Before getting into this review, I just want to say that I work on a reservation in North Dakota. Most of my colleagues are Dakota Sioux. A few are Lakota, from another reservation, and a good number are Chippewa, or Ojibway. (Many of these are Metis, which means they share an ancestry with French traders to the region). Among some of the latter, I have learned of visions and the reverence these people have for birds and turtles. This strikes a chord in me, because in parts of northern and southern Africa I was known as the Turtleman. Ironically, I, too, had visions in southern Africa that more or less proved true. Of course, none of the visions were of crimes forming the subject of this novel.
Why do I mention the above? Because it serves to show why I am able to suspend any disbeliefs I might have with regard to the plot in “Desolation Mountain.”
NOTE: Although this is the 17th book in a series. this is the only book I have yet read and I don’t feel I missed anything. In other words, this is a stand-alone with no cliffhanger ending.
Read on to learn why I gave this novel a favorable rating…
POV: Third person.
THE WRITING: Mostly it is very good. Smooth, easy flowing. Occasionally, though, this writer tends to tell us what to see instead of just showing us. Not to such a degree that it gets annoying, though. I’m just saying that, when he could have pulled us into the story to witness events, he simply told us. One example would be when they took their muddy boots off when they sat down to eat Waaboo’s favorite dish. That brings up another point – a missed opportunity, to use scent to describe the meal, or the burning fuselage of the downed aircraft.
Again, though, the writing is good and easy to read, so please don’t take the above remarks as a reason to avoid this intriguing mystery.
BLUSH FACTOR: No worries here. Reading to your church prayer group is safe.
ADVENTURE: Yes, a good look at the north woods country of Minnesota. The discussion regarding a mountain in the area will bring knowing nods among those familiar with the Rockies, the Sierras or even the Green Mountains.
SOUL: Yes, but only to some extent. It was good to get exposed to another viewpoint, but I would have loved to see more of the way of life among the Ojibway of the Upper Midwest.
EXCERPT
‘…after they entered the bog, brilliant tendrils of lightning crossed the sky to the west, and only a second passed before the air seemed to shatter. Roy Berg, the fire chief, hollered to everyone to clear the water. Although the broken section of fuselage still smoldered, Berg and his men abandoned their work and made quickly for the shoreline. Cork called to Stephen but got no response. Cork thought he understood. Stephen wanted to press forward, take the risk, find what there was to find, answer the questions. This fallen plane was part of his son’s vision, and he had to know why.
“Stephen,” Cork called sharply.
Another bolt of lightning, then thunder like the end of the world. Reluctantly, Stephen followed his father to safety.
A driving rain descended. Cork and Stephen hunkered beneath the trees a good, safe distance from the marsh water. After a while Daniel English joined them, along with the other men from the reservation.
“Anything?” Cork asked.
“Tail section and wings. Sheared off as the plane clipped the treetops,” Daniel replied. “Everything’s pretty torn up.”
“You called it in, Monkey? What did you see?” Cork asked.
Monkey Love looked like the Devil had walked all over him, the result of years of addiction to booze and drugs. He was emaciated. His face bore scars from drunken fights in bars and alleyways, and his damaged right eyelid was beset with a persistent droop. He had unusually long arms and fingers—he’d been called Monkey all his life—and more often than not, he could be found puffing on a cigarette hand-rolled from American Spirit tobacco. When he spoke, it was like a rasp over metal.
“Was sitting on the crapper with the door open.” Monkey and Ned Love had no running water at their cabin. They used an outhouse for taking care of business. “Got a good view of the mountain from there. Saw the plane come over it. They all do when they’re headin’ toward the airport. But this one was strange, kinda cockeyed and real low. Going way too slow, seemed. I lost it, then heard a lot of popping, like gunshots or somethin’. Then whump. I swear I could…’
Krueger, William Kent. Desolation Mountain: A Novel (Cork O'Connor Mystery Series Book 17) (Kindle Locations 377-392). Atria Books. Kindle Edition.
BOTTOM LINE
The best way to explain how I felt after reading this Adventure-Mystery. I bought “The Devil’s Bed,” a stand-alone novel Krueger wrote featuring Bo Thorson, a character used only in that book, and in this one. I intend to also purchase the other 16 books during the coming weeks.
Four stars out of five.
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Customer reviews
Every Krueger Novel Keeps You Spellbound
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019
I have collected all of William Kent Krueger's books and have not been disappointed with any of them. They just get better. This picture is taken at the Heritage Museum at Lake Vermilion near Aurora, MN where I picture the Cork O'Connor novels take place. The books have such descriptive characters and locations that you can easily place yourself in the story and feel like you know the characters. If you ever have a chance to be present at a Krueger presentation, you must go. The author is genuine and generous. His books do not disappoint.
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019
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