Customer Reviews

Boundary Waters (Cork O'Connor Mysteries (Prebound))

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Boundary Waters is a canoe area on the Canadian/American border.

Cork O'Connor, the former sheriff of Aurora, Minn. is asked to find a young country and western singer who has disappeared. He is reluctant to help but when he thinks about his own children, he feels compassionate and he agrees.

Shiloh is the daughter of William, "Arkansas Willie," Raye. A gay country and western singer who now manages Shiloh's record company. Shiloh has been sending weekly letters to Willie but they've suddenly stopped. He tells Cork that Shiloh just needed time to be alone, but that she was also depressed but now a winter storm is coming and Willie's worried.

Others are also looking for the girl. Federal police believe that she may be a witness to her mother's murder by an Italian gangster, Vincent Benedetti, a casino owner in Las Vegas. Apparently Shiloh had amnesia and blocked out the memory of her mother's murder but now, Shiloh's memory was returning.

A studio musician, Elizabeth Dobson, claimed that she had letters from Shiloh with important information in them. Dobson called a reporter about this but then Dobson was murdered. Police think that it's because of the letters.

Agents of the FBI become involved and force their way into the hunt for Shiloh. In this, we see one of the author's themes at play with the members of the federal government taking advantage of the Native Americans by threats and intimidation.

The plot driven novel gives the reader the chance to see the resourcefulness of Cork O'Connor as he leads the search party.
Other members of the search group are: the Federal Agents, Arkansas Willie, an American Indian, who is a former convict and the man's ten-year-old son, Louis Two Knives. Louis is a well mannered boy who learned about the wilderness from his grandfather. Louis is actually the trail leader and relates stories about the Indian history and traditions to pass the time as the group searches for Shiloh.

There is a complication. Another person is searching for Shiloh and this person's goal is to prevent Shiloh from returning.

The author has presented a compelling novel, rich with the Indian history and a number of plot twists. It is as if the author was a bullfighter waving a cape before a bull. Just as the bull thinks it knows where the matedor is, the cape moves and the bull is fooled. So is this story. We follow the action and then something new is introduced that changes things completely.

I enjoyed the story and gave it a higher rating due to the character portrayal, description of the area and Indian history.

This is my first outing with Mr. Krueger. Somehow I missed his acclaimed "Iron Lake," and I intend to correct that as soon as possible. This is a fine story with the added bonus of magnificent descriptions of the great forests and lakes between the borders of Minnesota and Canada. An added plus is the author's obvious expertise as a hunter, tracker and outdoorsman.

The heroes of this story are the Ojibwe Native Americans. They are known for their story telling abilities, and Mr. Krueger shares a few fascinating tales. The Ojibwe characters are not stereotypical (though maybe a mite noble) and are carefully drawn. The lead character, Cork O'Connor, is a troubled, but satisfyingly invincible man. I particularly liked the characterization of a professional hit man, a stone killer.

Shiloh, a celebrity country singer, is missing after a month's stay in a secret and remote part of the wilderness called the Boundary Waters. The search parties are not all benign and want to ensure that Shiloh stays missing permanently. The hunt is fast, furious and not for the faint hearted. The casualty rate is high and the painful injuries are many. Meanwhile, Shiloh is doing her own level best to get to civilization in one piece. The wait on the home front is agonizing as the body count rises.

Mr. Krueger delivers a hard-hitting, fast paced novel without sacrificing some lyrical prose. Recommended.

While his first book, Iron Lake, was a multi-layered mystery, this story falls more into the thriller category. Ex-sheriff Cork O'Connor becomes involved in an expedition to find a lost country singer in the Boundary Waters of the Canadian/American border. However, there are others, with more sinister intentions, who also looking for her. Krueger's second outing is an homage to the tradition of Indian storytelling. One of the Anishinaabe's best storytellers, Wendell Two Knives, has a tremendous impact on the people in this adventure, as his stories help them navigate the Boundary Waters and truly touch them in ways that affect the outcome. I especially like how, in the end, the adventure itself is added to the pantheon of Indian stories to be told to countless others. Krueger himself is a marvelous storyteller, and reading his deft writing is a complete joy. You can picture the surroundings of this watery wilderness perfectly. The characters are well drawn, and the action sequences are tense. Krueger definitely knows how to tell a good story.

