How to read William Kent Krueger’s books in order

If you are interested in learning more about William Kent Krueger and his stories, there are a few novels you need to check out. This famous crime writer wrote a highly successful Cork O’Connor series, but he worked on other stories as well.

Exploring the writings of William Kent Krueger

William Kent Krueger was born in 1950, and he is an American crime writer. He was born in Torrington, Wyoming, but spent the majority of his life in Minnesota.

Ever since he was young, he dreamt of becoming a writer, and his first book was published in 1998. He worked on several popular mystery novels, and the biggest one is about Cork O’Connor mysteries. Krueger also explores stories about Native American tribes, with a focus on Anishinaabe Indians (Ojibwe).

His main influences were Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, James T. Farrell, and others. In fact, Kreuger said his favorite book was To Kill A Mockingbird. Krueger currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and he has two children.

Krueger is a New York Times bestselling author, and his stories won numerous awards. This includes the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, and so much more.

The majority of books were published by Atria Books, a part of Simon & Schuster. Naturally, you can choose whether you want to get his books in hardcover, paperback, or audiobook format.

The Cork O’Connor series

Corcoran Cork O’Connor is the main character in a mystery series, and he is a private investigator in a small town. He used to work as a Sheriff of Aurora, and he is trying to solve a series of crimes.

Each novel offers a new adventure this former sheriff will have to take, and the story started in 1998. The first novel was Iron Lake, and there are nineteen novels in the series. O’Connor is part Irish, part Anishinaabe, and he is often the only one that can solve the problem.

The most recent book in the Cork O’Connor series was published in 2022, so there is no doubt that Krueger will continue with his incredible stories in the future. Krueger started discovering more about his mixed ancestry, and he wanted to be an anthropologist.

This was also the main inspiration for the O’Connor series, and used his knowledge as a backstory for the titular character.

What is the order of William Kent Krueger’s books?

If you are interested in exploring William Kent Krueger’s bibliography, you should know more about the book list. While the Cork O’Connor series is quite independent, it is still good to follow the stories in publication order.

Order of Cork O’Connor books

The story of Corcoran O’Connor started in Iron Lake, and it is a series of nineteen novels you can check out.

• Iron Lake (1998)
• Boundary Waters (1999)
• Purgatory Ridge (2001)
• Blood Hollow (2004)
• Mercy Falls (2005)
• Copper River (2006)
• Thunder Bay (2007)
• Red Knife (2008)
• Heaven’s Keep (2009)
• Vermilion Drift (2010)
• Northwest Angle (2011)
• Trickster’s Point (2012)
• Tamarack County (2013)
• Windigo Island (2014)
• The World of Cork O’Connor (2016)
• Manitou Canyon (2016)
• Sulfur Springs (2017)
• Desolation Mountain (2018)
• Lightning Strike (2021)
• Fox Creek (2022)

It is worth mentioning that Lightning Strike is a prequel story, and it is set before the events of the first book. This means that you can start with Lightning Strike and continue in chronological order, but it’s always better to read books as they were published.

Order of standalone novels

Besides working on a Cork O’Connor series, Krueger wrote a number of standalone novels.

• The Devil’s Bed (2003)
• Ordinary Grace (2013)
• This Tender Land (2018)

As you can probably expect, you can read these stories in any order you want since they are not connected to any of the novels. What is interesting is that Krueger continues experimenting with different genres and styles.

The Devil’s Bed is a conspiracy thriller telling a story about government conspiracy. Ordinary Grace explores Frank Drum’s past and his growing up in Minnesota. And This Tender Land is a historical fiction set in the Great Depression era.

Order of short stories/novellas

William Kent Krueger wrote two anthologies; they are a collection of short stories and novellas.

• Hixton (2010)
• The Levee (2023)

Hixton is a story and it appeared in Crimes by Moonlight. The collection includes numerous other authors, and it is a great option for those that love crime stories. The second story is The Levee, which appeared in USA Noir in 2013.

However, you can find both of these stories as standalone versions as well. And The Levee was published in 2023.

Audiobook collection of William Kent Krueger’s writings

One of many ways to explore William Kent Krueger’s stories is to listen to his audiobooks. This will allow you to go through the entire series in no time, and you can multitask while listening to the stories.

It is a great option for auditory learners, people with dyslexia, and visual impairments. You can also listen to the stories while doing chores, and it is a simpler way to approach reading.

Listen to William Kent Krueger’s audiobooks with Speechify

If you are interested in quality, Speechify is the answer. The app is available on different devices. You will also get access to a rich digital library filled with the latest editions.

This means that you can explore various genres, writers, and stories, and the quality of the audio is exceptional. It is one of the easiest ways to listen to audiobooks, and it won’t take you long to understand why Speechify is one of the most popular audiobook platforms you can find today.

It will allow you to explore digital books like never before, and William Kent Krueger’s books can be just the beginning. Sign up for Speechify Audiobooks today and enjoy the first listen for free.