On occasion, in the course of my series, I’ve given readers a glimpse into Cork O’Connor’s past. Seldom have I lingered very long. But I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity to imagine Cork, his family, and friends as they once were.

In Apostle’s Cove, the twenty-first book in my series, I take readers back in time more than two decades, to Cork’s first murder investigation as sheriff of Tamarack County. The murder, a particularly brutal one, and Cork’s investigation of the crime resulted in the conviction of a young Ojibwe man, sentenced to life in prison without hope of parole. As the story opens, an older and wearier Cork receives a call that makes him wonder darkly if, those many years ago, he might have been responsible for the wrongful imprisonment of an innocent man.

I’ve told this story in two parts. In the first section, novice Sheriff O’Connor navigates the murder, then his first criminal investigation. In the second section, present-day Cork reinvestigates the case that has never sat well on his conscience. As he struggles to understand how he got things wrong–or did he?–it becomes a battle that threatens to brutalize both his body and his soul.

This is a true whodunit. I loved creating this story, spending time with all the familiar characters I’ve been writing about for more than a quarter century but imagining earlier versions of them. My hope is that you’ll enjoy reading Apostle’s Cove every bit as much as I enjoyed writing it.