| Title | : | Lightning Strike (Cork O’Connor, #0) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1982128682 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781982128685 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 385 |
| Publication | : | First published August 24, 2021 |
Aurora is a small town nestled in the ancient forest alongside the shores of Minnesota’s Iron Lake. In the summer of 1963, it is the whole world to 12-year-old Cork O’Connor, its rhythms as familiar as his own heartbeat. But when Cork stumbles upon the body of a man he revered hanging from a tree in an abandoned logging camp, it is the first in a series of events that will cause him to question everything he took for granted about his hometown, his family, and himself.
Cork’s father, Liam O’Connor, is Aurora’s sheriff, and it is his job to confirm that the man’s death was the result of suicide, as all the evidence suggests. In the shadow of his father’s official investigation, Cork begins to look for answers on his own. Together, father and son face the ultimate test of choosing between what their heads tell them is true and what their hearts know is right.
In this masterful story of a young man and a town on the cusp of change, beloved novelist William Kent Krueger shows that some mysteries can be solved even as others surpass our understanding.
Lightning Strike (Cork O’Connor, #0) Reviews
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Lightning Strike (Cork O'Connor #0) by William Kent Krueger
Having read and greatly enjoyed Krueger's two stand alone novels, Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, I knew I wanted to tackle his long running Cork O'Connor series. Now Krueger has written a prequel to the entire series which gives me a great opportunity to jump in before it all began. Lightning Strike takes place at a very pivotal time in Cork's life, the summer before he turns thirteen.
It's 1963 and Liam O’Connor, Cork's father, is Aurora’s sheriff. Cork has his paper route, friends, baseball, biking, camping, church, family and dog. He's on the cusp of learning that all he thought was sacred and simple isn't so. The racial tension that he barely noticed in the past comes to a head when Cork finds a man he considered a mentor, hanging from a tree, in an apparent suicide. But Cork and his dad suspect otherwise and as they try to determine who might have killed this man, not only does the town's divide become more apparent between white and Ojibwe, but even his family starts to show cracks. Liam is white, Cork's mother is half white, half Ojibwe, Cork is a quarter Ojibwe.
No one is happy that Liam is looking for "facts" in the death of the dead man, when each side wants the other blamed for his death. This summer will harden Cork, as he loses his naivety and wonder about life and the future. Cork's summer reflects what is happening to us today and so often there seems to be no answer to the problems of the world. This has been a great introduction into the Cork O'Connor series and I look forward to all the books ahead of me.
Pub: August 24th 2021
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC. -
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY -- DON'T MISS THIS PREQUEL***
BOYS GREW UP A LITTLE FASTER IN 1963, ESPECIALLY IN SMALL TOWN MINNESOTA!
This is the summer that Cork O’Connor turns 13 and while this is a coming of age novel it is so much more.
There is a tangled mystery to unravel which causes strained tensions between some of the white men in town and the Ojibwa Indians. Cork’s mother is half Ojibwa and half Irish. His father is Liam O’Connor, town sheriff, Irish and relatively new in town. He left his old life as a police officer in Chicago hoping for a better life for his family.
The novel takes off pretty quickly when Cork and his friend discover a well known and respected Indian mentor hanging in Lightning Strike. The shock of this sight will haunt Cork throughout the story and he is just as determined to solve this crime as his father. There are many changes coming both to the town and to Cork.
At first appearances Liam and others believe that Big John committed suicide, but his family and friends say he would never kill himself and especially not in this sacred site.
There is a tug and pull between how the Indians want things to proceed and how Liam insists things are done. He takes the law very literally, he knows that to convict someone he needs solid evidence!
What is so captivating in this novel is how Mr. Krueger is able to speak so clearly in the voice of this young man and his two friends. I think that was a lot of the appeal of Ordinary Grace as well as This Tender Land.
I quickly felt as though I was surrounded by the beauty of this area “Beyond a line of aspen, the water of Iron Lake burned with the gold light of early day”. Living in Wisconsin I can relate to the beautiful woods and lakes that my parents took me to.
If you loved this Tender Land you will find a lot of the elements that you enjoyed in this novel This is a prequel to his long standing series, which features Cork as a grown man, he also as the town sheriff !!!!!!
I THINK THIS IS STORYTELLING AT IT'S BEST AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. -
Although this is part of a long running series, this newest book takes us back to the beginning. It is 1963 in Aurora, MN, Iron Lake and we are introduced to a young fourteen year old Cork. His father Liam is Sheriff, his mother part Objibwe, so Cork is a part of both worlds. We meet a younger Henry Meloux, a Midi, who will help form the man he becomes and Sam Winter Moon, who will help him find the way between two cultures. We learn of the mistreatment if the Indian and its long range effects. We encounter the prejudice against those with any such blood.
This case will place many in danger. Will show us the difference in the beliefs of those who live on the reservation and those who live in town. The struggles of a good man, a family man who wants only to do right, but finds the navigation between cultures adds difficulty to his job.
If one starts here, with this book, it will provide a sold d entry into one of my favorite series. I love how the author shows us how the past is always present, and for the many mistreated, the scars that have never healed. The history, the mistreatment and cruelty with which the American Indians were treated is another shameful episode in Americas past.
ARC from Edelweiss. -
*UPDATE 1/27/22- Since I posted this review I have received comments from several readers that have strongly disagreed with my rating/review. I appreciate the fact that people may have differing opinions, most of my GR’s friends have enjoyed this book, and while I may not agree, I will always respect others opinions. To this point… it is NOT ok to leave comments attacking someones character because you don’t agree with a rating/review. Doing so not only makes the person leaving the comment look bad but it also reflects poorly on the book you are trying to defend. Because of this particular book and the comments I have received I will now only allow ‘friends’ to leave comments on my book reviews. I’m sad I feel the need to do this and I am sorry that some people in this community do not know how to behave respectfully.
