I am late to the Cork O'Connor series, having read only three of the books, but I have been a fan of William Kent Krueger's writing for quite some time! William Kent Krueger's writing is beautiful, and he writes fully fleshed out and interesting characters. His plots are well thought out and intriguing. Apostle's Cove is gripping, shocking, mysterious, and a wonderful reading experience!

Cork O’Connor has received a phone call from his son, Stephen, who is employed by a nonprofit dedicated to proving the innocence of those who have been unjustly incarcerated. The case that Stephen is working on is one that Cork O’Connor investigated when he was a newly elected sheriff. Cork recalls the case well. It is one that has always bothered him. It is a case where Axel Boshey, an Ojibwe man, went to prison for the brutal murder of a woman. Cork is driven to investigate the case once again even though Axel does not want to help. He has etched out a life in prison and has his reasons for not participating in his own release.

As the investigation ensues, this book is told through past and present storylines. As those involved are questioned yet again, more secrets, twists, lies, will be unturned. There are those who do have things to hide and those who are as crafty as ever. Who has something to hide? Who has a secret that want kept?

This became a real page turner for me. This book begins on the slower side, and I struggle with slow reads but not this book. I was completely drawn into the plot due to William Kent Krueger's wonderful writing, plot, and characters. I was invested in the investigation and kept changing my mind about who committed the murder.

This book also shows Cork's family life and his relationships with those in his life. This works nicely and works well with the investigation as several family members are assisting Cork including Jenny and Stephen. Another family member in this book is his seven-year-old grandson with a special gift and begins talking about the Windigo, that mythic cannibal ogre, who he feels is in Tamarack County.

Overall, a beautifully written book that is the 21st book in the series. I loved the writing, the well thought out plot, the characters, and the mystery.

The 21st book in the Cork O'conner series is every bit as engaging as the rest of the books in the series. This excellent series has such vividly developed characters and well paced plots that I usually just put aside anything else and read straight through. I read this in one day. With a great series like this i usually suggest readers start with the first book in the series, "Iron Lake," but in this case the creative use of flashbacks to visit an old case provides plenty of background to bring readers up to date on the characters. I still highly recommend reading the entire series. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy.

This is another novel in the Cork O’Connor series. The basis of the book is about an old murder that occured twenty years ago and the confessed criminal recanting his confession. The first half of the book covers the crime at the time twenty years ago and then switches to the current time and the resolution of the murder. It is a good continuation of the series and as with the other books, an engaging and fast paced read.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, and my fiction book review blog.

Anything William Kent Krueger writes I will faithfully read, whether it’s his stand alone novels like This Tender Land or his Cork O’Conner series and I’ll relish each one. This Cork story centers around a past case of murder when a local Objiwe Indian is convicted of murder. The conviction never sits right with Cork but it isn’t until his grown son, who is going to be a lawyer, asks a cork to revisit the case, and with the help of his friends, and enemies, a cork can finally put his doubts at rest. Another case solved by William Kent Krueger.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel.

This was an excellent jumping in point of a well-established series. This was the first I've read written by the author and was impressed with his character work. Each were distinct, and I quickly got invested in what was happening to them. The mystery kept me guessing until the end, which is always a delight. The next time I'm in the mood for a crime mystery/thriller I'll be picking this series back up.

William Kent Krueger’s writing is like no other. His storytelling and characters are instantly captivating, making you wonder why you haven’t read all of his books.
Apostle’s Cove is the latest book in the Cork O’ Connor mysteries. It starts with Cork getting a call from his son Stephen. Stephen is a lawyer who works to free wrongly incarcerated inmates and is looking into one of his father’s cases from when he was Sheriff.
Axel Boshey is an Ojibwa man that was sent to prison over 20 years ago for a crime that Stephen is sure he didn’t commit. When Cork agrees to revisit the case, it quickly becomes clear that there are people who don’t want him to and people who will do anything to stop him.
Apostle’s Cove first tells the story from more than 20 years ago and then revisits the case in present day. A story of family, love, betrayal, and sacrifice ensues leaving you feeling sad and angry for the past but hopeful for the future.
Whether this is your first Cork O’ Connor mystery or one of many, Apostle’s Cove will not disappoint.
Thank you Atria for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for this ARC of Apostle’s Cove. While I have read many books in the Cork O’Connor series, out of order (I’m an animal, so says my son) I found this one particularly compelling. I have enjoyed all of Krueger’s work with O’Connor, because of his foibles rather than in spite of them.

