This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

 

First Line: In the beginning, after he labored over the heavens and the earth, the light and the dark, the land and sea and all living things that dwell within, after he created man and woman and before he rested, I believe God gave us one final gift.

 

On the banks of the Gilead River in Minnesota, Lincoln School is home to hundreds of Native American boys and girls who have been separated from their families. It is also home to two orphaned white boys, Odie and Albert. It's 1932. The country is deep in the Depression, and times are hard. They are made even harder by Lincoln School's cruel superintendent, Mrs. Brickman, whom all the students call the Black Witch because of her raven hair and dark eyes. Odie and Albert often find themselves in trouble and being punished by the superintendent, but they've made friends with a mute Native American boy called Mose and Cora Frost, a widowed teacher who's raising her little daughter, Emmy, by herself.

 

When tragedy strikes down Mrs. Frost, Odie and Albert are faced with a momentous decision. The two boys, along with Mose, rescue Emmy and escape in a canoe down the Gilead, leaving a dead body in their wake. All Odie and Albert want to do is make their way to St. Louis to an aunt who lives there. All they want is a place they can call home.  

 

~

 

This Tender Land is so much more than an homage to Huckleberry Finn. William Kent Krueger is so immensely talented at creating living, breathing characters and setting them in a landscape that you can see and hear and touch.

 

Mose's Indian name means "broken to pieces," and so many things are broken to pieces in this marvelous book, first and foremost the lives of the characters. It's how hard they try to put those pieces back together that warms your heart.

 

More and more, I'm coming across books that are set during the Depression. It's such an incredible time period, and Krueger brings it to life. Rootless people with no money, no hope, and no homes. One cataclysm after another that they must endure. No wonder thirteen-year-old Odie believes God is a tornado. Another of the strong elements in This Tender Land is showing what so many children were forced to endure in Indian boarding schools throughout the United States and Canada.

 

With a rock-solid foundation of a setting, I couldn't help but be swept along with those four children in their canoe as they paddled down one river after another. On the run, hungry, scared, encountering people from all walks of life, and being placed in all sorts of situations. Krueger is superb when it comes to depicting the strength of the human spirit and the beauty of the land. If you want to be fully immersed in the next book you read, pick up a copy of This Tender Land.    

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

Narrated by Scott Brick.

ASIN: B07S85YLDY

Recorded Books © 2019

Audiobook. 14  hours and 19 minutes.

 

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Audible.

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

 

First Line: Cork O'Connor first heard the story of the Windigo in the fall of 1963 when he hunted the big bear with Sam Winter Moon.

 

Cork O'Connor loses his job as sheriff of a small Minnesota town after a confrontation between whites and Native Americans on the nearby reservation causes him to shoot a local white resort owner. The loss of his job also led to the loss of his marriage. 

Even though he's begun a new relationship with Molly Nurmi, he hasn't lost hope of rebuilding his marriage-- primarily because of his children.

When a judge commits suicide and a local boy goes missing, Cork finds himself drawn to investigate regardless of the fact that there's a new sheriff in town. The long-buried secrets he's going to find are going to ignite a powder keg.

~

Having seen William Kent Krueger several times at events held at my local independent bookstore, I've always intended to read his Cork O'Connor 0mysteries-- especially since I loved his book, Ordinary Grace. A few years have passed since I first had that intention, so it was time to pry that particular paving stone out of my personal Highway to Hades. 

Iron Lake is the first Cork O'Connor mystery and introduces us primarily to Cork, his estranged wife, Jo, his girlfriend, Molly, and his mentor, Sam Winter Moon. Cork is one-quarter Native American, and I loved the way Krueger wove the Ojibwe and Anishinaabe culture and folklore into the story. The winter landscape of northern Minnesota also figured prominently, and I don't think anyone is ever going to be able to convince me that sweating myself silly in a sauna and then running out and jumping into a lake through a hole in the ice is a fun thing to do.

The mystery is solid, and the pacing is steady and true as Cork works his way through all the secrets that have been kept over the years by several of the townspeople. Some extremely suspenseful situations and a chase over the lake ice kept me glued to the story.

Was there anything that I didn't care for? Yes. The two women were a bit too stereotypical for me. Jo was such a "wronged woman" that I rolled my eyes so far back in my head that they almost stuck. As for Molly, she was the typical love interest of the hero. Even though I hate to admit it, I never really warmed up to Cork himself, and I'm not sure why. As much as I did like Iron Lake, I can certainly see myself reading the next book in the series to see if Mr. O'Connor improves upon acquaintance.

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

Narrated by David Chandler

ASIN: B003NGXOQ0

Recorded Books © 2010

Audiobook. 11 hours, 57 minutes.

 

Law Enforcement, #1 Cork O'Connor mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Audible.

Being Appreciated at The Poisoned Pen

A week ago, Denis and I headed to The Poisoned Pen for their Customer Appreciation Party. Since this was a Saturday, Denis had to request the day off, so you know he was looking forward to it. This was a party, not an author event; there'd be plenty of food, drink, swag bags, and Craig Johnson, Margaret Coel, and William Kent Krueger were going to be there to party with us (and sign a few books, too). As we pulled into the parking lot, we saw that a small section of it had been roped off, and tables, chairs, tablecloths, and flowers were rapidly being brought out. (We showed up unfashionably early to make sure we got a parking spot for our vehicle and a couple for our behinds. We know how these authors can fill up the bookstore with fans!)

We were right; the bookstore filled up quickly, and author Rhys Bowen made an appearance, too, which made the party even more special. It was fun to hear the buzz when the authors walked into the bookstore. This is going to be more of a pictorial blog post since it wasn't a formal author event, and that means that I don't have much more to say.