Devastatingly disappointed…
Rant coming in 🔥, so continue at your own risk….
Let me first start by saying that I have absolutely adored Krueger’s stand-alone novels, This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace. Both of these have firm spots on my ‘favorites’ self. They are beautifully written and are stories that touched my heart in a profound way. They are, also, novels that I never hesitate to recommend.
This is why I’m so disappointed in his latest novel, Lightening Strike. I’ve been meaning to start his Cork O’Conner series for some time and was delighted to see that this was a prequel to it. What perfect timing to start this series!
I’d been reading for a couple of days and the story didn’t grab me the way his others had. The plot was good, but something just felt forced. The grandmothers behavior and her treatment of her son-in-law really bothered me, however, my faith in Krueger’s purpose kept me reading on until this sentence, which is thought by 12 year-old Cork…
“Logic was a part of that, sure, but was something else at work, something dark in him that he didn’t want to acknowledge? He was only a quarter Shinnob. Three-quarters of his blood came from European ancestry. Was his thinking swayed by all that whiteness?”
I read this sentence several times to make sure I was reading it correctly… ‘swayed by all that whiteness’? This is a thought made in 1963 by a 12 year-old boy? Seriously? How very 2021… and, unfortunately, that is where this story ended for me.
While I agree completely with Krueger’s view of indigenous people’s treatment, I do not appreciate being ‘force-fed’ opinions in the way he has chosen to do it.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. -
William Kent Krueger is one of the finest contemporary writers in the US and one of my personal favorites. He has a real way with young male characters finding their way in the world. This story is a prequel to his Cork O’Connor series.
Within the first sentence of the Author’s Note at the beginning of this book, I had learned something new. For all I knew about the US government's attempts to eradicate the Native American tribes during the 19th Century, I was unaware of the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. This time, the government paid to relocate Native Americans to cities. Promises for decent housing and jobs, of course, came to naught. While not a meaningful part of the story, it helps explain the mindset of the day.
The book takes us back in time to 1963. Cork O’Connor is almost 13; his father the county sheriff. Cork and a friend stumble upon a body hanging at Lightning Strike, a former lumber yard and a piece of ground deemed sacred by the Native Americans. The man hanging was Big John Manydeeds, a local Ojibwa known and revered by the young boys. Initially deemed a suicide, it soon is apparent it’s a murder.
This is a complicated story, with lots of twists. I appreciated the balancing act Liam O’Connor was forced to take while trying to find solid evidence against high emotions on both sides. WKK does a fabulous job capturing the prejudice of the whites and the mistrust of the Ojibwas. As with his two stand alones, we watch a young man trying to find his own moral compass.
The book is more than a standard mystery, it’s a look at what it means to be a good person, “one who stands between evil and his people”.
David Chandler did a fabulous job of narrating this story. His performance heightened my enjoyment of this fabulous book. -
If you ever want to read a book that you know will make you cry then try this one. The epilogue is just heart breaking. Because I have read the whole series to date I had a good idea of some of the events which had to occur in this flashback novel but Krueger has a real way with words and he absolutely made me reach for the tissues.
Lightning Strike is set in 1963 when Cork O'Connor was 12 years old. We are introduced to his father, Liam O'Connor, Sheriff of Aurora , a small town situated next to the Minnesota Iron Lake. Cork is a growing boy in a small town, doing all the things that boys do, until a suspected murder occurs and suddenly the town is torn apart by racial differences. Cork's own family is mixed race and his father is Sheriff so they are front and centre in the whole affair.
As usual Krueger uses the beauty of the country to full advantage and also makes much of the
residents' mysticism and their relationship with nature. It was interesting to see how much Cork's early experiences contributed to the man he is in the rest of the series. I loved it all and would recommend it to be read first if you have not yet started the series. -
It’s the summer of 1963 in Aurora, Minnesota when Corcoran (Cork) O’Connor was 12-years old. He and friend Jorge were exploring an area around the Boundary Waters of Iron Lake when they came upon the area called Lightning Strike. To their horror, they discovered the remains of Big John Manydeeds, a man they both revered, hanging from a tree. Cork’s father, Liam, is the county sheriff who comes to the scene, which at first appearance looks to be a suicide. However, as Liam proceeds with the investigation, that preliminary assessment may have been premature. The case also highlights the divide within the community between the indigenous people and the white residents.
I’m current in this series so to go back in time and learn more about who and what helped shape Cork O’Connor was a gift. For those who haven’t started the series, this is the perfect place to begin. Throughout the series, Cork has often reminisced about his parents but seemed especially impacted by his father. This story provides an excellent illustration of who Liam O’Connor was, his relationship with his son and his sense of justice. He’s sorely challenged as the pressures from all sides was awful. Despite it all, he stayed true to himself and the law.
The tension was high from the onset and only intensified as the investigation progressed. What saddened me was how many of the cultural issues of that era haven’t improved much and are still manifesting themselves today. But what was heartening was the friendship between young Cork and his two friends, one a Latino and the other an Anishinaabe, who provide a primer for how to manage through difference. This is an incredible story with many, many layers, made even more wonderful by the outstanding narration of David Chandler. If you’re considering this series, please listen to the books because he elevates Krueger’s superior storytelling skills into the stratosphere. It’s one of my top ten series and this prequel put me in a very, very happy place.
Posted on
Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Recorded Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.) -
The one thing that I have always found with Mr Krueger is that he can certainly weaves a terrific story that is both enjoyable and enlightening. I am one, who loves learning new things and this author can definitely add to one's knowledge base.
In this outing, we go back to the beginning and learn about Cork's ancestry, and the people who made him become the man he grows to be. We also find sadly relevant and irreverent ways in which the native Americans, (the Ojibwa), were treated. This formed an intrinsic way in which the story was presented as the cultures of both the Ojibwa and the white people people was presented. The Native Americans were considered to be drunks, nasty, and uneducated. The prejudicial stance is so apparent through the entire story, and stands in place for the history of behavior of all Native American tribes throughout history.
