Looking For a Good Book

Cork O’Connor is trying to enjoy his retirement and hopefully teach his grandchildren the joys of spending time in God’s Country – the Boundary Waters. But just before a planned trip, two different family members have had a troubling vision involving, they strongly believe, Cork. Adding to the concern is that Cork has been having problems with his heart.  While he’s encouraged to stay home for this trip, Cork is determined to get into the Boundary Waters.

Not surprisingly, Cork first sees evidence of someone who’s not familiar with the etiquette for being the area. And when he discovers a body, he knows it’s time to send the youngsters back and asks them to contact the local law enforcement. Meanwhile Cork is going to investigate on his own.

What Cork encounters is a pair of brothers seeking a treasure hidden by their father decades prior. The dead man that Cork came across was a third brother who was slowing them down. To say these men are dangerous is downplaying their violence and they’ve decided that Cork will be their guide through the wilderness.

I really enjoyed this version of Cork O’Connor. Vacationing, reflecting on mortality, enjoying the peace of the wilderness. I enjoyed that this wasn’t Cork investigating.  This was Cork using both his law enforcement skills and his wilderness wisdom to stay alive and hopefully bring a couple of bad guys to justice (and not necessarily legal justice). I have been in the Boundary Waters and I understand the appeal and author William Kent Krueger captures the peace of the area nicely.

The danger of the brothers is also set up nicely. There’s no question in the readers’ minds that Cork might not make it out of the wilderness. However, it does get just a little repetitive. Cork pushes buttons, one brother threatens to kill him, the other reminds him that Cork is needed to guide them. Repeat.

One other aspect brings my rating down a notch … we (the reader) are reminded that the Boundary Waters are a very remote area. And Cork is taking them on a circuitous route and into some of the more remote sections in an already remote area, and yet they continue to run into other people, who of course the brothers can use as leverage on Cork. At one point Cork does acknowledge this, but it does strike one as convenient. This also adds to the repetitive aspect of the read.

The Cork O’Connor book are a delightful detective series and I’m glad to have read this, and I’d even recommend it, but I do think it could have been tightened up and made less repetitive.

Looking for a good book? God’s Country by William Kent Krueger sends Cork O’Connor to the peaceful Boundary Waters where it is anything but peaceful.

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

3-1/2 stars

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God’s Country

author: William Kent Krueger

series: Cork O’Connor #21

publisher: Atria Books

ISBN: 9781668231869

hardcover, 256 pages