October 2025

William Kent Krueger always delivers with his Cork O’Connor series. While I am a huge fan of his stellar stand-alone novels, I am in awe of how he consistently cranks out interesting stories in his series books. He also is brilliant at weaving in enough backstory on characters and prior events to ensure that even a newcomer can stay on top of what’s going on. Things like references to Cork’s first wife are incorporated here (she was active on the case being discussed in this latest installment as she was the attorney on it), but readers also will learn about her death, which happened in an earlier book. The storytelling feels seamless for readers, but you know it takes a deft hand from an author to reveal what you need to know and when you need to know it.

In APOSTLE’S COVE, Cork receives word from his son, Stephen, who is a law student, that decades ago a man most likely was wrongly convicted of a crime. It was a case from early in Cork’s career, and the situation was not black and white to him from the start. Indeed, he had many questions. But when a confession was delivered in earnest by Axel Boshey, a Native American, there was no choice but to accept it. It was troubling, though. So fast forward to now, and Cork is taking a new view on what happened all those years ago.

Axel had been charged with killing his Caucasian wife, Chastity, whose mother, Aphodite, is both moneyed and eccentric. Aphrodite has been known to dabble in recreational drugs, and the sex and parties at her home are legendary. Cork diligently examines the evidence as one more shocking twist after another is revealed, such as that Chastity was pregnant when she died. It becomes known that she was as sexually promiscuous (though I am sure she would call it “free”) as her mother. Axel had wanted to be free of Chastity and had begun steps to take his life in a new direction. But to protect someone else, he takes the fall.

Axel goes on to become a model prisoner, finding more goodness in his life in prison than he ever felt on the outside. Although the facts suggest that he should be free, he is not sure he feels the same way. The structure of prison has given him more of a landing zone than he has felt before in his life. Cork, meanwhile, knows that to get a just verdict, he needs to venture into the area where Aphrodite lives (and he has a clever way to infiltrate that).

The pacing keeps you guessing what will happen, as opposed to just seeing what you want to have happen. How will this story from decades ago be resolved? Another note: I had wondered about the title. The area known as Apostle’s Cove is named as such because a missionary who settled there years ago felt that he was Saint Peter the Apostle. I loved that nugget of information.

I dare you. If you read one Cork O’Connor book, you will want to take time to catch up on the rest of the series. How lovely to have 21 books that deliver!