The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

 The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger is a powerful novel due out September 5 about a small town in Minnesota on Decoration Day in 1958 when a wealthy and cruel man is found dead along the Alabaster River. Lots of grievances toward Jimmy Quinn over the years makes any number of people a suspect,

While the folks of Jewel have turned out for a parade honoring the sacrifices of those residents who fought in various wars of the past, one as far back as Wounded Knee in 1890, one citizen hightails it to town to report to the sheriff Brody Dern that he found Quinn’s deteriorating body.

Questions start emerging: why was he in the river in only his underwear? Did he drown while trying to swim? Why did he have a gun at his campsite where he told his family he would be fishing? War-scarred Sheriff Dern and his deputies weigh in on different leads as the investigation gains traction when the coroner surprises them with the actual cause of death.

Before the investigation gets very far, the townspeople start circulating rumors zeroing in on Noah Bluestone as Quinn just fired the Dakota from working on Quinn’s farm. Old resentments are stirred about Native Americans and land ownership in Black Earth County. Worse, Bluestone, a World War II veteran, brought home a Japanese wife, Kyoko.

As the mystery of Quinn’s death sparks anger, even though so many hated the man, various other townsfolk become involved in the story. Angie Madison, a widow, needs help finding her teenage son when he takes off with his best friend Del, a teen being abused by his mother’s lover, Tyler Creasy. Del is armed and plans to kill Creasy who had just beat Del and his mother to a pulp. Creasy  could also be  another suspect in Quinn’s death as the two did not get along.

A former sheriff and part-time deputy, Conrad Graff sees the need to protect Kyoko when her husband is arrested, partly to guard Noah, what with all the allegations flying. Both Bluestones are supported by the local newspaper editor, Sam Wicklow, and a retired female lawyer, Charlie Bauer. As the investigation develops, one of these characters learns that Jimmy Quinn was a monster while discovering who actually killed him.

William Kent Krueger, raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, makes a living as a full-time author. He writes the popular Cork O’Connor series about a sheriff in the north woods of Minnesota who is part Irish and part Ojibwe.  In addition, his stand-alone novel, Ordinary Grace, received an Edgar Award as best mystery of 2012. Krueger lives in St. Paul with his wife of 40-plus years.

 

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 12, 2023.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.