Customer Reviews

Dead Angler

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This warm and friendly series which takes place in Loon Lake, Wisconsin, has so much going for it, it's hard to know where to begin. Those who love to fish, either "dancing the fly" or musky fishing, will certainly have fun reading this very good mystery with lots of Wisconsin atmosphere. While it is not necessary to be much of a fisherman to like this series, the enthusiasm for fishing is infectious. It seems, however, to be more an expression of taking some pleasure in the living of life than anything else. It is not a gimmick and does not distract from the very good mystery, as is the case in many of the series now making the rounds. It does, in fact, add to the pleasure of reading this marvelous and fun to read book.

Loon Lake is the kind of town where the local MacDonalds isn't just a place to meet in the morning for coffee, but a clearing house for the latest Loon Lake gossip. On any given morning, it's where you can usually find retired dentist Paul Osborne, known simply as "Doc." Loon Lake is a town small enough where people usually know each other's business. It has a Cabot Cove kind of feel to it. Almost everyone who lives there is right where they want to be.

The colorful and sometimes shady Ray Pradt might be there also. He is the best fly-fisherman around, and a good friend to Doc. It is a friendship you will learn much about over the course of reading this book, and it will add depth to the mystery. There is also a real charm to Doc's feelings for the town's female sheriff, Lewellyn Ferris, known to all simply as Lew. Doc is a musky man, but takes Lew up on her offer to reacquaint him with the joys of fly fishing. When they discover the body of a woman named Meredith, Lew will deputize the Doc for his forensic skills.

The mystery is very good and the characters excellent. Doc's old friends and acquaintences, who become suspects as some tangled and twisted relationships are uncovered, are fleshed out enough to lend a little depth to this mystery. There is even a little danger and a dash of unexpected violence that, while not graphic, adds a serious dimension to the mystery portion. Someone you were sure would be a recurring character in the series will not make it. There will be a sad but exciting ending to the mystery portion of "Dead Angler." The epilog, as our friends enjoy some burgers smothered under big slabs of Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese while they discuss the past few day's events, make this series top-notch.

One of the reasons I loved this book is the atmosphere. Loon Lake, Wisconsin, has a warm and inviting feel. It's a place you'd like to visit and maybe stay a couple of weeks. You really get a sense of the rugged beauty of the woods and lakes of Wisconsin, and wish you too could smell the sweet scent of wildflowers growing in the Northwoods. If you love to fish, you'll probably long to cast on the waters of Loon Lake late one night to see what's biting.

The characters are another reason I love this book. They are likable because they seem real. By the end of this book, they'll seem like old pals you want to visit as often as you can. Doc's affection for Lew and his growing jealousy over her sometimes fishing partner, Ralph, has a real charm to it. It's a big deal when he finally gets up the courage to ask her to share in his weed beds and go musky fishing with him. There is a lot of stuff like that here and it is one of the things that separates this from others in the mystery theme genre.

You'll learn a lot about both Doc and Ray Pradt here in the first book in the series. Ray will seem a little "out there" when you first meet him in this mystery, but by the end you'll know why he's Doc's best friend. You'll also know that Doc is a real person. Author Victoria Houston has given him two grown daughters, one of whom will be in the midst of leaving a troubled marriage. Doc will understand what Mallory is going through but not have any answers. He did not have a good marriage with the mother of his two daughters, as she was really not a very nice woman.

Mallory's confusion will turn the tide on years of unknowing neglect on Doc's part, and he will begin to build a better relationship with his youngest daughter, who has been well-off but unhappy for a long time. Maybe as unhappy as Doc was before Ray pulled him out of the bottle when Mallory's mother died. He does, of course, get a little push in the right direction from his pal, Ray Pradt. Ray handles all this while helming the Loon Lake Pro-Am Walleye Open and getting his 15 minutes of fame on ESPN.

This is a terrific mystery series with great atmosphere and people who are good to know. They aren't perfect, and are easy to like for that very reason. You'll like this Northwood's cuisine a lot. It has the flavor of Ray Pradt's blue gills dipped in seasoned flour and fried to perfection. Don't miss a tasty moment!

Doc is just an ordinary guy, a retired dentist to be exact, who loves to fish. Lew is the local sheriff who needs Doc's dental knowledge to solve crimes. Together they make a great team. But what makes Victoria Houston's books delightful are the other colorful characters that inhabit Loon Lake and appear, and interfere, in the investigations. If you like blood, guts and testosterone, Victoria's books are not for you. But if you like a puzzle, strange happenings and the characters that go with it, I highly recommend "Dead Angler".

I've had this book since it's publication in 2000. I bought it when I lived in Texas, shipped it to Vermont when I moved, and it's been on my bookshelf for nearly four years. I finally picked it up to read the other day, and could kick myself for not reading it sooner.

This is a wonderful first book. It's got a great plot with lots of twists and turns, quirky characters who are easy to like, and, of course, Loon Lake.

Unlike other first-time authors, Houston did not keep secrets from the reader. As the characters found bits and pieces of the puzzle, Houston let us in on them, too.

I'm one of those readers who like to read series in order, and I'm sorry it took me so long to read this because I know I'm going to have a hard time finding "Dead Creek" (2000) and "Dead Water (2001). Rats!

Sixty-three-year-old Paul Osborne is a retired dentist who wants to learn how to fly-fish. Loon Lake (population 2654) Chief of Police Lewellyn Ferris enjoys fly-fishing at night as a stress reliever from her job. Through the machinations of mutual friends, Paul and Lewellyn go fly-fishing together. The duo enjoys their evening together until the former dentist discovers the body of a dead woman in the river. Paul recognizes the victim as Meredith Marshall, a former patient of his. He believes someone killed her because all her gold fillings were removed. The subsequent autopsy proves Paul's theory is right.

