At dawn, William Kent Krueger sits hunched over his notebook in the local café, motivated by the sunrise and the prospect of a story.
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It is the same routine he has followed throughout his writing career, from the short stories of his early youth to the completion of the twentieth novel in his popular Cork O’Connor crime series. Ghost Crossing (August 20, 2024; Atria Books) – and beyond. Although Krueger has achieved success that most can only imagine – he has been honored with awards such as the Minnesota Book Award or the Friends of American Writers Prize (not to mention the Anthony, Barry, Dilys and Edgar Awards) and has received thirteen consecutive New York Times Bestseller – these morning sessions remind him of a childhood dream and how he made it come true.
For more than twenty-five years, Cork O’Connor – the half-Irish, half-Ojibwe sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota, turned private investigator – has kept the author company, from her debut with Iron Lake to the still-untitled 2025 opus. (There have also been standalone works and short stories that have sold over 1.6 million copies.) As the series and its characters have evolved, so have the circumstances and crimes within its pages, ranging from existential threats to nature to the vulnerability of the Native American community. Finally, Krueger is aware that the power of fictional stories often resonates with readers more deeply than the facts on which they are based.
In this sense, Ghost Crossing O’Connor investigates the murder of a young Ojibwe woman whose disappearance and death were overshadowed by the death of a young girl from a respected white family. Suspecting a connection between the two cases (and others), O’Connor – whose gifted grandson Waaboo unwittingly becomes a killer’s target – teams up with the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe tribal police force to seek justice. Meanwhile, his daughter Annie has returned home for a family wedding, only to uncover a burdening secret – assuming she lives long enough to tell it as evil closes in.
Now William Kent Krueger reflects on this groundbreaking novel and the truths that inspired it…
John B. Valery: Ghost Crossing marks a milestone in your illustrious career: the 20th(!) Cork O’Connor novel. In your opinion, how does this book celebrate the roots of the series while maintaining its progressive character? How does the development continue to challenge and motivate you?
William Kent Krueger: Over time, the series has developed into a kind of family saga. It is not just about Cork O’Connor, but also about the development of everyone in the O’Connor household. I believe that more than any previous novel, Ghost Crossing embodies the soul of the clan while highlighting the work, life and challenges of each individual family member. Yet it remains very much in keeping with the series’ elementary traditions. So it’s a crime thriller. It’s set in northern Minnesota. It deals with issues that are important to the Anishinaabe community. And of course, Henry Meloux plays an important role.
The challenge with a long-running series is always to keep it fresh. In my opinion, the best way to do that is by offering book after book a glimpse into the dynamic process of development of the characters as they grow older, as events shape and change their view of the world, themselves, and their relationships with each other. That’s what keeps the series fresh for me, anyway.
JBV: Here, O’Connor explores the connection between a missing white teenager from a prominent family and the murder of a young Ojibwe woman. This reveals the deep divide that exists in the treatment of missing and murdered indigenous people (especially women). Tell us about the facts behind the fiction. How can storytelling be a means of addressing uncomfortable societal issues that require confrontation?
CHP: Here are some frightening statistics: 1) The murder rate for Indigenous women and girls is 10 times higher than any other ethnic group; 2) Murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women; 3) The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that there are 4,200 missing persons and murder cases that are still unsolved. This is a crisis. When I spoke to my friends in the Indigenous community while researching my novels, this deep, long-term concern about missing and murdered Indigenous people was evident. One thing I have realized is that facts don’t necessarily move people to action. But a good story that deals with the issue truthfully can often have a deeper impact. When I first thought about writing a Cork O’Connor story on this topic, I asked my Ojibwe friends what they thought of the idea. They were all very supportive. I hope that as I write Ghost Crossing I justified their trust in me.
JBV: One of the complicating factors in solving these crimes is the conflict of jurisdiction between law enforcement agencies. How did you try to understand this complexity for your book – and what impact does it have on real life?
