This is a mystery that is actually more about the characters and its reflection of the reality of life for so many indigenous girls and women. The author does a great job with setting, with pacing, and with drawing out just the right amount of emotion as he delves into heavy topics like why some people seem born cruel and how to accept one’s inevitable death.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book even though I have not read the others in the series. It has such a strong sense of place and the characters were so well written. I really enjoyed the mystery as well as. How things ties together. There needs to be more attention on missing indigenous people.

This is the twentieth in the Cork O’Conner series, but can and was read as a standalone. Set in Northern Minnesota, Cork O’Conner’s family is bought in the crosshairs after a body of a missing indigenous women is found in a shallow grave. Unfortunately, no one seems to care except Cork and his family because it is not the white women the authorities were looking for.

This was my first Cork O’Conner book, but not my first book of Krueger. As per his other books, this is beautifully written with deeply intricate and thoughtful themes winding through the mystery adding to the staying power of the book. I love Krueger’s intimate knowledge of the native and indigenous people of Minnesota, the issues that they face and his intent to educate this in his books. While this is part of a large series, the cast of characters is manageable and I never felt lost or like I was missing anything. Overall, a great read that has provided impetus for me to add the rest of his series to TBR

When I received this widget, I did not realize it was a long standing a beloved crime mystery series. However, despite not having that additional background context, the story was not difficult to follow and includes a new case for readers to solve. I really enjoyed the multi-generational family the book centers on; from the grandfather, retired sheriff, to his son, a current law officer, and his grandson who is able to communicate with deceased spirits. The family works together to identify and solve the murders of two local missing indigenous girls. As the story builds, there is also a connection to a local pipeline protest that escalates to violence and has potential tie-ins to the case. Both propulsive and relevant to today's situations Native Americans face on their reservations, this crime mystery was a great read.

Spirit Crossing is #20 in the William Kent Kruger Cork O'Connor series. His novels continue to provide us with a rich sense of culture and spiritual aspects regarding the Ojibwe tribe living in Minnesota, while also providing us with mystery and suspense.
In this novel, Cork and a female detective are searching for a missing person along with the Ojibwe Tribal Police.
We also become more involved in Cork's family dynamics, as we find out his daughter Anne who previously wanted to become a nun, is returning home with her partner. The return visit brings news that will change all of their lives. Surprisingly, Cork's young grandson also becomes involved, and becomes the main focus of a heart wrenching crime that he needs to be protected from.
Environmental /political issues lead us further into a more thrilling plot that includes sex crimes and murder and William Kent Krueger delivers a sensational chase for justice.
It is important to note that the Author's Note, Acknowledgement and Resources are a must read. They provide us with the details of how carefully researched and and the insight to better understand how well crafted this story truly is. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eGalley of this fantastic novel.

Missing Voices

“To the far too many who have been murdered or are still missing. Let them never be forgotten.” – Epigraph to Spirit Crossing

In his twentieth installment of the Cork O’Connor family, in a fictitious murder-mystery, William Kent Krueger shines a light on a horrifyingly ignored issue– the disappearances and murders of indigenous women. Set in rural Minnesota, the white daughter of a state senator has been missing and when a body is discovered it causes a commotion– until it is determined the body is “only” a native girl. Now the federal government shows only a passing interest.

Cork O’Connor is a retired cop, part Irish and Anishinaabe Indian, who makes himself available to the Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police, where his son-in-law Daniel works. Daniel’s seven-year-old son, Waaboo, is the one who discovered the corpse. The boy is blessed, or cursed, with the gift of seeing and seeing the dead.

“She can’t find the path of souls,” Waaboo said.

Unfortunately, Waaboo is drawing the attention of the press. They want to run with the sensational story of the boy’s supernatural gift. Someone else is watching, too– the murderer who sees Waaboo as a threat to be eliminated.

The O’Connor family is also involved in tense demonstrations against the construction of an oil pipeline running through land sacred to the Ojibwe people, a place called Spirit Crossing.. land sacred to the Ojibwe people. The swelling presence of construction workers turns out to be a factor in the disappearance of some of the women.

There is another important theme. A family member has to face mortality, to come to grips with their own spirit crossing, to deal with their approaching journey down the path of souls. As the family reels from this news, they look to an old man for guidance. Henry Meloux, over a hundred years old, is a Mide– a healer. He is also there to counsel Waaboo with the boy's visions and voices.

