William Kent Krueger is the award-winning author of the Cork O'Connor novels, including Tamarack County and Windigo Island, as well as the novel Ordinary Grace, winner of the 2014 Edgar Award for best novel. He lives in the Twin Cities with his family.
A World of Hurt (2024) Mindy Mejia "Mindy Mejia is the dark voice of the Heartland. Her stories capture perfectly the beauty of the Midwest while conjuring all the unsettling possibilities that lurk beneath. There are few authors who can twist the ordinary into such frightening and compelling scenarios, and Mindy Mejia tops that list."
Hollow Out the Dark (2024) James Wade "James Wade is a poet of the dark. With gorgeous lyricism, he writes of men and women caught in the bleakest of circumstances and the choices that must be made when desperate times require desperate measures. It's been forever since I read a novel so stunning in its language and so moving in its effect. Read this book and prepare to be amazed."
Shelterwood (2024) Lisa Wingate "A complex and fascinating tapestry woven with threads of history, mystery, and menace that proves yet again that there is no finer storyteller at work today than Lisa Wingate."
Middletide (2024) Sarah Crouch "With her first novel, Sarah Crouch has hit the ground running. In Middletide, she offers readers an emotionally compelling story of loss, vengeance, and redemption. The characters are wonderfully complex, and every scene is nested in a beautifully evoked sense of place. To top it off, she's crafted an amazing, twisted mystery with a stunning conclusion. Sarah Crouch's fine debut novel deserves a place on every reader's bookshelf."
Northwoods (2024) Amy Pease "In NORTHWOODS, Amy Pease powerfully shatters the myth of tranquility in the beautiful north country of Wisconsin. Murder, drugs, and PTSD are among the demons that populate rural Sherman County, where lake resorts abound and the sheriff's department is underfunded and understaffed. Pease's brilliantly told story of a beleaguered mother-son law enforcement team is a compelling and heartbreaking debut that marks a new and important voice in the mystery genre. This is a novel you absolutely don't want to miss."
Man-Killer (2024) (Gina Cototi Cases, book 1) Lawrence Kelter "Lawrence Kelter's Man-Killer is a dark joyride of a book. Written with a Brooklyn attitude and a delightfully irreverent sense of humor, the story careens through New York City at a madcap pace. Kickass protagonist Gina Marie Cototi leads a cast of memorable characters and for my money is the most compelling PI to hit the mystery scene in a good long while. I predict readers will be clamoring for Kelter to give them more of Cototi, her engaging cohorts, and the colorful streets of Bensonhurst."
Bull's Eye (2024) (Kate Fox Mystery, book 8) Shannon Baker "...a landscape of desolate beauty and endless intrigue."
Blood Sisters (2023) Vanessa Lillie "[A] tale with all the twisting fury of a tornado. Set on the complex checkerboard of Indian land in northeastern Oklahoma, it delves deeply and dramatically into the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. But it also mines the rich territory of family, kinship, love, loyalty, guilt, and regret. Vanessa Lillie is a remarkable and courageous storyteller and an important Native voice. I recommend this book with all my heart and the hope that it will make a difference."
A Winter's Rime (2023) Carol Dunbar "A poignant, beautifully written, and deeply felt exploration of human trauma. Like the icy coating of the novel's title, Dunbar's story of emotional survival is sharp, both in its depiction of a winter landscape and in its focus on the winter of the soul. Although Dunbar never flinches from offering difficult truths, in the end, A Winter's Rime is a memorable and moving story of healing and hope."
Dark Ride (2023) Lou Berney "Dark Ride is quite simply dynamite. Lou Berney lights the fuse on the first page and from there, the suspense builds to an utterly explosive climax. Berney offers an endearing and quirky cast of characters, not the least of which is Hardly, the most unusual and likeable protagonist to come along in a great while. This is a story that grabs you by the throat, then reaches deep into your heart. It's a dark ride, yes, but one well worth the trip."
Saving Myles (2023) Carl Vonderau "From the opening of his tour-de-force thriller Saving Myles, Carl Vonderau had me hooked. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. But Saving Myles isn't just a tightly woven and utterly compelling thriller. It's also a profound exploration of the sacrifices we're willing to make to protect the people we love. Vonderau is an author whose storytelling ability promises a great future. I, for one, look forward eagerly to whatever he'll offer readers next."
The Great Transition (2023) Nick Fuller Googins "A magnificent debut novel that's both an important cautionary tale and a deeply compelling family story. Although set in a stunningly well-imagined future in the aftermath of a climate apocalypse, The Great Transition is electrifyingly relevant. I can't remember ever being more impressed with a first novel."
