Review: Red Knife

Red Knife 
William Kent Krueger
320 pages (Hardcover)
Atria Books
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Blurb: 

The newest book in William Kent Krueger's award-winning Corcoran O'Connor series finds the charismatic private investigator caught in the middle of a racial gang war that's turning picturesque Tamarack County, Minnesota, into a bloody battlefield.

When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father, strong-willed and brutal Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge. His target is the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the girl's fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red.

Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.

In "Red Knife," Krueger gives his readers a vivid picture of racial conflict in small-town America, as well as a sensitive look at the secrets we keep from even those closest to us and the destructive nature of all that is left unsaid between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, friends and lovers.

Review: 

Red Knife is a book that my sophmore English teacher assigned the class to read. At first, I didn't think it would be a very good book, I've never been a person that was interested by mysteries that took place in Minnesota. I mean come on, I live in the state and I know how boring it really is. I gave it a try though, English was my best class and it looked like a short, easy read that I could quickly finish. 

Once I started the book and got through the first chapter I realized just how much I was going to LOVE this story. While you're reading it you believe that you have it all figured out and that you know who is at fault, then new evidence turns up and the loop is thrown off. I myself take pride in how quickly i can solve murder mysteries in my head, whether it be in a book, show or movie, but this book had me stumped and it was a refreshing feeling. Now, Red Knife is the eighth  book in Krueger's Cork O"Conner series, which can be found on Goodreads. 

I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Krueger last April, at a book festival that has become an annual event in my small town of Saint Peter. Sadly, I wasn't able to talk to him for very long, but from our short conversation I can inform you all that he is a kind man who very much enjoys writing and giving advise to young adults that are interested in writing. 

Overall, I give this book a hangover level of 4 out of 5. 

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