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IRON LAKE
by William Kent Krueger
Pocket Books, May 1999
320 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0671016970


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Strong writing, a good story, and well-drawn characters in an unusual setting, distinguish this first novel by a writer who obviously knows his material. The central character is Corcoran O'Connor. He's an ex-Chicago cop who returns to his home with his family to establish a new life as the sheriff of the mostly rural area around the small, peaceful town of Aurora, Minnesota.

But below the surface, as is true of many small communities, are conflicting values, white versus Indian, political ambition, and greed. O'Connor, in a failed attempt to deflect rising animosities between two long-established cultures over fishing rights, loses his job as sheriff, sees his marriage deteriorate, and finds himself adrift, philosophically torn between Indian and Caucasian. Then, as winter lays its heavy hand upon the town, an Ojibwa boy disappears and a prominent judge is found dead.

With considerable care and art, author Krueger weaves a strong plot that carries the reader along and enthralls us with interesting characters caught up, each in their own context, with the opposing forces that beset the town. Sometimes moody but always suspenseful, Iron Lake has received starred reviews from national publications. I strongly recommend this novel. Cork O'Connor is an appealing character on which to build what is likely to be a long-running and very successful series. Iron Lake is a most satisfying beginning.

--

Carl Brookins

carlbrookins@earthlink.net

INNER PASSAGES

A SUPERIOR MYSTERY

http://www.Minnesotacrimewave.org/

Reviewed by Carl Brookins, August 2002

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