In the next installment to the Loon Lake Mystery series, Lewellyn Ferris and Doc Osborne must solve a murder that shatters the picturesque Wisconsin lake town community at the height of summer.
On a lovely Sunday afternoon in late June, the annual Loon Lake Youth Fishing Tournament is coming to a close. People are happy, kids are full of ice cream, and teenagers are setting off firecrackers so … firecrackers so loud that no one hears a gunshot.
When the crowd thins out, an attractive young wife makes a grisly discovery: A single bullet to the head has killed her much-older husband—the richest man in Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, as Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris gets the murder investigation underway, her good friend and deputy coroner, “Doc” Osborne, is alarmed to hear that his oldest grandchild, fifteen-year-old Beth, has been caught in a drug sting.
And Loon Lake’s idyllic summer is further shattered when numerous elderly patients in the local nursing home discover they have been robbed.
“Victoria Houston’s love for her Wisconsin setting—and her wonderful characters—is evident on every page of her fine series” (New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman).
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My sister gave me this book and thought I might like the Wisconsin setting. Ms Houston is a good writer and the setting was well drawn but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. The plot was predictable, with a subplot that added nothing to the tension or narrative. The characters too wholesome for my liking, including a 15 year-old girl who said ‘drat’ in anger.
I have read and enjoyed all Victoria’s books.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Chuck Pfeiffer owns Pfeiffer’s Fishing, Golf, and Shooting Sports and is said to be the richest man in Wisconsin. He is the primary sponsor of the Loon Lake Youth Fishing Tournament. The final judging is underway and some fool is lighting off fireworks. As Doc Osbourne, his daughter and granddaughter are leaving they hear screams and rush back to find a man dead. Doc places a call to Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris, “Lewellyn, the richest man in Wisconsin just took a bullet to the brain.”
I have enjoyed all of my virtual trips to Loon Lake and this one was no different. No matter how busy Lew is trying to solve crimes she always finds time to get in the water for a little fly fishing with Doc. Sometimes they are joined by one or more other characters. The solitude she finds there shows the author’s love of fishing and being on the lake. My grandfather loved to fish and took me with him several times and every time I open one of these books memories of him just flood my mind.
The murder this time happened in a crowd of people, but no one seemed to see anything. Thankfully everyone including the people in the Pfeiffer tent were filming the day on cameras or their phones. Of course, no one actually caught the murder while it was happening, or did they? Lew calls in an expert to help them go through the tapes and really tune in to what they are seeing and it started to bring some suspects to light.
Doc also had another crime on his mind and that one takes a scary and horrific turn. It kept me right on the edge of my seat.
Ms. Houston drew me right into this story. After 17 books in the series, I am invested in these characters and care about what happens to them. She gave me a mystery that held my attention. I realized the killer just a little before Lew and Osbourne but the final reveal wasn’t what I hoped or imagined, but it was understandable.
Set in my home state I love reading the descriptions of the area and the mentions of familiar places. I think it is time to take a real live trip to loon lake instead of these virtual ones
I love this series by Victoria Houston. The small town vibe, the outdoorsyness, and the characters. I’m excited when each new one comes along. They are typically quick reads, that pack a good punch of action, suspense and a variety of issues.
I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway.
The town is having it’s annual kids fishing tournament, When the richest man in town is shot. Dr. Osborne calls Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn “Lew” Ferris and reports the murder to her. They start interviewing witness and that’s when everyone becomes a suspect. It was ok, Alot of fishing.
I know very little about fishing/fly fishing/muskies/fly making, etc but for some reason I enjoy these books. The characters are very likeable and entertaining and I always find the books a good read.
I have read this series of Loon Lake Mysteries since the beginning. I love the series set in Northern Wisconsin. I love the characters Doc, chief Ferris, Ray Pradt. They are find and I love them all.