Mercy Falls: A Novel (Cork O'Connor Mystery Series)

by William Kent Krueger

Paperback, 2009

Status

Available

Call number

813

Collection

Publication

Atria (2009), Edition: Reprint, 368 pages

Description

Responding to a domestic disturbance call on the Ojibwe reservation, Tamarack County sheriff Cork O'Connor barely escapes a sniper attack and stumbles into the investigation of a Chicago businessman's murder.

User reviews

LibraryThing member beckyhaase
MERCY FALLS by William Kent Krueger
MERCY FALLS is the 5th in the Cork O’Connor series of mystery/thrillers written by William Kent Krueger. The author’s descriptions of the North Woods area of Minnesota are excellent and add greatly to the story giving it a sense of place usually lacking in
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this genre. Krueger is also careful to detail his characters as real, living, breathing persons instead of the stereotypes and stock characters so often found in mysteries. The tempo and pacing of the novel give the reader (and the characters) a chance to breathe after thrilling and terrorizing scenes. I liked the way reservation life was detailed – accurate but not condescending or demeaning. In short, Krueger is an excellent writer with an engaging and compelling story.
So, why am I only giving this book 3 stars. Because of the loose ends! One of the main “mysteries” isn’t solved! Is this the first of a series inside a series? Does the next book (Copper River) answer the questions that are left dangling? Are we never to know the answers? I am bummed! If there had been a “read the next book” epilogue I would be happier. Instead I feel FORCED to buy and read the next book hoping to find answers that may or may not be there.
3 of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member nx74defiant
A very good mystery. I liked the twist. But it ends as a cliff hanger. I wasn't expecting that.
LibraryThing member readafew
Mercy Falls is the 5th book in the Cork O'Conner series by William Kent Krueger. Cork is currently the Sheriff again after being asked to replace the last Sheriff who had stepped down. The book starts out with Cork and one of his deputies responding to a domestic violence dispute on the Reservation
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and the deputy getting shot by a sniper.

Shortly after this, an out of town womanizer gets himself killed and mutilated. The man's family is a power house in Chicago and the patriarch expects immediate results. So now Cork has 2 major investigations going and isn't sleeping well. To add to things, the brother of the murdered man was an old classmate of Joe's and it's fairly obvious his flame for Joe hasn't died.

Overall not a bad book. The plots tend to be somewhat simple and sometimes decisions by characters are made merely to set up another scene. This particular book seems to end with only half the story told, and incomplete novel, a cliffhanger. I found this irritating. Krueger's strengths are not his plot, but his prose, he paints very lovely and vivid pictures of all his scenes and I find them to get tedious and want the story to continue at times.
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LibraryThing member MikeD
Another good novel about Cork O'Conner. This time he's sheriff and investigating a murder that will soon involve his wife and family. Murder, Indian Casinos, corrupt weathly famiies are all involved. Don't read this thinking you can figure out the answer, because there is a lot of twists all of the
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answers aren't answered .... sequel?
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LibraryThing member jastbrown
William Kent Kreuger's mystery series featuring Cork O'Connor seemed, in my mind, to start out relatively slowly. I felt that it wasn't until his fourth or fifth book that he really hit his stride. I'm very thankful that I had bought up his complete series before beginning to read them (based on an
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enthusiastic review I read of a later book).. otherwise I might have given up on the series early on and missed some really great stories. And in hindsight even the early books have a great deal to offer.

The novels are set in rural, northern Minnesota for the most part with the action shifting to The U.P. of Michigan in one story and to Wyoming in another. Mr. Kreuger gives Cork O'Connor a family life that is anything but 'storybook'. From one end to the other this is a loving, but modern family, with real life modern problems that they do manage to get resolved. Fairly early in the series, the stories begin increasingly encompassing Cork's and his family's Native American connection to good advantage!

