Hard to believe but I didn't read my first Kreuger book until May 2023 when I received an ARC of The River We Remember and was absolutely blown away. I then read Iron Lake and am slowly listening to the series.
I reread River for a book club in May 2024 and everyone loved it.
I have now finished Spirit Crossing and it is a very eye opening story. Be sure to read the author's note at the end to discover how many Indigenous woman go missing every year.
I have never been to Minnesota, but reading Krueger's books I can picture it.
I grew up in Ohio without ever realizing the history of Native Americans there. It wasn't until college in 1970, when I spent 3 months in Montana volunteering on a reservation that I realized some of the hatred and misconceptions that surround the world of Native Americans. Learning of the boarding schools that Indian children were forced to go to and the terrible times they had there somewhat prepared me for this book.
We have followed Cork through his life in this series. Henry Meliux, the now 100 year old spiritual mentor helps keep Cork, his children and grandchild in touch with their Indian spiritual roots, and that is what keeps me reading this series, as the mysteries that each book contains can be quite terrifying.
You can come to this book without reading the others, but as always, I recommend you start with Iron Lake.
Cork is a fascinating character who we count on to do the right thing, and to always protect his family.
Krueger is a writer of beautiful prose, but also one who understands and tries to explain the human condition.
This is a murder mystery and when Cork's grandchild (who has an interesting back story) finds a body in the woods, it sets the story in motion. A white girl is missing, so the hunt for her goes on, but no one is looking for any of the missing Native American girls.
An interesting fact we find out in the notes is one of the characters is an actual person whose adopted daughter went missing.
Thanks to Atria Publishing and Netgalley for the EARC. I plan to continue reading this series, but This Tender Land is also moving up on my TBR pile.
I highly recommend this author. These are my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I love to read these Cork O'Connor books, but they disturb me as I learn about the ways of the Native Americans living in America and especially in northern Minnesota, where these books are based.

When a prominent politician's daughter goes missing in northern Minnesota, it is the work of local, state, and even federal agencies to try and find her. But several Native American women have also recently gone missing. And for that there is no outcry and little interest by any but the Reservation police. But Cork O'Connor, retired county sheriff and of partial Native American ancestry, is interested. When it seems this disappearance may be connected to some of the other missing girls, he finds himself assisting as much as he can, relying on the contacts and friends he has made in his previousl job.

When the policiian's daughter is found murdered near the body of another murdered girl, the cases seem to be linked and the cases may also be linked to the construction of an oil pipeline being built on ancient sacred Indian ground. Some of Cork's family is active in the protests trying to stop the construction and they also enlist Cork's daughter, who has returned for her brother's impending wedding after living in Guatamala for many years.. So the entire family is reunited for the first time in a long time. And somehow they also all get involved in this multiple murder case.

It is fascinating to watch the interactions of the various law enforcement entities as well as the family interactions. And, as usual, this is a VERY GOOD READ.

William Kent Krueger’s popular Cork O’Conner series is back and there is a lot going on. While hunting for untapped blueberry patches Cork and his family stumble across a dead body found by Cork’s grandson, Waboo. The news is filled with a politician’s daughter who has gone missing. As the grave is examined it is determined that the body is that of a missing Ojibwe woman, and the murder is left to the tribal police to solve. Waboo is drawn back to the site of the grave and makes another discovery that links the body to the missing politician’s daughter. Waboo’s life is threatened and the killer must be stopped before he can take Waboo as his next victim.

This was a thrilling, yet very heavy story. The plot touches on teenagers being murdered, sex trafficking, protests against an oil pipeline, and a very sad secret that Cork’s daughter, Annie, is hiding as she returns to Northern Minnesota from South America. Despite the heavy storylines, it was still a very good read. I thought Mr. Krueger did an excellent balancing all of these plot lines without making you feel depressed while reading the book. He wraps up the story in a positive light and does a great job after the story explaining his inspiration for writing this novel.

Spirit Crossing also packs in a ton of characters to go along with the numerous plot lines. While Cork is the heart of the series, he is not the only hero. You see a lot of Cork, Marsha Dross (Tamarack County Sheriff), and Daniel (Cork’s son in law) chasing down the murders. Of course you have Henry Meloux, Prophet, and the rest of the O’Connor gang playing a large park in the novel. If I were to have one complaint, it was that Cork seemed like one of many characters instead of the main character. That is a minor negative and in no way kept me from throughly enjoying this novel.

Overall this is an easy book to recommend as long as you can handle the heavy subject matter. Thank you to William Kent Krueger, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a free advanced readers copy for an honest review.

