The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

 I have enjoyed this author, so I thought I'd try another one of his. It was in the library, so I took it home and savored it. It has been awhile since I got so engrossed in a story that I shut down all systems to read through to the end. This one did it for me.

I really liked the characters and the way their stories unfolded, one by one. I loved the small town interactions, the way the sheriff handled the jail, the way everyone knew everyone, yet there were still a lot of surprises. I especially liked how the main character finally grew out of his affair with his sister in law, though it took too long!

The racial prejudice of this small town reminded me of South Dakota life in many ways. Lots of good people, and a few who can't get over their narrow thinking. 

I like the way the farming and country life is described and it felt true to me. The last part of the book got darker as the story of how the central murder happened...The despicable victim's life was difficult to contemplate and read about. Up until the ending, though, there were a lot of sympathetic and interesting characters. I enjoyed it... A Lot.