I do feel slightly guilty about not saying more than hello to Bowen, Coel, and Krueger, but I feel that I had an excellent reason for not doing so. The second Craig walked into the store, people started crowding around him with their stories and their books. Guess where he asked to sit in order to chat and sign? The small table where Denis and I were seated! Boy howdy, I wasn't about to turn loose of my ringside seat-- would you?

Let the festivities commence!

L to R: William Kent Krueger, Barbara Peters, Margaret Coel, Craig Johnson

Plenty of nibbles

Susan (L) tending the bar

Partying outside. Can you spot Kent Krueger?

Can you spot Margaret Coel? The tall man on the left is her husband.

Early birds waiting for the stars.

Kent Krueger signing books.

The buzz grew when these three appeared. Rhys Bowen is on the right with Krueger's hand on her arm. Coel is in front of Barbara Peters, who has her back to us.

Even Barbara Peters (L) is getting into social media.

Oh oh... I've been spotted by the man in the hat!

Craig Johnson getting writer's cramp.

Craig Johnson

Craig was looking even slimmer than he did the last time I saw him, and I found out why. He's always wanted to go on a mule ride down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and he learned that everyone has to weigh in the night before. Fully clothed, including hat, boots, and sunglasses, 200 pounds is the weight limit. "I haven't weighed 200 pounds since I was in high school!" Craig told us. This past Tuesday night Craig weighed in at 195 pounds, and I couldn't help but remember that he'd said, "When I get back up to the top, there's a pizza and a beer waiting with my name on 'em!" I'm looking forward to finding out if he enjoyed the ride, the pizza, and the beer.

Those red bags are the swag bags every customer received. An ARC & all sorts of goodies were within!

The yellow bag contained these books. Don't mind the vertigo-inducing angle of the photo!

Denis and I had so much fun. In fact, I'm still smiling about it!

@ The Poisoned Pen with Margaret Coel and William Kent Krueger!

Denis and I are getting used to our once-a-week trip to our favorite bookstore, The Poisoned Pen, and it will feel mighty strange when there's a week when no author we want to see is appearing there. There wasn't any threat of rain on our drive to Scottsdale, and even the rush hour traffic seemed light.

When we walked into the bookstore, I had some business to conduct. It's something I very rarely ever do, but when I do slip up and buy a duplicate book it seems to bring me humility for a couple of years. I exchanged my duplicate for a copy of Louise Penny's The Long Way Home, then I joined Denis in the back so I could immerse myself in an advance reading copy of Betty Webb's new Lena Jones mystery, Desert Rage. Whenever I sit and read in The Poisoned Pen, I feel as though I'm in a vault filled with Fabergé eggs. What can I say? Books are my treasures!

Time passed quickly, and in no time the room was filled with people who came from as far away as Tucson to see this evening's authors Margaret Coel and William Kent Krueger. Amongst the fans was another author-- Betty Webb. I barely had enough time to talk with her about Desert Rage before the event started, but I managed.

"I'm feeling pretty good tonight!"

L to R: Barbara Peters, a show-off bag, William Kent Krueger, Margaret Coel

Bookstore owner Barbara Peters appeared first, telling us that after Labor Day (when Louise Penny will be there to pack the store to the rafters) it would be a rather quiet two weeks, for which the staff was grateful. It's been a frenetic year for everyone at The Poisoned Pen, and they certainly deserve a little breather. As Barbara told us, this lull wasn't planned, it is simply due to the vagaries of the publishing world. Peters is already hard at work scheduling authors for next March when there's evidently a glut of crime fiction being released. 

Margaret and her necklace

When Coel and Krueger appeared to a big round of applause, Barbara showed us the gorgeous turquoise jewelry she was wearing, saying, "I got tired of Margaret upstaging me with her jewelry!" Coel, who always wears fantastic turquoise jewelry, patted the necklace she was wearing. "I priced necklaces like this in Santa Fe, and I thought [making a raspberry sound] I can make that! The toughest part is getting the stones to lay just right." Barbara shook her head and exclaimed, "See? She upstaged me again!" Yes, it would be another fun evening at The Poisoned Pen!

This isn't the first time Coel and Krueger have appeared together, and they make quite the team. Coel urged Krueger to speak first, and he asked us, "How many of you have never read a William Kent Krueger novel?" A few (very few) people raised their hands. With a twinkle in his eye, Krueger pointed at one raised hand and said, "Get out!" to laughter from us all. Before he could say anything else, Barbara urged him to "mention your Edgar" and Krueger told us that his excellent book, Ordinary Grace (one of my Best Reads this year) had won the Edgar award for best mystery novel a few months previously. "I've also been nominated for another three awards at the upcoming Bouchercon-- thank you, Lord!-- and I just got word that Windigo Island debuted at #12 on the New York Times Bestseller List. I'm feeling pretty good tonight!"

"We aren't afraid to tackle serious social issues."

William Kent Krueger and Margaret Coel

Once all the applause died down, Krueger settled down to talk books. 

While writing Ordinary Grace, Krueger spent a lot of time preparing audiences for something different from his Cork O'Connor books. He was unsure that anyone would want to publish the book based on the reaction to the fourth book he wrote, a non-Cork book called The Devil's Bed. "Anyone here read The Devil's Bed?" Several hands were raised. "Oh my God! All of the people in the entire universe who've read that book are in this room tonight! The book didn't do well, not because it wasn't good, but because readers weren't interested in anything that didn't have Cork O'Connor in it. That's why I spent a lot of time preparing readers for Ordinary Grace.

