Fox Creek, William Kent Krueger, author; David Chandler, narrator
When a man comes to Cork O’Connor to engage his help in finding his missing wife, Delores Morrisseau, Cork’s curiosity is piqued. The man says that she has run away to be with Henry Meloux. He claims that he just wants to try and fix his failing marriage and bring her back home. Cork knows there is something odd about this man’s request because Henry is very old. He decides to go to the Iron Lake Reservation to speak to Henry. Henry is called an old Mide. He is a man with special, spiritual gifts whose visions enable him to help and counsel others. Rainy is also a Mide. She is a healer. When he finds Dolores, she is with his wife Rainy, and Henry. He explains why he is there. Cork discovers that he has been duped. The man who asked for his help is not the husband of Dolores. He is someone else entirely. Dolores claims that she has no idea why anyone would be searching for her. She has come to Henry to seek spiritual guidance to rescue her own marriage which seems troubled lately. She suspects her husband may be having an affair. Henry is Ojibwe, Dolores also has Ojibwe blood, Rainy,. Cork’s wife, is Ojibwe too. She helps Henry as he helps others. Warned by their visions and dreams, they are aware that there is danger coming. Cork leaves the reservation to return to his office, but when he returns, he discovers that the three of them are missing. He has no idea whether they have been taken by someone or are now prey being hunted. The story travels between the two search groups, one that wants to find Dolores, and the other that wants to find and save all three from any possible danger.
The story is intriguing as it exposes the real life abuses of our environment and our governments. It reveals how Native Americans have suffered because of abuses of power. One lives within the boundaries of the land, the other stretches the envelope abusing it. There is some kind of nefarious project, sponsored by various governments, that is at the bottom of this mystery. The novel is well researched as the issue is exposed.