Boundary Waters

By: William Kent Krueger

Narrated by: David Chandler

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Drawing strong comparisons to the work of James Lee Burke and Tony Hillerman, William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor mysteries never fail to please fans.

The Quetico-Superior Wilderness: more than two million acres of forest, white-water rapids, and uncharted islands on the Canadian/American border. Somewhere in the heart of this unforgiving territory, a young woman named Shiloh - a country-western singer at the height of her fame - has disappeared.

Her father arrives in Aurora, Minnesota, to hire former sheriff Cork O'Connor to find his daughter, and Cork joins a search party that includes an ex-con, two FBI agents, and a 10-year-old boy. Others are on Shiloh's trail as well - men hired not just to find her, but to kill her.

As the expedition ventures deeper into the wilderness, strangers descend on Aurora, threatening to spill blood on the town's snowy streets. Meanwhile, out on the Boundary Waters, winter falls hard. Cork's team of searchers loses contact with civilization, and like the brutal winds of a Minnesota blizzard, death - violent and sudden - stalks them.

©1999 William Kent Krueger (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“Krueger’s writing, strong and bold yet with the mature mark of restraint, pulls this exciting search-and-rescue mission through with a hard yank.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Suspenseful in the wilderness.

The narrator contributed greatly with the native language insertions and interpretations. The plot became increasingly convoluted with many twists and turns.

Great book

I have enjoyed this book as much as the first one. The character development and story line are great! I love the twists in the plot that kept me guessing.

boundary waters

first time reading this genre , enjoyable , although I prefer his other books .. a tender land etc

Great Read

Boundary Waters was well written; I learned many things about the Native American culture, along with twists and turns in this mystery.

Great sense of place and people

I felt I was in the Boundary Waters with them. Exciting pacing coupled with lovely prose.

Loved the descriptions of nature and Native people.

Mn is my home and hearing these novels bring me back there. I realize once again that our world is bigger than ourselves.

The fortitude and knowledge of the 10 year old.

Wonderful book with well developed and interesting characters. Read the whole series preferably in order!

Adventure

Enjoyable story and characters. Good series to listen to. Great story with excellent reader. Highly recommend.

An Engaging But Violent Wilderness Outdoor Mystery

Ok so to be honest I was surprised by the level of violence in this entry in the Cork O'Connor Series. Krueger really makes his villains evil--so prepare yourself for some nasty dealings. I know that the contrast is needed to show just what a great guy Cork is--but really some parts were over the top. I have to say up front that my favorite aspect of this series is when Cork's family and neighbors all take more central roles. I also think that the author writes of native American folklore and the wild beauty of Minnesota perfectly.

To my mind there were a few boggy spots involving the plot as the story progressed. I also found myself stuck with about 3 hours to go in the book and couldn't move forward. Maybe it was all the destruction and violence? Not sure, but I had to take a break. I went off and listened to Hillbilly Elegy (eyeopening and harrowing) and Louise Penny's The Long Road Home (really soggy and ultra slow). I found that when I returned to finish Boundary Waters I had a renewed interest and in the end all was not lost.

I will continue with the series and try the next book. Do be aware that if violence disturbs you this book might just be too much. I hope that the balance found in the first book of the series, which I really enjoyed, returns. Recommended with reservations.

good second book in the series

The second book in the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. Listening to the book while sitting here in July with the sweltering desert heat of Arizona, the setting along the Minnesota/Canada border in late October with cold rain, wind, snow, icy cold lake and river water, and I'm sure a spectacular beauty seemed very enticing.

For the story itself, the author has created a protagonist you can't help but like. Part Native American, ever resourceful, driven to do the right thing, Cork is developing into the kind of character you like and respect along with the other characters in the series. Since there are more books in the series you knew in the end it would all turn out well. Still, there was suspense to the story as it unfolded. I know I went through the book in short order, always wanting to get right back to it. And, I'll look forward to the third book in the series.