"We haven't been afraid to tackle significant social issues," he said, with Coel nodding in agreement. "Any time that the native community is an element of your work, you're going to be dealing with significant social issues. I love that we can do this. I can stand up on a soapbox and spout off without giving the other side an opportunity for rebuttal. And I've learned that when you couch that issue within the context of a really compelling mystery, people are going to read you. They wouldn't read a polemic, but they'll read your mystery and hopefully be enlightened by what's there.

"Windigo Island is probably the most issue-oriented of all the books I've written. A few years ago I began working significantly with a couple of Native American organizations in the Twin Cities area-- the Ain Dah Yung Center in St. Paul which gives Native street kids a home, food, job training and education; and the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center in Minneapolis does pretty much the same thing for Native American women who are single parents and homeless. They also work with Native women with substance abuse issues, and they work with women who are involved in sex trafficking and want to get out of that life.

"I was horrified to learn that the Twin Cities is one of the largest urban areas in the United States involved in the trafficking of vulnerable women-- a large number of whom are Native. The people in those organizations asked me if I could write a story to bring this to people's attention. How could I say no?

Available Now!

"Windigo Island is one of the darkest books I've ever written," said Krueger. "At the heart of the book is the trafficking of these very young, very vulnerable women."

When Barbara asked him, Krueger explained, "A windigo is a creature out of Ojibwa myth. A cannibal giant, a beast with a heart of ice with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. In myth, the windigo used to be a human being who, through his greed, grew into this monstrous creature. And the only way to defeat a windigo-- in this traditional myth-- is to become a windigo yourself. Once you have defeated the windigo, there is magic involved in bringing yourself back to the size of a human being. If the ceremony doesn't work, you are doomed to be forever a windigo."

Silence reigned throughout the bookstore. I would imagine more than one person shivered, including Margaret Coel, who then began to talk about her book. 

We got a special deal!

"The Ojibwa people you've talked about are related to the Arapaho that I write about," Margaret said, looking over at a nodding Krueger. "And I like what you said before-- a lot of my books arise from something I've come across that's completely shocked me. That's what happened with my book Night of the White Buffalo. In fact we're launching the book here tonight!"

"Not only are we launching it," Barbara Peters said, "we're launching it five days early."

Available Now!

"That's right," Coel said. "Everyone else has to wait until September 2."

"'cause Barbara can do that!" Krueger added to everyone's laughter. 

Barbara then went on to explain that we could get our Margaret Coel books signed early after an agreement made with the publisher. As soon as the event was over, The Poisoned Pen staff had to hide all the remaining copies away until the official launch date. Peters had to sign an affidavit to that effect-- a benefit of having a bookstore owner who once was a lawyer.

Coel had learned that the extremely rare birth of a white buffalo was akin to the Second Coming to the Arapaho because the birth was the fulfillment of a promise from the Creator. The author spends a lot of time on the Wind River Reservation. They have friends up there who own a buffalo ranch, and Coel goes out with her friends to feed the buffalo. 

"Buffalo are the most incredible creatures," Coel said. "I knew I'd have to write about them one day. The thing I like about them is that they are totally, totally wild creatures. You cannot domesticate them. Do not mess with them because you're not going to change them. They have no interest in being anything other than what they are.

"When the news gets out, 100,000 people can come to the birth of a white buffalo. These people come from all over, and they can cause a lot of damage to roads, fences, pastures-- but they also leave donations for the care of the animal. It's possible to receive $1 million in donations. However, I did have a rancher tell me one time that if one was ever born on his land, he'd kill it. Because-- well, would you really want to have 100,000 people trampling all over your ranch?"

"Hmmm... a million dollars? I don't know..." Krueger quipped.

So Coel's Night of the White Buffalo is centered on the birth of one of these rare creatures, and the murder of a rancher that follows soon after. Of course, Father John and Vicky become involved.

Peters added that she thought Coel's newest book was one of the most interesting in the series, and that she also really liked the weaving together of Catholicism and Arapaho traditional beliefs. "I also thought that this book was one of the most interesting from Father John's point of view. Unfortunately we can't tell you about the really special little plot, lest you think it's all about the white buffalo!"  Margaret smiled and said, "If you read the book, and I hope you will, I want you to know that it's based on a true story."

"I love the energy of Henry in this book."

Krueger then told us a bit more about the plot of Windigo Island. The book begins at Lake Superior with the body of a young woman washing up on the shore of a place the local Ojibwa call Windigo Island. It concludes in Williston, North Dakota, an oilfield boomtown that greatly resembles the old Wild West. Thousands of workers have poured into this small town, and these men have lots of money and nothing to spend it on... except alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. Cork's old friend Henry Meloux asks him to investigate the death of the young woman, and because the safety of Henry's family is at stake, Cork agrees. Henry is a very old Ojibwa medicine man, and he plays a significant part in Windigo Island. He's an old man on a very dangerous hunt. "I love the energy of Henry in this book," Krueger said.

William Kent Krueger and Margaret Coel

Since Henry admits to being one hundred years old in the book, Peters asked the author how long this character would remain in his Cork O'Connor books. "Henry can live forever-- or as long as I have a contract!" Krueger proclaimed. "I've made a committment to myself that the series will end when Henry takes to the Path of Souls. That will be the way the series ends."

Peters then asked Coel about the Jesuit mission in her series. "In real life, the Jesuits pulled out three years ago. But this is fiction, so Father John is still there. He will have to leave sometime, and that may be the way to end the series. I still have two books left in my contract."

"We don't want to hear that this is all about your book contracts!" Barbara protested. "These are people we're following!"

The authors then turned to talking about characters. Krueger commented that there are two types of characters: static and dynamic. Static characters never change-- like Sherlock Holmes or Kinsey Milhone. Dynamic characters do change. 

