I will never be as good at anything in life as William Kent Kreuger is at writing exquisitely touching and soul restoring novels. If that wasn’t obvious after the prior 18 books in the Cork O’Connor series, it’s abundantly clear after Fox Creek, a profound and gratifying story about perseverance, wisdom, redemption and following your heart to do what you think is right even when it puts you in harm's way.
Henry Meloux and Rainy Bisonette are leading a woman through a sweat to help her find answers that she hopes will save her marriage. But when hired guns approach Henry’s home seeking this woman, he senses their presence and malevolent intentions, allowing him and the women to escape into the wilderness. Using wisdom and experience he’s gained over more than a century of life, Henry guides the women through the Boundary Waters, leaving minimal tracks, in an attempt to outwit and elude these men that mean them harm. Meanwhile, Cork O’Connor is on the case to identify these men and track them down before they can harm his friend, his wife, and this stranger who seeks their help. A race against time, Cork will need to get to the bottom of why these mercenaries are after this woman and those he cares about before it’s too late.
To classify Fox Creek and the Cork O’Connor series as a thriller would be doing a disservice to them because they’re so much more than a simple label. Yes, they have crimes and mysteries that need to be solved and provide plenty of suspense to keep readers riveted. However, the brilliance of this series is the deeply contemplative life lessons taught through the lens of the Anishinaabe people and Henry Meloux specifically. Providing readers with introspective moments to process concepts like patience, tolerance, love, listening, not quitting when things are tough, standing up for what you believe in, doing the right thing even when it’s hard, and more. And through these instances of enlightenment, you fall deeply in love with the characters. They become a part of your family. People who you don’t actually know, and don’t actually exist in the physical world, but for whom you care deeply and can’t help sharing the joys and sorrows of their lives as if they are right beside you on a daily basis.
There’s no limit to the superlatives that can be utilized to describe this series. It is the most engaging, thought provoking, beautiful, poignant, wise and overwhelmingly heartwarming series of novels I’ve ever read. It goes well beyond entertainment. I learn something new every time I pick up one of these books. They make me evaluate my attitude and approach to life, make me want to be a better person and inspire me to reach out to the elders in my life to soak up their wisdom. And I just can’t get enough. In fact, I read my first Cork O’Connor book, Lightning Strike, in August of 2021 and was so moved that I proceeded to read the other 18 books in the series over the next 11 months. I crave this series like a thirsty man yearns for water. It’s deeply satisfying on an emotional level, the perfect prescription to heal what ails you.
Fox Creek on its own is phenomenal and worthy of any reader’s precious time. But if you’re looking for gripping tales that explore humanity, our connection to the natural world, and to some degree the meaning of life, I urge you to read this entire series start to finish. It’s a truly lovely experience.
My deepest gratitude to William Kent Krueger for writing such meaningful stories with wonderful characters that have found a special place in my heart. Now, please hurry up and write the next novel because I’m starting to feel a bit thirsty.
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