A Novel (Cork O'Connor Mystery Series) - Manitou Canyon

Once again William Krueger has brought to life a wonderful collection of well developed characters and woven a story full of fun and intrigue. I would recommend this great read to anyone with a joy of good mystery. A word of caution though set aside several hours of uninterrupted time you will need it!

While I love this series waiting 2 years for this is disappointing. I gave the first 6 books in the series to my Uncle for a retirement gift because he loves to read and I have loved all by Krueger. But he is getting more liberal in his writing, catering to the political left more with each effort and I grow weary of it. I will continue to read because I love the story of the family but this one was predictable and boring.

This novel kept me entertained. When the action stopped, the lull was temporary, and it brought you back into full action again. I'm glad I read previous novels first. It can stand alone, but you understand the characters more if you have read previous novels in the series.

Great ongoing story of Cork O'Connor, his family and his Native American friends and family. Love this author and always wait for his newest contribution. It is most enjoyable if his works are read in order, but each book is complete in itself also.

I've enjoyed this series. Excellent character build. Brings you in. This one seemed a little hurried toward the end, but I'd read it again. Love Krueger. I've read all the others. Waiting on the next!

Manitou Canyon is the 15th installment of the series featuring Cork O'Connor, the onetime sheriff of a county in northern Minnesota near the Boundary Water Canoe Area. I've read all of them in order; while the crime/police-procedural/suspense has been adequate, the iconic setting and Ojibwe Indian relationships have taken a so-so plot and made it a very enjoyable read.

Manitou Canyon is suffering from staleness. We have the same cast of familiar characters, the predictable bad-guy, the iconic setting, and plenty of Indian sub-plots. Predictably, Cork or a member of his family get into a serious scrape that needs a last-minute rescue. The O'Connor family ties are a constant theme. But after 16 installments, everything become so predictable and trite that just about anyone could write this book.

Other authors have had long series featuring the same main protagonist (Connelly and Harry Bosch; Lescroart and Dismas Hardy; Sandford and Lucas Davenport; Deaver and Lincoln Rhyme). These authors have figured out a way to keep the main characters but build secondary protagosnists that "star" in their own parallel series (Bosch = Micky Haller; Hardy = Abe Glitsky and Rebecca Hardy; Davenport = Virgil Flowers; Rhyme = Kathryn Dance). This method keeps the author and series refreshed while allowing the primary protagonist to play a bit part or take a break altogether.

I am afraid Krueger has reached a level of staleness in the O'Connor series. It could benefit from a focus on new characters which may come from his family or other members of the community or out of the blue. But that doesn't seem to be in the cards as Sulfur Springs, due out this summer, again focuses on Cork O'Connor. I'll give that one a whirl, but it may prove to be the final episode I read.

I've enjoyed this series. Excellent character build. Brings you in. This one seemed a little hurried toward the end, but I'd read it again. Love Krueger. I've read all the others. Waiting on the next!

Manitou Canyon is the 15th installment of the series featuring Cork O'Connor, the onetime sheriff of a county in northern Minnesota near the Boundary Water Canoe Area. I've read all of them in order; while the crime/police-procedural/suspense has been adequate, the iconic setting and Ojibwe Indian relationships have taken a so-so plot and made it a very enjoyable read.

Manitou Canyon is suffering from staleness. We have the same cast of familiar characters, the predictable bad-guy, the iconic setting, and plenty of Indian sub-plots. Predictably, Cork or a member of his family get into a serious scrape that needs a last-minute rescue. The O'Connor family ties are a constant theme. But after 16 installments, everything become so predictable and trite that just about anyone could write this book.

Other authors have had long series featuring the same main protagonist (Connelly and Harry Bosch; Lescroart and Dismas Hardy; Sandford and Lucas Davenport; Deaver and Lincoln Rhyme). These authors have figured out a way to keep the main characters but build secondary protagosnists that "star" in their own parallel series (Bosch = Micky Haller; Hardy = Abe Glitsky and Rebecca Hardy; Davenport = Virgil Flowers; Rhyme = Kathryn Dance). This method keeps the author and series refreshed while allowing the primary protagonist to play a bit part or take a break altogether.

I am afraid Krueger has reached a level of staleness in the O'Connor series. It could benefit from a focus on new characters which may come from his family or other members of the community or out of the blue. But that doesn't seem to be in the cards as Sulfur Springs, due out this summer, again focuses on Cork O'Connor. I'll give that one a whirl, but it may prove to be the final episode I read.

I always expect a great story from William Krueger. My mother was from Ashland, Wisconsin, and my wife and I have been going to Lake Owen for 30 years... just north of Hayward. We love how the great north and his memorable characters come alive in his novels. I've read most of them and can't wait for the next. Right up there with Louise Penny.

William Ken Krueger has done it again! He has written a truly sensational thriller filled with complicated characters set in the beautiful Minnesota wilderness. While I always enjoy Krueger's plot twist, I return to his books again and again because he allows his characters to gain insight and grow from book to book. The Cork O'Connor we see in Manitou Canyon is far wiser and more patient that the Cork O'Connor we met in Iron Lake. Further, Krueger writes with such beauty about the natural world that even readers who don't like "mysteries" will enjoy his books. Can't wait for the next one!