"The shocking things that can happen in these books have to change the characters in some way," Coel said. Krueger agreed. "Writing about dynamic characters keeps the series fresh for me."

Mention was made of Coel's departure from her Wind River mysteries-- two books featuring Catherine McLeod, an investigative reporter in Denver, Colorado. Coel really liked that character, but the publisher didn't, and her fans were wanting more Wind River books--"But that doesn't mean that I won't bring her back!" Coel warned us.

The three also talked for a minute about how white authors were writing Native American-themed crime fiction but Native American writers weren't, which really gave me food for thought.

Next?

Margaret told us, "I love writing about the Arapaho. Because of their location, they were involved in everything. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out on the Wind River Reservation. Cassidy also did a bit of ranching up there when he was trying to go straight. There's a rumor up on the rez that Cassidy buried some treasure on reservation land." So... guess what figures into her next book? That's right-- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!

Krueger is working on what he calls a companion to Ordinary Grace, even though the setting and characters are not the same. After the publishing debacle of The Devil's Bed, he could only write Cork O'Connor books, but Ordinary Grace has opened a lot of doors for him. The work-in-progress is called This Tender Land and involves the coming home of World War II and Korean War veterans... "That great wounding of us as human beings and the question of how we heal."

Peters mentioned Poisoned Pen Press author Reavis Z. Wortham, and Krueger immediately exclaimed, "He's a fantastic new author!" before talk turned to collaboration. Coel jokingly told Krueger to send Cork down to the Wind River Reservation to work with Father John, but both agreed that collaboration wasn't for them. Both think it's too hard because their writing is "just too personal."

"One reason why I like what I do is that I make all the decisions. If I wanted to collaborate, I'd go to Hollywood," Krueger said.

Coel talked about a collaborative effort she'd done with other writers. Everyone had been given a list of characters to use as they wrote their alternating chapters. Unfortunately the author ahead of her brought in a completely different batch of characters which left Coel floundering a bit. "I'd bring in a character with an Uzi to get rid of all the new characters," Krueger joked, which made Margaret burst into laughter.

Krueger only thinks about Cork O'Connor when he's working on a Cork O'Connor book. Coel will finish a book around November 1, take the holidays off, and then go back to writing in January. "I think about Father John and Vicky a lot," she said.

When the evening drew to a close, Barbara Peters suggested the next time the authors appeared at The Poisoned Pen that they should bring photographs of the places they write about. Everyone-- Peters, Coel, Krueger, and everyone in the audience-- thought it was a great idea.

Once again, Denis and I left our favorite bookstore with smiles on our faces and plenty of book talk on the drive home. 

August 2014 New Mystery Releases!

I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems as though summer is flying by at the speed of light. Since this is my prime reading season when I really clear spaces on my to-be-read shelves, I'm torn between wanting to read faster! faster! and wanting to saunter my way through volumes, savoring each page. Hopefully I'll find a way to do both!

I may be clearing shelf space, but I'm still keeping an eye peeled for intriguing new mysteries. The following list contains my picks for new crime fiction available in August. The books are grouped according to their release dates, and I've included all the information you'll need to find them at all your favorite book spots. Synopses are courtesy of Amazon.

Happy Reading! 

=== August 1 === 

Title: Tahoe Ghost Boat

Author: Todd Borg

#12 in the Owen McKenna P.I. series set in Lake Tahoe, California

ISBN: 9781931296229

Publisher: Thriller Press

Paperback, 384 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "Gertie O'Leary is a 15-year-old girl with a messy bird's nest of red hair, a serious softball pitch, and a dream to be a movie director. She also has a $2 million price on her head.

When a gang led by a killer the FBI calls Mikhailo the Monster takes Gertie as the centerpiece of an extortion plot, the girl's mother calls Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna for help.

McKenna finds out that Gertie's stepfather has just died in what looks like a boating accident and that Gertie's mother cares more about not losing money to blackmail than saving her daughter.

As the unwanted child of divorced, self-focused parents, Gertie has no defenders. So McKenna appoints himself her savior. But McKenna is one man up against a small army of twisted murderers whose orders are to kill the girl...."

Title: The Devil's Chair

Author: Priscilla Masters

#5 in the Coroner Martha Gunn series set in Shrewsbury, England

ISBN: 9780727883896

Publisher: Severn House

Hardcover, 224 pages

Synopsis: "In the peaceful setting of the National Trust near Church Stretton, south of Shrewsbury, Tracey Walsh drives herself and her four-year-old daughter, Daisy, up the remote Burway in the early hours of the morning, tragically loses control of her car and crashes into the valley below.

Tracey is rushed to hospital, but where is Daisy? She has vanished, provoking an intense police search of the area around the Devil’s Chair, land that is rife with legends and strange stories of witchcraft, sorcery and unexplained disappearances. Detective Inspector Alex Randall, the senior investigating officer, soon admits to coroner Martha Gunn that he is baffled by the case.

Alex and Martha must sift through fact and fiction, folklore and reality in their search for answers."

=== August 5 ===

Title: If Catfish Had Nine Lives

Author: Paige Shelton

#4 in the Country Cooking School cozy series set in southern Missouri

ISBN: 9780425269282

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Synopsis: "Betts Winston has inherited more than her cooking skills from her grandmother—she can also see and talk to ghosts of people that once roamed the streets of Broken Rope, Missouri, in the days of the Old West…

With Gram’s Country Cooking School on spring break, Betts and Gram are taking part in this year’s cowboy poetry convention, offering lessons on frying catfish over an open campfire. But when a staged gunfight ends in real death and her brother Teddy becomes a prime suspect, Betts may be the one to jump from the frying pan into the fire.