Though I have read other books by William Kent Krueger, this is my first experience with the Cork O'Connor series. 'Spirit Crossing' is the 20th installment in the series, and I think others would be able to join the series midstream-as I have- with minimal confusion. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, probably carryovers from past books, but Krueger provides enough information so as not to confuse a new reader.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book, I appreciated that difficult topics like oil pipelines and missing and murdered indigenous women were tackled. I did find myself frequently wondering about the perspectives shared by Krueger, and would encourage those interested in these topics to find the writings of indigenous authors on these subjects.

I also struggled a bit with pacing in this book, it seemed that a lot happened in one day, and Krueger, to account for his large cast of characters, had to structure every day by splitting people into to teams, then sending them off on various tasks, and it became difficult to follow who was where on which day. Additionally, it felt like much of the action was repetitive, the threat was the same in nature, in the same setting, to the same people, over and over again.

Thank you to William Kent Krueger and Atria Books fort the ARC in exchange for an honest review of 'Spirit Crossing.'

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Lake Ojibwe is in turmoil. There’s a pipeline protest going on nearby that has turned violent and involves the courts. Teenaged native girls keep going missing, but they don’t matter much to the outside world. When Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across the body of one girl while the family is picking blueberries, the community is hopeful the federal and state officers will take interest, but they are too wrapped up in searching for the missing daughter of a white politician. However, someone else more sinister takes interest in Cork’s family and his grandson’s ability to connect with those on the other side of the Spirit Crossing, putting them all in danger.

William Kent Krueger is a master of the mystery and suspense book. His latest book Spirit Crossing follows his most prolific protagonist Cork O’Connor. The author is 25 years into writing O’Connor’s story and every page feels just as fresh as the first. This book takes on topics so common in Ojibwe and other native communities in America – the imbalance of focus on crimes against the community versus white citizens and the disrespect of sacred spaces to benefit corporate greed. While delivering a beautiful tale of family and the healing power of forgiveness and learning not to fear, Krueger hands readers a testament to the mistreatment of native populations and their lands that many would rather turn a blind eye towards.

I give Spirit Crossing 5 out of 5 stars. I appreciate the care and respect Krueger shows in his writing, even leaving the readers with a final word on his thanks to the Ojibwe community that has helped him with details and given their blessing to the story. With a rare perfect 5.0 rating from me, there was really only one thing that I wish would have been different – one small piece of the ending. I won’t give away too much, but this book was about putting Cork’s family back together after being split for so long. I was sad to see that was not the final result.

This book is number 20 in the Cork O’Connor series, but can be read as a standalone novel – the author does a great job of giving the relevant backstory to give readers an understanding of the characters without the need for them to read all 19 previous books. If you were a fan of Krueger’s Ordinary Grace or The River We Remember, you will love this book! I would also recommend this to readers who enjoy Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter series with the similar rural setting and unique challenges of working amongst native customs and communities. With mentions of abuse and death, this may not be the best book for all readers and I would direct it to more mature audiences over 16.

I was excited to see Spirit Crossing available from NetGalley earlier this month. Before reading The River We Remember, I was warned I would fall in love with this author’s works, and you all were correct. William Kent Krueger has earned a spot as a favorite author on my shelves and I can’t wait to go back and read Cork’s journey from the start!

While all the Cork O'Connor mysteries tackle challenging issues, *Spirit Crossing* stands out as particularly poignant and somber. The story begins with Cork taking his son-in-law, Daniel, and seven-year-old grandson, Waaboo, to pick blueberries at an abandoned cabin. There, young Waaboo stumbles upon a grave, which he recognizes as belonging to a young woman. Waaboo explains to Cork and Daniel that the woman communicated with him, revealing her feelings of being lost and sad. This eerie discovery unravels a dark tale of human trafficking and the harrowing reality of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The whole family has gathered to celebrate the marriage of Cork's son, Stephen, including his daughter Annie and her partner Maria, who have returned home after years of working in Guatemala’s barrios. As the family reunites, Waaboo’s discovery of not one, but two dead women through his unique gift, sets off a chain of events that places them all in danger. The ensuing suspense, as Cork, Daniel, and a mix of county and tribal law enforcement work to track down those responsible, keeps the pages turning.

The author handles this sensitive subject with care, consulting his Anishinaabe friends before writing the book, as noted in his acknowledgments. *Spirit Crossing* is highly recommended for mystery readers who appreciate a contemporary story with all four elements of appeal: an intriguing plot, engaging characters, clear and fine prose, and a vivid sense of place.

Thank you Net Galley and Atria books for this ARC of Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger

This latest episode in the Cork O’Connor Series was, in my mind, a sad disappointment. I can truthfully say that I’ve enjoyed getting to know Cork, his family and the denizens of Aurora/Iron Lake in the preceding books. I’ve loved reading the fast-paced, smooth -flowing books that detailed his search for truth and the resolution of crimes. Unfortunately, Spirit Crossing just didn’t hit the mark for me. It felt choppy from chapter to chapter as it moved through the case of human trafficking and murder. The return of Annie, which could have infused some heartfelt emotion, seemed tacked onto the story and simply didn’t hit the right emotional context.

