Sunday, October 1, 2017

book review: "Northwest Angle"...

... by the same author as one I recently read while driving.William Kent Krueger has written a number of books with the same characters, the O'Corcoran family residing in the small community of Aurora, Minnesota. The father of the clan is Cork, a retired law-enforcement professional who runs a small seasonal business, and works at private investigating. They are closely related to the Ojibwas in the area, and friend with many of he Native Americans who live on the nearby reservation.

The northwest angle is an area that is only accessible by water or driving through part of Canada, as it extends out into Lake of the Woods in the extreme northern part of the MN. This little bit of densely forested but sparsely populated land, about 123 square miles, is the northernmost point of the contiguous United States. The O'Corcoran family was out on the Lake in a rented house boat and a mighty wind came up, devastating the trees on the islands, and blowing two of the family out of a small dinghy. The story revolves around a young woman's body found on one of the islands, and a baby the castaways find and care for. The mother was murdered, but the baby was safely hidden.

Another of those books I read while driving, a fascinating story, well told, plenty suspenseful. Peopled with interesting characters, and a believable plot line, involving native Americans, Bible-thumpers obsessed with the end times, high speed boats. Firearms, dangerous rescues, deception and subterfuge. After reading several books with the same characters, I feel like I know these many of these people, and hope they will invite me to come and visit.

"...the stars lay on the sky like sugar tossed on an onyx plate." Giving you an idea of what the beautiful night sky must look like out there in the vastness of a body of water so far from any signs of development or humanity that there is total darkness except for what God provides. Can you imagine seeing something that breathtaking at such a remote place there is no light pollution to make the stars fade out?

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