Emotional, dark and suspenseful, God’s Country will have you on the edge of your seat as you sweat out Cork O’Connor’s fate at the hands of dangerously desperate criminals. William Kent Krueger has once again delivered an immersive and engrossing tale that hits with a powerful intensity and rocks you to your core.
Cork O’Connor is preparing for a family outing into the Boundary Waters when he’s struck with an ominous vision. Jarring enough on its own, it is only heightened by the visions shared by his son and grandson. Undeterred, they commence the trip, only to find signs of environmental disrespect and violence that puts Cork on edge. Sending his family back home to alert the authorities, Cork presses on and runs into two brothers who are seeking the hidden fortune from their murderous father. As the threat to himself and others increases, Cork must wrestle with a darkness that settles inside him which unleashes a thirst for vigilante justice that betrays his law enforcement background. But one thing is for sure, Cork would rather die than let a pair of criminals hurt any innocent people.
Usually, every new release in this series feeds my soul and provides an uplifting spiritual experience. Not so this time given the feature of a darkness so immense it wars against the light. It’s raw and vicious. And unlike most of the prior books in this series, Cork’s family and community are ancillary characters (though still important) as the narrative focuses on Cork himself, his mindset, and how far he will go when pushed to the limit. Providing more depth and perspective on a character we thought we knew everything about already. And as unsettling and unexpected as this is, it’s a treat for long-term readers to be involved in this part of Cork’s journey.
And speaking of perspective, for God’s Country William Kent Krueger decided to shake things up and write this story from the first-person perspective. Bringing a freshness to this brilliant series that is twenty-one editions deep by putting readers squarely in the mind of Cork O’Connor. For better or worse, we get a front row seat to his mental struggle between Cork’s natural inclination to do good for those who have earned it and his impulse to cause serious and violent harm to those who deserve it. Providing an exploration of the potential darkness inside the protectors who stand between us and evil. And providing fans with a different look at our honorable and steadfast protagonist.
It also ends with significant questions that we will have to wait to have answered in the next book. Which can’t get here quickly enough. With nothing short of Cork’s soul on the line, it promises to be a poignant and memorable story. Building another layer of greatness on top of the best series in print today.
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Barrington Books
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