William Kent Krueger

William Kent Krueger (November 16, 1950-) and his family lived in six different states before he even graduated high school. Wherever Krueger lived, however, he always dreamed of writing. He attended Stanford University and joined students protesting the Vietnam War, only to have his scholarship taken away, forcing him to drop out after only a year. After that, Krueger and his wife Diane moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he worked odd jobs and continued writing. Krueger developed a disciplined writing schedule to help improve his prose and published his first crime novel in 1998.

Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series is his best-known work, featuring Irish and Ojibwe private investigator, Cork O’Connor. The series is set in Minnesota’s North Woods and Iron Range. Krueger is a five-time Minnesota Book Award winner and a recipient of the 2013 Edgar Award for his novel Ordinary Grace. He has also received many other awards and distinctions including the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, and three Anthony Awards. In addition to his Cork O’Connor, series, Krueger has also written several standalone novels, including Ordinary Grace.

More information on William Kent Krueger from the Minnesota Writers Directory.