The Long Way Back (2023) Nicole Baart "For any parent, the most frightening nightmare is the disappearance of their child. In Nicole Baart's extraordinary novel The Long Way Back, not only is a mother tortured by this terrible circumstance, but she also becomes a primary suspect. Baart writes with a poet's eye for language and a storyteller's gift for suspense. Readers already won over by Nicole Baart's fine body of work will discover another sparkling gem, and new readers couldn't find a better place to begin."
Closer by Sea (2023) Perry Chafe "A deeply emotional exploration of the important ties that bind us to the people and places we love. It's also a fine coming-of-age story compellingly grounded in adventure, intrigue, best friends, and the struggle to find a way through all the awkwardness of adolescence. . . . Chafe's novel brims with seafaring charm and the marvelous details of a fishing village on the verge of economic collapse. Closer by Sea is a bittersweet, lovingly told tale that's sure to win your heart."
Fatal Flaw (2023) (Cal Claxton Mysteries, book 9) Warren C Easley "If you're not famillar with these gems out of Oregon, now's the perect time to give Warren Easley and Cal Claxton a try. You won't be disappointed."
Come Away From Her (2023) Samuel W Gailey "Seldom does a book come along as lovely, poignant, and compelling as this one. Do your soul a favor. Read this novel."
Finding Grace (2022) Maren Cooper "Finding Grace is a novel that anyone who has raised a child can embrace - the chronicle of a parent's search for what he's afraid might be lost forever. It's a gut-wrenching tale yet told with immense compassion and a true voice. Although it doles out its share of anguish, it is, in the end, a stunning portrait of courage. Maren Cooper offers readers a story for our time, with all its complexities and challenges, a journey that never waivers from the path toward hope and redemption."
Carolina Moonset (2022) Matt Goldman "A complelling story of how the past is never truly the past...I loved this book."
An Unthinkable Thing (2022) Nicole Lundrigan "A magnificent example of all the elements of fine fiction--an engaging narrative voice, a profound evocation of time and place, a complex braiding of plot lines--converging to create the perfect tale. Add to this enticing mix a deeply compelling mystery that doesn't wholly reveal itself until the final page, and what more could any reader ask for? If I were a judge on the Edgar Committee for Best Novel, this story would be at the top of my short list."
The Red Canoe (2022) (Buck Fineday, book 1) Wayne Johnson "From one of the most original voices of the past several years comes a powerful story of brutal violence and righteous vengeance. Set on a reservation in southern Minnesota, THE RED CANOE unflinchingly explores the challenges of racial prejudice and sexual predation faced by an extraordinary Native teenager. Master storyteller Wayne Johnson has crafted this tale with both compassion and wisdom, and keeps the suspense building relentlessly toward the novel's bitter cold and enormously satisfying climax."
The Fragile Edge (2021) (Jimmy Vega Mystery, book 6) Suzanne Chazin "Chazin explores that difficult place where cultures collide, with a heart filled with compassion."
Clark and Division (2021) (Japantown Mystery, book 1) Naomi Hirahara "Like a Zen poet, Hirahara creates a quiet surface with a powerful storm beneath."
City Problems (2021) (Ed Runyon Mystery, book 1) Steve Goble "In this debut outing of a new series, Steve Goble delivers an authentic, compelling story of a rural cop with a haunted past. City Problems is both a dynamic procedural and an incisive portrait of a man at war with himself. Although the stunning, profane prose should be savored, I’m betting this is a book you will gobble up in a single sitting."
Wolf Kill (2021) (Sam Rivers Mystery, book 1) Cary J Griffith "In northern Minnesota, winter is full of dangers that can kill: Hard cold, hard men, and hungry wolves. Cary Griffith brings the menace of all three into play in his riveting new thriller. Returning to the childhood home he fled twenty years earlier, Sam Rivers finds himself battling a group of scheming reprobates and struggling against an avalanche of painful memories. Griffith’s intimacy with the territory he writes about comes through in every line. I loved this novel and recommend it highly. But I suggest you enjoy it under a warm blanket. Honestly, I’ve never read a book that evokes the fierce winter landscape of the North Country better than Wolf Kill."
You Belong Here Now (2021) Dianna Rostad "Set against the harsh backdrop of western Montana, You Belong Here Now is a novel as straightforward and powerful as the characters who populate it. I love this book, and I guarantee you won’t find a finer debut work anywhere."
