Mercy Falls by William Kent Krueger

 

"He's done it again, Rose. It's that damned cowboy mentality of his. That's the part of him I hate."      

   -Jo, speaking of her husband, Cork O'Connor

"If you were to ask me, I'd say it's also part of what you love about him."   

   -Jo's sister Rose's response

Number five in the Cork O'Connor series but not my favorite. A page-turner, as they all have been, but I didn't love the ending. I will rate it a 3.

Early in the novel Deputy, Marsha Dross, is critically wounded by a gunshot and after some investigation, it seems the bullet was meant for Cork, the sheriff of Tamarack County, Minnesota. Soon after that shooting, a shady businessman, Eddie Jacoby, is found brutally murdered, and it takes a great deal of time for Cork and his team to figure out if the 2 crimes are related. In the meantime, the Jacoby father and brother, hire a special investigator, Dina Willner, who happens to be very attractive. It turns out Cork's wife Jo and Ben Jacoby were an item in law school. One might figure there would be some sexual tension in these last two situations. 

I can't say too much more without revealing some of the mystery. Suffice it to say, Cork's "cowboy mentality" helps to save the day! (See quote)

Toward the end of this novel, Cork tells his sister-in-law Rose he is going back to Aurora to resign. I don't see how that would be possible with at least 13 more books in the series! I guess I will find out when I read Copper River, #6.