Book Report: Iron Lake

18. William Kent Krueger, Iron Lake (1998) (8/24/25)

A friend in a book group I once belonged to mentioned reading a couple of Krueger's titles lately and liking his style, so of course I had to look him up, having never heard of him. And then, learning he's a mystery writer, known, it seems, especially for his series featuring the former sheriff of a small northern Minnesota town, Cork O'Connor, I had to start with the first in the series (there are 20 in all, plus a prequel—so far). And it was good. It's moody and atmospheric. Several people die, one boy goes missing. There's an interesting interplay of Native American (Ojibwe/Anishinaabe) and Anglo culture. (O'Connor himself is part Irish, part Anishinaabe.) It's the dead of winter, so snow and frozen lakes figure in, along with saunas and Christmas trees. A corrupt judge, an ambitious politician (they happen to be related), an Indian casino, Cork's troubled marriage, and a trove of photographic negatives all enter into the story. 

Judging from the star ratings of the entire series on Goodreads, the books get better and better. I might try another one. I liked Cork in all his tenacity. And then there are Krueger's non-Cork books This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace, which also sound good.