This moving story combines mystery, police procedural, and rich characters to tell a story set in a Minnesota small town in the 1950s.

The story begins on Memorial Day, where during the town celebration the body of a wealthy landowner, Jimmy Quinn, is discovered. Sheriff Brody Dern leads the investigation, which takes many turns along the way, complicated by vicious rumors and prejudice against a Native American WWII vet. William Kent Krueger does another wonderful job at not only telling a compelling story, but also continuing to help readers understand the complicated history our society has with prejudice against Native Americans and others as well as the lasting trauma of war. As a lifelong resident of Minnesota, it was also interesting to get such a glimpse of life here in the 1950s.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book. Definitely recommend this book!

William Kent Kruger is a great writer. This was a wonderful book. I read it straight through. Loved it!

After the body of Jimmy Quinn washes up on the banks of the Alabaster River, the people of Jewel work together to find out who killed him. As usual, William Kent Krueger's writing was phenomenal. The writing was so descriptive that I felt like I was there in Jewel, Minnesota. The characters were so unique and complex. I really loved that this novel has a little bit of everything, mystery, suspense, romance, history, coming of age.

Everyone loves this author so I was determined to give him a go. Sometimes I think popular authors just aren’t for me, and it may have to do with the setting.

With his signature writing style and insightful portrayal of both the natural world and the people who reside there, William Kent Krueger pens another gem that will stay with me for a long time. It’s the late 1950s, and the fictional town of Jewel, Minnesota is commemorating Memorial Day to honor those who died in the country’s various wars. Wealthy resident Jimmy Quinn’s bullet-filled body is found floating half naked in the Alabaster River, and Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated veteran who bears both internal and external scars from World War II, is tasked with solving Quinn’s murder. Around town, rumors fly that the murderer is Noah Bluestone, a Native American veteran who has recently come home to Jewel with a Japanese wife. The River We Remember portrays small-town life following war and tragedy as well as the many ways people seek to heal from both. This beautiful depiction of mid-century American life will resonate with anyone who loves a well-told story.

I’m a big fan of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, but for some reason, I hadn’t read one of his standalone novels until now. The River We Remember has us back in 1958 in a small town in southern Minnesota.

When a local man is found dead in the local river, it sets off a chain of events. Lots of people had good reason to dislike Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy landowner, so there are plenty of possible suspects. However, one man is the focus of much of the suspicion, Noah Bluestone, a Native American, who also had the temerity to bring home a Japanese wife at the end of World War II. So there’s plenty of racism and prejudice among the townsfolk. Sheriff Brody Dern tries to keep things under control. He’s a war hero with dark secrets that he keeps inside. Krueger writes great characters, including the two already mentioned, a woman lawyer, a newspaper man, the diner owner and her young teen son, and more. Over the course of the book, secrets and personal histories come to light.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book, although I was rather late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, C.J. Wilson, did a terrific job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.

“More than anything else, we're made of mistakes. But you know what? We always have a second chance.”

Kreuger has a talent for embodying both the charm and the unfortunate underbelly of small-town life. Set in the 1950s, this book is set in small-town Minnesota like Kreuger's previous books. This book follows suit on previous works, hitting on themes around racism, roles in small-town dynamics, and how actions (big and small) can have long-reaching impacts. If Andy Griffith hadn't shied away from heavier themes of racism, sexual assault including on children, and the long-term impacts that fighting in a war can have on a person ... you'd have a TV version of this book. The ending made me equal parts sad and content, but I don't think any ending to this story would have or could have been happy. None of the characters was 100% easy to love, but that's what I love about Kreuger's books - the characters aren't any more perfect than humans are in real life. Their redemption arcs - or lack thereof - were part of the charm of this book too.

On the subject of racism, I've seen a few reviews that questioned the racism in the book especially given Kreuger isn't a lifelong native. Saying that this type of thing was more likely to have happened in the South. Is that true? Maybe, but maybe not. I grew up Indian-American in suburban Minnesota and we certainly knew that there were a lot of places we should enter carefully or not at all. I was often asked whether I was a "dot Indian" or a "feather Indian / teepee Indian" as a child. So I can assure you that racism was alive and well in Minnesota even in the 1990s, and nothing that happened in this book felt like that much of a stretch to me. We see a lot of overt racism and racial slurs here, but also some more subversive and unconscious racism, which also felt realistic to me because I do believe that a fair amount of racism that I faced growing up in Minnesota was probably unconscious bias (though that didn't make it any nicer to experience).

This is a heavy book, but it's a beautiful book in how it reflects on the way humans behave and interact - and what we will do for the ones we love.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

"The River We Remember" was a wonderful read. Mystery mixed with a range of social issues. A horrible man was found in the river. The sheriff knows this will cause a lot of issues if it's considered murder. Set in the late 50s in southern Minnesota, there is much post traumatic stress syndrome in the community. Throw some racial tension between a Native American veteran and his Japanese wife into the mix and the community could be torn apart. It keeps you guessing.

