What I find most appealing about William Kent Krueger’s novels --- especially his enormously popular Cork O’Connor mysteries --- is how he is able to display a mashup of cultures with a Minnesota sheriff who is true to his northern locale while still infusing each story with Native American sensibilities that speak not only to the region but also to the fact that our protagonist is one-quarter Ojibwe.

APOSTLE’S COVE, the 21st entry in the Cork O’Connor series, plays directly into this formula that has worked so well for Krueger. It also features a lengthy flashback sequence that allows us to see Cork as a young, newly elected sheriff.

"Krueger’s deft writing style is on display from beginning to end in APOSTLE’S COVE, which never disappoints and is one of the most satisfying installments of this outstanding series."

Cork is shocked when his son Stephen, who is studying to be an attorney, informs him that he may have put an innocent man in prison 25 years ago. Stephen is working with the son of a man who had confessed to Cork that he was guilty of murdering his wife. Now, with the help of modern legal services that deal with cases like this, the man is claiming that he is innocent and that he pleaded guilty to protect others. This sends Cork into a spiral, and we learn exactly how it all went down.

Following the untimely death of his father, Liam, Cork rises up the ladder and is now the sheriff of Tamarack County, Minnesota. One of his first challenges will be a murder allegedly committed by Axel Boshey, a Native American man. The victim is his Caucasian wife, Chastity, the daughter of one of the town’s wealthiest and most notorious women. Having lost Liam, Cork needs a father figure and mentor, so he turns to his father’s old friend, Sam Winter Moon. He leans heavily on Sam in the early parts of this case, especially when it comes to speaking with Axel’s family and other members of the Native American community.

Chastity was stabbed multiple times and was found to be pregnant during the autopsy. Axel, who suffers from neurological blackouts, had gotten into an argument with her on the night she was killed and was seen drinking heavily at a local Native American pub where he made a call to a woman on a pay phone.

Chastity took after her mother, Aphrodite, when it came to sleeping around and was universally disliked. Axel was aware of this and had been seeking to divorce her as he already had begun a relationship with the town librarian who was pregnant with his child. There is still a percentage of the population who are anti-Native American and wants to see him burn. The case ends with Axel confessing to the murder in an attempt to protect his girlfriend, who had left the area to escape scrutiny and investigation.

Aphrodite’s home is in the area of town known as Apostle’s Cove. The name was derived from an early missionary who had settled there back in the day and believed himself to be Saint Peter the Apostle. Cork realizes that if he is going to see justice done for Axel and Chastity and catch the real killer, his path will have to take him through Apostle’s Cove once again.

Krueger’s deft writing style is on display from beginning to end in APOSTLE’S COVE, which never disappoints and is one of the most satisfying installments of this outstanding series.