Mercy Falls
William Kent Krueger
Atria, Aug 2005, $24.00, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0743445880

Tamarack County Minnesota, Sheriff Cork O'Connor and deputy Marsha Dross respond to a domestic disturbance between Lucy and Eli Tibodeau on the Iron Lake Reservation, home of the Ojibwe. However, someone begins firing at the law enforcement officials with Dross hit in the stomach in spite of body armor and O'Connor barely escaping.

Cork begins pondering why they were ambushed and soon believes that he was the target, but in the dark the culprit mistook the tall big Marsha to be him. Before he can consider who wanted him dead, Cork has a murder investigation to deal with as someone killed despicable Eddie Jacoby whose wealthy family arrive from Chicago demanding instant results. Eddie's father brings with him his own sleuth, former FBI agent Dina Winter to find the culprit.

This strong police procedural is enhanced by the hero's doubts when a former law school lover of his wife is part of the Jacoby entourage. However, though that humanizes the sheriff, he remains so stiltedly correct he seems at times unreal especially when compared with the outside muscle. Still the exciting story line is filled with action as Cork works the murder case and the ambush while struggling with jealousy and with the inability to keep the Jacoby crew from destroying his investigations.

Harriet Klausner