This is a very good and satisfying series which I gobbled up faster and faster towards the end. Now I have to sit and eagerly await the next Cork O'Connor adventure. This is a series where the books could be read as stand alones, but for maximum enjoyment I would strongly recommend reading them in the order that they were written.
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LibraryThing member CandyH
Mercy Falls is another excellent mystery with Cork O'Conner as the main character. William Kent Kruegar is a super mystery author. The reader is on edge and can hardly wait to turn the page to see what will happen. In this particular story, Cork is involved in a manhunt but it takes the entire
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story to figure out who wants him dead. His wife is kidnapped in the process of this tale. This is a great story of twists ad turns and I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Many twists and turns without final resolution.
LibraryThing member TadAD
What can I say? Another well-done offering in Krueger’s series about an Ojibwe/Irish police officer. Nice pacing, characters nicely three dimensional, good plot. A satisfying read and I'm on to the next volume.
LibraryThing member she_climber
Prologues are almost always a bad idea. It takes away any real suspense in the book. Why do authors do that? The surprise at the end of this book was that it's a cliff hanger and I have to read the next book. Which given that I love this series, and I'm new enough to this series that the next book
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is out, it's not a problem but annoying nevertheless.

I do think that after this book I'm switching from audio to physical books though since I started this series based on recommendations that it's for fans of CJ Box, which I agree 100%. The issue is that I was listening to CJ Box books and now I'm listening to WKK books and the narrator is the same, so I slip into moments when I forget whose book I'm listening to. Compound that with the fact that CJ Box's main character is Joe, and the wife of the main character in WKK is Jo and I get really screwed up.

I highly recommend this series just be warned about these issues.
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LibraryThing member jepeters333
When a routine call takes Sheriff Cork and his deputy to the local Ojibwe Reservation, a rifle shot suddenly downs the deputy and shatters silence. Still troubled by the ambush that leaves his deputy lingering near death, Cork must investigate the mutilation murder of a Chicago businessman from a
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powerful family. Before he can solve the two crimes, however, Cork finds himself distracted by the lovely female who shadows him and the handsome man who stalks his wife.
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LibraryThing member bell7
The fifth book in the Cork O'Connor series finds Cork newly reinstated as sheriff. When he responds to a call, the law enforcement with him is shot and wounded, apparently in a hit against Cork. While investigating who could be after him, Cork also has to deal with the murder of Eddie Jacoby, a guy
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who was working with his wife, Jo, a lawyer for the nearby Ojibwe reservation and who wanted to have his company working with the casino.

I've been really enjoying these evocative northern Minnesota mysteries, and this one was no exception. I was kept guessing 'til near the end and hadn't figured quite everything out. The cliffhanger ending was maddeningly unnecessary... come on, man - I've read five books, don't you think I'm invested at this point? Anyway, of course I'll be continuing.
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LibraryThing member willowwaw
In this enstallment of the Cork O'Connor series, Cork is hot on the trail of adventure once more. At a secluded park near their town the son of a prominent Chicago businessman is brutally murdered, and previously Cork is shot at near the reservation. Mystery and thrills unfold as Cork is hot on the
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trail of both crimes.

This is my favorite Cork O'Connor novel yet! The book was exciting from page one until the end. The twists and turns were more exciting and thrilling right up to the bitter end. To all the read this book I advise that you have the next book at the ready because there is a cliff hanger at the end. The book was wonderfully written and a fun, quick read!
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LibraryThing member kimkimkim
William Kent Krueger knows how to write and gives his readers every reason to want more -a well thought out plot, a crime solver’s logic, believable and honest characters, and extraordinary descriptions. Left hanging there is really no option but to request book number six in the series.
LibraryThing member AMKitty
Made the mistake of reading #6 before this one, so the ending was no surprise. Disappointed more in myself than the novel.

Kreuger successfully weaves two mysteries into one with /Mercy Falls/ when, first, there is an attempt on Cork’s life. Then, a mutilated body shows up. At first, there seems
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to be no connection, but as Cork investigates he finds strange overlaps in his working theories.

To further complicate things, the dead man is the son of a powerful Chicago mobster and half-brother to an old flame of Jo’s. Kreuger seems to have brainstormed as many bizarre complications as possible, then proceeded to artfully pull them together.

