William Kent Krueger, MANITOU CANYON

This is the latest in Krueger’s series featuring Cork O’Connor. When an old friend disappears while on a hiking trip in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Cork is prevailed upon by the man’s grandchildren to look for him even though an official search has revealed nothing. As Cork goes on his journey evidence slowly becomes available showing that this is only the tip of a larger issue involving the environment and native Americans.

Krueger is particularly good at bringing alive native American belief systems and ways of life. He is also skilled at connecting his mystery plot with a moral dilemma. One point that bothered me is that O’Connor goes into the wilderness seeking a missing man, accompanied by the man’s granddaughter, and doesn’t bother to bring a firearm. To me this strains credulity. Otherwise, however, it was a good read.