"Iron Lake" by William Kent Krueger

I first read William Kent Krueger’s literary novels, like Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. Then I discovered he had written a considerable number of mysteries, the Cork O’Connor detective novels. In fact, the 21^st in the series was just published last week. I’ve read two of them out of sequence. And now I’m going back to the beginning. 

Iron Lake is the first Cork O’Connor mystery. As the story begins, O’Connor’s professional and private lives are both a shambles. A misstep caused him to lose re-election as sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota, and he and his noted-attorney wife are headed for divorce. He’s living on his own, but he’s also now involved with a local woman.

 

A young Eagle Scout goes missing after almost completely his paper route. The boy’s mother asks O’Connor to find him, and he traces the boy’s route to the last stop – the home of the town judge and a mover and shaker behind just about everything. O’Connor doesn’t find the boy, but he does find the body of the judge. It appears to be a suicide, but O’Connor has his doubts. 

 

Another death – this one definitely a murder – occurs, and O’Connor is convinced the two deaths are related. The new sheriff is in over his head, so O’Connor does some sleuthing on his own – and finds photograph negatives. It seems this dead man like to take compromising photographs, and one set strike close to O’Connor himself. And it appears the man worked for the judge, who may have been up to his eyeballs in blackmail.

 

William Kent Krueger

O’Connor’s father was Irish American, his mother was Anishhinaabe Indian. He fits in neither camp comfortably, but he has a foot in both. And that outsider will serve him well in unraveling the mystery of the two dead men and the missing boy.

 

Krueger’s Cork O’Connor novels are all set in the North Woods of Minnesota. Krueger’s also published three standalone novels: Ordinary Grace, The Devil’s Bed, and This Tender Land. He’s received several awards and recognitions, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Friends of American Writers Prize, and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His last nine novels were all New York Times bestsellers. Krueger lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

Iron Lake is a finely crafted mystery, with excellent character development, a solid plot, and realistic dialogue. With its nail-biting climax, I’m not sure whether to call it a mystery or a thriller. But it is a thoroughly good read.

 

Related:

 

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger.

 

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.

Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger.

 

Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger.

 

Some Monday Readings

 

Murders for September – Jeremy Black at The Critic Magazine.

 

Just Look Up! – Jonathan Rosen at The Free Press.

 

Endowment returns – editorial by The New Criterion.