Lewellyn deputizes Paul because she believes his knowledge of the deceased and her friends, relatives, and acquaintances will prove invaluable in the investigation. Paul enjoys his new job, taking it very seriously. An added bonus to Paul is to work with Lew, a woman he is beginning to love. Lew and Paul work well together as if they have been partners for years rather than days. Soon, they find an abundance of suspects who gain financially with Meredith dead.

There are colorful and eccentric charcaters populating DEAD ANGLER with most of them involved with fishing. Readers who prefer their fish either in a restaurant or supermarket exclusively will still enjoy this delightful mystery because Victoria Houston hooks her audience from start to finish. The Great lakes make a wonderful backdrop to fine charcaters and a delightful story line. The well-plotted story line contains many viable suspects while retaining a level of believability that leave readers wondering who the killer actually is. This regional mystery has a powerfully tasty (somewhat fishy) taste to it.

Harriet Klausner

Although I am not a fisherwoman, and this book is marketed to devotees of that sport, I found this mystery to be extraordinarily enjoyable. I recommend the book unreservedly to anyone who appreciates unusual, gifted characterizations and atmospheric,elegant descriptions. The author makes the reader want to hop a plane immediately to experience first-hand the depth and presence of the North Woods,and meet the eminently likeable residents of Loon Lake. Ray Pradt, fishing guide extraordinaire, is a man of many talents and one of the quirkiest characters you'll run across. A terrific and suspenseful read. You'll be pining for the next in this series.

I enjoy this genre of mystery, the type that takes place in a small town with quirky local characters and not much blood and guts. This book is the first in the Loon Lake, Lew Ferris Police Chief, fly fishing series.

Although the series touts tough, fly fishing Ms. Lew Ferris as police chief, the book is told through the eyes of retired dentist Dr. Osbourne, who is deputized to be a forensic dentist. Usually in this genre, the story is told through the actual detective. Seeing the mystery unfold second-hand through the dentist's eyes is different, and frankly, not as interesting. His contributions to the clue-finding are tripping over the body and identifying that her gold fillings have been pulled out. For the rest of the clues, the reader must rely on what Chief Ferris chooses to tell him. This is complicated by Dr. Osbourne's developing crush on the police chief.

I don't think this author is as good a writer as, for example, Earlene Fowler (quilting mysteries) or Diane Mott Davidson (culinary mysteries with excellent recipes included). However, if you are desperate for another author who can be relied on to keep to the genre, I would recommend this author, Victoria Houston (the name sounds made up, doesn't it?).

In the 1st book in the Loon Lake Fishing Mystery series, we meet Lewellyn "Lew" Ferris, chief of police in Loon Lake, Wisconsin and retired dentist, Paul "Doc" Osborne. Lew is the first female police chief in this small town, and she works hard, and spends most of her free time fishing. Doc's wife had died two years ago, and he decides one day to finally tackle cleaning his garage (a task she insisted they do several times each year). While looking through his garage, he finds all of his old fly-fishing gear, and not having used that equipment in years (due to his late wife's hatred of the sport), he decides to sell it. When he discovers the equipment is worth thousands of dollars, he feels less eager to sell, and sets up a lesson with experienced fisherman, Lew. Doc meets "him" and quickly discovers he is meeting a female...and one that can catch fish better than most men in town. During his first lesson, Doc trips over a dead body, and recognizing the woman as a former patient, Lew quickly deputizes the retired dentist. They work the case together, putting aside some time to fish and build their friendship along the way. Finding the dead body is just the start of this case, and they quickly discover that their small town has been hiding a lot of very large secrets.

Having sent my son to Wisconsin to stay with relatives (and fish to his heart's content) each summer, I picked up this book for the premise and setting as much as I did for the mystery. I really enjoyed this first installment in this series, and cannot wait to pick up the next book. I was a bit confused at how much involvement Paul had in the story at first, as the book was touted as having a female protagonist. The two main characters work very well together, and it quickly became apparent to me that the series needs both of them to make it so successful. I enjoyed all of the descriptions of the lovely town and its many lakes, and the descriptions made me want to take up the art of fly-fishing. I am looking forward to another visit to Loon Lake again in the near future!

The next book in the series is called "Dead Creek". Enjoy!

Dead Angler caught my attention right from the first page. I'm not an angler, but I enjoyed learning about it. Most of all, I definitely connected with the main character and his love interest the female sheriff--great chemistry and an unusual relationship with a lot of possibilities. The mystery was truly mysterious--I didn't guess it until the last chapter just the way I like it. Loved the locale and interesting secondary characters. Read it!

Victoria Houston's Dead Angler is captivating, entertaining, and a must read for all lovers of mysteries (especially those who have a love for the attractions and wonders of the north country). I'm hooked on Victoria's work and can't wait for her next bool.

This is a who-done-it about a retired dentist, Paul Osborne. He is an avid fly fisherman, and the book has loads of detail of the sport, including picturesque settings in the streams and woods of Wisconsin, where Loon Lake of this entire series resides. Paul goes fishing with Loon Lake's Chief of Police, Lew Ferris and they wind up embroiled in solving a murder mystery.

An interesting sleuth story unfolds, well told, but which left me wanting more. Perhaps it's just this genre that I am not so taken with. A worthwhile and entertaining read.