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Iron Lake  By  cover art

Iron Lake

By: William Kent Krueger
Narrated by: David Chandler
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Publisher's summary

Anthony Award-winning author William Kent Krueger crafts this riveting tale about 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.

Solve another case with Cork O'Connor.
©1998 William Kent Krueger (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Krueger makes Cork a real person beneath his genre garments, mostly by showing him dealing with the needs of his two very different teenage daughters. And the author's deft eye for the details of everyday life brings the town and its peculiar problems to vivid life." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Iron Lake

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    3,426
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Krueger is always good

If you can apply the German term strung and draung to a tale of rural Minnesota then apply it here. The story is tightly drawn but there are too many possibilities for you to figure out the ending until you get there.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent mystery!

Excellent mystery! Thoroughly enjoyed the locale, the Native American influence and the thought provoking characters. Looking forward to book 2!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Good Story

Just stumbled across this series while looking for a good mystery. I gave it a try and really enjoyed it. The narration was done well. He did sound like John Wayne to me a couple of times. It kept my attention, and I plan to listen to the next one. The main character, Cork, was believable and someone that was easy to like.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I'm hooked

What did you love best about Iron Lake?

I love James Lee Burke, that is what first got my attention. I am also a big fan of series in books. Great story with a great performance. I am also from Minnesota with family in Duluth, so that is another "hook". Well worth the credit.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Kept my interest through out the whole book

What does David Chandler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice's, brought the book to life

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Capitavating story

Would you consider the audio edition of Iron Lake to be better than the print version?

For me, the audio allowed me to do my work and keep up with the story that was full of surprises.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Molly, she had given up on life and still believed in possibilities.

Have you listened to any of David Chandler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this is my first time listening to David. He certainly portrayed an angry Cork well, and did a good job on the other characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction. I just kept being thrown off balance by the twists the story took. It was well thought through. It had more to it than an ordinary mystery. It kept me guessing until the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

really enjoyed, great story. great narrative and performance. kept me captivated entire book. great mystery, crime drama.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Couldn't Keep Focused on this one

The story kind of rambled along and it was hard to focus. The narration was decent, but the story lacked bite, it did not keep me hooked. Overall, I have a tough time recommending this book and think some will like it and some won't.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Heartwarming Suspense Adventure

Heartwarming, suspense, adventure that’s a combination you don’t find every day. This is my first William Kent Krueger book and I am a new fan. The only reason I didn’t give this five stars is that I don’t give five stars for anything less than a classic. If I give five stars for every great book, then what do I give to books like “to kill a Mockingbird“, the “Harry Potter” series or Charles Dickens? So I gave four stars and for me that means one terrific book that I enjoyed from start to finish. I won’t do a recap of the plot. Publisher does a good enough job of that and I hate reading spoilers but I would liken in this book to Empire Falls by Richard Russo*, not because it is the same in geography or storyline but simply to say that if you liked one you will probably like the other.

If you like stories with strong characterization and a lot of humanity coupled with a good, strong plot, mystery, suspense - here you go.

It’s also my first experience of David Chandler and he is A+ terrific!

(*I have been working my way through the list of Pulitzer Prize winning fiction, curious to understand what makes a Pulitzer Prize winner. It seems to have something to do with sociology; a window into a personal story revealing life in a specific place, at a specific time of history. If so, I am not sure why Russo‘s books garnered a Pulitzer Prize and something like this did not - but I digress.)

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Tony Hillerman lite

Krueger's more recent stuff is better and more believable. Plenty of stilted dialogue. Interesting yarn, though.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent listen

Engaging narration, fantastic plot; welcome to world of Cork O’Connor. David Chandler performs superbly. The characters come alive and the story moves fluidly. The story introduces you to Corcoran O’Connor, a solid man and flawed to be sure. Dogged to find the truth, tenacious to the extreme and driven by what is right. Great listen!

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