After her ghostly guardian Jerome appears to watch her back and a spectral Pony Express rider gallops into town with some unfinished business, Broken Rope starts to seem more like a cowboy ghost convention. With trouble on both sides of this mortal coil, it’s up to Betts to clear her brother, put the spirits to rest, and make sure the true killer doesn’t become the one who got away."

Title: Murder in the Mystery Suite

Author: Ellery Adams

#1 in the Book Retreat cozy series set in rural western Virginia

ISBN: 9780425265598

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Mass market Paperback, 304 pages

Synopsis: "Tucked away in the rolling hills of rural western Virginia is the storybook resort of Storyton Hall, catering to book lovers who want to get away from it all. To increase her number of bookings, resort manager Jane Steward has decided to host a Murder and Mayhem week so that fans of the mystery genre can gather together for some role-playing and fantasy crime solving.

But when the winner of the scavenger hunt, Felix Hampden, is found dead in the Mystery Suite, and the valuable book he won as his prize is missing, Jane realizes one of her guests is an actual murderer. Amid a resort full of fake detectives, Jane is bound and determined to find a real-life killer. There’s no room for error as Jane tries to unlock this mystery before another vacancy opens up…"

Title: Queen of Hearts

Author: Rhys Bowen

#8 in the Royal Spyness historical series set in the U.S.

ISBN: 9780425260364

Publisher: Berkley 

Hardcover, 304 pages

Synopsis: "My mother, the glamorous and much-married actress, is hearing wedding bells once again—which is why she must hop across the pond for a quickie divorce in Reno. To offer my moral support, and since all expenses are paid by her new hubby-to-be, Max, I agree to make the voyage with her.

Crossing the Atlantic, with adventure in the air and wealthy men aboard, Mother all but forgets about Max and matrimony—especially when movie mogul Cy Goldman insists on casting her in his next picture.

Meanwhile, I find myself caught up in the secret investigation of a suspected jewel thief. Lucky for me, the lead investigator happens to be my dashing beau, Darcy!

Mother’s movie and Darcy’s larceny lead everyone to Cy’s Hollywood home, where the likes of Charlie Chaplin are hanging about and there’s enough romantic intrigue to fill a double feature. But we hardly get a chance to work out the sleeping arrangements before Cy turns up dead—as if there wasn’t enough drama already…"

Title: Paw and Order

Author: Spencer Quinn

#7 in the Chet and Bernie series set in Washington, DC

ISBN:  9781476703398

Publisher: Atria Books

Hardcover, 320 pages

Synopsis: "Chet and Bernie pay a visit to Bernie’s girlfriend, Suzie Sanchez, a crack reporter living in far-off Washington, DC. She’s working on a big story she can’t talk about, but when her source, a mysterious Brit with possible intelligence connections, runs into trouble of the worst kind, Bernie suddenly finds himself under arrest.

Meanwhile Chet gets to know a powerful DC operative who may or may not have the goods on an ambitious politician. Soon Chet and Bernie are sucked into an international conspiracy, battling unfamiliar forces under the blinking red eyes of a strange bird that Chet notices from the get-go but seems to have slipped by everybody else. Most menacing of all is Barnum, a guinea pig with the fate of the nation in his tiny paws.

As Harry Truman famously quipped, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” Too bad he didn’t get to meet Chet!"

Title: The Counterfeit Lady

Author: Kate Parker

#2 in the Victorian Bookshop cozy series set in Victorian London

ISBN: 9780425266618

Publisher: Berkley

Paperback, 320 pages

Synopsis: "Who would suspect antiquarian bookseller Georgia Fenchurch of leading a double life—as a private investigator for the clandestine Archivist Society in Victorian London? When England’s national security is compromised, Georgia must pose as a titled lady to root out a spy…

A cousin of Georgia’s dear friend, Lady Phyllida Monthalf, is brutally murdered in her home during the theft of blueprints of a new battleship designed by her husband—who now stands accused of her murder…and treason. The Duke of Blackford, in service to Whitehall, enlists Georgia and the Archivist Society to assist in the investigation. Playing the part of the duke’s new paramour, Georgia gains entry into the upper echelons of London’s elite, where amidst elegant dinners and elaborate parties a master spy schemes to lay hands on the stolen plans.

The duke is no stranger to the world of international espionage, but Georgia is out of her element in more ways than one. She must not allow her genuine attraction to the duke—or her obsession with finding her parents’ killer—to distract her from her role. But when a mysterious stranger threatens to expose her, the counterfeit lady may be in real trouble…"

Title: Well Read, Then Dead

Author: Terrie Farley Moran

#1 in the Read 'em and Eat cozy series set in Florida

ISBN: 9780425270288

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Synopsis: "Nestled in the barrier islands of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers Beach is home to Mary “Sassy” Cabot and Bridget Mayfield—owners of the bookstore café, Read ’Em and Eat. But when they’re not dishing about books or serving up scones, Sassy and Bridgy are keeping tabs on hard-boiled murder.

Read ’Em and Eat is known for its delicious breakfast and lunch treats, along with quite a colorful clientele. If it’s not Rowena Gustavson loudly debating the merits of the current book club selection, it’s Miss Augusta Maddox lecturing tourists on rumors of sunken treasure among the islands. It’s no wonder Sassy’s favorite is Delia Batson, a regular at the Emily Dickinson table. Augusta’s cousin and best friend Delia is painfully shy—which makes the news of her murder all the more shocking.

No one is more distraught than Augusta, and Sassy wants to help any way she can. But Augusta doesn’t have time for sympathy. She wants Delia’s killer found—and she’s not taking no for an answer. Now Sassy is on the case, and she’d better act fast before there’s any more trouble in paradise." 