Cork's mother, Colleen, is half Ojibwa and his father, Liam, is Irish. Being sheriff of the town, is difficult as the relationship between the Ojibwa and the white people is tenuous at best. When the body of an Ojibwa man is found by Cork and his friends hanging from a tree, the supposition is that he committed suicide, but Liam and Cork can't help but think something is amiss. They follow their belief and stumble onto a mystery that needs solving. Liam and Cork develop a father son bond, one that later comes with grief and sorrow.
This is such a moving tale, a story of so much is contained within its pages. A recommendation for this book is certainly one that comes from this reader. Mr Krueger has done it again! -
My first book with Cork, and I'm glad I started the series at last!
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This is the first ‘Cork O’Conner’ book I started with the long series.
Diane S. offered me this advice ways back - great for newbies interested in the series.
I ‘am’ interested—
And will continue with book 1 next.
I felt I got a pretty good context from Lightning Strike —-
book #18 …..(a prequel of sorts to the entire series)
There is a murder mystery tragedy easy to follow that had the “Stand By Me” feel to it —-
And I got an experience of ‘young’ Cork as a teenager -
was introduced to his parents — friends — community and setting.
The standout - (besides the reminder that Krueger is a wonderful intimate writer), was the connection Cork and his father had…..
I look forward to reading more in the series -more of the mysteries with Cork as an adult. -
This is my third book by this author, who won my heart with “Ordinary Grace” & “This Tender Land”.
The story here is set in 1963.
I really wanted to love this book, which started so well, but unfortunately dragged for too long to solve a mystery.
It was very repetitive and I did not think that the development of the storyline was that engaging.
Several times I felt the desire to quit or just jump to its conclusion (which I have never done with any book), but, although I had lost interest and my curiosity, I persisted and kept reading to the end.
Regardless, as this is a prequel to the series of at least 19 books, I will try the first 3 volumes, which are already sitting on my shelves because I purchased them when they were on sale. -
William Kent Krueger never disappoints. This novel about Caucasians vs Indians to figure out who murdered whom was no different. Started out a big slow but quickly picked up the pace. I hate racism. I will never understand hate based on basic human traits. ✌🏽
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The latest from bestselling author William Kent Krueger, Lightning Strike is a beautifully told story, of a small town in the 1960s rocked by a mysterious death and culture clashes, and a boy’s coming of age.
It’s funny, I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, but give me a well-written book like this and I’m totally hooked. I felt the same about Krueger’s last book, This Tender Land, which was one of the best books I read in 2019.
In this prequel to Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, it’s 1963 and Cork is 12 years old. His father is the sheriff of their small town of Aurora, Minnesota, which is shaken when Cork and his friend find the body of a town resident hanging from a tree.
The man was a well-known Native American in town, and while every sign points to suicide, his friends and relatives insist otherwise. They quickly become angry that Cork’s father is only interested in the facts he sees, and doesn’t believe it could have been murder. But Cork and his friends feel a responsibility to try and find out what happened, and it’s not long before father and son find themselves in the midst of a mystery with possibly dangerous ramifications.
I eagerly anticipated Lightning Strike and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. I love the way Krueger tells a story, the way he meshes emotion, narrative, and historical details. Even though this is a prequel to a series, it’s fine to read as a standalone, although if you’re like me, you’ll want to dive in to the whole series afterward!
I so loved this.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at
https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at
itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/. -
William Kent Krueger is an author that is really popular among our patrons, and it doesn’t hurt that his books take place close to our location. I knew that this book is a prequel to his mystery series that I enjoy immensely, but I wasn’t sure if this book was going to be written like the other books in his series or like the standalone books of his such as This Tender Land .
I’m always surprised how some of his mystery books and other books written by veteran mystery writers are hardly ever nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in mystery, but I digress. Still, I was excited to read about the fictional town and characters I’ve grown to love in a different era than I am used to reading.
The story follows a young Cork O’Connor and his father, Liam O’Connor, who is the sheriff in Aurora. Cork is playing with his friend when they stumble across the corpse of a friend’s relative. This starts to cause tension among the community where some think that it was a classic suicide while the Indigenous American community seems to think that foul deeds were afoot, and he was murdered.
Both Cork and Liam are torn between the communities they serve, where Liam has to the follow the facts of the case while getting admonished by friends and family alike. Memories of forced boarding schools for the residents of the reservation as well as predatory treaties and laws still sit in the mind of the tribal leaders who found it hard to trust a white man’s badge that was used in the past to drag them away from their families.
After some heavy sleuthing by both Cork and his father, the mystery surrounding the dead man finally seems solved for better or for worse. That is until another body shows up in the form of an Indigenous American girl who went missing in a neighboring community. The tension between the Indigenous American reservation and the white community of Aurora is almost palpable and puts families at odds with each other including Cork’s family.
With a fast paced and heart pounding climax, this book offers all the elements that readers love in the mystery series written by William Kent Krueger. Old audience favorite characters are reintroduced in the form of Henry and Sam Winter while some other easter eggs are dropped here and there. The two best characters introduced in this book though are Cork’s mother and grandmother who have a compelling relationship with each other and the rest of the family.
The best thing about this book for me other than the mystery was the supporting cast of characters. The grandmother was a breath of fresh air while familiar characters from the series give this book the same feel as the rest of the series. The relationship between Cork’s mother and father was also interesting and engaging for me when compared to Cork’s marriage in other books. Cork’s friends were also fun to read about since they were such a different cast of characters who each had their own struggles including with each other until they learn to resolve them.
The only POVs that this book followed were Cork and Liam. This was a blessing yet also a curse for me. First of all, I feel like this book followed the POV of Cork too much instead of his father which kind of took it away for me since the Liam is a new character that I wanted to explore more so than Cork. That is also because it just didn’t feel like Liam was a unique enough character.