The Family Ship (2021) Sonja Yoerg "Families, like ships at sea, sometimes founder on hidden rocks and begin to break apart. Which is exactly what happens to the Vergennes family in Sonja Yoerg’s luminous The Family Ship. Only a heart of stone would be immune to the charm of the Vergennes children, all nine of them. Yoerg offers this large, disparate crew to the reader with the wisdom and compassion of a consummate storyteller. And she tops off the tale with one of the most exciting finales I’ve read in years. I recommend this book with my whole heart."
In Things Unseen (2020) Gar Anthony Haywood "Miracles are the stuff that dreams are made of. And sometimes fine stories, too. With lovely prose and a measured pace, Gar Anthony Haywood, in a profound departure from his crime novels, offers readers a thoughtful exploration of the reality of what it means to try to accept the inexplicable. In Things Unseen is a modern allegory of faith, loss, and redemption. This is exactly the kind of story we need in these chaotic and challenging times."
The Land (2020) Thomas Maltman "The tale of a broken man seeking a way to wholeness in body and spirit, The Land is a multi-layered journey through a bleak landscape filled with visions and ruminations on the nature of man and God. What Maltman offers readers is nothing less than a brilliant, compelling tale steeped in allegory and dripping with menace. Suspenseful, thought-provoking, and utterly unputdownable, The Land explores those frightening moments when every human being confronts both the devil outside and the devil within. Once again, Thomas Maltman proves himself to be among the finest writers publishing today."
Death Waits in the Dark (2020) (Arthur Nakai Mystery, book 2) Mark Edward Langley "With Death Waits in the Dark, Mark Edward Langley offers readers an utterly compelling portrait of human beings struggling to deal with the aftermath of great trauma. Langley writes about the great Southwest with a loving eye for detail that fans of Tony and Anne Hillerman will readily embrace. I was utterly captured by this fine second novel in the Arthur Nakai series. Along with those who are already fans, I can only hope that there will be many more stories to come. I recommend this book with a full heart."
A Dangerous Breed (2020) (Van Shaw Mystery, book 5) Glen Erik Hamilton "Glen Erik Hamilton offers readers a thriller tour de force. In A Dangerous Breed, the past collides violently with the present, and the result is a Pandora's box of secrets spilled open. It's taut, it's compelling, and it's so well written it'll make other authors jealous. But here's the kicker: At its core, it's really all about family, and what could be more heartwarming? This is a bulldog of a story that, once it's set its teeth in you, refuses to let go."
A Bend In The River (2020) (Revolution Sagas, book 5) Libby Fischer Hellmann "In a brilliant departure from her earlier work, award-winning thriller writer Libby Fischer Hellmann has crafted a stunning piece of historical fiction. A Bend in the River is the story of two Vietnamese sisters torn apart by the war that ravaged their nation. Writing from the perspective of these women whose homeland was so brutally devastated, Hellmann has turned her astute, poetic eye from the hellish battlefields to the details of the daily lives of ordinary people struggling through the morass of a long and bitter conflict. The result is a story that will force us all to look back on the Vietnam War with a different, and I believe kinder, understanding. This is an important novel that deserves a broad audience. Kudos to Hellmann for her courage in striking out in this bold, new direction."
The Streel (2020) (Brigid Reardon Mystery, book 1) Mary Logue "With a poet’s eye, Mary Logue evokes the harsh world of frontier Deadwood, South Dakota. The Streel relates the journey of a scrappy young Irish woman as she’s forced from her homeland to the American midwest. Tersely and beautifully, Logue recreates the muddy streets of Deadwood, the haphazard keeping of the peace, and the rugged hearts and souls of those seeking their fortune in the Black Hills gold rush of the late 1800s. The Streel is both a taut mystery and a cautionary tale of the evils of greed. I loved the redoubtable heroine, Brigid Reardon, and I loved every stunning line of this fine story."
Bad Axe County (2019) (Bad Axe County Mysteries, book 1) John Galligan "If Joseph Conrad had really wanted to find the heart of darkness, he’d have looked in Bad Axe County. Lurking in the isolated coulees at the edge of the Mississippi River are some of the meanest, foulest, cruelest hearts imaginable, and John Galligan evokes them with all the intensity of a mad poet. But in county sheriff Heidi Kick, a woman chipped and broken on every edge, Galligan offers a righteous force in opposition...A dark beauty of a novel."
Arches Enemy (2019) (National Park Mystery, book 5) Scott Graham "Engrossing...a glorious portrait of one of the most compelling landscapes on earth. Graham clearly knows the territory. A topnotch read."
