Part of Cork O'Connor
First published 2007
Henry Meloux comes to Cork O'Connor with an unusual request. The elderly spiritual advisor wants the former Minnesota sheriff to locate his son, lost to him years ago. Cork's investigation leads him north across the border to Thunder Bay, Ontario. There he discovers that Henry's son has become a wealthy but secretive businessman. The reunion Cork hoped to facilitate takes a deadly turn when someone attempts to murder Henry. All evidence points to the son as the would-be killer. Cork refuses to accept the obvious answer. He begins investigating Henry's past, peeling back layers of secrets his old friend has kept hidden for decades. The deeper Cork digs, the more he realizes some family histories carry dangerous truths. What he uncovers threatens to destroy the bond between mentor and student that has anchored his life.
Genres: american-fiction, mystery, crime, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotionally-complex, gritty, introspective, suspenseful
Tropes: hidden-past, investigation-reveals-truth, mentor-and-protg, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Minnesota, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Period: Contemporary
288 pages · Hardcover · Atria Books
Content warnings: murder, violence