This is an enjoyable murder-mystery chock full of solid characters and issues significant to Native Americans. The book’s importance is magnified by the voice it gives to thousands of victims both in the United States and Canada. A Canadian national inquiry labeled the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women a Canadian genocide. “4 out of 5 Native women are affected by violence today and American Indian women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average.” – Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

I have read and enjoyed a few of William Kent Krueger’s books– not sure I can add the previous 19 Cook O’Connor books to my TBR list, but there is the temptation…

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #SpiritCrossing #NetGalley #MMIW

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I love this Cork O'Connor series and each book is a gift. There is the diversity of cultures, and even different tribes of Native Americans. I easily recall the natural beauty of Minnesota. The family is a solid support to their community with Cork investigating lost and missing on his own time, a few members of the family pursuing religious work, and others law enforcement. Many social and environmental issues come to light in the pursuit of their daily lives.

In Spirit Crossing, the fight is against a pipeline ruining the unspoiled forests and waters of Minnesota. Waaboo is a native boy who was rescued and adopted by Cork's daughter, Jenny. When they all go blueberry picking, he has a vision and talks to a ghost which leads him to a dead body or two. There are a few Native teens missing but for two weeks the white teen daughter of a state senator teen has been missing.

Cork and numerous branches of law enforcement search for the missing girls and the killers of the bodies they have found. What they find is heart breaking. And the perpetrators don't want interference so they go after Waaboo and others that might unveil them.

The personal family story paired with these events include Stephen's wedding. Annie and her partner, Maria, come to Minnesota from Guatemala where she has seen some similar social justice issues in her work. Henry tries to counsel Waaboo to be strong and handle his gifts which he manages well for a 7 year old.

The combination of police investigations, diversity, native cultures, social and environmental issues, natural beauty, and family form a compelling read. I highly recommend this series and I would start at the beginning so as not to miss anything.

Human trafficking of Native people of Northern Minnesota is integral to the storyline. But there is so much more….family values, spiritualism, serious health issues and the environment. No one can write a story as deeply emotional while a mystery weaves through it like William Kent Krueger. I also like how the title of the book reflects the story line. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Spiritcrossing for advanced digital copy.

The Cork O'Connor series has been a favorite of mine for many years. I love how Krueger has developed the O'Connor family and the Indian friends. I originally listened to the series as a book on CD. I have actually read the last 2 or 3 books. It was nice to read the Indian words that I had heard for years. This book delves into the plight of missing and murdered girls on Indian reservations. The book is a great mystery weaving the lives of the law enforcement officers and the Indian and white civilians.

Is one missing girl more important than certain others?

In Tamarack County, Minnesota, the answer to that seems to be yes, at least in the eyes of some in law enforcement and the media. Olivia Hamilton is from a very wealthy family with strong political connections. She is also pretty and white, so despite her past history of getting into trouble it is big news when she sneaks off from the summer camp where she was working to go drinking at a rough bar as two rival biker groups mix it up. During the melée, she disappears. At about the same time, young Ojibwe woman Crystal Two Knives also has gone missing, but her case receives very little attention from either the police or the media. When the former sheriff of Tamarack County Cork O’Connor goes blueberry picking one morning with his son Stephen, son-in-law Daniel and grandson Waaboo, their usual spot has been picked clean so they head to another area of which Cork has heard mention, and there they make a startling discovery. Waaboo, who has a sensitivity to spirits, finds a mound of dirt and says the spirit of a dead young woman buried within it has spoken to him. Could it be the missing Olivia, as eager federal agents hope? Or is it Crystal or another of the (too many) missing Native women? What was supposed to be a happy family time, with Stephen’s wedding in the near future and Cork’s daughter Annie arriving from Guatemala for the first time in several years, will instead prove to be a stressful and dangerous period, with protests over a controversial oil pipeline nearby causing clashes between local tribespeople (including members of Cork’s family) and law enforcement defending the interests of big business, someone who does not want Waaboo or anyone else to become privy to any more information on the murder victims, and Annie hiding a distressing secret from her family. It will be up to Cork and others close to him to probe for the answers that are needed if justice is to be served for those who aren’t wealthy or well-connected, and members of his family including young Waaboo will be in jeopardy until and unless a killer or killers is identified and brought to justice.
Spirit Crossing is the 20th in the Cork O’Connor series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone for those who haven’t read the series before. Cork is an interesting protagonist, part Ojibwe and part white, who has had to prove to the Native community over the years that he is responsive to their needs and their ways. The often difficult relations between Native communities and law enforcement agencies who have little regard for their needs are touched upon here, as are the tiers of justice between the haves and the have nots, in this case the low priority given by many to the staggering amount of violence experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native women. (Author William Kent Krueger cites a 2018 study which lists homicide as the third leading cause of death for indigenous girls and teens, while 56.1% of indigenous women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.) Annie is dealing with a major event. In her own life which she is reluctant to share with her family, while Cork’s daughter Jenny and son-in-law Daniel are trying to cope with raising and protecting their young son who has an enormous gift that they are discovering can also be a dangerous burden so turn to a venerated Mide (healer) for guidance. There is much going on here near Iron Lake over and above the discovery of dead bodies, and it “takes a village” to find resolution and a measure of justice. Those who have followed the series will not want to skip over this installment, and readers of authors like Bruce Borgos, C J Bo’s and Tony Hillerman should also give this series their attention. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me early access to this engrossing tale of murder, family and justice.