Fatal Judgment (2019) (Andy Hayes Mystery, book 6) Andrew Welsh-Huggins "Andrew Welsh-Huggins proves himself a master of heartland noir."
Last Looks (2018) (Charlie Waldo, book 1) Howard Michael Gould "What a joy, amid all the bland, usual suspects flooding the crime genre, to discover a true standout. Charlie Waldo, the scruffy, eco-maniacal protagonist of Last Looks, is one of the most eccentric and compelling heroes to appear on the literary scene in—well, forever. Howard Michael Gould has penned a joy of a story, with a remarkable supporting case and a wonderfully convoluted plot that zips effortlessly among the Hollywood hills. I loved this book and recommend it with all my heart."
Two Faced (2018) (Elaine Hope Mystery, book 2) A R Ashworth "A whirlpool of tension."
The Secrets on Chicory Lane (2017) Raymond Benson "In a bold move away from the thrillers for which he’s best known, Raymond Benson offers readers a heartfelt and tragic tale. Across decades, the dark secrets on Chicory Lane shape and misshape the lives of all who live there. Benson, a master of suspense, has crafted a story as compelling as any thriller but with a depth of feeling few thrillers achieve. And the ending, I guarantee, will leave you breathless."
The Deep Dark Descending (2017) (Max Rupert and Joe Talbert, book 4) Allen Eskens "Eskens has conjured up a marvelously black spirit of a novel. It's a taut, intelligent, heart-ripping story that explores the darkest places in the human psyche. After each unexpected twist, you'll tell yourself things can't get any worse. And then they do."
Little Boy Lost (2017) J D Trafford "Little Boy Lost isn’t just an engrossing novel; it’s one that enlightens as well."
Fateful Mornings (2017) (Henry Farrell, book 2) Tom Bouman "Fateful Mornings is that long-sought-after gem, the place where the literary meets the crime novel in beautiful symmetry. Henry Farrell is an existential everyman, as clueless as the rest of us about life’s meaning, and his so very human stumbling in search of the elusive truths is one of the many beauties of this fine novel."
Ashes (2017) Steven Manchester "Ashes is a story about disappointment, dysfunctional families, and male aging, filled with observations that are both painfully true and terribly funny."
Brain Storm (2016) (Angela Richman, Death Investigator, book 1) Elaine Viets "With Brain Storm, Elaine Viets offers readers a rare gem, a mystery that not only engages the head but also compels the heart. Following a near-fatal stroke, death investigator Angela Richman must struggle to regain her physical and mental health, while at the same time trying to solve the murder of the inept doctor she blames for her predicament. Drawing on her own experience, Viets chronicles the harrowing journey back from the brink of death. And perhaps the most amazing aspect of the novel is that in the midst of such terrible darkness, Viets manages to deliver hilarious one-liners any comedian would envy."
Nothing Short of Dying (2016) (Clyde Barr, book 1) Erik Storey "Nothing Short of Dying may be the year's best debut thriller. It leaps at you like a wolf, sinks its teeth in, and won't let go. Fans of Jack Reacher will love Clyde Barr, a dark, classic hero who can hold his own against any evil. The writing is fine and fast, and the high country of Colorado is painted in strokes of brilliance. I guarantee that readers of this first novel are going to clamor for more."
A Killing At Cotton Hill (2013) (Samuel Craddock Mysteries, book 1) Terry Shames "There may be no protagonist in our genre today as decently compelling as Samuel Craddock. And there may be no better chronicler of the character and complexity of small-town America than Terry Shames."
The Royal Wulff Murders (2012) (Sean Stranahan Mystery, book 1) Keith McCafferty "What a fine and thoroughly satisfying debut novel! There’s so much to enjoy here—a fresh sense of place, a cast of compelling characters, and a plot line with as many twists and turns as a Montana trout stream. Even if you know nothing about fly fishing, you’re going to love this book. Mark my words: From this day forward, you’ll be buying everything Keith McCafferty writes."
Hunting Sweetie Rose (2012) (Dek Elstrom, book 3) Jack Fredrickson "Jack Fredrickson is one hell of a writer. This is a book that satisfies on every level."
Washed Up (2011) (Arvo Thorson, book 1) Susan Koefod "A bold new voice in the crime genre."
Deadly Currents (2011) (RM Outdoor Adventures Mystery, book 1) Beth Groundwater "Beauty abounds in Beth Groundwater's new novel. Beauty in the marvelous Colorado landscape, beauty in the symmetry of the story, and beauty in the language itself. Deadly Currents is a remarkable book by an author who clearly knows and loves her territory. Don't miss it!"
(b.1950)