=== August 12 ===

Title: An Unwilling Accomplice

Author: Charles Todd

#6 in the Bess Crawford historical series set during World War I

ISBN: 9780062237194

Publisher: William Morrow

Hardcover, 352 pages

Synopsis: "Home on leave, Bess Crawford is asked to accompany a wounded soldier confined to a wheelchair to Buckingham Palace, where he’s to be decorated by the King. The next morning when Bess goes to collect Wilkins, he has vanished. Both the Army and the nursing service hold Bess negligent for losing the war hero, and there will be an inquiry.

Then comes disturbing word from the Shropshire police, complicating the already difficult situation: Wilkins has been spotted, and he’s killed a man. If Bess is to save her own reputation, she must find Wilkins and uncover the truth. But the elusive soldier has disappeared again and even the Shropshire police have lost him. Suddenly, the moral implications of what has happened—that a patient in her charge has committed murder—become more important to Bess than her own future. She’s going to solve this mysterious puzzle, but righting an injustice and saving her honor may just cost Bess her life."

=== August 14 ===

Title: No Safe House
Author: Linwood Barclay 
Follow-up to No Time for Goodbye
ISBN: 9780451414205
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Hardcover, 464 pages

Synopsis: "Seven years ago, Terry Archer and his family, who first appeared in No Time for Goodbye, experienced a horrific ordeal that nearly cost them their lives. Today, the echoes of that fateful night are still audible. Terry’s wife, Cynthia, is living separate from her husband and daughter after her own personal demons threatened to ruin her relationship with them permanently. Their daughter, Grace, is rebelling against her parents’ seemingly needless overprotection. Terry is just trying to keep his family together. And the entire town is reeling from the senseless murder of two elderly locals.

But when Grace foolishly follows her delinquent boyfriend into a strange house, the Archers must do more than stay together. They must stay alive. Because now they have all been unwillingly drawn into the shadowy depths of their seemingly idyllic hometown.

For there, they will be reconnected with the man who saved their lives seven years ago, but who still remains a ruthless, unrepentant criminal. They will encounter killers for hire working all sides. And they will learn that there are some things people value much more than money, and will do anything to get it.

Caught in a labyrinth between family loyalty and ultimate betrayal, Terry must find a way to extricate his family from a lethal situation he still doesn’t fully comprehend. All he knows is that to live, he may have to do the unthinkable...."

=== August 19 ===

Title: Windigo Island

Author: William Kent Krueger

#14 in the Cork O'Connor series set in Minnesota

ISBN: 9781476749235

Publisher: Atria Books

Hardcover, 352 pages

Synopsis: "When the body of a teenage Ojibwe girl washes up on the shore of an island in Lake Superior, the residents of the nearby Bad Bluff reservation whisper that it was the work of a mythical beast, the Windigo, or a vengeful spirit called Michi Peshu. Such stories have been told by the Ojibwe people for generations, but they don’t solve the mystery of how the girl and her friend, Mariah Arceneaux, disappeared a year ago. At the request of the Arceneaux family, Cork O’Connor, former sheriff turned private investigator, is soon on the case.

But on the Bad Bluff reservation, nobody’s talking. Still, Cork puts enough information together to find a possible trail. In Duluth, Minnesota, he learns from an Ojibwe social worker that both Duluth and the Twin Cities are among the most active areas in the US for sex trafficking of vulnerable women, many of whom are young Native Americans. As the investigation deepens, so does the danger. Cork realizes he’s not only up against those who control the lucrative sex enterprise—he must also battle government agencies more than willing to look the other way.

Yet Cork holds tight to his purpose—Mariah, an innocent fifteen-year-old girl at the heart of this grotesque web, who is still missing and whose family is desperate to get her back. With only the barest hope of saving her, Cork prepares to battle men whose evil rivals that of the bloodthirsty Windigo and who are as powerful, elusive, and vengeful as the dark spirit Michi Peshu."

=== August 26 ===

Title: Left Turn at Paradise

Author: Thomas Shawver

#2 in the digital Rare Book series set in Kansas City, Missouri, and New Zealand

ASIN: B00IQROTNS

Publisher: Random House Alibi

eBook, 250 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books

Synopsis: "Michael Bevan is barely scraping by with his used bookstore and rare book collection when he discovers a timeworn journal that may change everything. Dating back to 1768, the tattered diary appears to be a chronicle kept during the first of legendary seafarer Captain James Cook’s three epic voyages through the Pacific islands. If it’s as valuable as Mike thinks it is, its sale may just bring enough to keep his faltering used bookstore afloat for another year.

Then he meets a pair of London dealers with startling news: Adrian Hart and Penelope Wilkes claim to possess the journal of Cook’s second voyage. Is it possible a third diary exists? One which might detail Cook’s explosive final voyage—and his death at the hands of native Hawaiians? Together, all three would be the holy grail of Pacific exploration. But before Mike can act, the two journals are stolen.

Chasing them down will sweep Michael, Adrian, and Penelope across the globe—past a dead body or two—and into a very sinister slice of paradise. High in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, in a remote and secretive Maori compound, a secret rests in the hands in of a man daring enough to rewrite history . . . and desperate enough to kill."

Title: The Long Way Home

Author: Louise Penny

#10 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series set in southern Quebec, Canada

ISBN: 9781250022066

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Hardcover, 384 pages

Synopsis: "Happily retired in the village of Three Pines, Armand Gamache, former Chief Inspector of Homicide with the Sûreté du Québec, has found a peace he’d only imagined possible. On warm summer mornings he sits on a bench holding a small book, The Balm in Gilead, in his large hands. “There is a balm in Gilead,” his neighbor Clara Morrow reads from the dust jacket, “to make the wounded whole.”