By far, my favorite addition with this book is Dina Willner. Here’s hoping she sticks around to help Cork for many more stories to come.
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LibraryThing member waldhaus1
An old flame of Corks wife appears when his brother’s border is being investigated by Cork violence erupts between the family of the old flame and Cork and his wife. Many intriguing twists.
LibraryThing member drmom62
At least one too many twists on this one. I guess the first chapter should have alerted me to his leaning toward Pulp Fiction
LibraryThing member drmom62
At least one too many twists on this one. I guess the first chapter should have alerted me to his leaning toward Pulp Fiction
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Mercy Falls by William Kent Krueger is the fifth book in the Cork O’Connor series and I know that I will be picking up book number six soon as it is apparent that the story arcs over into the next book. I enjoyed this dark story but I did have a few problems with it but nothing that will keep me
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from continuing on with the series.

It starts with a domestic dispute that all too soon is exposed as a ruse. Someone wanted Cork O’Connor to be exposed to their rifle fire, but they made a mistake and instead shot the deputy that Cork was riding with. They have barely started the investigation into this shooting when Cork and his crew find themselves dealing with a murder. Eddy Jacoby is a slimy businessman but he is killed in a particularly horrible way. All too soon it becomes obvious that both these crimes are linked. By the end of the book, Cork knows who the perpetrator is, but he has also made a powerful enemy and both he and his family are in danger. The book ends with Cork leaving to go into hiding until the truth totally comes out.

I found Cork a little too righteous and far to self-important in this book. He takes his job of sheriff very seriously which is good, but he also seems to think that he is the only one who can do the job. I also have problems with his wife, Jo. Although I feel bad saying this due to what happened to her in this book but she obviously is like catnip to the opposite sex as this is not the first book where she proves to be irresistible. That said, the descriptive writing is excellent and I am looking forward to continuing on with the next book.
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LibraryThing member carolfoisset
This was a good one! I'm working my way thru the Cork series of books and this is one of my favorites so far. Need to get to the next one soon, as this one leaves you hanging and the next one picks up the action.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Tamarack County Sheriff Cork O'Connor and his deputy, Marsha Dross, are answering a domestic disturbance call on the Ojibwe reservation. When they arrive, they find the occupants of the house gone, their dogs dead, and then Marsha is seriously wounded by an unknown sniper. The investigation seems
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to indicate that the bullet was actually meant for Cork.

At the same time, Eddie Jacoby, a Chicago businessman trying to negotiate a contract with the local Indian casino, is murdered. Now Cork, already a man down, has to deal with Jacoby's murder and find the person who shot Marsha. What makes it worse is that Jacoby is from a wealthy Chicago family reputed to be associated with organized crime and Jacoby's brother used to be Cork's wife, Jo's, college boyfriend. Add into the mix one more element.....a beautiful private investigator hired by the Jacoby family who seems to have an attraction to Cork.

I listed to the audio of this book, narrated by David Chandler, who did a phenomenal job. One of the things I love about this series is the rural Minnesota setting. The characters are very believable and the author does a good job of detailing Cork's relationship with the Ojibwe, as he himself is part Anishinaabeg. I have never read a bad Kruger book and I was completely hooked by this compelling story.

Mercy Falls is the fifth book in the Cork O'Connor series and it received the Anthony Award for Best Mystery Book of 2006. I usually prefer to read a series in order, but this can easily be read as a standalone. Actually, if you commit to reading this book, you will also have to read the next book in the series, Copper River, because several threads of the story are not cleared up until then.
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LibraryThing member buffalogr
Mercy Falls by William Kent Krueger is the fifth book in the Cork O’Connor series and I was very disappointed that it's not stand-alone. One needs to read book # six because this one just ends with no resolution. I think the editors just need to sell anther book. There are lotsa characters but
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they're easy to keep organized. There's a new character, Marsha Dross, and we're not sure she's a good one quite yet. The plot pits Cork -v- a very rich guy and it's engrossing. OK. I'll go to the library in a month or so and get book number six...just make me.
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Awards

Anthony Award (Nominee — Novel — 2006)
Barry Award (Nominee — Novel — 2006)
Minnesota Book Awards (Finalist — Popular Fiction — 2006)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2006

Physical description

368 p.; 8.25 inches

ISBN

9781439157800
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