It felt like an adult Cork POV from the rest of the series with some minor differences with the big one in not having indigenous blood running through his veins though his relations to friends, wife, and mother-in-law almost seemed to bridge the gap with some of the relationships that Cork developed with the Anishinaabe. Both though had problems fitting in with both of the communities in their own way. It was also fun though in seeing how both father and son were like-minded when it came to the same case they were trying to solve.
We follow young Cork, but his POV just seems too good to be true almost like he is an investigative genius. He somehow finds clues or knows certain aspects leave the sheriff’s office baffled. Young Cork is so put together and mature for his age where even interactions with his friend and strangers at times feel too adult-like. We know for a fact that adult Cork in the series is nowhere near this perfect of a person and is more realistic.
It is kind of frustrating to see how his young mind works compared how he fumbled around in some of the first books of the series too. In contrast though, it is also fun and interesting to see his naïve and innocent POV before the mess of adulthood happens to him with problems he’s forced to persevere through.
This book had twists and turns galore that kept me on my toes. Even when I thought I knew what happened, some element of the mysteries presented had me surprised. I was a bit surprised with the epilogue since I thought that either the whole book would have been about that, or that it would have been broached in another prequel book. I love this series so of course I was going to be impressed with this book almost no matter what happened. I recommend this book to fans of the series this is a prequel to and to mystery lovers in general.
In fact, other than the first book in the series, this would be a perfect place to start reading the William Kent Krueger’s mystery series as well.
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WOO HOO! Happy Dance! Skip the line! YES! I didn’t get my chance at an ARC copy of William Kent Krueger’s newest Cork O’Connor book this time around, so I patiently waited my turn for my public library’s Libby app. Imagine my surprise when I was notified that I could read it NOW!
Lightning Strike was available at long last! I have long been a fan of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, and he is one of my favorite Minnesota authors. No, favorite storytellers. Period. Yes, I grew up in the northland of Minnesota, and his books feel like home to me.
The prequel to this long series gets its name, according to the story, from a site near Aurora, Minnesota, that was sacred to the Ojibwe. The First People believed that the spirits caused it to be hit by lightning because it was being used for logging, because this would have been forbidden. The area, which featured the charred chimney and other blackened remnants of a log building, had been filling in with ferns, moss, and weeds. This is the spot where 12-year-old Cork O’Connor hikes with his friend Jorge one hot July day. The pair are working on a Boy Scout merit badge and intend to camp out overnight. Their plans change suddenly when they are struck by a horrific sight – the body of a man hanging from a nearby tree.
The man, Big John Manydeeds, was known to have been a recovering alcoholic, but there is evidence at the scene to suggest otherwise. This leads to assumptions – some based on stereotypes of “drunken Indians” – that have been with us for generations. Despite appearances, Cork does not believe that this man, whom he admired and respected, committed suicide. His father, Liam O’Connor, is the sheriff in the small northern town of Aurora, including the reservation. He tries to explain that he needs to follow the evidence. Cork wants to help. His father has misgivings but allows him some leeway. Convincing his full-blooded Ojibwe mother-in-law that he is doing his best to find the truth is no easy task. She and family friend Sam Winter Moon are really in a tough position – between a rock and a hard place with the O’Connors and people on “the rez.”
The O’Connors are a close-knit family. Cork’s mother Colleen is half Ojibwe. Dad is Irish. Cork’s grandmother Dilsey eats supper with them at least once a week. Father and son have a Saturday night tradition of cooking supper together, and the women are not allowed in the kitchen. The guys fix burgers, coleslaw, and hand-cranked ice cream. Lots of time for them to talk and to bond. After supper, they might all play Parcheesi or watch their favorite shows, like Gunsmoke. But as the investigation goes on, tensions within the family mount. Even Cork feels the pressure. Never has he raised an eyebrow over the ethnicity of his family or friends. His two best friends, Jorge and Billy, are not white. Members of the community and classmates call him and his family names. “Squaw man,” his dad is called. While he respects his father, he seems to grow impatient with him at times, wishing an arrest would come soon. Most of the time, however, Cork seems to have more patience and maturity than I would have expected from a boy his age. And Liam is an experienced cop caught in a tough spot. He’s felt pressure before, hasn’t he?
The book focuses mainly on the boy Cork, but the author also shows us the man who was his father. He is a man of quality and conviction. He will stand his ground when he knows he is right; he will also admit when he is wrong because he wants to do the right thing. He wants the truth, and even though he doesn’t say it often, he loves his family deeply.
I love the friendships that Cork has with Jorge and Billy. It was reminiscent of
This Tender Land, which felt to me like Wm Kent Krueger’s finest book ever. These boys share everything, and even when they disagree, they get over it quickly. Cork tells them things that he shouldn’t. He trusts too much. He risks all for his friends.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention the history of the Native American boarding schools. Much has been made of this in the Canadian and U.S. press in recent months. Native children were forced to leave their families on the reservations to attend these schools. They were forbidden from speaking their native language, prevented from wearing native garb or hairstyles, and in many cases were treated very harshly. Grandma Dilsey mentions the schools, and Big John ran away from school several times until he was finally taken in by Henry Meloux, who mentored him to be a guide. (This article just ran in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
https://www.startribune.com/in-wake-o...)
Finally, Lightning Strike is so much more than a mystery, or even a coming-of-age tale, for it is that as well. Krueger’s recipe for a well-told story generally includes family relationships, good and loving, challenging, healing. There is no lack of conflict, darkness, and foreboding. But it would not be a WKK novel without an element of spirituality, would it? There are several instances where Cork sees an ominous, dark shadow emerge, even when no one else sees it. He wonders if Big John is not yet at peace to walk the Path of Souls. His friend Billy Downwind agrees; he thinks that his uncle wants something. What? Will the boys or Liam ever know what it is that Big John’s spirit wants? Henry Meloux, the Mide, Ojibwe healer, has a more limited role than in some books, but when asked, he has some timely, if obscure words for the youngster: "Find a place where your head and your heart can talk to each other…Maybe then you will see clearly.” (p.529)
The Prologue shows us an adult Cork O’Connor on his first day as sheriff. For those readers who have come to love this character, reading the prequel gives us some idea how he came to be that man. All I will say about the Epilogue is that, yes, it is stunning, and yes, it too undoubtedly affected the adult Cork O’Connor we see in all the 17 books of the series.
