Fox Creek

Written by William Kent Krueger

Narrated by David Chandler

Cork O'Connor, the retired sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota, is in a race against time to save the people he loves from ruthless mercenaries in this riveting new novel from New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger.

The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life.

But peace is destined to elude him as hunters enter the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had come to Henry for shelter and the gift of his wisdom.

Meloux guides this stranger and his great niece, Cork O’Connor’s wife, to safety deep into the Boundary Waters, his home for more than a century. On the last journey he may ever take into this beloved land, Meloux must do his best to outwit the deadly mercenaries who follow.

Meanwhile, in Aurora, Cork works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit, but he has little to go on. In desperation, Cork begins tracking the killers, but his own skills in the wild are severely tested by a late season snowstorm. He
knows only too well that with each passing hour time is running out. His fiercest enemy in this deadly game of cat and mouse may be his own deep self-doubt about his ability to save those he loves. Fox Creek is an intensely gripping and richly imagined addition to a masterful series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781980034421

William Kent Krueger

William Kent Krueger is the New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember, This Tender Land, Ordinary Grace (winner of the Edgar Award for best novel), and the original audio novella The Levee, as well as nineteen acclaimed books in the Cork O’Connor mystery series, including Lightning Strike and Fox Creek. He lives in the Twin Cities with his family. Learn more at WilliamKentKrueger.com.

Reviews for Fox Creek

[linusnc-990618 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book 19 in series is kind of showing it’s age here. Cork O’Connor is no Harry Bosch but I’ve enjoyed the series. It’s kind of like a more serious Longmire series with the western kind of feel to it at times.

I am not against families but this collective detective story of all the family basically being master sleuths made me chuckle. But I did finish it and will more than likely read book 20 when it comes out as well.

[tangledthread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The 19th Cork O'Connor mystery where his wife, the wife of missing person, and a 105 year old Anishinaabe man are being pursued by bad guys through the Boundary Waters wilderness area.

[Rhonda Morrison · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Horrible monotone narrator ruined this story and Kreuger's novels are getting monotonous and boring. Cork isn't interesting anymore. Don't recommend.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's so easy to forget how excellent a writer Kent is. This has the usual tension and is interwoven with Native American mythology, but goes a step further in including an issue that threatens every single person on the planet. It's a thrilling and thought provoking read.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger is Book #19 in the Cork O’Connor Mystery series.“The ancient Ojibwe healer, Henry Meloux, has had a vision of his death. As he walks the North Woods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life.”Having read all of Mr. Kreuger’s works, the locations, the characters, the very deliberate and quiet writing style are all familiar to me.There is action, energy, tenseness, suspense and very insightful character studies. This particular title is very atmospheric. It is very culturally sensitive and I love and appreciate that.Thank you to Mr. Krueger for yet another chapter in the life of Cork O’Connor.Brilliant writing. *****

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

mystery, thriller, Native American, tracking, snow, crime-fiction, Minnesota, cultural-heritage, family-dynamics, friendship, addictive-series, private-investigators, suspense, Ojibwe, mercenaries*****It doesn't matter if you've read any of the other Cork O'Connor books or not, the story is so self-contained and riveting. The descriptions are so real I can smell the snow and the evergreens in an area I was once able to visit. The importance of the native heritage is unmistakable and the suspense is tight. The story is told in changing perspectives, and this actually cements the story together. The publisher's blurb is a nice hook, but the story is what grabbed me by the brain and held on.Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end so that you might more fully appreciate the role that water plays both in the story and in our lives.I requested and received a free e-book copy from Atria Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

