Spirit Crossing

The title Spirit Crossing (#1,267) by William Kent Krueger is a clever play on themes in this Cork O'Connor mystery.  

One thread follows the protests against an oil pipeline construction across a river in virgin North Woods territory named Spirit Crossing.  It is a sacred place to the various indigenous tribes in the area. Others object to the despoilation of the pristine area.  The clashes between the protesters and the police have gotten quite heated, and right in the thick of it is Cork's son Steven and his fiancé.

Another thread concerns Cork's seven-year-old grandson Waaboo.  On a family outing to pick blueberries at a secret patch, Waaboo is seen talking to someone who isn't there.  But her grave is concealed in the blueberry patch, and he feels her presence.  When the police excavate a young female body, the hope is initially that it is a missing senator's daughter, but the remains are identified as Native.  Although the FBI loses interest, unfortunately, the discovery puts Waaboo in the crosshairs of a killer.

Yet another thread involves Annie, Cork's daughter who has been living in Guatemala for years.  She's home for her brother's wedding, but she comes with her own dark secret.

Love and loss, care of people and places, the dark "othering" of those who are different are all intertwined in this moving mystery.

William Kent Krueger is one of the best American writers today.  It you've never read any of his books, you should definitely add him to your "To Read" list!