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Dead Angler |
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 Dead Angler byVictoria Houston Berkley Prime Crime 265 pages, 2000 ISBN0425173550 Reviewed by PJ Nunn Paul Osborne, a retired dentist living alone in Loon Lake, Wisconsin, thinks he’s about to get a fly-fishing lesson from Lew Ferris, the new Chief of Police. What he doesn’t know is that Lew isn’t just the wonder fisherman Paul’s friend raved about - although that much is true - she’s also a woman! And if that fact isn’t enough to keep him off balance, the dead body he stumbles over in the creek should do it. As the two of them examine the body, Paul recognizes the victim as a local woman who grew up right alongside his own daughter. Paul’s dental expertise makes him a prime candidate to be a deputy, and soon he’s working shoulder to shoulder with Lew, investigating the death - which was no accident. Both Paul and Lew begin to uncover all sorts of things the quiet lake community would prefer to keep secret. Dead Angler is an interesting book, probably more so if you happen to enjoy fly-fishing. It begins a little slowly, with far too many fishing references to suit my taste, but as the story unfolds, it becomes more intriguing. Houston’s writing is tight, with vivid descriptive phrasing . She leaves plenty of suspects to keep readers guessing. I did wonder a few times whether a man would really have some of the thoughts Houston penned for Paul. Overall though, Dead Angler is a solid and entertaining mystery. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for the next Loon Lake outing. |
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