Migwech, Kent Krueger. Chi migwech.
4.5 stars rounded up -
Thank you to the senders for the free paperback copy sent.
It's prequel to the Cork series which has been well established. Cork of 12 years at the beginning of this overlong rendition. Taking a finish/ epilogue about 2 years later.
Loving the stand alone novels by Krueger so much more than this I'm going to take a day or so to ponder thoughts before I express them. It's a poignant portrayal and yet extremely morose. Other characters feel far more real or in any sense authentic to the place and era than do the O'Connors.
I've decided to elaborate much more about plotting (weak motives) and character developments. The heavy handedness to parsing people in race/politico is far more 2020 than 1963 in this writing. And I have the exact problem with this voice of Lightening Strike as I do with the latest one or two Cork series novels. Preach /teach is literally half the copy word count. And the O'Connors as a family are totally and completely humorless within them too. Also hypocritical by parts as having some practice of religion but absolutely no heart of the faith or beliefs it encompasses. And I have a total repulsion on Grandma Delsey in all of these that's elemental. The baggage of mood and word she hands out with cordial care is nearly child abuse, IMHO. As is her judgments of people solely by origin and not at all by actions except in some method of looking back afterwards. Thank God, that all my own ancestors that wandered half or 3/4ths of a world from their homes and never got to return did not press retributions into me for their complete and almost total identity losses. Nor instill sameness and being illiterate and separate as any kind of model. Even if they were illiterate and victims themselves until the day they died. Early too- across the boards.
Manydeeds was a great character and Henry has some good moments. Liam talks like a sausage at times and the parental units of Cork were not at all 1963 in consequences of lying, disobedience. Cork went from acting about 10 to acting 42. I considered giving this 2 stars. But Iron Lake and the Spider Creek were too real, despite many other aspects not coming close.
My best friend of my entire life for almost all of it was born and raised in Hibbing, MN. I can hear her laughing at my bluntness in this review. I'll read his stand alone novels. His O'Connor- not interested. They wouldn't even know a batch of lutefisk or a joke if it hit them in the eye. -
Unpopular opinion and longer review than necessary ahead:
This author is hit or miss with me. I loved This Tender Land but I've not been enamored with his Cork O'Connor series. After seeing all the stellar reviews, I decided to give this prequel a try. I should've trusted my gut and taken a hard pass.
As with the previously read O'Connor books, I found this to be overly preachy with too much focus on educating the reader about Native American folklore and history. Frankly, it gets boring. There's supposed to be a dangerous underlying tension when Cork's Irish dad, Liam, investigates a possible murder and has the audacity to question people of the tribe about it. I didn't feel it. I found myself skipping pages of repeated reference to the treatment of Native Americans by whites (example: the Indian Schools). The overall mystery is intriguing but the extraneous stuff ruined it for me.
I feel that it would've been a good story with fewer pages of information, less stereotyping, less telling more showing, and a more realistic look at what being a 12 year old boy in 1963 was like. Cork is much too 'woke' for the time period and his beleaguered dad confiding the details of the investigation to everyone within the family and beyond is simply unrealistic.
My main issue with the book: I'm tired of authors using the obvious tactic of pushing political agenda in their books by writing unrealistic dialogue and/or long passages about what they consider to be shameful events in history. I don't mind a little back story to understand motivation, but I don't need to be hit over the head with it numerous times. Please, give the reader some credit for knowing some historical facts and being able to form their own thoughts based on the actions and emotions of the characters. -
This was my third book by this author, who won my heart with “Ordinary Grace” & “This Tender Land”.
The story here is set in 1963.
I really wanted to love this book, which started so well, but unfortunately dragged for too long to solve a mystery.
It was very repetitive and I did not think that the development of the storyline was that engaging.
Several times I felt the desire to quit or just jump to its conclusion (which I have never done with any book), but, although I had lost interest and my curiosity, I persisted and kept reading to the end.
Regardless, as this is a prequel to the series of at least 19 books, I will try the first 3 volumes, which are already sitting on my shelves because I purchased them when they were on sale. -
I feel after reading this whole book, it's the best that William has written ever. I know that it was written about Cork's life as a boy, which was something unusual since he was the sheriff in his later books. But it really hit home, since I'm from Northern Minnesota and had similar things happen in my life. I spent many nights under the stars in the Boundary Waters, took my wife there on our second honeymoon (I was overseas for a year). I would suggest you read this book, even if you haven't read any of Krueger's stories before. Paper routes, scouts, camping it all fits together.
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This reminded me a bit of
Ordinary Grace. Cork O'Connor and Frank Drum have much in common in addition to their age. In this new release from William Kent Krueger, young Cork is just twelve and it is the summer of 1963. When an Ojibwe man is found in a sacred woodland location, the apparent result of suicide, tension rises between those on the rez and Liam O'Connor, Cork's sheriff father. Cork's family attempts to bridge the gap with respect and understanding. There are times, though, when Cork's grandma from the rez seems like she is not giving Liam any credit for his work or the steps needed to conduct a fair investigation. Also, at times Cork says weird things that a 12-year-old in 1963 would not say.As the summer progresses, there are more tragedies to deal with. How do they all fit together? A wise old Ojibwe man encourages Cork to follow the crumbs; to find a place where his head and heart meet. Cork's father allows him to do simple legwork in the investigation, sharpening his skills for the future. He is his father's son. He was born ogichidaa --"one who stands between evil and his people."
