Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

Premise of the book, from Goodreads.com:  Chicago cop Cork O'Connor and his lawyer-wife Jo moved back to his northern Minnesota hometown of Aurora to improve their quality of life, but it hasn't worked. Cork became the local sheriff, but lost an election after a disagreement between local Indians and whites over fishing rights turned deadly. Then his marriage broke up, with Jo becoming a successful advocate for tribal rights and Cork reduced to running a scruffy restaurant. As the book starts, Cork is feeling guilty about sleeping with a warm-hearted waitress and still hoping to get back with Jo and their three children. Drawn into the disappearance of an Indian newsboy, which coincides with the apparent suicide of a former judge, O'Connor clashes with a newly elected senator--the judge's son --as well as with the town's new sheriff and some tribal leaders getting rich on gambling concessions.

Mass Market Paperback, 464 pages

Published May 1st 1999 by Pocket Star
ISBN0671016970
Literary awards:  Barry Award for Best First Novel (1999), Anthony Award for Best First Novel (1999) .

I had read #3 in the series first (by accident) and enjoyed it enough to come back and read from the beginning. Downside is I already knew the "background" details and it was just a matter of filling in the blanks. I also agreed with several reviews that book #3 is where Krueger really starts to hit his stride. There was a lot of exposition in this one, a fair amount of the protagonist driving around and getting beat up and then wallowing in his self pity. I had some trouble relating to the Cork O'Connor character because much of what he did he brought onto himself. I also found the mystery itself  a bit weak, the clues - even on audiotape - were right there.

Still, I liked the setting (Northern MN), I liked the imagery (frozen lakes in the winter; the snow storms), and more - and because I have read book #3 - I do like the main character.  I'll keep reading.