Iron Lake (20th Anniversary Edition): A Novel (Cork O'Connor Mystery Series Book 1)

The first in the New York Times bestselling Cork O'Connor mystery series follows Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor as he delves into the dark side of small-town Minnesota while investigating a tangled web of corruption and danger. "A brilliant achievement, and one every crime reader and writer needs to celebrate" (Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author). Cork O'Connor, the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota, is having difficulty dealing with the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, he is getting by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago's South Side, there's not much that can shock him. But when the town's judge is brutally murdered, and a young Eagle Scout is reported missing, Cork takes on this complicated and perplexing case of conspiracy, corruption, and a small-town secret that hits painfully close to home. With white-knuckled suspense and unforgettable characters, Iron Lake demonstrates why "among thoughtful readers, William Kent Krueger holds a very special place in the pantheon" (C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author). "A brilliant achievement, and one every crime reader and writer needs to celebrate." -Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Glass Houses "A master craftsman [and] a series of books written with a grace and precision so stunning that you'd swear the stories were your own." -Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire series "Among thoughtful readers, William Kent Krueger holds a very special place in the pantheon." -C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Disappeared Read the thrilling, universally acclaimed debut that introduced the award-winning Cork O'Connor mystery series to the world by New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger. In eighteen novels over twenty years, William Kent Krueger has enthralled readers with the adventures of P.I. Cork O'Connor, former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota-selling more than 1.5 million copies of his books and winning the Edgar Award, Minnesota Book Award, Northeastern Minnesota Book Award, Dilys Award, Lovey Award, and Anthony Award along the way. Now, in this special anniversary edition, longtime fans and new readers alike can read the novel that first introduced Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor to the world. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Cork is having difficulty dealing with the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children, getting by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago's South Side, there's not much that can shock him. But when the town's judge is brutally murdered, and a young Eagle Scout is reported missing, Cork takes on this complicated and perplexing case of conspiracy, corruption, and a small-town secret that hits painfully close to home. New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger joined the ranks of today's best suspense novelists with this thrilling, universally acclaimed debut. Conjuring "a sense of place he's plainly honed firsthand in below-zero prairie" (Kirkus Reviews), Krueger brilliantly evokes northern Minnesota's lake country?and reveals the dark side of its snow-covered landscape. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Embittered by his "former" status, and the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago's South Side, there's not much that can shock him. But when the town's judge is brutally murdered, and a young Eagle Scout is reported missing, Cork takes on a mind-jolting case of conspiracy, corruption, and scandal. As a lakeside blizzard buries Aurora, Cork must dig out the truth among town officials who seem dead-set on stopping his investigation in its tracks. But even Cork freezes up when faced with the harshest enemy of all: a small-town secret that hits painfully close to home William Kent Krueger joined the ranks of today's best suspense novelists with this thrilling, universally acclaimed debut. Conjuring "a sense of place he's plainly honed firsthand in below-zero prairie" (Kirkus Reviews), Krueger brilliantly evokes northern Minnesota's lake country -- and reveals the dark side of its snow-covered landscape. Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Embittered by his "former" status, and the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago's South Side, there's not much that can shock him. But when the town's judge is brutally murdered, and a young Eagle Scout is reported missing, Cork takes on a mind-jolting case of conspiracy, corruption, and scandal. As a lakeside blizzard buries Aurora, Cork must dig out the truth among town officials who seem dead-set on stopping his investigation in its tracks. But even Cork freezes up when faced with the harshest enemy of all: a small-townsecret that hits painfully close to home In the still of the Minnesota forest, Corcoran O'Connor hears Sam Winter Moon talking about the Windigo­a cannibal giant with a heart of ice for the first time. The legend predicts that when the Windigo calls out a person's name, it is sure to finish him off. With Judge Robert Parrant's death, Paul LeBeau's vanishing, and the break-in in Sam's house, things were surely suspicious. When the Windigo calls out Harlan Lytton's name, he is found dead. Now, on a still afternoon, Corcoran hears his name being called out. Will he be able to fight the Windigo or succumb to evil as the others had done before him? A hated judge is found dead in suspicious circumstances in a town in Minnesota with an Indian casino and a young Ojibwa Indian leaves home in a hurry. Former sheriff Cork O'Connor investigates if there is a connection.