While Gamache doesn’t talk about his wounds and his balm, Clara tells him about hers. Peter, her artist husband, has failed to come home. Failed to show up as promised on the first anniversary of their separation. She wants Gamache’s help to find him. Having finally found sanctuary, Gamache feels a near revulsion at the thought of leaving Three Pines. “There’s power enough in Heaven,” he finishes the quote as he contemplates the quiet village, “to cure a sin-sick soul.” And then he gets up. And joins her.

Together with his former second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and Myrna Landers, they journey deeper and deeper into Québec. And deeper and deeper into the soul of Peter Morrow. A man so desperate to recapture his fame as an artist, he would sell that soul. And may have. The journey takes them further and further from Three Pines, to the very mouth of the great St. Lawrence river.  To an area so desolate, so damned, the first mariners called it the land God gave to Cain. And there they discover the terrible damage done by a sin-sick soul."

 

 

 

 

What an embarrassment of riches! Which titles caught your fancy so much that they made it to your wish list? Inquiring minds would love to know!

 

 

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

First Line: All the dying that summer began with the death of a child, a boy with golden hair and thick glasses, killed on the railroad tracks outside New Bremen, Minnesota, sliced into pieces by a thousand tons of steel speeding across the prairie toward South Dakota.

Forty years on, Frank Drum looks back at the pivotal summer when he was thirteen in small town New Bremen, Minnesota. That summer's tragedies began with the death of a young boy Frank knew and as more unfolded, Frank's entire family is caught in their undertow. From Frank to his Methodist minister father to his passionate, willful mother to his musically gifted older sister to his stuttering kid brother, each family member is changed as the heat- and sun-filled days pass.

Ordinary Grace is a lyrical evocation of a time (1961) and a place (small town America). I was a child in 1961, and when I entered the world William Kent Krueger created, everything was utterly familiar to me; there were no false notes. This book is also a marvelous coming-of-age tale reminiscent of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird or Stand by Me. Frank Drum begins as a typical teenage boy who might be in trouble a bit more than he should, but as the summer progresses, he finds himself trying to make sense of the adult world of lies and secrets that he's been thrust right in the middle of.

Ordinary Grace is also a strong mystery. Frank and anyone who picks up this book wants to know who is responsible for that summer's deaths. As Frank learns more and more from his talent for being a fly on the wall, he suddenly wants to stop sneaking around to learn things and to be treated as an adult instead. As this summer of tragedy and wisdom and grace flows from one day to the next, Frank sees the members of his family in a new and more understanding light, and he is forever changed-- as are readers who have been caught in the spell of this beautiful and powerful book. Highly recommended!

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

ISBN:  9781451645859

Atria Books © 2013

Paperback, 336 pages

Literary Mystery, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet 

@ The Poisoned Pen with Margaret Coel and William Kent Krueger!

When Denis and I headed to The Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, August 28, we were going to see not one, but two authors. Neither of us had read both authors' works. Knowing that we would be going to see Margaret Coel and William Kent Krueger, I had done a little preparatory reading (Coel's first Wind River mystery, The Eagle Catcher), but I didn't have time to read any of Krueger's books. On the other hand, Denis had read and enjoyed four of Krueger's Cork O'Connor books and hadn't read any of Coel's.

Quite a crowd had gathered to see these two, and when host Barbara Peters arrived, she looked a bit dismayed. We soon learned why. She had purchased cookies and realized that she hadn't bought enough for everyone in the crowd. This led to the "Cookies by Number" gambit, in which Barbara called out a number (when you buy an author's book to have it signed, you receive a numbered slip) and the person with that number won a cookie. I think Barbara put an extra mile or two on her odometer with all her deliveries! Once all the goodies were distributed, Margaret and Kent arrived on the scene, and you can tell by the following photo that we all settled in for a fun evening.

L to R: Barbara Peters, William Kent Krueger, Margaret Coel

In her introduction to the authors, Peters told us that Margaret Coel's first Wind River mystery, The Eagle Catcher, published in 1995, is still the bestselling book of the University of Colorado Press. We then learned that both authors have quite a track record, both with their books and with their appearances at The Poisoned Pen.

Coel has written 19 books, 17 of which are Wind River mysteries, and she has now made 18 appearances at my favorite bookstore. Krueger has written 15 books, 13 of them featuring Cork O'Connor, and he's appeared at The Poisoned Pen 15 times. In fact, this is his second time visiting this year!

   

"They will write and tell you what they are."

Margaret Coel

Margaret Coel is a native of Denver and now lives in Boulder, Colorado. She and Tony Hillerman were very close. Barbara Peters mentioned that Coel's series had at first been referred to as the "Father John and Vicky Holden" mysteries, but were now called the Wind River mysteries after the Arapaho Reservation and the area in which they take place. Coel is happy with the change because the high desert setting and its weather play a significant role in the books. It has to, Coel explained, because from where they live, Father John and Vicky are a thirty to forty-five minute drive from anywhere.

Barbara Peters noticed a theme as she read Coel's latest book, Killing Custer. It's a theme of borders, crossing borders-- and not just in terms of land but also in terms of people. Coel laughed when Peters mentioned the word "theme."  "I never start writing a book with a theme in mind," she said, "but sometimes one develops anyway. A trusted adviser told me never to start with a particular theme. He said, 'When your book is published, all the Ph.D's will write and tell you what the themes are.'"

Available Now!

After we finished laughing, Peters said, "The last two books focused on popular stories and legends [like Buffalo Bill's Dead Now], although not necessarily about the Wind River area in Wyoming. You really deconstructed the Custer myth-- I learned so much about him from reading Killing Custer."

