Reviewed By: Kat - RAM - Wisconsin
Dead Frenzy
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Victoria Houston
Class/Genre: Mystery Police Procedural
Series: Loon Lake Fishing Mysteries # 4
Berkley Prime Crime, February 2003,paperback, $6.50, US
Small town mysteries abound. Good examples would include those by Joan Hess, Susan Rogers Cooper, and Diane Mott Davidson. Perhaps the most popular would be the Cat Who. series by Lillian Jackson Braun. Victoria Houston writes in much the same vein as Braun, but without the cats and the annoying psychic moustache. The quality of her writing is certainly of the same, if not better, caliber.
Quiet little Loon Lake is hopping this summer. A fishing tournament is expected to bring in 15,000 visitors, and a Harley-Davidson rally in a nearby town is expected to bring 30,000 bikers into the Northwoods at the same time. To top it off, someone is funneling drugs and hot bike parts through the area, a VIP is being stalked, and an old murder, once thought solved, is re-opened.
Paul Osborne, retired dentist and amateur trout fisherman is always willing to help out his lady friend and fishing tutor, Chief of Police, Lew Ferris. When she suggests that he pose as a Harley rider in hopes of getting a line on the drugs and hot parts, he also discovers a taste for the open road. Meanwhile, Doc Osborne's pal Ray, famous for his guiding and grave digging skills, is hired as a bodyguard for the stalked VIP. Toss in a daughter's marital crisis, a million dollar tournament prize, and lots of long- lost locals, things certainly get interesting!
Unlike the characters in some series, these folk have grown since their first outing in Dead Angler. They learn from their mistakes, and even the flighty Ray has one foot firmly anchored in common sense. In Dead Frenzy, more insight is given into Lew's life, and Doc and she address their relationship and where it is going.
Houston has a way with words; her use of colloquialisms unique to Loon Lake is a reminder that small town life can be isolating. Her humor is well rationed, and while Ray may seem over-the-top, the good doctor is a pleasant, witty voice. The description of a fishing experience is well done, depicting the Northwoods to a "T." The mystery is plotted well, and there is enough action to keep the reader engaged to the end. The Loon Lake series holds great promise for a pleasurable reading retreat.
Kat - RAM - Wisconsin
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Kat - RAM - Wisconsin
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