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William Kent Krueger’s background as a mystery writer allows him to expertly place clues in the book, leading readers into assumptions about the identity of the murderer before revealing the truth. Discuss the investigation as it unfolded, when you thought you knew who might have committed the crime, and when you were surprised by any outcome.
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Jimmy Quinn’s body found in the Alabaster, killed by a shotgun. Brody Dern offered to guard the scene and wiped down everything at the scene at Inkpaduta Bend to protect whoever had killed Jimmy, the town’s bully, because Brody thought it was justified. Brody want’s Jimmy’s death to be ruled an accident or a suicide. Quinn had tried to kill himself once before, but was found by JP. Connie Graff doesn’t agree and thinks it was murder. Quinn supposedly fired Noah for stealing gas and for standing up to Quinn which he didn’t like. Others see Noah as guilty because he killed during the war; he is an Indian and Quinn stole Noah’s family land. The blood at the crime scene is tested and is not Quinn’s, but pig blood. More evidence pointing to Noah who slaughters pigs. Graff thinks that Noah’s wife Kyoko could have been raped or coerced or extorted by Jimmy. The small sized sapphire ring would have fit Kyoko. A warrant is served on the Bluestones. The blood-soaked tarp Connie had seen on a wall peg is no longer there. The tarp is found burned and buried in the orchard. A hog was butchered the same night that Quinn died and Noah says that he had been at the Bend that night. The blood on the tarp is Quinn’s. Noah is arrested, but refuses to participate in his defense. There is so much evidence pointing to Noah, but it makes that answer seem too easy. Charlie’s investigation uncovers an attempted rape on Sissy Barrows who worked for the Quinns. Marta saved Sissy and told her not to return, paying her off. Because Fiona did not show at her father’s funeral, Charlie wants to talk to her to see if someone other than Sissy had worked for the Quinns. But Charlie also believes that Jimmy may have attacked Kyoko Bluestone and she killed him in self-defense; the Bluestones would not have made a report because they were certain that no one would believe them.
Marta was the family help when Fiona’s mother Gudrun was sick. Gudrun knew about Marta and Jimmy, but did nothing. Fiona finally reveals to Charlie that her father had been sexually abusing her. Everyone knew, but no one did anything. He always gave her an expensive piece of jewelry whenever he visited her. When Marta arrived, he stopped visiting Fiona, but began eyeing her again when Marta was pregnant. So, Fiona seduced her teacher, became pregnant and they left in scandal. When Fiona heard that Marta was ill with ALS like her mother, she thought about Colleen. Fiona directs Charlie to Marta. Marta knew what was happening to Fiona; she told Jimmy it sickened her and it must end. “To stand up to my husband took strength, and I felt it draining away. I could no longer feed his appetite in the bedroom. I began to see the hunger in his eyes and I became afraid.” Marta tried to send Colleen away to a boarding school, but Jimmy refused. She told him that if he tried to do to Colleen what he’d done to Fiona, she’s kill him. When she found Jimmy in the shack with an unconscious Colleen, she shot him. Noah and Kyoko came to help Marta. They took pictures inside the shack and Marta wrote out a confession. With Marta having maybe two more years to live, Noah didn’t think it was right for her children if she spent that time in jail. Because of the prejudice in the town, Noah knew the people would put him in jail anyway. When Marta died, the pictures and confession would free Noah. I was surprised when Marta confessed to killing Jimmy, not totally recognizing her strength in standing up to Jimmy regarding Fiona, her protection of Sissy, her effort to protect Colleen and her threat to kill Jimmy as clues to what she had done.
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Excellent synopsis, Nancy!
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I didn’t really put it all together until Charlie did. Nancy describes all of the specific clues. There were still plenty of potential suspects and many of them had motive and opportunity. But it was Charlie who found the connection. It wasn’t until her interview with Fiona and the discovery of Jimmy’s incestuous relationship with Fiona that the pieces came together.
Noah was a likely suspect, angry with Jimmy about being fired and Jimmy’s threat to Kyoko. Pretty much everyone in Jewel had a very good reason to be relieved if Jimmy Quinn was gone. But it was Marta who was protecting her daughter from the violation she had experienced, who knew viscerally what Jimmy was inflicting on the child.
The other clue that it took me awhile to figure out was who JP’s father really was. WKK provided plenty of hints. I figured it out only when Brody did. That proved a satisfying ending and added to my respect for Kyoko and Noah, that they were willing to accept and protect that relationship for JP’s sake.
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Like Jane, I also didn’t really pull it all together until Charlie did. I knew from the description of Jimmy’s body that there was something sexual involved because of the ring and because he was stripped down to his underwear. I felt that the tarp was a red herring but didn’t know how and felt there was some connection between his death and the Quinn farm. I originally thought that it was Tyler Creasy (because he stole the gas) but he felt too obvious. Then I thought it might have been JP. When the reveal came, it wasn’t a surprise, per se, because WKK left breadcrumbs about Jimmy’s “insatiable appetites” and his predilection for young girls living under his roof but I was surprised by how the murder unfolded. If it had ended up being Noah’s son I would have found that a satisfying reveal, but I like how the story was resolved.
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I also didn’t figure it out until that last bit of information fell into place about Fiona’s experiences. I felt that her absence was a big clue about something, but when it came down to it, I though JP would turn out to be the murderer. I was totally surprised to learn about his parentage, but yes, those hints were there, and I thought that was a great piece of writing, and explained quite well so much of what was going on. I wasn’t totally surprised about how Creasy’s demise came about, but was saddened by everything that happened during that course of events. No winners in that, but sometimes that’s how life is, and I think it totally appropriate that this story reminds us of that, as it’s such a “slice of life” tale. I was totally surprised by two reveals about Brody– his involvement with Garnet, and his wiping those prints. He was a complicated hero, but a good one, despite such actions.
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