One of the impressive notes of this book was Krueger’s ability to harken back to the old murder conviction without becoming trite or boring. It touched the right keystones with me and set up the rest of the story with ease and readability.

I love many things about Cork-he’s a family man, he’s a good cop and investigator, and most of all he’s true to himself and his heritage. It’s impressive the lengths he will go to in order to find and dispense justice, no matter where or to whom it leads. Apostle’s Cove was no exception.

Another great entry (and creative, as far as timeline and approach go) in William Kent Krueger's long-running Cork O'Connor series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the early release ebook. All opinions are my own.

I have read another book from this series and wasn't a fan but for some reason tried to give this one another go. I didn't get interested no matter how much I tried. I had no desire to find out what happened. It just laid out the investigation like I was reading a procedural novel.. I didn't laugh or cry. I wasn't outraged or inspired and I had no empathy for any of the characters.

William Kent Krueger's writing is always flawless and I do enjoy that part but this series is just not for me.

I’m on a police procedural kick, so I was very invested in cork o’connors story!!! I didn’t know this was part of a continuing series (as I’ve read others by this author’s and they were standalone), so I feel like I would have enjoyed this one more if I had read the previous twenty books… yes, twenty books…

that being said, I felt like the characterization and refresher paragraphs were extremely helpful to those who hadn’t read the series - and for that, I could say it may be read as a standalone! however, I do think I would have related to the characters’ backstories more 🫠

despite my misgivings, I loved how the author outlined this story!! by going back in cork’s past to when the initial murder happens, to then present day when he realizes he may have put an innocent man behind bars, it gave the whole picture quite well!

while the author implored more of the telling rather than showing tactics, in this kind of police procedural story, it worked better than I anticipated!

thank you atria thrillers for the gifted advanced copy!!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay

A twenty-five year old murder is reopened when doubt of the convicted man’s guilt is in question. A crime story at its best.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have deeply enjoyed coming into this series, even late in the day, with book 20 (this is 21). Even just this second summer in a row seems like it's started a tradition! Quite different than following along since 1998, but still. This installment had nostalgia baked in, as it's set in both the present and 25 years ago. The case was compelling, and I loved the chance to see into the past. Krueger’s blend of mystery, memory, and setting continues to work its magic.

Cork O’Connor has a significant birthday approaching causing him to ruminate on the past a few days before Halloween. When he receives a call from his son, Stephen, concerning a case from twenty-five years ago implying a possibly wrongful conviction, Cork is stunned knowing he played a part in helping put away an Ojibwe man, Axel Boshey, sending him to prison for life.

Cork’s conscience demands he investigate this new information; however, much evidence can be covered up or lost during the ensuing years. Even Axel Boshey is not inclined to help, or even agree to reopening the case. There are also people currently living in Cork’s hometown who are less than pleased as well at reopening this case. Cork will have to dig very deeply to recover the known facts from the time and track down any and all clues that might shed light on the truth.

The story is really two books in one. A good portion of the narrative takes place in the past when Cork is the newly elected sheriff of Tamarack County. At that time period, he has a young, still expanding family, and people who have now passed in the present, are still alive. For longtime readers of this series, being back in a time when Cork and Jo had a happy marriage and the girls were young, will certainly be an emotional ride. The part of the story in the present is set two years after the events of the previous book. This tale is number 21 in the Cork O’Connor mystery series.

I’ve only read a couple other books in this series, but I had no trouble following this 21st Cork O’Conner novel.

Cork’s son, Stephen, works for a nonprofit dedicated to freeing wrongly convicted people from prison. Stephen wants him to take a look at a case that happened twenty-five years earlier, when Cork was the newly elected sheriff. Cork agrees because he never really believed the confession of an Ojibwe man named Axel Boshey.

Cork is retired from the police force but investigates anyway. He comes across a fair number of damaged people in his search for the truth. Racists, misogynists, people who act out because of the damage done to them as children. As with Mr. Krueger’s other books, the writing is great, and the story is well done.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this mystery, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 2. 2025.

