Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger

 

"We give thanks to the Creator and we pray that in the battle between love and fear, which is always raging in the human heart, love will triumph.... Love will win. In the end, love always wins."

                 -Henry Meloux, from the novel

This was number 17 in the Cork O'Connor series. I've read them all and hate to think about the end! (There are only two more that I know of.) Another page-turner and another 5 rating. It might be obvious that Krueger is one of my favorite authors. 

This novel begins with a plane crash killing a United States senator, Olympia McCarthy, and there are numerous mysterious circumstances. Officially reported as pilot error, it soon becomes obvious there's something more nefarious going on. Cork's young adult son, Stephen, has seen a vision that even the Mide Meloux can't interpret and soon there are many authorities---NTSB, FBI, DoD---practically stepping on each other to investigate. Cork meets up with Bo Thorson, formerly of the Secret Service, with whom he had worked a case in the past. They try to do their own sleuthing as the situation begins to look like domestic terrorism. Some eyewitnesses, including Stephen O'Connor may be in serious danger, making the investigation even more intense. Many twists and turns keep the plot moving and the story gripping.

Mentions of The BFG by Roald Dahl (a favorite children's book and author) and To Kill a Mockingbird (an all-time favorite of mine) were interesting. I always love the profound thinking of Henry Meloux, an Obijwe healer, what some might call a medicine man. I have taken to starting each Cork O'Connor blog with a quote from him. Henry is over 100 years old in this installment and I can hardly stand to think of his death coming in a future one. I will be looking for #18 Lightening Strike soon! And I have received notice that a new novel, not of the series, will be released in September. I just hope Mr. Krueger keeps cranking them out!