A masterful lesson of creating emotion from of the most powerful storytellers there is today! Highly recommended as everything WKK touches is great!

Krueger does not disappoint! This s book had me captivated from the start! This sweeping tale was beautifully written and gripping. I wanted to get in to this book and be with characters and setting. So glad I got to read it.

Minnesota in the 1950's, a small town along the Alabaster River. One of the wealthiest landowners in town is found dead in the river. The rest of the book follows several townspeople as they navigate the aftermath of this death. The sheriff, trying to solve the case, the lawyer defending the man accused, a young boy who gets caught up in a tangle of friendship and loyalty. I loved this tight-knit small town, how it was so picturesque from the outside, but hid secret upon secret that unraveled as the novel progressed. It's maybe a bit of a murder mystery, but more than that, it's a picture rural America after World War II, with all it's prejudices, politics and values. I really enjoyed it.

William Kent Krueger does it again. What a solid read when the beautifully written characters - historical fiction has been hit or miss for me lately, but as a Minnesotan I'm glad I picked this one up.

Jimmy Quinns body is found eaten by catfish in the river. All clues point to the Noah Bluestone a Native American and WWII Veteran. Jimmy Quinn was a powerful land owner with many people who are glad he is dead. Brody is the town sheriff tasked with finding the truth.
There are a lot of characters and a lot of backstory before getting to the thrilling aspect of the book. The last 25% is really good. The first 75% is building everything up for the good part. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the copy.

4.5 stars

I’m a huge fan of William Kent Krueger, and this story embodies everything I love about his style of writing.

Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero, is investigating the murder of Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy landowner who was found floating in the river. Rumors spread that Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who just returned to town with a Japanese wife, is responsible for the murder. Dern struggles to find the truth while battling demons his past — a common theme amongst the characters in this story. But what is everyone in town hiding and why has Quinn’s death threatened to expose them?

Overall, I thought this was a great story. It flowed well, grabbed my attention from the get-go, and had really intriguing yet flawed characters. The author did a great job of developing the small-town, post-WWII setting and bringing it to life it through its local inhabitants, but it was their turbulent relationships that really set the tone of this shocking tale. Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Once again, an enjoyable mystery with a strong sense of time and place from William Kent Krueger. In this standalone novel, Krueger once again creates a small-town Minnesota setting that feels real, without veering into stereotype or over the top-ness. The characters in this novel, especially Sheriff Dern and Noah Bluestone, elevate this beyond the average police procedural mystery. I liked how Krueger used the story to touch on themes and currents present in post-war America in literary and thoughtful ways.

This was a slog for me. I started reading the ebook months ago and about half way through put it down. There was nothing happening and too many characters for me to keep track of. I kept falling asleep while reading it and had no motivation to sit down and read. Then I got the audiobook version and so I listened to it while doing other tasks around my house. I will say part 2 (right around when I put down the ebook) was much better, or maybe it was a book that was better suited for audiobook. Still not a ton happened until the very end. I didn't particularly like many of the characters, and I found it odd that the epilogue was all told from Charlie's perspective, since they didn't even make an appearance until the second half. Maybe someone that grew up in a rural part of the country would enjoy this book more? I was really dissapointed because I liked William Kent Krueger's previous novel so much, it was exciting and unpredictable, and this one just wasn't that.

I am a huge fan of William Kent Kruger! His books never disappoint. I have introduced his work to my high school students that are members of our book club. In turn, they are recommending his books to their friends. I already have a waiting list for The River We Remember! Thank you Netgalley

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

I haven't read a William Kent Krueger book that I didn't absolutely fall in love with. His descriptions and characters are utterly amazing and memorable. The River We Remember did not disappoint.

A murder in the sleepy little town of Jewell, Minnesota rocks the community to its core. And everyone has their own opinion as to why it happened and who is responsible. Some of those strong opinions put other people in danger until the guilty party is apprehended. And it takes some serious investigation to get through the suspect list.

This exciting page-turner had me glued to the pages as Krueger's wonderful writing soothed my soul. I am constantly amazed at the way that he can put words together to create such beautiful, soulful stories. I loved The River We Remember and highly recommend it. And if you have not read Krueger's books yet, you don't know what you are missing. He is one of my must-read authors.

Just like other books I’ve read by Krueger, this was one that was hard to put down yet I can’t put my finger on exactly what about it made it so gripping. The story felt so real but at times I felt there was a lot happening and it was hard to keep track of the characters. Overall I thought it was a really powerful story that really had me thinking. I also always love a strong female character and think Charlie was a perfect female lawyer in the time period and setting. Thank you Net Galley for the arc of this book.