Author: William Kent Krueger

Genres: Fiction/Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summary: Just before Halloween, Cork O’Connor gets a troubling call from his son Stephen, who believes Cork may have wrongly imprisoned an Ojibwe man named Axel Boshey for murder decades ago. As Cork reopens the case, facing resistance and renewed danger.

Tropes and Themes: cold case reopened; justice; folklore; reluctance.

Character: I really didn't resonate with any character that much, but I do love how Cork was very persistent in revealing the truth. Even though he was reluctant to assist in finding out the truth 25 years later, he always believed that what had transpired was not the truth.

Thoughts: This was my first ARC by this author. With that being noted, all of these thoughts are my own. I really loved the storyline, and the plot was well written into the book, providing details of the case assisting in the consistency of the evidence building up surrounding Axel being guilty. It was so hard to not believe his story that even I had feelings of his initial guilt. The author did an amazing job at relating all the evidence back to Axel with sprinkling some doubt throughout the story with being able to create other guilty parties. Furthermore, I enjoyed the book being culturally inclusive of the Native American culture. I enjoyed the folklore and Native American names and tenets they often lived by taught throughout the book.

However, there were some confusing moments when it came to the ancestry. I didn't really enjoy the dual timelines because so much had happened and so many people had passed away within those 25 unspoken years. I didn't enjoy not being able to connect with the present characters as his children had become adults. I felt as if there was so much missing even though all of the connections were made in the end. In the same way, it was very slow-paced and not as entertaining as I would have liked. Overall, I really loved the story and the folklore making this a more culturally inclusive read.

Strong characters and families seem to be the center of this author’s series of mysteries. In this installment, the story is told in 2 parts: first, the investigation and conviction of a murder suspect; then second, 25 years later, the innocence project looks into the case believing an innocent man was convicted. As is expected, a few of the characters change in the 25 year gap but the author is adept at introducing them and seamlessly integrating them into the story. Though there are many possibilities of who committed the murder and why, the novel leads to the one conclusion that makes the most sense.

With strong characters, a small town setting, and great pacing, this is an enjoyable addition to the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

First of all, I didn’t know this was book 21 (!!!!) in a series. Second of all, it didn’t matter. So thank you William Kent Krueger for making it so people can just jump in and not feel lost. I will however, now go back and read the other 20 (I will not be thanking you for that good sir.)

All that aside, Apostle’s Cover was fantastic. It was atmospheric and so well-written. I enjoyed the pacing because well thought out stories can’t be rushed. My interest was held throughout the book and I can’t wait to read more Cork O’Connor (and by more, I mean everything I’ve missed.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

**Apostle's Cove** by William Kent Krueger is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that pulls you in from the very first page. Krueger’s signature blend of rich storytelling, vivid sense of place, and deeply human characters shines here. The story feels both timeless and urgent, exploring community, secrets, and the power of redemption. It’s the kind of book that wraps around you like a warm blanket and stays with you long after you finish. Fans of heartfelt, thoughtful fiction will absolutely love this one.

With Apostle’s Cove, the 21st book in the Cork O’Connor series, WKK takes a step back into the past. Early in his career as sheriff, Cork arrested Axel Bosley for the murder of his wife. But Axel’s confession never felt like the real thing to Cork. Now Stephen, Cork’s son who works for the Innocence Project, has taken on Axel’s case. But Axel isn’t the one pushing his innocence, it’s his son and daughter. Axel is refusing to cooperate.
The book is divided into two parts - the initial investigation and the current day re-examination.
The books in this series are never fast paced. They are character rich stories that explore human nature as much as a specific crime. There’s always a strong element of philosophy in WKK’s stories. I’m typically not a fan of magic realism, but I never have trouble with the inclusion of the ability to “see” displayed by Henry and now Waaboo or the presence of the Windigo in these books. In fact, the inclusion of the Anishinaabe belief system is always a welcome addition. The ending became a little convoluted, but in the end it made sense and came together well.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book

I loved that this story was a reflection on a previous case of Cork's. We dive back into one of his first cases from over 25 years ago when his son suggests that an innocent man was put behind bars. The truth finally comes out and old skeletons come out of the closet to be put to rest.

WKK will always feel like a warm embrace to me, with the center of the story being the importance of family and putting those you love first.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.