Thank you NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Having read two standalone novels by this fantastic author, I was excited to read one of the Cork O'Connor books. It didn't disappoint. This is a great story, with a few twists and turns throughout. Highly recommend

Cork’s grandson, Waaboo, stumbles upon a shallow grave while picking blueberries with his father and grandpa. Initially, it was thought that the remains may be those of Olivia Hamilton, the daughter of a state senator who went missing a few weeks ago. Olivia, who comes from a wealthy family who made their money long ago during the early days of mining by shipping ore from the Iron Range across Lake Superior, is rather privileged. Oliva has been in trouble that her Father has aways been able to get her out of, but now, she was has to spend the summer as a counselor at a youth camp in Aurora. The hope was that she’d learn some manners, but perhaps more importantly, her seclusion would give her father, who desperately needed his little girl to stay out of the headlines, some political cover. Instead, the exact opposite happened.

After growing bored at the camp, Olivia snuck out one night with a guy named Harvey, and they ended up at Howling Wolf, a rough spot full of drunk men with questionable morals. That was the last time anyone saw Olivia, who was reported missing the next day. With her face plastered all over the news, a manhunt was quickly underway, with everyone from the Tamarack County Sheriff’s personnel to the state patrol, Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and even the FBI pitching in to find Olivia, the hope was that she’d soon be found unharmed.

But while the whole state searched for Oliva Hamilton, nobody seemed all that concerned with the growing number of missing Indigenous women. And when it turns out that the remains Cork’s grandson stumbled upon are not, in fact, Olivia, law enforcement agencies show little to no interest in identifying the young woman. Cork has always been one to fight for the powerless. Cork gets to work and quickly realizes that the body they found was most likely Crystal Two Knives, a local Ojibwe woman who disappeared almost six months prior. Joining forces with the recently formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police, Cork vows to find the truth about whatever happened to Crystal. But when there’s a break in the missing person’s case of Olivia Hamilton, Cork starts asking questions that set off a nail-biting chain of events, pulling the half-Irish, half-Ojibwe Private Investigator into one of his most haunting investigations yet.

I highly recommend this book and series to all. With all of William Kent Krueger's books, I found this book to be wonderfully written, well thought out and moving. I was fully invested in the mystery, worried about several of the characters, rooting for them, and being moved by them.

While the author writes very well, the topic and the plot are overdone at this point. I have read many books and seen many tv shows on this. Did not finish reading.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I've been wanting to try one of his books for a while. The book takes place in northern Minnesota and the main plot involves missing women. One young woman is the daughter of an influential state politician, and her disappearance gets extensive media coverage and the resources of several different law enforcement agencies to look for her. Meanwhile a young indigenous woman has been missing for six months, but her case hasn't received any attention. When Cork O'Connor's grandson accidentally finds a shallow grave of a young woman, the boy is now in danger of becoming the next victim.

There are a lot of characters in this book! Most are friends or family members of Cork O'Connor, a former sheriff and current private detective. Since I'm new to the series, it took me a while to keep all the relationships straight. This didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story, although a subplot relating to one of Cork's children would be more impactful for longtime readers. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the setting.

I learned a lot about the Ojibwe tribe's beliefs and customs that I wasn't aware of. There is a spiritual side of the book, too. Part of the reason Cork's grandson is in danger is because he has visions of the deceased women whose grave he found, and killers are afraid he'll be able to identify them. I enjoyed this aspect of the story. The book deals with important topics and don't miss the author's note that talks about part of his inspiration for this bittersweet story. Fans of either Tony or Anne Hillerman would enjoy this book, and I plan to read more in this series.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Atria Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Spirit Crossing is another outstanding book in William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series! At the center of the story is the search for two missing teenage girls, one, the daughter of a local politician, the other an Indigenous girl. A vigorous search is launched on behalf of the politician's daughter, but a minimal search for the Indigenous girl. When Cork's young grandson, Waaboo, has a premonition of evil and stumbles upon the grave of a young girl, Cork and the local Tribal police force are swept into the hunt. It is quite a complex and exciting mystery as it unravels, but the heart of the story is Cork and his family, as they also face both trauma and danger. The story is set against the background of protests against the installation of an underground pipeline. The book captivated me from beginning to end! It captures the beauty of nature in the Northwoods of Minnesota, and the plight, beliefs, and spiritualism of indigenous people, as it follows Cork on his investigation of the deaths of two young girls. It does work well as a stand-alone, and the author notes at the end are excellent. I loved this book and the series! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

Spirit Crossing is the 20th in the Cork O’Connor series. I must admit that I jumped at the opportunity to read this when in fact, I am still catching up on reading the entire series. However, there is enough background given that even if this is the first Cork book you have picked up, you will enjoy this story as a standalone.

