“Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginnings to our end.”
On Memorial Day, 1958, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River. Investigation of the death falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his own military service. Dern struggles not only to find the truth but also put to rest the demons from his own past.
William Kent Krueger has three stand alone novels and one series of mysteries. The stand alones are a cut above the series, but I love them all for a number of reasons. Krueger is a good storyteller and there is a literary depth to his novels. There are often key indigenous characters in his stories, and there is always an element of respect reserved for them and their journeys. His characters are interesting and varied and salt-of-the earth types. The landscapes he paints with words, mostly in Minnesota, are beautifully rendered and detailed without deterring too much from the well paced mystery that is evolving, because even in the stand alones, there is always a mystery. Readers should know that his books are known for good themes like found family, resilience, bravery, forgiveness, and justice but his books also deal with difficult issues like racism, sexual assault, and violence which can be triggering.
Here are earlier works that I have read and enjoyed:
Joanne's Reading Blog 
Such a good summary of WKK’s books. We Minnesotans are so proud of him and delighted with all the national attention he receives. Plus, he is a nice person!