September 2024

While I have not read all 20 titles in the Cork O’Connor series, I have thoroughly enjoyed those that I have read. William Kent Krueger has a knack for delivering a new plot while also bringing in enough backstory that a newcomer does not feel lost. Just as importantly, he does not overwrite the backstory for longtime readers.

SPIRIT CROSSING, the latest installment, takes on an issue that I have so many thoughts on --- the marginalization of Native American women, especially when it comes to kidnapping, sex trafficking and murder. Here, the daughter of a prominent Minnesota politician has gone missing, and there is an active manhunt underway to find her. At the same time, Native American women have been disappearing, but the same tactics are not undertaken to find them.

When the story opens, Cork’s young grandson, Waaboo, is out hunting blueberries (the description of these lush berries will make you want to have some next to you as you read) when he stumbles upon a grave. While it is thought to be the grave of the politician’s daughter, instead it quickly is found to be that of an Ojibwe woman, and she is dismissed by many as “not important.” To Cork and the Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police, this case takes on the urgent tone that it deserves. And they find that this is not the only woman who has been tossed aside.

Kent is no stranger to tackling controversial topics, and here we also get a look at a protest against an oil pipeline that is planned to run through Spirit Crossing, known as a spiritual place for the Ojibwe people. Protests there take on an urgency as the oil company pushes forward with their plans. He shares the passion of the Ojibwe people while also talking about what the overall issue is.

I loved the character of Waaboo, especially as he relates to Henry Meloux, who helps him navigate his spiritual powers to connect with those in trouble --- in this case, the young Native American women who have been killed. Giving these families closure is so important to Cork. Beyond all of this exceptional storytelling is a very special storyline that will take someone dear to Cork away from him. The epilogue ties things together so beautifully, but be sure not to read it first. If this is your first Cork O’Connor book, I promise it will not be your last!