Retired Cop Searches for Missing Girls in William Kent Krueger’s Mystery

Cork O’Connor, half Native American and married to a full-blooded Ojibwe, has retired from his role as Aurora, Minnesota’s police chief. These days, he runs a fast-food place, but when trouble strikes Minnesota’s Great North, Cork often finds himself deeply involved.

In “Spirit Crossing,” the 20th novel by William Kent Krueger featuring Cork, there is no shortage of trouble.

The daughter of an influential politician has gone missing, drawing the attention of the FBI, state law enforcement agencies, and the media. Meanwhile, construction of an oil pipeline threatens to disrupt the sacred wetlands of Spirit Crossing, causing a clash between protesters and counter-protesters.

At the same time, Cork’s daughter, Annie, has returned home after years as an aide worker in Central America. She brings along a Guatemalan nurse named Maria and a devastating secret she hesitates to share.

The sequence of events begins innocuously, with Cork leading his large family, including his 7-year-old grandson Waaboo (Little Rabbit), to a secret blueberry patch near an abandoned shack in the woods. As they approach, Waaboo stumbles upon a shallow grave and claims he can hear the spirit of a sad girl calling to him.

FBI and state authorities quickly take over the scene, sidelining local authorities. However, when it’s revealed that the body belongs to a Native American girl, their interest wanes.

Cork’s successor, Aurora Police Chief Marsha Dross, along with Cork and the Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police, take over the investigation. They soon uncover more bodies of Native American girls. Cork suspects a connection to the missing white girl, and tensions rise as suspicion falls on pipeline workers. Waaboo becomes a target because of his visions.

Though Krueger has no Native American heritage, he portrays native culture and mysticism with sensitivity and respect. His prose shines, and his character development is impressive. His vivid imagery brings Minnesota’s north woods to life.

“Spirit Crossing” revisits three of Krueger’s familiar themes: environmental destruction for profit, the mistreatment of Native Americans, and, with particular focus this time, the alarming number of missing Native American women and girls.

One of Cork’s relatives voices a poignant thought: “To be an Indian is to walk with loss. It goes before us and it follows us. It is our shadow self.”

Source: AP News