I had no idea this was #20 in a series when I received my copy 🫣 I still continued and felt like it was fine! A police procedural so I’m assuming each book is a different case with the same Cork character.

The story had a great number of characters/suspects and enough happening to keep it interesting and suspenseful. WKK is great at weaving a story with depth and amazing characters as he did here as well.

The story is heavily involved in a Native American tribal area and culture which you don’t often experience in novels. Shows a glimpse of the tragedies that often happen there.

#18 is a prequel of Cork’s life so maybe that’s where to head next before exploring more of the series!

Enjoyable read!

This book brings attention to the epidemic of missing indigenous women and the apathetic response from much of law enforcement. It also brings in the fight of indigenous populations to protect land that has generational spiritual importance to them being subject to power of the oil and gas industry that thinks nothing of putting a pipeline right through the middle of it. All of this is wrapped in kind of mystery/thriller that I've come to expect from WKK.

Also unfortunately, with a long standing series like this with characters that I've come to think of as friends their lives change like for better and worse like my friends and family.

I can't recommend this series, this book included, enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Goodreads, and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the O’Connor family that William Kent Krueger has created. This is one of the few series that I have read every release and always look forward to the new additions. I loved this novel, and without giving anything away, I was deeply touched by the personal developments in the lives of the family.

I did feel that there was too much going on in this novel. There is a story concerning the body found buried, and all that it entails…and there is the story about the pipeline protests and all that it entails. It felt reading it that certain parts were rushed to get information into the story to drive us towards the outcome.

I would like to have seen less story and more detail in the telling. But still a great addition to a fantastic series.

Book #20 in the Cork O'Connor series. This is a particularly excellent series that centers around Cork O'Connor, his family and the communities in which they live. Northern Minnesota is home to many differing cultures, including the Ojibwe tribe. Cork's family has lived in this area for many generations and has tribal members among their large family. Since Book #1, Iron Lake, Krueger has woven the cast of characters into a blended family with members that move through each book. As the family has grown, so has the depth of the stories in each book. SPIRIT CROSSING gives a central part to O'Connor's grandson, who has tribal blood and is sensitive to spirits. This book could be read as a stand alone and apprecited, but the stories have grown and intensified as the series continues. I'd recommend starting with Iron Lake and moving forwards, it's an excellent series.

The plot begins with the disappearance of two young women, one white, one native American, and the difference in the search for each. The tribal police will step in to expand the hunt for Crystal Two Knives. The O'Connor family will find her fresh grave while berry hunting. Waaboo, Cork's grandson, will see the young woman's spirit and lead them to a cabin where there is evidence of many crimes. As the investiagtion continues, it will circle back to the other missing woman. The story pulls the reader into the controversy of missing and murdered indigenous women without making it a central point in the plot. The tension intensifies as the killer moves closer to Cork's family and finds just how ready they are to protect their own.

I loved meeting Cork and realize I need to go back and read all the books that came before. I highly recommend this book. The hunt for the missing woman that becomes entangled with the missing indigenous women case was a plot grabbing twist.

