William Kent Krueger’s HEAVEN’S KEEP is an example of the contemporary Western crime novel: filled with evocative descriptions of complicatedly beautiful, but sometimes sparse landscape; hard-edged, self-sufficient men with puppy-dog hearts; and an honest, American Indian spirituality that neither condescends to New Age fripperies nor wallows in a utopian nostalgia for the past. Most of all, it’s a good story.
In his ninth series appearance, Cork O’Connor is devastated to learn that his wife’s plane has apparently gone down over a remote area of wilderness. A blizzard is hampering search efforts, and the outlook is grim. The first part of the book flows like a TV episode of WITHOUT A TRACE, with the hours gone missing rising quickly, and the searchers’ emotions roller-coasting between hope and despair.
It’s the second part where the mystery deepens, and O’Connor finds reason to believe that the plane did not go down by accident, but that it was deliberately ditched. Murder. And the culprits are still free, and still interested in keeping their crime a secret.
The tale is intriguing, the search exciting, and fans of Krueger’s O’Connor character will certainly enjoy it. I found certain plot elements to be a bit too far-fetched, which did slightly affect my enthusiasm, so proceed cautiously. But if you appreciate the Western states setting, this is definitely a decent read. —Mark Rose
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