Oh, I don't know, can't we have heartfelt and rural without everyone being an asshole?

Cork is kind of a dope and lets himself get into situations he shouldn't. Even when his back is up, he's easily ambushed.

Will continue to the next one, but if the asshole count doesn't go down, I'm done. ( )

Very solid mystery novel with elements of a thriller. The setting is a small, frozen town in the Northern corner of Minnesota in Winter and the author makes good use of it. Adding to the regional color are interesting characters and a dollop of Native American culture. The prose is smooth and solid.

The one weak point is the actual story, which remained oddly aloof for quite a while. Things were happening, but only in a vaguely mysterious and threatening way. Bodies were piling up with no actual clues about why. The dénouement felt a stitched together and the motivations of all a bit stereotypical. But that did not detract from this reader's emotional attachment to the characters and satisfaction with the resolution.

I look forward to reading more of the adventures of Cork O'Connor and the denizens of the Iron Range. ( )

Based in Minnesota with many Native Americas and biracial characters (good and bad) This is the beginning of a great series. It is not necessary to read in order to enjoy them. Great narration. Highly recommended - some language, violence, and so forth - so it's mature.

FROM AMAZON: a small Minnesota town’s ex-sheriff who is having trouble retiring his badge. Cork O’Connor loses his job after being blamed for a tragedy on the local Anishinaabe Indian reservation. But he must set aside his personal demons when a young boy goes missing on the same day a judge commits suicide—and no one but O’Connor suspects foul play. ( )

What a great start to a series. It’s a good mystery. A disgraced sheriff who has lost his family and his job...mystery ensues. Our hero, Cork, has a personality but not much of a mission since he's no longer Sheriff. I wondered why the author tossed in the divorce, but that became clear as the show rolled on. The parties to the divorce reacted like they should and were, thus, believable. The bad guy was evident about half way through the listen and he matured into a heinous ass. I will be getting my hands on Book #2 in this series soon. ( )

Many threads are woven together to create a great story. Look forward to reading more in this series. ( )