Trickster’s Point

In the prologue of Anthony Award–winner Krueger’s fine 12th Cork O’Connor novel (after 2011’s Northwest Angle), politician Jubal Little, who most likely would’ve won election as Minnesota’s first Native American governor in a few days, takes three hours to die with an arrow in his chest—an arrow that belongs to his old friend, Cork, with whom he’d been bow hunting. As Cork seeks answers to such questions as who wanted to kill Jubal and who wanted to frame him for the murder, the narrative charts Jubal’s rise from high school athlete to NFL star, from U.S. representative to leading candidate for governor of Minnesota. Cork finds many suspects among the enemies Jubal made over the years, in particular those who disagreed with Jubal’s politics. A second puzzling killing muddies the water more. Krueger’s intimate knowledge of Minnesota’s northern reaches and respect for Native American life, ancient and modern, provide an intricate setting for this gem of a mystery. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller Literary Associates. (Aug.)