Thank you to Atria Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. -
Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger was a captivating and suspenseful mystery. It was the prequel to the Cork O’Connor series. William Kent Krueger once again showed off his talent as a masterful storyteller. The plot was richly imagined and the characters were memorable and vividly drawn. I had read This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace, two stand alone novels, and enjoyed them very much. At some point, I had planned to read the Cork O’Connor series. After having read Lightning Strike, I am even more excited to read this series now. I switched back and forth between the hard covered book that I purchased last summer and the audio CD. The audio CD was performed very well by David Chandler. Lightning Strike was beautifully written, brilliantly plotted and fast paced. There were lots of “bread crumbs” that needed to be followed to solve the mystery about a suspicious death that was discovered out at Lightning Strike. It kept me guessing and just when I thought I had solved the mystery, a twist and turn was added to confuse me even more.
Lightning Strike explored the relationship between Cork and his father, Liam, who was the sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Their relationship was seen in a tender, raw and emotional way. Both father and son respected, loved and admired each other as only a father and son were capable of doing. In the summer of 1963, twelve year old Cork and his friend were on their way to Lightning Strike where they planned to camp overnight when they saw something no twelve year old boy should see. Dangling from a rope high above the boys in a tree was the body of Big John Manydeeds. The immediate impression of those that later investigated the crime scene was that it was suicide. Not everyone agreed, though. Liam was tasked with the job of discovering the truth about how Big John really died. He allowed Cork to gather “crumbs” as long as he was not put in any danger. Both father and son would be tested and would have to choose the path that led to justice despite all the obstacles they encountered along the way.
William Kent Krueger brilliantly portrayed the father/son relationship between twelve year old Cork and his father, Liam. Cork was a respectful and hardworking son. He had a paper route and most of the time asked permission to go places and do things. Like most boys of that age, though, Cork sometimes bent the rules and did things he knew his parents would not have given him permission to do. Liam tried to protect Cork the best way he knew how to. Cork sometimes challenged his father about the decisions he made or the way he was conducting the investigation. Their relationship felt real.
William Kent Krueger also portrayed the life of the Ojibwe on the reservation. He was able to bring to light many of the things that caused animosity among the Ojibwe and the whites from the past. Native American children were known to be taken against their will and that of their family’s and placed in special schools where their treatment was not kind. Relocation programs were designed to lure Native American families away from the land they had lived on for generations with the promise of better jobs and better housing. Unfortunately, these promises held little truth. In addition, William Kent Krueger was able to portray the hate and prejudice that ran rampant among the whites in Aurora against the Ojibwe people.
Lightning Strike explored right vs wrong, choices and change, love and loss, life on the reservation vs living in town and assuming or stereotyping vs hard facts. It was a mystery and a coming of age story. Human nature was captured at its best in Lightning Strike. Lightning Strike was powerful and poignant. I am so glad I read Lightning Strike before I began to read this series. It was a perfect way to start the series. I can’t wait to read what Cork has in store for him in The Cork O’Conner series. I highly recommend this book. -
Krueger offers an in-depth look at how adult Cork O'Connor was inspired as a precocious child to become a cop. Heavily influenced by his father, the county sheriff, Cork is pulled into a murder investigation and actually helps collect evidence and offers theories on what could have happened. A good way to break into a future career, but it felt to me that the dad acted irresponsibly in allowing such involvement, out of character, which is why it wasn't 5 stars. Otherwise, a good story as usual.
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This author is a winner, and well, he has won a lot of awards. I had read his book “An Ordinary Grace,” and while I didn’t agree with the “grace” part of the book, I had liked how he wrote the mystery. Yet, I don’t normally read mysteries They are too boring, and I end up thinking, “Why do I care who killed this person?” His books make you want to know. They have a good story around the murder. Maybe other murder mysteries do too but if they don’t catch my attention on the first page, forget it. Well, this book attracted me just by the description of it: Two boys (or was it three) find a man hanging from a tree in the woods. I admit, this reminded me of the Hardy Boys which I loved, and it reminded me of the movie by Stephen King, “The Body.” If Krueger doesn’t doesn’t have kids in his other books, I am not going to be too interested. I don’t think.
So, fa my favorite book os his is “This Tender Land.” He liked “Huckleberry Finn” and wanted to do his own raft story. Just not the same story. And while reading it, I thought, “He is so much better than Mark Twain, whose wriing I do not like. I will admit, Twain’s books make good movies. -
Savo knyga „Maloningoji žemė“ Krueger tiesiog pakerėjo. Kiek sluoksnių, kiek visokių jausmų, o kartu ir koks įdomus, širdį virpinantis nuotykis. Labai laukiau sekančios jo knygos Lietuvoje, norėjau vėl to sodraus jausmo, tikrai gerai suręsto romano apie giliausius širdies prieštaravimus ir nenugludintus jausmus. Su „Žaibo laukyme“ autorius lyg tai ir dovanojo, tačiau pirmai jo knygai ši neprilygo.
1963 metai, mažas Ororos miestelis. Čia gyevna daugybė tikrų amerikiečių – vietinių indėnų, kuriuos valdžia verčia laikytis naujojo įstatymo: išsikelti iš vietų, kur Pirmųjų žmonių paplitę gausiai ir įsilieti į baltųjų gyvenimą. Indėnai supranta, kad taip bandoma naikinti jų kultūrą, jų papročius, asimiliuoti juos su naujakuriais, tačiau dauguma susigundo pažadais gauti, namus, darbus, automobilius miestuose. Ororoje gyven ir Korkas, dvylikametis berniukas, kurio mama indėnė, o tėvas baltasis. Negana to – jis dar ir Ororos šerifas. Žaibo laukymėje Korkas randa pasikorusį Didįjį Džoną – stambų, visiems padedantį indėną. Nors visi įkalčiai liudija apie savižudybę, Korkas tuo netiki. Savo pastebėjimus pateikęs tėvui, sudrumsčia ir jo nusistatymą. Tačiau šerifas žino, jog jei ims giliau kapstyti šį nusikaltimą prieš jį gali atsigręžti visas miestelis. Bet ką daryti, kai širdis veržiasi tiesios, o pareiga liepia nutilti?