[lewilliams-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fox Creek is up to the high standards we've come to expect with a William Kent Krueger novel with well developed characters and a very good plot filled with suspense and mystery that keeps the pages turning until the dramatic conclusion. The chapters focus on one character and are short. There are elements of Native American culture and spirituality that enhance this story. In short, a very good read from an an outstanding author.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fox Creek is the 19th in the Cork O’Connor Mystery Series but it can be read as a standalone. This, like all Krueger’s books, is beautifully written with an intriguing storyline that kept me engaged throughout. The story is set in northern Minnesota on the US/Canada border and his descriptions of the area capture it in all its beauty and wildness. The story also centres around an Anishinaabe family and he writes with great empathy and respect for their culture and touches on their fights to protect the environment, an issue he explores further in his Afterword. Krueger is the master of the literary thriller and his deft hand with character and description make his books always a pleasure to read.I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[fredreeca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry is preparing for the end of his life. But, as usual, life throws a curve ball and Henry ends up protecting a woman on the run and Cork must do everything in his power to find out why someone is chasing this woman. This could have deadly outcome if Cork does not succeed.Henry is one of my favorite characters in any series. He ranks right up there with Agent Pendergast. Henry is as old as dirt and everyone in the whole novel expects him to die any day. But, Henry being Henry continues to show everyone his strength and his Indian ways…and these are not to be laughed at.This story had me guessing which way it was going to go! And believe me, it could have gone many different directions. I love a story which twists around and leads the reader on a merry chase! And this one definitely does that!This is number 18 or 19 in the Cork O’Conner series. Amazon has it at 19, Goodreads has it as 18. When you get this many…it may be time to stop. And I really believe that is why I only gave this 4 stars. I absolutely love this author. And no, I have not even come close to reading all these in this series. But, I am already kinda of tired of them. But, I guess if it’s selling books for this author he will continue to keep this series alive.Need a good mystery/thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry Meloux, the midi, is now very old and spending much time in the Northwoods, preparing his spirit for the time his creator calls him home. This does not, however, stop him from answering a call for help from a young woman who appears at his home. Above all else, Henry is a healer. His niece Rainy, Corks wife, has been staying with him when the woman comes calling. Unfortunately, others are also looking for this woman, and they are dangerous, so the three must flee into the woods in a quest to survive. Although Henry knows the woods better than anyone, will his knowledge be enough to save them?Henry is one of my favorite characters and I will be very sad when he is no longer part of my fictional world. This, the 19th in series, didn't disappoint as Cork and his family are now like old friends. I found myself, many times, on the edge of my seat, as events unravelled, and the safety of the three at times seemed in doubt. Love Krueger's writing in the many books he has written, but this series claims a soft in my heart.ARC from edelweiss.

