William Kent Krueger Books in Order

William Kent Krueger is an American author of crime and mystery novels, best known for the Cork O’Connor series set in Minnesota.

This page lists all William Kent Krueger books in order for his series and standalone novels, organized by publication order and chronological order where applicable.

Latest William Kent Krueger Books

Apostle’s Cove
Apostle’s Cove (Cork O’Connor #21), September 2025

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Cork O’Connor Series (Books in Order)

The Cork O’Connor series follows former Chicago cop and sheriff turned private investigator Cork O’Connor whose cases often deal with the cultural, historical, and legal tensions of northern Minnesota.

Reading Order

  1. Iron Lake, 1998
  2. Boundary Waters, 1999
  3. Purgatory Ridge, 2001
  4. Blood Hollow, 2004
  5. Mercy Falls, 2005
  6. Copper River, 2006
  7. Thunder Bay, 2007
  8. Red Knife, 2008
  9. Heaven’s Keep, 2009
  10. Vermilion Drift, 2010
  11. Northwest Angle, 2011
  12. Trickster’s Point, 2012
  13. Tamarack County, 2013
  14. Windigo Island, 2014
  15. Manitou Canyon, 2016
  16. Sulfur Springs, 2017
  17. Desolation Mountain, 2018
  18. Lightning Strike, 2021
  19. Fox Creek, 2022
  20. Spirit Crossing, 2024
  21. Apostle’s Cove, 2025
  22. God’s Country, expected August 2026

Reading notes:

  • Lightning Strike is a prequel novel, published much later in the series.

Standalone Novels

Novellas and Short Stories

Short Story Collections and Anthologies

Non-Fiction Books

William Kent Krueger Biography

William Kent Krueger books in order

William Kent Krueger is an American crime and mystery author, best known for the Cork O’Connor series.
Official website: williamkentkrueger.com

William Kent Krueger was born in 1950 in Torrington, Wyoming, and he spent a lot of his early years moving with his family around the United States. He attended Stanford University, where he initially wanted to study cultural anthropology, however, he left after one year due to his involvement in student protests during the Vietnam War era.

Before publishing his first novel, he worked several odd jobs, including construction and logging timber, later wrote articles as a freelance journalist, and also became administrator of a university research laboratory where he researched child development.

His debut novel, Iron Lake, was published in 1998, and it became the first book in the Cork O’Connor crime series set in Minnesota.

In addition to the Cork O’Connor books, William Kent Krueger has also written several standalone novels and short stories. His books are usually set in the American Midwest and focus on crime, community, and local history.

He currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

William Kent Krueger Awards and Nominations

Awards

  • Iron Lake – Anthony Award for Best First Novel (1999)
  • Blood Hollow – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2005)
  • Mercy Falls – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2006)
  • Thunder Bay – Dilys Award for Best Book (2008)
  • Ordinary Grace – Anthony Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • Ordinary Grace – Barry Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • Ordinary Grace – Dilys Award for Best Book (2014)
  • Ordinary Grace – Edgar Award for Best Novel (2014)
  • Ordinary Grace – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2014)

Nominations and Shortlists

  • Iron Lake – Dilys Award for Best Book, nomination (1999)
  • Boundary Waters – Dilys Award for Best Book, nomination (2000)
  • Purgatory Ridge – Dilys Award for Best Book, nomination (2002)
  • Thunder Bay – Anthony Award for Best Novel, nomination (2008)
  • Red Knife – Anthony Award for Best Novel, nomination (2009)
  • Red Knife – Barry Award for Best Novel, nomination (2009)

Edited by

Marika

Founder of Mystery Sequels, a reference site focused on listing mystery and thriller books in the correct reading order. I maintain and update the site’s bibliographies as new titles are released, ensuring accuracy and consistency across author and series pages.

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4 Comments

  1. I started reading a few of these books(not in order) and whenever I needed a good read. After many losses in my family and friends, and several moves later, I was back in Minnesota and near a library. I checked out every book of yours they had and could order. When they ran out, I started ordering them in what order there was left for me. I’m down to my last four, and I began to of (what next.). I’d considered writing to your publisher to send a message to you to please start another. When I went online to order two of the last four, I was elated to see you have another coming out this Fall. Thank you so much. I feel part of the O’Conner family. I wish you a long life and many more books.

  2. Do the Cork O’Conner books need to be read in order or can they be stand alones?

  4. Thank you for writing incredible books. I remembered hearing you speak of writing about 10 years ago at a marriage retreat. At the time I had two kids under 10. The thought of reading for pleasure was comical. Hearing you speak, I could tell you had a heart for adventure. I tucked your books in my mind for “someday”… Well now I’m a partial empty nester and that “someday” has arrived.
    My only regret was having waited to read your fantastic writing that feels like I’ve stepped right into the scene. There’s so much joy reading your books, I almost am sad to flip that last page.
    Thank you for your art, your writing that so delights and inspires this middle aged mom and all who read your work!

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