Moralinių dilemų čia daug. Tikrai labai daug: atrodė, jog knyga tikrai galėjo būt trumpesnė ir greičiau viskas ten išsivystyt turėjo. Patiko bręstančio vaiko žengimas į suaugusiųjų pasaulį, patiriant didžius sukrėtimus, tačiau neprarandant jau pradedančio išsivadėti vaikiškumo. Tikroviški veikėjai. Taip pat įdomu buvo skaityti apie indėnus ir jų bandymą išlikti baltųjų dominuojamame pasaulyje. Pats nusikaltimas buvo gan skystas detektyvas. Lyg ir turėjo grot pirmu smuiku, bet man kiti dalykai buvo įdomesni. Knyga tikrai nėra bloga: parašyta gerai, į temą įsigilinta, kalba vaizdinga ir graži, bet negalėjau nelygint su „Maloningąja žeme”. Tas gal ir pakiši koją, kad knyga iš manęs gavo 3 žvaigždes iš 5. -
My husband and I listened to this audio-book on a road trip. It was the perfect kind of book for that...interesting characters and plot, passing the time easily. I've read, and enjoyed Ordinary Grace and Tender Mercies, but have no history with Krueger's Cork O'Connor series, so this prequel introduced me to these characters. My husband rated it a 5, while I'll give it a 4.
I enjoy the characters Krueger creates, especially the young ones, and this cast was no exception. As with other Krueger books, at times he stretches my credulity...with events, with character traits, with expressed thoughts, but I accept it and forgive him because this is fiction, and he makes me care about the characters he brings to life.
The story offers a mystery to solve, an overlay of racial tension that is all too common even now, and a world that offers the bittersweet juxtaposition of the innocence of youth and events that scar the edges of that innocence. It made me yearn for simpler times...times that seemed less conflicted and more "safe".
I confess to mostly having the mystery solved before the sheriff, and anticipated some of the plot developments, but in the hands of a skilled writer, I still enjoyed watching it all play out. Krueger books are easy listening and smooth going down. -
Lighting Strike is a prequel to the long-running Cork O’Connor series and takes us back to Cork’s childhood and the year 1963. Up til now the story focused on the ever-aging Cork but by turning back the time we are given the chance to meet some of the people in his life for the first time and others as younger versions of themselves. It has the effect of giving a new freshness to the series.
In this story Cork is a twelve year old boy enjoying his mid-summer vacation. Things take a turn for the gruesome when Cork and a friend hike to Lightning Strike where they find the body of Big John Manydeeds, an Ojibwe man, strung up in a tree.
Cork’s father is the sheriff of Tamarack County and it’s up to him to investigate the death. Regardless of the fact that it looks very much like a suicide, there are inconsistencies as well, not the least of which is that Big John had recently gotten his life back together, quit drinking and established himself as one of the premier backcountry guides in the area.
The case progresses along on two fronts: the official investigation conducted by Liam as sheriff, and; an unofficial investigation conducted by Cork and his friends who are determined to find justice and peace for Big John.
It’s a case that threatens to divide the town of Aurora and causes more than a little tension between the white residents and the Ojibwe people. It hits just as hard in Cork’s home considering his father’s Irish heritage and his mother’s native background. This is a story that is as much about racial tension and the effects of the Indian Relocation Act of 1956 as it is about solving a crime.
A strength of the Cork O’Connor series is the love and respect shown to the land, particularly by the Ojibwe characters. This is present again here along with glimpses of the traditions and cultural beliefs of the people. As often happens, there is also a sense of otherworldly occurrences which appear at the periphery of the story. Some don’t appreciate it, I actually happen to like it.
As much as I’ve really enjoyed the entire 17 book series to date, I very much appreciated the trip back in time to get a sense of Cork’s formative years. For those who have read the series, there are key indicators that explain some of Cork’s philosophies in his older age plus we gain valuable insight into events that were only ever vaguely alluded to in past books. For those who have never read a book in the Cork O’Connor series, Lightning Strike reads very well as a stand alone novel.
This is a beautifully constructed mystery novel built over many layers to give it depth and emotion. From the picturesque surrounding landscape that is clearly evoked to the racial tension that constantly simmers barely below the surface there is much to read into every page. Lightning Strike stands as an outstanding entry in the Cork O’Connor series. -
William Kent Krueger is one of my auto-buy authors. Like Stephen King, he's a writer possessing an innate ability to write complex and engaging kids that find themselves right in the middle of very adult problems. In this case, the son of the town sheriff (an Irish American) and a teacher (one of The People) discovers the dark side of his seemingly bucolic Northern town. Mr. Kent Krueger portrays the violence, racism, and classism of this town with sensitive realism while never failing to point out the natural wonders and beauty in small, everyday moments.
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Lightning Strike is the prequel to William Kent Krueger’s successful, long-running mystery series based on a Minnesota sheriff, Cork O’Connor. This is my introduction to the series; my introduction to this author came in 2019, when I read and reviewed This Tender Land. I read this free and early, thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books. It will be available to the public Tuesday, August 24, 2021.
In the prequel, Cork is twelve, and he’s on a camping expedition with his friend Jorge when they come across a body hanging off the maple tree at Lightning Strike. What’s worse, it’s someone they know; the corpse is that of Big John Manydeeds, the uncle of a close friend. Cork’s father, Liam, is the sheriff, and although he’s been told to let the adults investigate this horrific event, Cork keeps coming up with useful bits of information.
Seems he has a knack.