Cork is a more of a fringe character, with the focus on his adult children and his grandson, who communicated with spirits leading him to a grave of a young woman. Krueger handles the subject matter and characters with sensitivity and as with all of his books in this series, gives the reader some insight into Native culture, even as he acknowledges in the Author’s Note that he is intruding on a culture that is not his own. I am looking forward to catching up on the rest of the series, as the storytelling is just so good.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I just finished Spirit Crossing which is the 20th book in the Cork O’Connor series, and let me tell you the stories and topics never get old. I am proud to say that I have read every book that William Kent Krueger has written. This is a story that doesn’t disappoint. There are a lot of characters, but even if this is your first O’Connor book, don’t worry, you will be drawn in with no confusion.

While blueberry picking one afternoon with his grandfather and father, Waaboo, who is seven years old, stumbles across a shallow grave. At first they think that it might be the body of the daughter of a local politician who has gone missing. Waaboo explains to them that No, this woman is like me, Ojibwe. Waaboo has a special gift pertaining to the spiritual world, and he explains that the woman’s spirit spoke to him and she told him that She was not alone that there was also another lost spirit.

This story will certainly keep your interest, , and it is an excellent mystery touching on real issues that are happening in our world today. I highly recommend this book, and also will be recommending this great story to my patrons. The ending is amazing! Well Done Mr. Krueger.

Thank You to NetGalley, The Author, William Kent Krueger and to The Publisher Atria Books, for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this outstanding novel.

Don't worry if you haven't read any or all of the preceding installments in this long running series- I haven't- this is still enjoyable as a standalone. Fans, however, will be pleased to see Cork back in action and the inclusion of his family, especially young Waaboo, who finds the mound that starts the story. This is topical and sad in oh so many ways. Racism, trafficking of indigenous women, and other issues abound but they're tempered, a bit, by an underlying spiritual theme. Good characters and sense of place combined with a twisty mystery are elevated by the storytelling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Masterful storytelling. William Kent Krueger returns to his 20-book saga of the saga of the Cork O'Connor family as it morphed from intelligent police procedurals to so much more. A missing white girl from a wealthy family is missing and all stops are pulled to find her. After the grave discovered by a young boy turns out to be a young Native American women instead, the federal law enforcement loses interest. But O'Connor, now a P.I., allied with local law enforcement to learn her identity, as well as what happened to her. Clarity of language and meditative tone combine with a crackling good mystery to make this special. The plight of missing, murdered and trafficked Native American women informs the whole story, as does the spirituality and connection to nature.

I love this author's books, but this is one I just could not stay focused on with the multitude of characters and issues going on. I am sure there are a lot of readers who will really like this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book.

I am a big fan of William Kent Krueger's standalone novels, but I've only read the last two mysteries in his Cork O'Conner series--there are now 20! I have to admit that there were a few times I felt a little lost with the complicated family history. I might have to go back one of these days and start from the beginning of the series.

There's a lot going on in this book: there's a Native protest over sacred grounds that are being desecrated with oil pipeline construction, a son is getting married, and a daughter returns home after years in Guatemala...with her partner Maria, and a secret she's not ready to share.

Cork and his family are picking blueberries when his young grandson Waaboo discovers a mound in the dirt and says he hears her spirit speaking to him. Because the teenaged daughter of a local politician has been reported missing recently, they fear the worst for her. But the boy says no, this is a Native girl's spirit and her name is Fawn...and she says there's another lost spirit.

When word gets out that there might be a psychic element to the discovery of the body, the news media is all over that story, and a murderer, who thought his crimes were hidden, starts to get nervous...

