Reviews
A respected mystery writer turns his attention to the biggest mystery of all: God. An award-winning author for his long-running Cork O' Connor series, Krueger aims higher and hits harder with a standalone novel that shares much with his other work.... 'the awful grace of God,' as it manifests itself within the novel, would try the faith of the most devout believer. Yet, ultimately, the world of this novel is one of redemptive grace and mercy, as well as unidentified corpses and unexplainable tragedy. A novel that transforms narrator and reader alike., Krueger paints a vivid picture of the sordid cycle of poverty, abuse, alcoholism, and runaway (or throwaway) children on the reservation, and reminds us of the evil of men all too willing to exploit the innocent., Krueger juggles a large cast of characters deftly and doles out clues to the mystery judiciously. More important, he recognizes the complexity of this place and its people., Krueger is skillful in many things -- creating strong characters, building drama and conflict, braiding in Indian legend and spirituality, and spinning a good yarn -- but sense of place may well be his forte., ...a winter's tale that will both break and warm the reader's heart.... Krueger's evident empathy for the Ojibwe and their traditions and values blends seamlessly with horrific violence played out against O'Connor's struggles to heal his family's wounds--and his own., Praise for Tamarack County : "...a winter's tale that will both break and warm the reader's heart.... Krueger's evident empathy for the Ojibwe and their traditions and values blends seamlessly with horrific violence played out against O'Connor's struggles to heal his family's wounds--and his own.", Praise for Ordinary Grace : "Once in a blue moon a book drops down on your desk that demands to be read. You pick it up and read the first page, and then the second, and you are hooked. Such a book is Ordinary Grace...This is a book that makes the reader feel better just by having been exposed to the delights of the story. It will stay with you for quite some time and you will always remember it with a smile.", ...a winter's tale that will both break and warm the reader's heart.... Krueger's evident empathy for the Ojibwe and their traditions and values blends seamlessly with horrific violence played out against O'Connor's struggles to heal his family's wounds-and his own., Krueger is in fine form in this superb, highly atmospheric tale, deftly capturing a wide range of emotions and conflicts between assorted characters. . .you're in for a real treat., Praise for Windigo Island : "A punch-to-the-gut blend of detective story and investigative fiction.... Krueger has written a novel as blistering and crucial in its indictments of contemporary evil as The Jungle.", Once in a blue moon a book drops down on your desk that demands to be read. You pick it up and read the first page, and then the second, and you are hooked. Such a book is Ordinary Grace ...This is a book that makes the reader feel better just by having been exposed to the delights of the story. It will stay with you for quite some time and you will always remember it with a smile., A punch-to-the-gut blend of detective story and investigative fiction.... Krueger has written a novel as blistering and crucial in its indictments of contemporary evil as The Jungle ., Praise for Tamarack County : "...a winter's tale that will both break and warm the reader's heart.... Krueger's evident empathy for the Ojibwe and their traditions and values blends seamlessly with horrific violence played out against O'Connor's struggles to heal his family's wounds-and his own.", Praise for Windigo Island : "A punch-to-the-gut blend of detective story and investigative fiction.... Krueger has written an investigative novel as blistering and crucial in its indictments of contemporary evil as The Jungle.", Krueger demonstrates his penchant and ability for finding deep, rich and new veins of stories from the seemingly inexhaustive mine of the rural and deceptively peaceful northern Minnesota and its surrounding environs., A pitch-perfect, wonderfully evocative examination of violent loss. In Frank Drum's journey away from the shores of childhood--a journey from which he can never return--we recognize the heartbreaking price of adulthood and it's 'wisdoms.' I loved this book., Krueger is skillful in many things - creating strong characters, building drama and conflict, braiding in Indian legend and spirituality, and spinning a good yarn - but sense of place may well be his forte., ...hold-your-breath suspense, heightened by the isolating blizzards of a Minnesota winter and the eerie presence of a stalker.... Because Krueger works in the history of his characters' relationships in a clear and elegant way, this exceptionally scary suspense story will prove riveting for both newcomers to the series and readers who have followed Cork as he and his family have aged and grown.