Country-western superstar Shiloh has purposely disappeared into the Boundary Waters of Minnesota in order to get away from things. However, her vanishing brings hordes of individuals and groups into the area trying to locate her. Not all the parties are benevolent as some folks want her dead apparently because she has recovered a lost memory of who killed her mother. Her idyllic escape turns ugly when her guide Wendell Two-Knives fails to return as expected. He was to bring her back to civilization.

Everyone seems to converge on retired sheriff Cork O'Connor. The FBI demands his help. Shiloh's father begs for his help. The son of the mobster who allegedly killed Shiloh's mother pleads for his help. Escorted by the young son of Wendell's nephew into the wilderness, Cork, Shiloh's father, and the FBI begin their hunt for the missing singer. However, the danger does not just come from the approaching wintry weather, but from people who have no compunctions about employing brutal murder to obtain their desires.

The return of Cork O'Connor (see IRON LAKE) should elate fans of Native American mysteries. The current tale, BOUNDARY WATERS, is a wonderful wilderness mystery that will remind readers of THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE, except placed in the icy north. Avarice, violence, and survival rule the action-packed story line that requires gloves because the bitter cold can be felt emanating from the pages. Cork remains a fine character as he struggles with his feelings for his estranged spouse and the recurring support cast add local color and depth to the plot. The remaining players propel the tale forward to its climatic clash. Kent Krueger is quickly attaining star status with his O'Connor series.

Harriet Klausner 3/6/99

The book Boundry waters, is an excelent book to read for someone who is a outdoors type of person. The book takes you on many adventures throught Minnesota's national forest. It deals with people that you would meet, and people who are apart of your every day life. The book takes you through the wilderness, while it take you to the city streets. As well as through the minds of many diffrent people, as the book progresses. I find myself trapped while reading the book, because the author goes into depth, on each page as the story goes on. I feel a sort of emotion as the author goes into the minds and captures the thoughts of the people who are stared in the book, its like your standing and watching the whole thing go on right in front of your eyes.

Mr. Krueger's third Cork O'Conner installment can't get here fast enough. First with IRON LAKE and then BOUNDARY WATERS, this reader found herself completely drawn into the not-so-easy life of Cork and his family. Though I live far away from the setting of this series, and read both IRON LAKE and BOUNDARY WATERS while experiencing 100+ degree weather, both novels gave me chills of delight. I truly like Cork. He is my favorite kind of character -- very human. He makes mistakes, he has regrets, but also has a lot to offer. And yes, the mystery in each of these novels is well-drawn as well, whodunits that kept me guessing. I appreciate that. Thanks, Mr. Krueger. I hope there will be many, many more Cork stories to come.

I've been vacationing in Northern Minnesota for 17 years. I've spent time in the eastern Iron Range and Quetico/Superior wilderness. Krueger creates characters that you'll love. From the Grain Belt beer to the Duluth packs, he does a great job of capturing the lifestyle and spirit of this region in Boundary Waters and its predecessor, Iron Lake. However, what's with a black bear (or any bear) standing up on its hind legs in a show of aggression? My favorite novels anyway.

This is a great novel to read to get the feel for what sounds like a beautiful wilderness area. It is located on the Canada and US border in Minnesota. The adventure writing is excellent and it's obvious the author is an outdoorsman, as am I. The mystery though isn't as good. I found it quite predictable, and there was far too much blood for what the protagonist was trying to accomplish. On the other hand, I loved Cork. He is a wonderful hero, and would like to see more with him.

Boundary Waters is an opportunity to get lost in a vast, cold wilderness. It is a look at treachery and salvation. I was grateful for the opportunity to fall into the drama of the world William Krueger created. He touches on more than mystery . . . I am looking forward to reading his next work - may it have the action of Boundary Waters coupled with the great character development of Iron Lake. He's a magician.

This is an excellent mystery, with a superb sense of feel for the Boundary Waters and northern Minnesota. Although plagued with an overuse of similes, the writing is still crisp and always forward-moving. The characters are believable and several twists leave the reader guessing how the story will end. Krueger is a welcome new voice on the sometimes boring and repetitive mystery scene.