Killing Custer begins with a parade in Lander, Wyoming, in which many Little Big Horn reenactors participate. In fact, the Custer reenactor leads the parade, and the rest of the "Seventh Cavalry" is there, too. One of the Indians taking part is related to Crazy Horse, so when the man portraying Custer is shot dead during a dare ride in which the Indians are showing who really won the battle, this man is the number one suspect. Vicky Holden winds up representing the wife of the dead "Custer."

"I'd be nicer to them if they were real."

William Kent Krueger

Then it was time for William Kent Krueger, and the first thing Barbara said to him was, "Lots of drama and lots of trauma. You really put the O'Connor family through the wringer!" Krueger nodded and smiled, "Yes, I really beat 'em up pretty bad, don't I? I'd be nicer to them if they were real. For a guy who considers himself pretty nice, I can write some brutal stuff."

According to Krueger, his latest Cork O'Connor book, Tamarack County, is about the wonder and the messiness of love, although Barbara Peters thinks his book shares a theme of borders with Margaret Coel's Killing Custer.

Available Now!

When Peters asked him where he'd gotten the idea for the book, Krueger told us that he'd read a news article about a man convicted of murder who spent twenty years on Death Row. When an organization began digging into his case, they discovered proof that the prosecution had knowingly and deliberately sent an innocent man to jail.

Krueger began to wonder what would happen if he wrote a book in which a similar thing happens and the people who put the man in prison start being murdered... and what if a young detective named Cork O'Connor was the investigator who had gathered all the evidence that sent that innocent man to jail?

Sounds like a good'un, doesn't it?

Krueger gave us a small hint about his next book. It will be set on Windigo Island in Lake Superior, which holds 10% of the world's fresh water supply. Normally Krueger's Cork O'Connor books are set in Minnesota, but one-- Heaven's Keep-- is set in Wyoming. When Peters asked him about it, Krueger laughed and said, "Yes, my fans told me that they enjoyed the book, but they wanted Cork back in Minnesota!"

"Make 'em laugh..."

We learned many interesting little tidbits during the general chat and question section of the evening. Barbara Peters mentioned that Krueger had written introductions to Margaret Coel's short story collections. Krueger looked out at the crowd and said, "I became a published author due in large part to Margaret Coel. My agent told me about the best query letter he'd ever received, and it was Margaret's query letter! I approached her at my first opportunity."

While Eagles Soar is a collection of all of Margaret Coel's short stories, including the ones called "the ten Arapaho Commandments." When Peters asked Krueger if there would be a collection of his short stories, he nodded. "Yes, along with a novella." "That's a good idea," Peters remarked. "I thought so-- and I still need a publisher for it," Krueger quipped, waggling his eyebrows at the creator of the Poisoned Pen Press (Peters).

Keeping with the short story theme, Barbara Peters told us that one of the reasons why the Sherlock Holmes stories in Strand magazine were so wildly popular was because the Strand was the first to print an entire story in one issue-- no cliffhangers, and no wait for next week's issue.

Krueger said, "I cut my teeth on short stories. The economy of style is a good training ground." 

Coel agreed. "Short stories must be focused on one thing and not contain subplots. Something I learned as a journalist works great for short stories: Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, say good-bye!"

Krueger then asked Coel about something I hadn't noticed due to my juggling pen, paper and camera. "Who hit you?"  I stopped writing, craned my head around the person in front of me and took a good, close look. There was a bandage above Margaret Coel's left eye that was pretty well disguised by her hair. "I tripped in my hotel room today and hit my head on the corner of the bed. I feel so stupid! I was advised to go to Urgent Care. I immediately thought of how long that would take and said, 'I can't be sitting in Urgent Care-- I have a book signing!'"

Peters asked them why they write. Krueger responded, "One of the reasons why I write is because I absolutely love where I live. I love Minnesota." Coel told us, "I followed the Arapaho. I love the West, and I've spent a lot of time out on the plains. The landscape inspires me. I'd still write about the Arapaho if they lived in Texas, but I'm so glad they're in Wyoming!"

Barbara Peters then told us that she had been putting off reading Spider Woman's Daughter by Tony Hillerman's daughter, Anne. "I was chicken to read it, but now I'm reading it a little at a time. It's a bit more detailed than Tony, but there are still those gorgeous descriptions of the landscape." [Anne Hillerman will be appearing at The Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, October 23.] Coel smiled and added, "We bugged Anne to follow through with her idea. She has the same publisher and the same editor as her dad." I know I wasn't the only person in the room looking forward to reading Anne Hillerman's book. (Spider Woman's Daughter is a new Leaphorn and Chee book that focuses on different characters.)

Talk then swung around to the topic of two established writers collaborating. Peters suggested that Krueger may want to collaborate with Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher books. Krueger grinned and exclaimed, "And Cork O'Connor would kick that other guy's ass!" to a store filled with laughter.

Film rights was the next subject. Margaret Coel was approached about the film rights to her Wind River books, and Nick Nolte was suggested as the actor to portray Father John. "At the time, I was envisioning Harrison Ford as Father John, but then I had to admit that he was a bit long in the tooth," Coel said.

Krueger has also been approached about film rights to his Cork O'Connor books. "I wanted Sam Shepard to portray Cork, but by the time anything would have been done, Shepard was too old. Everything takes forever in Hollywood," he went on to say. "So long in fact that you gotta think young... so I'm thinking... maybe Justin Bieber." The bookstore was filled with groans, moans, and howls of laughter.

It was such a fun night at The Poisoned Pen. Denis left, determined to read Margaret Coel's books, while I knew it wouldn't be long before I had my hands on a book by William Kent Krueger. We are a couple who love to read!

Barbara Peters and William Kent Krueger weren't the only two having fun!