CHP: Before I began writing, I spoke with several people directly involved in the tangled jurisdictional issues — law enforcement on the reservations, law enforcement at the state level, and law enforcement at the federal level. In doing so, I realized that there are myriad reasons why cases involving missing or murdered Native people remain unsolved — lack of communication between agencies, confusion about jurisdictional boundaries, ignorance of relevant legal requirements, and sometimes, for many reasons, simply unwillingness to pursue these cases. For Native Americans, this means they continue to struggle to get answers to their desperate questions or their cries for help.
JBV: One of the story’s characters, Iron Lake Tribal Police Chief Monte Bonhomme, draws inspiration from a longtime friend of yours whose adopted Ojibwe daughter suffered a tragic fate. How did that personal connection help you bring a deep intimacy to the book—and in what ways do you hope the story honors your friend and his daughter?
CHP: Some time ago, Monte Fronk told me the tragic story of his daughter’s murder. I suppose that played a major role in my decision to pursue the project. Monte has told his daughter Nada’s story at many gatherings in hopes of raising awareness about the problem of violence against Native people, particularly women. My hope in writing a work of fiction on this topic was that I could perhaps open the eyes of the largely white readership to better understand the life-threatening challenges associated with being a Native American.
JBV: As you admit, you don’t have Native American blood in your veins. How did you try to portray Anishinaabeg culture in an authentic and nuanced way – and what advice would you give to others who want to place themselves in circumstances other than their own for the purposes of storytelling?
CHP: More than thirty years ago, when I started working on Iron Lakethe first book in my series, I knew almost nothing about the Anishinaabeg. But I was studying cultural anthropology and began to learn the way a scholar does, by reading. In the course of my research, I met people from the Ojibwe community and formed relationships that over the years became important friendships. I rely on the insights, perceptions, and suggestions of my indigenous friends. Many of the stories in the series arose because of issues my friends brought to my attention. Whenever I finish a manuscript for a new Cork O’Connor story, I give it to at least one—but usually several—of my Ojibwe friends to read and proofread so I don’t say anything untrue or stupid or, most importantly, offensive. I think this is a pretty good guide to dealing with a culture that is not your own.
JBV: The narrative also carries forward personal storylines – Annie’s homecoming, Stephen’s impending wedding, Waaboo’s evolving “gifts” – that sometimes reinforce the criminal elements and sometimes provide relief from them. Without spoilers, tell us about the development of the O’Connor family and how their circumstances underscore the themes you explore throughout the book.
CHP: I believe that we are fundamentally ignorant when it comes to what we understand about existence, about the world we live in, physically and spiritually. There is so much more to life than we can understand with our brains. Indigenous peoples around the world honor the spirit in all things and understand that we are part of a greater energy than we can ever comprehend. I have heard my Ojibwe friends refer to this as the Great Mystery. So I often go beyond the boundaries of normal perception in my stories. In the case of Ghost Crossingthe ability of young Waaboo, Cork’s grandson, to touch the life beyond this one puts him and the O’Connors in danger. It’s a plot device – great suspense – but with a nod to a truth I believe in.
JBV: Ghost Crossing is set against the backdrop of Aurora, Minnesota, where the construction of an oil pipeline threatens the sanctity of the land that gives the book its title. What is your view of the relationship between place and plot—and how do natural elements, constantly threatened by development, enhance the ethereal nature of your stories?
CHP: When I taught writing, I always addressed setting first. So much of a story comes from a sense of place. Character is shaped by place. Motivation is determined by circumstances or conflicts inherent in a place. Atmosphere is created by place. The constant threat to our natural environment here in Minnesota, and this is true of so many places, is such an easily tapped source for stories of my genre. Not only is it fairly easy to create the conflict that drives a story, but it serves as a way to raise awareness among those who are ignorant or ill-informed about the greed that drives these threats to our natural world.
JBV: Give us a little taste: What’s coming next?
CHP: I have another Cork O’Connor novel under contract. I was planning to put that one on hold while I worked on a one-off that had been begging me to write for a long time. I actually started writing the manuscript. Then, like a bolt of lightning (if you’ll pardon the cliche), I was struck by a great idea for the next book. I’m working on that now. It doesn’t have a title yet and I won’t give anything away. But God willing, it should be ready for publication in the fall of 2025.
