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gretel7's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I received this from Netgalley.com.
WKK always delivers, another great story although a bit more cutting edge than some of his other books. The nuances of post WW2 set in small town Minnesota with its already deeply instilled bias is especially poignant.
WKK always delivers, another great story although a bit more cutting edge than some of his other books. The nuances of post WW2 set in small town Minnesota with its already deeply instilled bias is especially poignant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Murder, and Hate crime
minniepauline's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was so excited to be awarded an advance copy of this novel. I love the Cork O’Connor mystery series. The characters are well-developed and the writing is great. I’ve been wanting to read more of Krueger’s work. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this standalone novel. It felt rambling and unfocused. I didn’t understand the actions of certain characters based on what they did before or after, or what they seemed to stand for. The book is set in 1958, and there are several places where the omniscient narrator suddenly breaks the fourth wall to inform the reader about how that time is different from ‘today’, or to explain something that feels more like the author showing us his homework than something that is really necessary to the story.
There are also lovely bits of writing, and emotional and tense moments that made me feel things, which is one of the reasons that I read, after all. The story is interesting, although the characters feel one-dimensional. I’m hoping that, since this is an ARC, there will be another edit before the final version is published.
There are also lovely bits of writing, and emotional and tense moments that made me feel things, which is one of the reasons that I read, after all. The story is interesting, although the characters feel one-dimensional. I’m hoping that, since this is an ARC, there will be another edit before the final version is published.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Incest, Gun violence, and Sexual assault
kari_f's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about the past. In all of them there is truth, and in all of them a good deal of innocent misremembering.”
There is something special when a small town police procedural is written by a masterful author. A simple case of murder becomes something altogether more complex, and in this case, the interwoven stories and character depth made all the difference.
William Kent Krueger writes detailed and nuanced characters, and the setting is almost a character in itself. Each character is carefully crafted within the story to feel realistically flawed and scarred and layered, and the diversity (and struggles that come with that) in his novels make sense to the time period. With these characters come very real issues, and some of the ones explored in this book include generational wealth or poverty, the ravages of war, gender roles, buried secrets, infidelity, systemic prejudice, land ownership, and the pitfalls of terrible people gaining more wealth and power. We see the best and worst of human nature through the insightful writing, and we are given time to ponder characters’ motives and the potential outcomes resulting from them.
While I figured out the “who” and “why” pretty early on, there was more than enough plot action and character development to keep me engaged throughout the book. I found myself wanting to race through the chapters, but also to slow down and savor the writing craft.
Thanks so much to Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy!
** Please check the trigger warnings, as there are several.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, and War
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