In Edgar winner Krueger's outstanding 19th mystery featuring PI Cork O'Connor of Minnesota's Tamarack County (after 2021's Lightning Strike), Cork is tending the grill at his burger joint when he's approached by a stranger who introduces himself as Louis Morriseau. Louis wants the PI to find his wife, Dolores, who he believes is having an affair with Henry Meloux. Cork immediately knows something is wrong, because his friend Henry, an Ojibwe healer, is more than 100 years old. Henry is indeed with Dolores, who's having a cleansing sweat under the guidance of Cork's wife, Rainy, who's also Henry's great-niece. Dolores later confirms that the stranger is not her husband, Louis, who has been missing. Henry uses his highly developed sense of mysticism to lead Dolores and Rainy deep into the Boundary Waters wilderness to escape two killers pursuing the women. Meanwhile, Cork and Dolores's brother-in-law, Anton, a tribal cop, follows the killers. Krueger skillfully blends an evocative look at nature's beauty and peril with Native American lore. Not just regional mystery fans will be enthralled. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Brown & Miller Literary Assoc. (Aug.)

Cork O'Connor is slinging hamburgers when a man claiming to be Lou Morriseau asks to hire him to find his wife Dolores. The man says that Dolores goes through fads, and now she thinks she's in love with an Indigenous man named Henry Meloux. Cork knows that is not true. Henry is a revered Mide, an Ojibwe healer, and related to Cork through marriage (as the great-uncle to Cork's wife Rainy). Dolores, who sought out Henry for his wisdom, is a troubled woman, but she insists the man whom Cork surreptitiously photographed is not her husband. Henry leads Rainy and Dolores deep into the woods, heading toward the Boundary Waters because he knows trouble is coming. Hunters are searching for Dolores, and Cork follows, knowing the trio are chased by men determined to kill, although no one understands why. VERDICT Krueger, a Lefty Award winner for Lightning Strike, is one of those rare authors who combines intricately plotted, issue-oriented stories with mysticism and action. A must for fans of beautifully written crime fiction.--Lesa Holstine

Cork O'Connor's latest case is a search through the Minnesota wilderness for a missing person. But that's the only thing that's straightforward about it. Edina real estate attorney Louis Morriseau's pitch couldn't be simpler. His wife has gone AWOL with her lover, and Lou wants Cork to step away from the grill at Sam's Place and look for her. Cork's not interested until he hears the identity of Dolores Morriseau's alleged lover: Henry Meloux, the ancient healer at Crow Point reservation, who must be close to 100. Certain that this disappearance isn't what it seems, he agrees to take a look. Shortly thereafter he gets a second surprise: The missing Dolores turns up and indicates that the man who hired Cork doesn't look a bit like her husband. As if that weren't confusing enough, the false Lou Morriseau has vanished himself. Soon enough Dolores disappears again. So do Henry and his great-niece, Rainy, who's married to Cork. Naturally, Cork broadens his search. So do a whole lot of other people, including Stephen O'Connor, Cork and Rainy's son; and law student Belle Morriseau, Lou's sister. The Minnesota woods would probably be crawling with searchers even without the presence of LeLoup, an Ojibwe tracker who works for a hard-nosed man named Kimball, whose other hirelings seem to be lurking, fully armed, behind every tree as they look for Lou Morriseau themselves. Constantly cutting back and forth among the different searchers and their prey, Krueger gradually teases out Indigenous fables, myths, and wisdom that Cork will have to draw on if he's to emerge from this free-for-all with his franchise intact. For fans only, and they're well advised to take notes reminding them who's on first. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Trouble finds northern Minnesota PI Cork O'Connor when Louis Morriseau requests that he track down Henry Meloux, an Iron Lake Reservation resident who is having an affair with Louis' wife, Dolores. It sounds ridiculous: Henry, Iron Lake's spiritual leader and uncle to Cork's wife, Rainy, is over 100 years old. Cork takes the case so that he can sort out Morriseau's motives, but he doesn't get far before discovering that Henry, Rainy, and Dolores have disappeared into the wilderness. Tracks at Henry's homestead show they were pursued by a group of men. While Cork tracks Henry's group, his son, Stephen, discovers that Louis is tangled up in a plot aimed at drawing riches from contested natural resources. Newcomers to Krueger's long-running series (this is the nineteenth installment, after Lightning Strike, 2021), will be easily drawn into Cork's warm family circle and Tamarack County's lush forest setting. Krueger balances taut suspense with well-crafted alternating narratives and thoughtful big-picture considerations. A sure bet for readers who enjoy exploring Native cultures and eco-thrillers.