Very well written mystery which at its heart is about the many missing or murdered Indigenous people (mostly young women) whose cases are often ignored or poorly investigated.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new mystery by one of my favorite writers. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Once again, William Kent Krueger has won my heart and mind with his latest book, Spirit Crossing. This latest in the Cork O’Connor series has several story lines but the core involve missing young Indian women, who have disappeared over weeks, months, even years with little attention from law enforcement. Now the daughter of a rich white politician is missing and all levels of national, local and reservation enforcement are engaged. Then Cork’s grandson discovers a body.

Another pressure on the reserve is the pipeline about to pass through one of their sacred springs. Demonstrations are held to try to slow what seems inevitable. Meanwhile there is the undercurrent of more crime behind the one discovered dead mystery woman.

Throughout the novel, Krueger weaves in Ojibwa beliefs and culture and its clashes and melding with 21st century America. I enjoyed the use of native words and phrases and application of some ideas to life. Krueger writes meaningfully about some of his inspiration in an afterword.

I highly recommend this book and series to all. I have only recently begun reading the series along with some of Krueger’s standalone novels. All have been excellent.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an eArc of this book.

This is the first book by William Kent Krueger that I have read, and it might not have been smart to start with this one (only because this novel is the 20th in the Cork O'Connor series), but when I saw it was available on NetGalley, I decided to request it. And I did not feel like I was missing much by starting with the 20th book in the series instead of the first. Mr. Krueger specializes in writing about Native Americans in Minnesota, and this book really was an education for me as to issues facing these people involving poverty, child trafficking, drug and alcohol abuse. But the book is so much more than shining a spotlight on these problems. The author beautifully writes about the closeness and heritage of these Native American families. I especially enjoyed reading about the mysticism and traditions. Mr. Krueger is a wonderful storyteller; lots of characters and dialogue, but engaging and interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for he ARC and the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I have read many WKK books, and loved most of them. This one wasn't one of those, although I enjoyed it, to a certain extent, it didn't capture my heart as others have. I think it was just too dark, for me.

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

William Kent Krueger is an author whose work I am immediately drawn to. I've read every book in the Cork O'Conner series as well as a few other his stand-alone books. And I was eager to start reading this one!

I adore how Spirit Crossing subtly revisits some of the events from the Cork O'Connor Series' earlier novels. I have really missed these characters!

This book's mystery unfolds at a moderate pace and is filled with fascinating, essential subplots. And there was much more to this narrative than just solving a mystery—it dealt with spirituality, aboriginal people trafficking, and missing girls. The cultural background threaded throughout is well thought out and researched.

As always Krueger's writing is amazing! I was captivated by his superb narration, captivating storyline, and capacity to elevate his mysteries by incorporating real-world issues. His descriptions of the Anishinaabe customs and the north woods are fascinating.

I have no doubt that I will return for more of this author's work because he is a brilliant storyteller who never lets me down. I'm already looking forward to his next release!

From all the books in the series, this one hit me hard, more than once tears kept me from reading. This book touches on so many important issues, human trafficking, missing and murdered Indigenous women, abuse, murder, …
Stephen is getting married, together with his fiancée they are involved in trying to stop a pipeline going through sacred land. Annie, and her girlfriend, are home for the wedding, and Annie has her own battles to fight. Waaboo finds the burial place a girl during a family blueberry picking outing. A politician daughter missing, and so much more.

As always, to sit in a quiet place to read a book written by William Kent Krueger is a lot like preparing for a long-awaited family member to return home. Etchings of joy dance around your spirit in anticipation, a soothing light fills your eyes, and the melodious and cacophony of music threaded through this novel both soothe and disturb your soul.

People often concern themselves only with the world around them, rarely venturing out to investigate the goings-on outside their purview. It’s like walking out of a Walmart store and gazing at the black and white posters of the missing, pausing slightly, before moving on to put your keys in the ignition.

Something inside you changes after reading Spirit Crossing. It’s profound. Provocative. Unsettling. Repetitive. Mindful. Disturbing. Could it be the realism coming from the events surrounding the story?

Indeed.

