Table of Contents
About The Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
William Kent Krueger offers “one of his most puzzling mysteries to date” (Publishers Weekly) as a disappearance and a dead body put Cork O’Connor’s family in the crosshairs of a killer in the twentieth book in the New York Times bestselling series.
The disappearance of a local politician’s teenage daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman—but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police.
As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, it’s clear that Cork’s grandson is in danger of being the killer’s next victim in this white-knuckled mystery from “a master storyteller at the top of his game” (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
William Kent Krueger offers “one of his most puzzling mysteries to date” (Publishers Weekly) as a disappearance and a dead body put Cork O’Connor’s family in the crosshairs of a killer in the twentieth book in the New York Times bestselling series.
The disappearance of a local politician’s teenage daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman—but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police.
As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, it’s clear that Cork’s grandson is in danger of being the killer’s next victim in this white-knuckled mystery from “a master storyteller at the top of his game” (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
Excerpt
Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1
She built the fire at twilight, and by the time the sky had filled with stars, a welcome blaze lit the campsite. For a long time, the two young women didn’t talk but sat together, staring into the flames.
“Are you sorry you came back?” This woman had long hair, night-sky black, and spoke with the accent of someone whose first language was Spanish.
“No, but it’s going to be rough.” The second woman, the one who’d built the fire, had red hair cut short, and she spoke with a flat Midwest accent. “My life has been about so much that hasn’t included them.”
“This is your home. They are your family.”
The redhead took her companion’s hand and kissed it gently. “You’re my family now. My home.”
“You need to tell them.”
“I will. When the time is right.” She saw that her companion was hugging herself. “Cold?”
“I am used to hot and humid.”
“This is hot for Minnesota. Here, let me help.” She wrapped her arms tenderly around her companion.
“You told them I was coming?” the black-haired woman asked.
“A friend. That’s all I said.”
“What? Not even ‘a good friend’?”
“This isn’t about me. My brother’s getting married. I don’t want to steal his thunder.”
“We could make it a double wedding ceremony.”
“How many times do I have to tell you no?” the red-haired woman said.
“You don’t love me?”
“You know I do. And you know why we can’t marry.”
“I will love you always.”
“And I you.”
Again they were quiet.
“What did you call this place?” the black-haired woman asked.
“Bizaan. It’s an Ojibwe word that means at peace. The white folks call it Still Island. I used to come here whenever I needed to figure things out.”
“And the lake?”
“Iron Lake.”
“When we went swimming today, it didn’t feel like hard water.” The black-haired woman smiled. “When will we go to your family?”
“Tomorrow. I wanted today to be just for us. After this, things could get complicated.”
“They are your family. They will understand.”
“In time.”
As the fire died, they laid out the blankets they’d brought on a bed of soft pine needles. The red-haired young woman stared up at the sky. Although the night was warm, the stars seemed to shiver. She’d known the night skies in Minnesota well as a child. In Guatemala, there were constellations and stars she’d never seen before. In the years since she’d left Tamarack County, Annie O’Connor’s world had expanded in ways she’d never dreamed possible. But now she was back, and although she knew she would be welcomed with open arms, there was something inside her that was alien, that would hurt the people she loved, that would, in its way, come to threaten them all.
She built the fire at twilight, and by the time the sky had filled with stars, a welcome blaze lit the campsite. For a long time, the two young women didn’t talk but sat together, staring into the flames.
“Are you sorry you came back?” This woman had long hair, night-sky black, and spoke with the accent of someone whose first language was Spanish.
“No, but it’s going to be rough.” The second woman, the one who’d built the fire, had red hair cut short, and she spoke with a flat Midwest accent. “My life has been about so much that hasn’t included them.”
“This is your home. They are your family.”
The redhead took her companion’s hand and kissed it gently. “You’re my family now. My home.”
“You need to tell them.”
“I will. When the time is right.” She saw that her companion was hugging herself. “Cold?”
“I am used to hot and humid.”
“This is hot for Minnesota. Here, let me help.” She wrapped her arms tenderly around her companion.
“You told them I was coming?” the black-haired woman asked.
“A friend. That’s all I said.”
“What? Not even ‘a good friend’?”
“This isn’t about me. My brother’s getting married. I don’t want to steal his thunder.”
“We could make it a double wedding ceremony.”
“How many times do I have to tell you no?” the red-haired woman said.
“You don’t love me?”
“You know I do. And you know why we can’t marry.”
“I will love you always.”
“And I you.”
Again they were quiet.
“What did you call this place?” the black-haired woman asked.
“Bizaan. It’s an Ojibwe word that means at peace. The white folks call it Still Island. I used to come here whenever I needed to figure things out.”
“And the lake?”
“Iron Lake.”
“When we went swimming today, it didn’t feel like hard water.” The black-haired woman smiled. “When will we go to your family?”
“Tomorrow. I wanted today to be just for us. After this, things could get complicated.”
“They are your family. They will understand.”
“In time.”
As the fire died, they laid out the blankets they’d brought on a bed of soft pine needles. The red-haired young woman stared up at the sky. Although the night was warm, the stars seemed to shiver. She’d known the night skies in Minnesota well as a child. In Guatemala, there were constellations and stars she’d never seen before. In the years since she’d left Tamarack County, Annie O’Connor’s world had expanded in ways she’d never dreamed possible. But now she was back, and although she knew she would be welcomed with open arms, there was something inside her that was alien, that would hurt the people she loved, that would, in its way, come to threaten them all.
About The Author
Diane Krueger
William Kent Krueger
William Kent Krueger is the New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember, This Tender Land, Ordinary Grace (winner of the Edgar Award for best novel), and the original audio novella The Levee, as well as twenty acclaimed books in the Cork O’Connor mystery series, including Spirit Crossing, Fox Creek, and Lightning Strike. He lives in the Twin Cities with his family. Learn more at WilliamKentKrueger.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria Books (July 1, 2025)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781982179250
Resources and Downloads
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Spirit Crossing Trade Paperback 9781982179250
- Author Photo (jpg): William Kent Krueger Diane Krueger(0.1 MB)
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