One of the most admirable aspects of Krueger’s writing is the way he folds his setting, characters, and plot seamlessly to create an atmospheric stew that’s impossible to look away from. The story takes place in the far northern reaches of Minnesota in (fictitious) Tamarack County, near Iron Lake and the iron range, as well as the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Indian Reservation, and the tension and conflict between tribal members, which include Cork’s mother and grandmother, toward Caucasians, which include Liam, are a central feature of this mystery. Tribal members insist that Big John would never have taken his own life, and even had he done so, he would never done it at this sacred location. At first they aren’t taken seriously, but as events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that they are right. This was no suicide.
The key suspect in Big John’s murder proves to be the town’s wealthiest citizen, a tightfisted, overtly racist, elderly Scotsman that owns practically everything. He’s a suspect too soon to be the actual killer, I figure, and I think I can see where the story is headed, but without giving anything away, I have to tell you, Krueger introduces all sorts of twists and turns I don’t see coming, and they aren’t far-fetched ones, either.
There is dark foreshadowing all over the place, and the tension and outrage that exists between the tribe and law enforcement—well, the sheriff, really—grow to ominous proportions. Liam insists on examining facts and hard evidence; the Ojibwe are eager to include portents and messages from the great beyond. They want that nasty rich guy arrested now, if not sooner, and when Liam tells them that it doesn’t work that way because circumstantial evidence isn’t enough, that hearsay can’t win a conviction, they scoff and point out that when the suspect is Ojibwe, those things are always more than adequate. And again, they have a point. A local business owner who is Ojibwe tells him, “Sheriff, you better believe every Shinnob on the rez is watching you right now. Every step you take.”
While Liam is busy with his work, nobody is paying much attention to the boys; Cork, Jorge, and their friend Billy Downwind, who is related to Big John, poke around some more, and what they unearth is both shocking and dangerous.
Lightning Strike owned me until it was done, and though I rarely do this, I’m headed to the Seattle Bibliocommons to find the next book, which is technically the first in the series, because for this series and this writer, once cannot possibly be enough. Highly recommended! -
I have enjoyed Krueger’s stand alone novels, This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace, and decided to read one of the Cork O’Connor series. In this recently published prequel, in 1989 newly sworn-in Sheriff of Tamarack County, Minnesota is following in the footsteps of his father, Liam O’Connor, who was the sheriff twenty-five years earlier. Corcoran recalls the Summer of 1963, when he was 12 years old. Cork is the only child of the sheriff, who comes from a line of Irish cops, and Colleen, who is half-Irish and half Ojibwe. These were the halcyon days spent bicycling around town and the nearby Iron Lake Reservation (where his Grandma Dilsey resides) with his friends; canoeing the lakes and rivers; lunching at family friend’s, Sam Winter Moon’s, hamburger joint on Iron Lake; camping; exploring; and delivering the local newspaper.
Cork and Jorge discover the body of Big John Manydeeds, who was a local guide and mentor, in the sacred place known as Lightning Strike. Was it suicide or murder? Is his spirit still alive? A runaway teenager, Louise LaRose, is missing. Henry Meloux a/k/a old Mide (medicine healer) is consulted. Both Cork and his father start investigating.
Cork elicits the assistance of his friends, Billy and Jorge. Billy Downwind, returns from Los Angeles to attend his uncle’s funeral. Billy’s family had left two years earlier participating in the 1956 Indian Relocation Act, which the U.S. government used to assimilate Native Americans, to close many reservations, and to terminate or reduce governmental services in exchange for moving, housing, jobs, and training. However, the reality proved to be inadequate, low-paying, or non-existent. Jorge, who has a fascination with “things that go bump in the night” and an artistic talent, lives with his mother at the Glengarrow estate, owned by a prominent local mining family. His mother, Carla, is the companion and caregiver to the elderly and senile matriarch, who lives with her son, Duncan MacDermid and his wife, Mary Margaret. Carla is seeing Nicholas Skinner, the family’s lawyer.
The police think alcoholism contributed to Big John’s death but his brother, Oscar Manydeeds, is distrustful and angry with the investigation by the police. Tensions rise on the Indian reservation and at home. Secrets are divulged. All is not what it seems in this small town. Having dipped my toe in the Iron Lake, I plan to read more of the series. -
After what feels like a long drought, I've finally finished something I thoroughly enjoyed.
Readers of Krueger's Cork O'Connor series are already familiar with his background. His father was the Tamarack County sheriff until he died in the line of duty when Cork was a teen. Finally, after seventeen novels following Cork's cases we are gifted with Lightning Strike, a first mystery involving 12yo Cork and his father, Sheriff Liam O'Connor.
Cork and his friend Billy Down Wind are exploring outside Aurora when they come across an Ojibwe man hanging from a tree - and he's been there a while. The evidence points to a man whose demons caught up to him: empty bottles of whiskey and no obvious signs of foul play. When the man is identified as Big John Many Deeds, gossip on the rez goes into overdrive. Everybody knows John quit drinking years ago, and he would never kill himself. Even so, they predict that the white, Irish sheriff will assume a drunk Indian killed himself no matter what they say. Between a rock and a hard place, Sheriff O'Connor must look closer if he's to have a chance of keeping the tribe's anger from escalating.
Meanwhile, Cork is haunted by the image of Big John in that tree. John was his friend, and he never knew him to drink alcohol. He seeks solace from an elder named Henry, who advises Cork that he may need to find the truth before his troubled mind will rest. "Like Hansel and Gretel, you must follow the bread crumbs," and from that nudge a life investigating crime begins.
The best thing about Lightning Strike is the family dynamic. We see what sort of man Cork's father was as he investigates John's death and encourages his son along the way. We see his mother Connie and get to know her soft-spoken strength and resilience. We also meet Cork's grandmother, a force of nature and a fierce voice for The People.
As for the mystery, I thought it was one of Krueger's better plots of the books I've read. The whodunit at the end came as a surprise to me. Overall, this is a great entry in the series and since it's set in 1963, you don't have to read all the other books before this one.