By the time the story ended, I was left with this one question: How can I solve the problem of prejudice, sexual abuse, other’s murderous intent, children who have lost their way? The question is so overwhelming I almost lost perspective on what I could do, which is to work with one individual at a time. When I see something, say something; not walk away helpless.

The ending of Spirit Crossing was as moving as its beginning, leaving you with a myriad of emotions you can’t control or identify until days later. The story moves fast, filled with action-packed events. There are too many characters to count, and I almost needed to create a ledger to keep up with them. Krueger doesn’t waste time overloading you with feely-touchy thoughts. He’s on a mission … to exploit the facts … that we are prejudice and bent on putting others beneath ourselves for the sole purpose of supporting the misguided theory that we are superior.

He also doesn’t shy away from exposing the carelessness of grownups who have changed the hopeful future of precious children. The ill behavior of grown people who are commissioned to care for the helpless can often weave webs of confusion and anger, leaving these precious babies without an outlet—except to impose their trauma upon others, which they sometimes do, which is why some are psychologically disturbed, addicted, incarcerated, or killed.

At the end of Spirit Crossing, you will undoubtedly face your prejudice and be left to deal with it. Surprisingly, you’ll find yourself at a crossroad. Wait for it— Whatever you feel toward others will also be reciprocated toward you. If you don’t nurture your children, they will in turn absorb and impose your evil behavior upon others. And there lies the world’s dilemma ... a repetitive conundrum we can’t seem to break.

Though I do not consider the writing to be Krueger’s best, the substance of the story saves. And that’s the point.

I’m probably not the ideal target audience for this book. I struggle when there are so many characters to keep straight, and political themes tend to make me tune out. However, Krueger was able to keep me reasonably interested in the story, and I liked the ending!

It's big news in the state of Minnesota when a politician's daughter goes missing. A major manhunt is put forth to find the missing girl. In the search, Cork O'Connor's grandson stumbles over the shallow grave of an Ojibwe woman. No one seems to think twice about it or even care. Well, almost no one. Cork takes an interest, as does the Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police - a still relatively new department.

Cork is keenly aware that Indigenous women go missing at an alarming rate and that other than immediate family members and maybe ... maybe ... the Tribal Police, it tends to go unnoticed or unreported. Cork wonders which missing Ojibwe woman this was and hopes to use his skills identifying the woman.

Meanwhile, Cork's grandson is spirit-gifted, but at age 7 is still not always fully understanding what it is he sees or feels. Though he understands the feeling of danger, which is what he senses the more Cork investigates. But the investigation is also showing that there may be a connection between the body of the Ojibwe woman and the missing politician's daughter and if so, Cork is opening a massive can of worms that could put not only himself, but his daughter and grandson in danger as well.

I really appreciate that author William Kent Krueger is doing his part to bring to light the problems with missing and murdered Indigenous women. He's got a platform that reaches many people and his characters, particularly his famous Cork O'Connor, who regularly work in the areas where so many women go missing. This is such a huge, important issue that isn't brought to light enough in the White world.

And, fortunately, Krueger isn't just hitting us over the head with the issue (though some definitely need that) - he's writing solid stories, solid mysteries that still work in this on-going series (this is the 20th Cork O'Connor book).

I haven't read all the Cork O'Connor books (I'm late to the series) but I really appreciate the emphasis on Native spirituality in some of the more recent books. The Spirit is strong in this book. Are we (slowly) leading up to a new series featuring Cork's grandson?

This book reads very easily and very fast. Very fast. When I finished the book I went back to see how many pages there were - I thought maybe this had been a novella. But it reads fast in part because of the interest Krueger builds in the characters and the situation. You want to keep turning pages to see what happens next.

I don't think you need to know a lot about Cork or have read the entire series to follow along and enjoy this volume (but you might want to).

Looking for a good book? Spirit Crossing, the 20th book in the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger, tackles the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous women head on in this adventurous mystery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

It's always a good day when a new William Kent Krueger novel comes along!

I loved the continuation of the O'Connor community - the old characters and the new ones - all continue to weave together to make the series one of my favorites!

His writing is so authentic, there is always an education portion of the book and this didn't disappoint. The mystery is always well written, and I feel so deeply for the characters and their journeys.

Thank you to William Kent Krueger, Atria Books, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read. It comes out on 8/20!