This is #14 in a series of books centered around Corcoran O'Conner and the murder mysteries he aims to solve in and around the fictional town of Aurora in Tamarack County, Minnesota. I have read all 14 (chronologically, which I suggest) and it has been interesting to note Krueger's growth as a writer. Which is a polite way of saying that the first few were less than stellar. The title just before this -- Tamarack County -- was really excellent and I literally did not set it down once from start to finish.

Windigo Island? Not so much.

Oh, it has a certain appeal due to Krueger's liberal name-dropping of settings well known to everyone around the state, especially around canoe country... Fitger's Brewhouse, multiple references to spots in the BWCAW, Canal Park Inn, eateries in Grand Marais and Bayfield, etc etc. But he often overdoes it with ramblings about some obscure aspect of the area or building that have nothing to do with the plot but seem to have everything to do with a smug wink toward 'I know this place so well, let me say more...'

Also, anyone who has read his previous books knows that you need not work too hard to keep track of his characters. Every time he returns one to a setting, he will give a full name, all of their aliases, occupation, a reminder of their connection to the story, etc. It helps breeze through the reading without thinking too hard, but it seemed like he overdid it in this book. Started to seem condescending, and finally just angered you for slowing down the action to go over it again. He does the same with constant translations of bits of language used by the Anishinaabe. Seems nit-picking, but sometimes it just got in the way of the flow.

Oh, I do appreciate the fact that it is certainly well-researched, and Krueger does an excellent job of aiming a hot, white light on the tragedy that persists today regarding the trafficking and abuse of young Native American girls. If that message leads to some level of help for one person out there who is hurting, bravo.

Still, his plot development seemed a bit herky-jerky at times: characters would appear and disappear for reasons that often seemed more for the author's convenience than supporting a logical sequence of events... folks would inexplicably criss-cross the 2-state area at the drop of a hat just to support some confrontation or another. Sort of contrived. A bit of deus ex machina, I suppose?

I don't know. Maybe I'm far too harsh, but it was only after quite a few months on the waiting list at the local library that it was finally in my hands and in the end it was far from my favorite in the series. That said, I'll certainly be picking up #15 next year. And perhaps that tells you as much as I really needed to say about the overall appeal of Krueger's tales of Cork O'Conner and his family.

Sounds like a good read. Could I pick it up and get into it without reading the previous ones? Or should I read them in sequence?

I've read almost all the books, I think you can read or start anywhere but I think you would regret it. If you like the first one you read you will want to go back and read them in order anyway.

T

quote h20: "Sounds like a good read. Could I pick it up and get into it without reading the previous ones? Or should I read them in sequence?"

I have warned anyone interested in these books that they each certainly stand alone, but it IS a series. Krueger refers numerous times to events that unfolded in many of the previous titles, basically spoiling the mystery experience for the out-of-sequence reader.

quote schweady: "This is #14 in a series of books centered around Corcoran O'Conner and the murder mysteries he aims to solve in and around the fictional town of Aurora in Tamarack County, Minnesota. I have read all 14 (chronologically, which I suggest) and it has been interesting to note Krueger's growth as a writer. Which is a polite way of saying that the first few were less than stellar. The title just before this -- Tamarack County -- was really excellent and I literally did not set it down once from start to finish.

Windigo Island? Not so much.

Oh, it has a certain appeal due to Krueger's liberal name-dropping of settings well known to everyone around the state, especially around canoe country... Fitger's Brewhouse, multiple references to spots in the BWCAW, Canal Park Inn, eateries in Grand Marais and Bayfield, etc etc. But he often overdoes it with ramblings about some obscure aspect of the area or building that have nothing to do with the plot but seem to have everything to do with a smug wink toward 'I know this place so well, let me say more...'

Also, anyone who has read his previous books knows that you need not work too hard to keep track of his characters. Every time he returns one to a setting, he will give a full name, all of their aliases, occupation, a reminder of their connection to the story, etc. It helps breeze through the reading without thinking too hard, but it seemed like he overdid it in this book. Started to seem condescending, and finally just angered you for slowing down the action to go over it again. He does the same with constant translations of bits of language used by the Anishinaabe. Seems nit-picking, but sometimes it just got in the way of the flow.

Oh, I do appreciate the fact that it is certainly well-researched, and Krueger does an excellent job of aiming a hot, white light on the tragedy that persists today regarding the trafficking and abuse of young Native American girls. If that message leads to some level of help for one person out there who is hurting, bravo.

Still, his plot development seemed a bit herky-jerky at times: characters would appear and disappear for reasons that often seemed more for the author's convenience than supporting a logical sequence of events... folks would inexplicably criss-cross the 2-state area at the drop of a hat just to support some confrontation or another. Sort of contrived. A bit of deus ex machina, I suppose?

I don't know. Maybe I'm far too harsh, but it was only after quite a few months on the waiting list at the local library that it was finally in my hands and in the end it was far from my favorite in the series. That said, I'll certainly be picking up #15 next year. And perhaps that tells you as much as I really needed to say about the overall appeal of Krueger's tales of Cork O'Conner and his family.
"

thanks for the addendum.