William Kent Krueger writes the Cork O’Connor series, wonderful mystery suspense novels set in the far northern reaches of Minnesota. But each book is also infused with family drama and the wisdom of Native American friends and family members. The mystery in Spirit Crossing involves identifying two dead teenage girls discovered in a remote location and searching for those responsible and the motive. Krueger blends believable and well-plotted police procedures with the subplot of his young grandson’s ability to sense thoughts and situations from the dead girls, and its consequences. Adding to the suspense is a secret weighing on Cork’s adult daughter, Annie, that she knows she must share with the family. This installment pack a lot of drama and topics into one story, but flows well for readers to enjoy.

While I still have a ways to go with this series this can be read without reading the previous nineteen books. I do still look forward to each of them though.

From Author's Notes: "I have no Native blood running through my veins. I'm aware every time I sit down to write a novel in my Cork O'Connor series that I'm intruding on a culture that is not my own. If I err in my evocation of the Anishinaabeg, it's not intentional and, I hope not detrimental. My wish is that in writing stories like this one, I may in some small way open the hearts and minds of readers to the enormous struggles our Native brothers and sisters face every day."

Be sure and read the Author's notes. It's always good and in this case informing.

This is book twenty of the Cork O'Connor series by one of my very favorite authors. I own in some form every book this author has written and will read them as I can.

This is the story of a group. A family. What happens when a Native girl goes missing and what happens when a white girl goes missing are so different. Seems like an all out investigation is done when it's a rich white girl. Not so much with a poor girl and even less for Native girls. Isn't that sad. Considering we as white people immigrated to this country and then took the land away from the Native people. Very sad indeed.

This book is well written and so heartfelt. When two bodies are found Cork O'Connor and others start investigating. One is a rich white girl and one a Native girl. After the finding of the white child the cases are pretty much closed from the town's cops. But the Native police carry on. They don't stop until they get closure. Until some kind of justice is served. Until they identify the young girl.

Cork's daughter Anne has come home with some sad news. She wants to wait until after her nephew's wedding to share the news. There is a lot going on in this book and a few characters. But I had no problem following them all. I shed lots of tears reading this, especially the ending. I learned a few things also and a few new words.

This book is excellent. Heartfelt and true to life. True to the time period also. From trackers to cell phones. To the prejudices that are still strong against Native Americans. To the descriptions of the areas. It's just a good story even though it's about a bit of sadness. Well quite a bit of sadness but also much happiness. A good book about a very important thing going on in this country right now.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Atria for this ARC. This is my true thoughts about this book.

Five stars.

Slow burn mystery. Missing girls, deranged killers, Native American faith and family ties. It is a broken, beautiful story of family and justice. Well done, WKK.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the chance to read an advance copy of Spirit Crossing by
William Kent Kreuger. This is the 20th book in the Cork O'Conner series, and had long been on my TBR list, especially as I received high praise and recommendations from several family members. When I requested this title, I decided this was my time to binge the series, and what a binge!!! Each book was a "I can't put it down", and I totally enjoyed seeing the characters of Cork and his family grow.
Spirit Crossing starts off with a hunt for a missing politician's teenaged daughter. When Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across a shallow grave, police organizations assume it's the missing teenager, but when its revealed that the teenager is a missing Ojibwe girl, they become uninterested in discovering what happened to her, that is except for Cork and the tribal police. As they start begin to unravel the mystery, they discover a connection between the two girls, a connection someone will kill to stop the truth from coming out; and Cork's grandson Waaboo may be the next target.
The plot for Spirit Crossing comes right from issues in today's society. Missing and trafficked indigenous girls, environmental issues regarding the building of oil pipelines and demonstrations from those trying to stop it.
Throughout the books the Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has been prominent and is a spiritual mentor for Cork, and his family. I love his wisdom and his wicked sense of humour! I adore Waaboo, and am glad he is featured in Spirit Crossing. The ending was bittersweet and had me in tears.
Totally recommend both the book and series!!!

Krueger is an author I return to time and time again for stories and characters with depth and beautiful prose. His Cork O'Connor series are no exception. I only started reading them after I fell in love with This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace. I wondered if they would feel dated since he started writing them in the 90s. It was the opposite...these were timeless stories. I've only read a couple, so I wasn't sure if I would feel behind. I never read things out of order, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to read a new Krueger book!
In this offering you'll get a layered history lesson, another mystery to solve and more chapters to the O'Connor family and their Native neighbors and community.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC. All opinions are mine.