[thewanderingjew_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fox Creek, William Kent Krueger, author; David Chandler, narratorWhen a man comes to Cork O’Connor to engage his help in finding his missing wife, Delores Morrisseau, Cork’s curiosity is piqued. The man says that she has run away to be with Henry Meloux. He claims that he just wants to try and fix his failing marriage and bring her back home. Cork knows there is something odd about this man’s request because Henry is very old. He decides to go to the Iron Lake Reservation to speak to Henry. Henry is called an old Mide. He is a man with special, spiritual gifts whose visions enable him to help and counsel others. Rainy is also a Mide. She is a healer. When he finds Dolores, she is with his wife Rainy, and Henry. He explains why he is there. Cork discovers that he has been duped. The man who asked for his help is not the husband of Dolores. He is someone else entirely. Dolores claims that she has no idea why anyone would be searching for her. She has come to Henry to seek spiritual guidance to rescue her own marriage which seems troubled lately. She suspects her husband may be having an affair. Henry is Ojibwe, Dolores also has Ojibwe blood, Rainy,. Cork’s wife, is Ojibwe too. She helps Henry as he helps others. Warned by their visions and dreams, they are aware that there is danger coming. Cork leaves the reservation to return to his office, but when he returns, he discovers that the three of them are missing. He has no idea whether they have been taken by someone or are now prey being hunted. The story travels between the two search groups, one that wants to find Dolores, and the other that wants to find and save all three from any possible danger.The story is intriguing as it exposes the real life abuses of our environment and our governments. It reveals how Native Americans have suffered because of abuses of power. One lives within the boundaries of the land, the other stretches the envelope abusing it. There is some kind of nefarious project, sponsored by various governments, that is at the bottom of this mystery. The novel is well researched as the issue is exposed.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 19th book in the series involving Cork O’Connor, the part-Irish, part-Anishinaabe Indian ex-sheriff of the small town of Aurora, Minnesota. While no longer formally serving in law enforcement, Cork is now a private investigator.At the outset of this story, Cork is approached by a man claiming (falsely, it soon is revealed) to be Lou Morriseau. He tells Cork his wife Dolores went off a week ago to find Henry Meloux and never returned, and he wants Cork’s help to find her. Henry, ancient (“a hundred and five years old - at least”) and revered, is an Anishinaabe Mide, or spiritual guide. Cork has been married to Henry’s niece Rainy Bisonette for two years, and recently Rainy has been out at Crow Point helping Henry while his usual helper is visiting family.When Cork goes to Henry’s cabin, he finds Henry, Rainy, and Dolores, and also discovers that the man who came to see him is an imposter. Cork leaves to organize an investigation into who the man actually is and why he is looking for Dolores. But when he returns to the cabin, everyone is gone, and it is clear from all the footprints others have been there. The question is, did Henry and the women leave first, or were they taken, and either way, where are they and are they safe or in mortal danger?Cork has accepted that he is ogichidaa - the Ojibwe word for someone who stands between evil and the people he loves. Thus he knows he must find Henry, Rainy, and Dolores, and protect them. He is also concerned because recently, his son Stephen had a vision of Henry lying dead beneath pine trees. Henry told Stephen he had the same vision.Cork is joined in his search through the Northwoods by Anton Morriseau, Lou’s brother. Stephen heads up to see what he can find out from Lou’s family, which includes Lou’s attractive sister Belle, with whom Stephen immediately connects.In alternate chapters, we learn what is happening with Henry, Rainy, and Dolores as well as with Cork, with Stephen, and with the men chasing after all of them. As the tension increases, the mystery of *why* the men are chasing them is also gradually unraveled. An Author’s Note at the end of the book further elucidates developments in real life that inspired Krueger’s story. Evaluation: Although this is part of a series, it is quite possible to read this installment without feeling lost. On the contrary, Krueger manages to pull you into the O’Connor family immediately. Krueger is a good writer, and I love how he integrates Native American culture and an appreciation for the landscape into his stories. He is especially good at finding ways to advocate for the Native American respect for the land, although at times his portrayal of Native Americans borders on worshipful rather than just admiring.This particular book is probably best described as a political thriller. Although it would be a spoiler to discuss the issue at the heart of this story, it is an important one that, as Krueger suggests, will be increasingly consequential in determining the actions of both individuals and nations. We can only hope the scenario he describes remains part of fiction rather than reality, but one suspects that will not be so for long.

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book in the Cork O'Connor series!!!! I will probably listen to this as well! Just so good!!!

[she_climber · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite series back for more. In this one some bad dudes show up looking for a woman who is spending time with Henry and Rainy (the local medicine (wo)men) so they take off into the forest with bad dudes not far behind. Discovering that his wife, Rainy, and long-time friend are missing along with this woman, Cork and the woman's brother are the next group to go tracking through the forest. Being the sort of person that loves when the great outdoors plays a significant role in a novel: in this book I was not disappointed. Good foot chase scenes and action, a mystery as to why this bizarre parade is going through the forest, and all my favorite characters as always. I continue to highly recommend this series, and as always, I recommend starting from the beginning because this series is that good! This book is yet more proof that this series is a winner.Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[janet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another fantastic book in the series Cork O'Connor series, loved it.

[juju2cat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this series and the amazing writing of the author so I'm not sure why I only gave it four stars. Maybe it was just me but I did appreciate the gorgeous settings, the interactions of a great family and the unfolding drama. I look forward to the next book.Thank you to Goodreads for a copy for my review.