This isn’t a “bad” book, it’s just didn’t strike the right chord. Maybe this series has run its course for me. Maybe not for you.

There are many mystery series in which I've read deep into the double digits (20+ books). Cork O'Connor isn't one of them, but maybe it should be. I've read only the first book in the series and now this 20th installment. I didn't have trouble following along, or keeping characters straight, but it did focus more on characters that have been developed over 26 years than the plot. That's completely normal and I've been grateful for it in other series - I care less about the murder of the day than I do about catching up with what feels like old friends! If the characters in the Cork O'Connor series aren't your old friends, though, the plot may be a little thin for you. But this still had William Kent Krueger's great writing and I'm glad I read it.

I enjoyed this mystery. It was the first of the series I read and had no problem following along. There were a lot of characters.

William Kent Krueger is no doubt an extremely talented writer. I have enjoyed his Cork O'Connor series, but a few years ago, the tone of the books moved from excellent police procedural to pacifistic mysticism with a side of environmental consciousness.

There's a lot going on here. Cork's son is trying to fit in a wedding amidst the protests he and his fiancée are involved in against the big bad corporation digging a pipeline through the area. Cork's daughter - the former nun novice - comes home with her girlfriend and a secret. Cork's grandson is seeing dead people. Plus there is a rich white girl who has been missing for two weeks, but no one cares about the missing native girls. While I would never doubt the racism faced by some, this is like being beaten over the head by a two-by-four.

This book is sad, filled with agenda items, and has a dreary tone. While I appreciate the beauty of the writing, this was a miss for me. It will be the last one of this series I read.

Not family friendly due to subject matter.

I don’t feel my review is a good indicator of the worth of this book. First, I have not read the previous installments and am, therefore, at a disadvantage as I don’t know the backstory of the characters. That fact influenced my disconnect with the characters. Second, the sheer number of characters is overwhelming. Not only could I not related, it was difficult to discern who was important to the meat of the story. Also, I found there is a lot of things happening that are not germane to the main storyline and that is frustrating for this reader.
Lastly, there is a great deal of political tension in this storyline which I didn’t care for.

All in all, I feel I am an outlier as most reviewers rave about this author.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review Spirit Crossing.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I read Iron Lake in 2017 and had every intention of continuing this series by William Kent Kreuger--but didn't. The old adage in the reading world: "So many books; so little time."
When I saw Spirit Crossing offered on NetGalley, I was pleased to have the opportunity to read more by Kreuger. As it turned out, the book was even better than expected, and I was delighted to reconnect with Cork O'Connor and his family and friends.

When the daughter of a white politician goes missing, everyone is involved, from local and state police to the FBI. The same has not been true for a young Objibwe woman...or other Native American women.

When on a day of picking blueberries, Cork's young grandson discovers a shallow grave, law enforcement descends on the site anticipating the possibility that the politician's daughter has been found. Cork's young grandson Waaboo (his Obibwe name given by Henry Meloux), however, insists that the body is that of an Objibwe woman and that she is lost. Crystal Two Knives has been missing for a while, and they wonder if they've found Crystal.

As it turns out, the body is that of a Native American woman, but not Crystal Two Knives and not the politicians daughter. The unidentified Native American woman creates little interest in those searching for the politician's daughter.

Cork's heritage is mixed, and he is part Objibwe and the fact that his grandson has visions doesn't surprise him, but it does concern him. When Waaboo's visions put him in danger, Cork and his family's concern escalates.

Spirit Crossing's strength lies in Kreuger's prose, his characters, and his adept plotting, as well as the way Kreuger illustrates cultural problems.

Highly recommended; however, I recommend beginning with the first books in the series to become familiar with the characters.

Because the characters I remembered from Iron Lake (bk 1) had grown so much in the interim, I took my own belated advice and read the second and third in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books

While I am familiar with William Kent Krueger’s books I have not read any book in the Cork O’Connor series. I was a little leery going in that I wouldn’t be able to follow along, but I had no trouble following along with the characters. I may go back and read other books in the series to get more character development.
This is a mystery but also had some relevant themes (pipeline through Indian Reservations and MWIW). I really enjoyed the book and even shed a tear or two at the end.
Thank you to Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

William Kent Krueger does it again! This story got me out of the funk I was stuck in after slogging through a terribly boring book just before I received a copy of Spirit Crossing.

I don’t know what it is about his writing but it is absolutely *addictive* to me.

I love the way he crafts deeply developed character profiles and combines them with the exciting element of a classic “whodunnit” mystery, without delving into the thriller/horror genre. To top it all off, he’s a master at setting a consistent tone throughout his books, and he never fails to give the reader enough descriptive info to perfectly picture the setting in their imagination (I may be biased as a Minnesotan, but he chooses a lovely state to set his stories in!).

My rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you to Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

Have you ever read a book that simply flows? I dove into this one and found myself unable to stop turning the pages; before I knew it, I was at the epilogue. It’s one of those books you just can’t put down!

As the author elegantly puts it, the story is like a thread that, once pulled, unravels everything. What begins as a bonding moment for the O’Connor men quickly turns into the discovery of a dead body. The infusion of the supernatural and the superstitions I adore in mysteries and thrillers makes the narrative even more compelling.

Cork O’Connor’s family dynamics are heartwarming, and with the help of a friend and his young grandson’s unique insight, they tap into their beliefs and navigate the complex web of interagency challenges to uncover the truth.

The story flows seamlessly, allowing everything to come together in a way that engages readers and connects the dots. While this is primarily a mystery, it also delves into the experiences of young women, especially Native Americans—exploring why they might run away from home and what consequences they face.

Additionally, the narrative addresses deeper themes surrounding the disappearance of young women, particularly those of Native American descent. It sheds light on their stories, weaving a poignant exploration of the challenges they encounter and the impact of their absence on their communities. This layer of complexity adds depth to the mystery, making it not just a tale of intrigue but also a heartfelt commentary on a pressing social issue.

4.5 stars.
While this is a mystery/whodunit, to call it that does not do justice to it because there is far more substance to this novel than the average one of this genre.
I did not read any of the rest of the series and while this might be a handicap, I could not pass up the opportunity to read anything new by William Kent Krueger. I think that while it would have been good to know the background, I was still able to figure out who was who for the most part.
What this series of books contain that the average whodunit does not have is a great deal about the Native American culture in Minnesota. I enjoyed that immensely. While I do sometimes enjoy plain run-of-the-mill whodunits, I prefer things with a bit more meat to their bones.
I liked the characters. They were good people (the protagonists, not the bad guys). I do want to read more of the series so I can get to know them.
There were many characters and I admit, it was a little hard to keep track.
I admit that it is hard for me not to compare this with Ordinary Grace, This Tender Land and The River We Remember and I did not enjoy this book quite as much as those, that seemed a bit deeper. However, that may be functions and limitations of this being a series. Nonetheless, this was a very compelling read, one worth my time.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

A dead body and a missing woman puts Cork’s family in danger especially his grandson Wooboo. This is book 20 of the
Cork O'Connor Series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

I wanted to love this book so much, William Kent Krueger is such a wonderful storyteller. Unfortunately, this one just didn't click for me.

I have most of the Cork O'Connor novels and I was very excited to be given an early read on this one.
I have to say that I was a tad disappointed with this story. There were so many things going on that may or may not
have tied together, but were supposed to that I spent a lot of the time wondering what the point was.

I felt that I was mostly being given a lecture on so many political issues that of course were one sided. . If the author had stuck to just one, it might have been more enjoyable. Right off the bat a big hunt for a missing daughter of a Minnesota Senator. White girl of course, but no real interest in finding a missing Native American girl. It kind of gets worse from there. I can see where there would be more publicity on the senators daughter
but probably none if I went missing. No spoiler, but you will see who turns up dead and who turns up alive.

That then became merged with the protests over pipeline expansion over American Indian land. So. all the politics of that was wrapped up in this. I am not even sure what was going on half the time, add in the lesbian daughter and pretty much all the hot ticket items for up north in Minnesota were covered.
There appeared to be many bad guys, who we should feel sorry for because they had a bad upbringing and there is no hell, everyone just crosses over to what? Heaven?

Cork's grandson plays a major part as he has been gifted by the Creator and that was interesting. The rest was kind of boring.

I do thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

William Kent Krueger is a gifted storyteller. He manages to weave together great mysteries along with important societal issues wrapped together with beautiful writing and compelling drama. In number 20 of the Cork O’ Connor series, Cork’s young son, Waboo , develops a sixth sense filled with visions and communications with spirits, both evil and innocent. While picking blueberries, Waboo has a premonition of a soul who cannot pass into the next world. Who can this be? Turns out that two young girls are missing. One is Native American while the other is the Caucasian daughter of a politician. Needless to say the missing politician’s daughter has garnered all the media attention.

Krueger displays enormous compassion and understanding of indigenous people. The story’s murder mystery premise is infused with rich important subplots. Do we accept the role of people with the gift of ESP? How has America continue to treat its native people? What about the vast network of human trafficking? How destructive are the secrets we keep? Do we need oil more than we need a clean environment? So much to think about.

Four bright stars for a book that kept me turning pages. I look forward to the 21st installment of the Cork O’Connor series. Thank you NetGalley’ and Atria books for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published on August 20, 2024. Look for it!!