Victoria Houston

At the Edge of the Woods by Victoria Houston is akin to a cozy mystery set in the Northern Wisconsin woods and full of fly fishing along with a murder investigation. It is highly recommended.

In Loon Lake a local dentist Bert Willoughby is shot while practicing with his partner Robin Carpenter for an upcoming pickleball tournament. Sheriff Lew Ferris suspects that the bullet may have been a stray shot from hunters in the area, but the investigation shows that Willoughby was an extremely unlikable man. The local rumor mill and retired men's coffee group (via Doc Osborne) have plenty of inside information and there is more than one local who could be a suspect in eliminating him.

After meeting Jane Willoughby and her daughter, it becomes clear that the whole family is unlikable. Lew is intent on solving the mystery and always hopeful to get in some fishing in too. Then another murder may change the questions she needs to ask.

This is always a fun, fast-paced murder mystery series to pick up and At the Edge of the Woods is a nice addition to the series. (The other two are Wolf Hollow and Hidden in the Pines.) These novels are akin to cozy mysteries, only set in Wisconsin and feature a lot of talk about fly fishing as well as other outdoor pursuits. There is enough information provided in the narrative that you can easily enjoy the books as a stand-alone read, but they do compliment each other.

Known characters are back and make an appearance, if even briefly, as Lew investigates. The pace is fast and the short length makes this a quick, comfortable, and entertaining series to pass the time with. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/04/at-edge-of-woods.html… (mehr)

This is the third book in the Lew Ferris mystery series. I chose it, despite not having read the first two books, because I was interested in the Northern Wisconsin setting. Lew is the sheriff. She was elected after some years as police chief of Loon Lake. And while being a sheriff is her job, her real love is fly fishing. She is an expert and an excellent teacher.

When a local dentist is shot while playing pickleball at a court he built at on old summer camp, Lew has a mystery to solve. She is of the opinion that the gunshot the killed him was an accident since deer season is coming up and lots of hunters are sighting in their guns and some aren't too concerned with safety. But there are a fair number of people who could have wanted the dentist dead including his wife and daughter.

Lew begins her investigation with lots of help from the local rumor mill. When the dentist's pickleball partner and the woman he planned to marry after divorcing his wife is also killed, Lew doesn't suspect a second accident.

I liked all the talk about fishing that was woven into the story. I thought the characters were interesting. I didn't really like the abrupt resolution to the mystery and felt that it was overshadowed by other parts of the plot.

Fans of the series will enjoy this one as well as fans of Northern Wisconsin.… (mehr)

crime-fiction, suspense, suspicion, forensics, local-law-enforcement, entertainment-scene, unpleasant-relative, unpleasant-victims, Northern Wisconsin, small-town, rural, fishing, wealthy, friendship, greed, family-drama, murder-investigation****

The man shot on the pickleball court was a real piece of work and the only one who might have missed him was the woman set to inherit a lot of money at his death. I can't remember a mystery with so many utterly disagreeable characters! Not the law enforcement or their support staff, but too many of the characters involved with the first one murdered. The imagery is right on target, the rural law enforcement well done, and the interdepartmental procedures clear. The plot is quite well developed, and it is filled with fishing lore as well!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (mehr)

This is a warm and friendly cozy-leaning mystery which takes place in Loon Lake, Wisconsin. 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, enthusiasts will probably enjoy it more than others.

Loon Lake is the kind of town where the local MacDonald's 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 has a Cabot Cove kind of feel to it, as almost everyone in town is right where they want to be.

We’re introduced to Doc’s “out there” good friend Ray Pradt, the best fly fisherman around. Their friendship is given some attention in the narrative, and will add depth to the mystery. Doc's feelings for the town's female sheriff, Lewellyn Ferris, is explored as well. 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 deputizes Doc for his forensic skills.

Doc's old friends soon become suspects, revealing some unexpectedly tangled up relationships. While this definitely is a cozy, there is a dash of unexpected violence that, while not graphic, adds a serious dimension to the mystery portion. For example, someone you were expecting to be a recurring character in the series will not be, making for a sad but exciting ending to the mystery portion of Dead Angler.

As with any cozy, the fun is n getting to the end, getting to know the setting and the characters. Much is revealed about Doc’s past marriage in the first entry, and the lingering effects to his oldest daughter. His buddy Ray meanwhile, wants his fifteen minutes of fame on ESPN. Wisconsin and Loon Lake seem like an additional character in the narrative. The epilog, as the survivors enjoy some burgers smothered under big slabs of Wisconsin cheddar cheese, make this first entry in the series fun for those who like cozies with a lot of atmosphere, and just a little bite.… (mehr)