Publisher's Weekly Review
By the end of Houston's slight but enjoyable 13th mystery set in Loon Lake, Wis. (after 2012's Dead Tease), practically everyone in the small fishing town seems to have pitched in on a murder investigation. Lauren Crowell, an enterprising campaign manager for Jane Ericsson, who is running for Senate, at first thinks the candidate's past demons are to blame for her absence at a key fundraiser. The discovery of dismembered human remains, however, suggests that the truth could be far worse. Police chief Llewelyn "Lew" Ferris, needing all hands on deck, brings on her retired dentist beau, Dr. Paul "Doc" Osborne, to stand in for the out-of-town coroner, while Lew's visiting daughter, Mallory, helps handle the press. Meanwhile, kind-hearted local fisherman Ray Pradt scours the surrounding woods for clues. Houston's plot takes too long to get started, but once the case is finally underway, Lew makes for a satisfyingly quick-witted sleuth. Agent: Martha Millard, the Martha Millard Agency. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
During an August flood, pieces of Wisconsin candidate for U.S. Senate Jane Ericsson's dismembered body are found wrapped in butcher paper traveling down a swollen waterway near Loon Lake, Wisconsin. With the assistance of her close friend, retired dentist Dr. Paul (Doc) Osborne, Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn (Lew) Ferris investigates as a media circus descends around them. Suspects include an environmentalist who was trying to bribe Ericsson and a longtime friend with whom Ericsson had a recent falling out. Soon another dead victim is found. With Ericsson's campaign manager acting oddly and a large amount of money missing from the deceased's campaign fund, Ferris and Osborne have numerous avenues to pursue before they identify the killer. Framed by the developing romantic relationship between Doc and Lew, the story is populated with sympathetic, well-drawn main and secondary characters who epitomize the importance of friendship and neighborliness. Houston also delivers beautiful descriptions of the bucolic setting, along with plenty of sharply rendered fly-fishing scenes.--O'Brien, Sue Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Halcyon days at the Wisconsin lake turn decidedly grim when a grisly murder involving an aspiring politician takes place in Houston's 13th case (after Dead Tease). Sheriff Lewellyn Ferris and his sidekick, Doc Osborne, must push aside assumptions. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.