Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

(9. - 1124.) Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger (1998) - The Windigo, the mythic cannibal giant of the northern forests with a “heart of ice,” comes to Aurora, Minnesota in the midst of a fierce winter storm. Those who hear the Windigo call their name face great danger. With Cork’s grandmother Ashinaabe, he is well aware of the power of the Windigo.

The Iron Lake Reservation has recently established a casino and money is flowing freely. On and off the reservation everyone wants a share. Power and money collide with personal relationships.

Former Sheriff, Corcoran “Cork” O’Connor is struggling with the breakup of his marriage to Nancy Jo O’Connor, the best lawyer in town, and losing a recall election when he finds the body of Aurora’s most prominent citizen, Judge Robert Parrant, an apparent suicide.

A local teenage boy, Paul LeBeau, disappears at the same time.

Cork cannot resist asking questions about the judge’s death and Paul. People tolerate his investigative curiosity.

Father Tom Griffin, known as St. Kawasaki as he drives a Kawaski snowmobile and a Kawaski motorcycle, is trusted and respected by both the white residents and The People (the Ashinaabe).

Desperate to save his marriage, Cork asks the priest for marriage counseling. Father Tom says Cork must put his personal affairs in order.

The three children of Cork and Jo love their parents. Their pain over the separation devastates Cork. I am glad Krueger portrayed a family with three good children. While they struggle with their parents being apart they carry on as do real life children dealing with the marital problems of Mom and Dad.

As Christmas nears, Cork is caught up in an investigation that has become intensely personal.

The Minnesota Civilian Brigade, a far right citizen militia, plays a shadowly role. The presence of aggressive fringe right wing paramilitaries is not just a phenomenon of the United States in the 2020’s.

Not many books play off harsh winter weather. In Iron Lake the weather sets the mood of the book, forces the characters to adjust their lives and provides a dramatic background for the Windigo.

Krueger can be lyrical at times:

He bent his head and he wept, and although he didn’t see where the tears fell onto —-’s soft blue cheek, for just a moment, the ice there melted.

Krueger drives the narrative and I was swept along. There is as much darkness amid the white landscapes of northern Minnesota as the mean streets of great cities. It was a great start to the series.