Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger

APOSTLE’S COVE by William Kent Krueger (This Tender Land and Fox Creek) is book 21 in his excellent series which features lawman Cork O’Connor of the Boundary Waters area in rural Minnesota. This tale transports readers twenty-five years into the past with one of Cork’s first murder investigations as Sheriff. At that time, Cork had misgivings about the resolution to a brutal murder that involved an Ojibwe man named Axel Boshey. Once again, Krueger explores a crime of passion, substance abuse, and the prejudices against Indigenous peoples. Because it is telling a story from long ago, APOSTLE’S COVE could work as a stand-alone (the publisher calls it “the perfect entry point for anyone who might be new to the series”). The first half of this novel is set firmly in the past, but the case is revived in the modern day during the second half when Cork’s son gets involved through an Innocence Project like effort. Was the wrong person sent to prison? Is the killer still at large? The conclusion is full of evil and felt a bit rushed, but it’s balanced by the wisdom of tribal elder Henry Meloux and Cork’s persistence in solving a suspenseful mystery (as Cork says, “Truth is a tricky critter. Not always what it seems.”). 

The Names by Florence Knapp

THE NAMES by Florence Knapp is a very dark book, but it is also a Read with Jenna pick and a LibraryReads selection for May 2025. The story begins in 1987 when Cora is deciding what to name her newborn son. From there the story splits into three scenarios, depending on the choice of naming the baby after his father and grandfather, or instead selecting a name Cora prefers, or choosing a more whimsical name suggested by her nine-year old daughter. Sadly, domestic abuse often features prominently in the vignettes and that makes for difficult reading even though debut author Knapp has created a fascinating book. She relates the story of this family in each circumstance roughly every seven years – book groups will be entranced. Expect to see a great deal of “buzz” on THE NAMES which received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly and Kirkus (“inviting the reader to think about not just the ripple effects of a single decision and the workings of an abusive family but also about a profound and classic concern of fiction: How things we can control in life interact with things we could never have seen coming.”).

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger is a very reflective piece of writing. Just like a river flowing, there is often a calm leisurely pace interspersed with swift action. Krueger says, “I love this story... My heart and soul are in [it].” Set in rural Jewel, Minnesota during 1958, Krueger crafts a puzzling whodunit complete with strong character development and a definite feeling for the time. Attitudes toward “the other,” including women, Native Americans, and immigrants, are explored when an unpopular landowner is found dead and the sheriff, ex-soldier Brody Dern, seeks to find the cause. Kruger relays traumatic life experiences of a former prostitute and of soldiers having returned from World War II; all the while, the local prejudices are simmering in the background. The overall tone of this stand-alone mystery is definitely melancholy and there are multiple subplots with themes of sexual abuse and racial discrimination. THE RIVER WE REMEMBER received a starred review from Booklist (“recognition that postwar America was filled with shattered veterans and war widows”). Another well-written adventure (e.g., see Fox Creek, Lightning Strike, This Tender Land,) from a prolific, talented writer.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise

THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISE by Colleen Oakley (The Invisible Husband of Frick Island) is a LibraryReads selection for March and a very fun romp. The title characters are Tanner Quimby, a college student rehabbing from a leg injury who needs a job and place to live, and Louise Wilt, in her eighties who (according to her daughter) needs a live-in caregiver. Initially, the two do not mesh well at all, but gradually they do form a bond and then take off together on a road trip adventure, dodging the FBI and an organized crime gangster. There are plenty of humorous moments and several snide remarks about technology: “This is called conversation. It’s what we used to do before cell phones ruined it.” Plus, Oakley incorporates some serious reflection on the changing roles for women: “women didn’t have as many choices back then as they do now. Sometimes you had to do the wrong thing to do the right thing.”  Both Tanner and Louise are transformed as they depend more and more on each other, but Tanner especially learns to break rules and take some chances. Have fun reading about this appealing odd couple!