landowner in the town, who is far from well liked. Brody Dern, the sheriff of the town is one of the main narrators of the book, leading the investigation into the death of Jimmy, against his will.

What unfolds in this book is pure magic from William Kent Krueger, exploring the nature of small towns, and secrets that we keep from ourselves and our fellow townspeople. And for a small town, Jewel has plenty of secrets, with several of them coming to light over the course of the book.

As with his previous stand-alone novels, the writing and characters pulled me in from the very beginning and I was hard pressed to put the book down at several points. Overall, I settled with a high 4 star rating simply because there were minor points where it felt the book dragged a bit and become a tad bit melodramatic. That said, I will certainly recommend this to my fellow readers.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

When I learned that William Kent Kruger had written another book, I immediately requested an ARC. I am not a big fan of murder mysteries but knowing this author’s talent and style of writing, I knew I would not be disappointed. And, I was not! Each chapter left me wanting to continue on.
This story is so much more than a murder mystery. It explores the good and the bad in human relationships. The characters are true to life. I did not want to say goodbye to any of them. I appreciated how the Epilogue brings closure and an explanation of what happens to these characters in the future. Kruger once again has created a five star book.

This is another solid stand alone from this author. Several fleshed out characters - I liked how they’re all connected. Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy.