so much more, “Lightning Strike” is an amazing combination of family relationships, social commentary and well crafted mystery.
I’ve been wanting to read this series for a long time and this was the place to start - book 17 is a prequel and a stand alone novel. It begins in 1989 with the protagonist, Cork, starting his first day as sheriff. Only 2.5 brief pages to set the stage and he’s reminiscing about how he got where he’s at and who it was that paved the way. We’re off to 1963…
Sheriff Liam O’Connor, Cork’s father, is tasked with solving an highly charged death that he has called a suicide but the victim’s family is certain something nefarious has happened. The family is Native American and they’re issues between the tribal leaders and the town’s elite. Cork, his Mother and Grandmother are First Peoples. Oh, and guess who found the body? Oh yeah, this is Cork’s first mystery to be solved.
W. K. Krueger’s writing is atmospheric when describing the setting. I could smell, taste, feel, hear everything. On the other hand, I struggled somewhat with the investigation because the racial issues were too woke for 1963. I applaud Krueger for his dedication to Native American issues and for the prologue with historical information but 2021 BLM fodder doesn’t belong in this story.
I waffled between 3-4 stars and opted for kindness because so much of this book really is exceptional. I’m going to give book 1 a fair read and hope this political mishap was an aberration. The back stories on Cork and Liam were really woven together wonderfully as were the relationships between Cork and his buddies.
This is a mystery that’s built in layers but it’s not a hard core procedural. Cork and his friends are young teenagers who make horrifying discoveries; some by accident others purposeful. He’s got that gladiator heart that is unique to boys of that age.
3.5 stars rounded up because it will make me much more grounded when starting the series📚
Fiction, Fiction, Fiction August 2021 #26
Lightning Strike: Cork O'Connor Mysteries, Book 18
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Customer reviews
Cozy mystery, hf, and coming-of-age novel all in one!
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021
🎉🎉𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑷𝒀 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑩𝑰𝑹𝑻𝑯𝑫𝑨𝒀!!!🎉🎉!!!💯𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚 𝐾𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐾𝑟𝑢𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 has quickly risen to the top of my must-read authors list. A master storyteller, Krueger lures his readers in with his lyrical descriptions and imaginative narratives.✔His newest novel is no exception... a mosaic of cozy mystery, historical fiction, and coming-of-age adventure - this one has it all! I was intrigued from the get-go as I followed young Corcoran O'Connor through the winding road to his discovery alongside his dad. With a motley cast of characters, this novel moved along at a quick clip and had some unexpected surprises en route. I appreciated that there was plenty to throw me off the scent and each time I had someone pegged, I turned out to be wrong.🤷♀️I must admit, I'm not much of a cozy mystery reader, but now, thanks to Mr. Krueger, I can certainly understand the lure. To boot, I learned quite a bit about the Indian Relocation Act of 1956 and what it did to the Native American Community... so incredibly tragic.
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021
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a reader
another great one by William Kent Krueger
Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2021
Margaret McCrank
Good mystery, interesting characters, easy to read.
Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2022
