The Devil's Bed

I have now read 20 Krueger books in a row. NONE have been disappointing. I must admit my prejudice. I lived in Minnesota and I am familiar with the people, its streets, the forest and its lakes. The memories are rich as the writer's craft

A different character and different branch of service but still high action and drama. It was difficult to put down.

Although the Ojibwe Windigo makes a very brief appearance at the end of The Devil's Bed, this is quite different from William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor novels. The protagonist is Bo Thorsen, a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the president's wife. She hangs out on the family farm/orchard outside of the twin cities and there is considerable concern that a former government operative, now gone rogue, is determined to kill her.He is also interested in killing her father, a former vice-president who (he believes) has, like his daughter, betrayed him. The first lady's marriage is on shaky ground and all who see her (including Bo Thorsen) have a tendency to fall for her. The question is--is the real threat to her survival the rogue government operative, David Moses, or is it her father-in-law, a long-serving senator who will go to any lengths to advance the political fortunes of his son, even if the son disagrees with his methods?Moving in and out of favor with the Secret Service, Bo discovers a little-known government agency with its fingers (make that: tentacles) in every other branch and division of the national government.In some ways the agency-gone-rogue story is a very old one. It is an old one, however, because it works in fiction and may well be a problem in reality, though not usually to the degree that it is in The Devil's Bed. So basically we have a D.C. thriller, largely set in the author's home town, with lots of bad guys, lots of ordnance, and overarching doubts about who can be trusted and who, absolutely, cannot.The characters are interesting and well-wrought, but this is a book driven by plot and driven very well. There is one native American character in a minor role and, as mentioned above, a brief discussion of the ice-hearted, flesh-devouring Windigo, a figure who arises in several of the Cork O'Connor novels.I hated the cover, but loved the book. The cover was fairly uninspired and gave me the impression that this was a kind of throwaway, to be read only when the Cork O'Connor list had been exhausted. This is not the case. This is a terrific page-turner that introduces a character--Bo Thorsen--who I would love to see return in another novel. There is less texture here, less Ojibwe lore, and none of the cast from the Cork O'Connor novels, but WKK is on his home turf in the twin cities and he manages to exploit the location to considerable success as he presses forward with his pile-driver plot. Enjoy.

Excellent writer, great story line and easy read!!!

At first I thought this was going to be a slightly boring story. However as I kept reading, I could not put the book down. This was one of the best book I have read in quite awhile. What a great story!

THE DEVIL’S BED by William Kent Krueger. What a fantastic read. I am glad I discovered it.I am a big fan of William Kent Krueger and read his Cork O’Connor series. He recently announced his latest title, DESOLATION MOUNTAIN, and said that one of his early characters, Bo Thorsen, from the title, THE DEVIL’S BED, would be assisting Cork in investigating a suspicious plane crash which killed a U.S. Senator.Mr. Krueger lamented the fact that this early work was not as well-received as he would have liked. And that many people since had asked after this early character, Bo Thorsen.Bo Thorsen is an extremely complex character with his share of early tragedy. When we meet Bo, he is a Secret Service agent assigned to the duty of protecting the First Lady of the U.S. when she is home visiting her father who has been injured in a farming accident. Bo feels that it was not an accident that injured Tom Jorgenson, but a plot to kill not only Tom, but his First Lady daughter, Kate.The story is definitely a political thriller with tension, suspicion and mystery on every page.I highlighted some passages that resonated with me.“Any man or woman who enters politics takes a few steps closer to the devil.”Bo’s credo: “The world is hard. Be Strong. Love is for only a few. Don’t expect it. Life isn’t fair. But some people are. Be one of them.”“Life is a blessing and death a deliverance. Both are gifts, and neither is in our hands.”“….the blue sky that passed gently against the land, holding all things in place like the hand of God.”I thoroughly enjoyed THE DEVIL’S BED. The book was hard to put down, once I started.

reasonable price also I find it convenient to browse and get it with my finger

I am an avid fan of Mr. Kreuger's Cork O'Conner mysteries and have just about read every one as well as his stand alone novels...love them. It's what attracted me to this one plus it was recommended by someone who is also a Kreuger fan. This book introduces you to a different hero and circumstance that will also show up in one of his O'Conner mysteries. It was a good and entertaining read and didn't take more than it gave. Enjoy.

Good reading

William Kent Krueger does not disappointHis characters very believable and this plot was such that I read the entire book in two sittings.

ich mochte w.k.k.s krimi serie sehr, die in der seenlandschaft zwischen nordamerika und kanada spielte, besonders wegen der naturbeschreibungen, die gut in die handlungen eingebaut waren. leider ist dieser roman langweilig, ein total vorhersehbarer plot, billige kicks, so schlecht geschrieben, dass man kaum glauben mag, dass es sich um denselben autor handelt. ich rate ab.

Too many threads to follow

Well written, well developed characters. Believable. Suspense. Would likely read everything else written by this guy. Enough said already. Go, get your copy