Krueger Review

Vermillion Drift

William Kent Krueger

Atria Books 2010

Ed Shannon

While I have read and enjoyed Krueger’s short fiction from the Minnesota Crime Wave series, I truly came to his work late. I discovered his novels and now search for first editions whether in hardcover or paperback. His most recent novel, Vermillion Drift, again features Corcoran (Cork) O’Conner in Minnesota’s North Shore, Boundary Waters area. For those unfamiliar with the series, Cork is a former sheriff who has evolved from that position, through family problems and losses to utilising his expertise to solve crimes in this series of eleven novels. Recently nominated for a Minnesota Book Award in fiction, Krueger displays a deft handling of the mystery genre while writing in a clear, concise yet beautifully descriptive prose.

This most recent novel quickly brings the reader into a murder with ties going back some 45 years and connections to a case handled by Cork’s estranged father. Tying together these disparate murders with the economic difficulties of the mining industry in northern Minnesota, Krueger draws us into a skilfully developed murder mystery that keeps the reader turning pages, analysing scenarios, and ultimately becoming entranced with the characters, the scenery, the mystery, and human tragedies revealed.

Perhaps the best recommendation any book can receive is not the number of stars, but the intensity of the read. I found myself at 3:30 in the morning still turning the last pages, unable to stop. Reminiscent of Tony Hillerman’s novels, Cork’s mixed Native American and Irish ancestry places him in a position uniquely able to connect Native American concerns with those of the larger community.

Anyone one looking for a fast paced, clearly written mystery with a respect for both the culture and naturally beauty of Northern Minnesota will find this novel and its predecessors well worth both the time and money.