I stumbled upon this intense crime novel while searching for books set in Minnesota. Why  you might ask? My latest romantic suspense novel is set there and I was looking for comparable titles. Is it comparable? In some ways, yes.

Both our stories are set in the wilds of Minnesota on Anishinabe territory and include some references to culture. Both involve romance and mystery. Both involve heroes and corrupt sheriffs. And, in both our books, the landscape is a major character that affects the plot and the behavior of the characters. 

But Krueger’s novel is definitely a crime novel, beginning with the murder of a prominent judge, and the story chronicles retired sheriff, Corcoran O’Connor’s obsession to find the killer along with a missing boy, Paul LeBeaux. 

I read this book twice as I sometimes do, especially with a crime novel. The first time I need to know what happens; the next time I want to pick up the nuances of how the writer unravels the mystery.

First published in 1998, Iron Lake was Krueger’s debut novel and he won awards for it: 

a Barry Award, a Best First Novel (1999), and a Minnesota Book Award (1999). I understand why. Krueger is a craftsman. Unique memorable characters, mythical references, and a setting to die for, all propel the story to a suspenseful climax and resolution.

The story begins with a flashback to a bear hunt and foreshadows the appearance, or at least the involvement, of the mythical Windigo—a powerful monster who devours its victims. In this story, when the Windigo calls your name, you’re destined to die.

Cork O’Connor is part-Irish, part-Anishinabe, while Krueger is not. He credits two Anishinabe people: Barbara Briseno of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Alex Ghebregzi who helped with language and culture. And his research includes books by ethnographers, Francis Densmore and storyteller Basil Johnson, both of whom I read back in the nineties when I was studying at Trent.  

Iron Lake takes place during a winter blizzard and this unique atmosphere draws you in. The lake is deep frozen, except for an area of open water, snow-covered, and the playground of snowmobilers and ice-fishermen. It reminds me of my time living beside Lake Scugog in Ontario.

This is a book to snuggle with on winter nights, knowing you’re not out on that frozen lake being hunted by the killers you’re trying to catch, or the ravenous Windigo. According to Krueger’s website, there are now eighteen books in the Cork O’Connor Mystery Series. That’s a lot of Minnesota adventure to catch up on. I look forward to coming back to this series time and time again.