Dead Spider - (Loon Lake Mystery) by Victoria Houston (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In the next installment of the Loon Lake Mystery series, Lewellyn Ferris and Doc Osborne must solve a murder that shatters the picturesque Wisconsin lake town community at the height of summer.

On a lovely Sunday afternoon in late June, the annual Loon Lake Youth Fishing Tournament is coming to a close. People are happy, kids are full of ice cream, and teenagers are setting off firecrackers so loud that no one hears the gunshot.

But when the crowd thins out, an attractive young wife makes a grisly discovery: A single bullet to the head has killed her much older husband--the richest man in Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, as the murder investigation gets underway, Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris's good friend and deputy coroner, "Doc" Osborne, is alarmed to hear that his oldest grandchild, fifteen-year-old Beth, has been caught in a drug sting.

And Loon Lake's idyllic summer is further shattered when numerous elderly patients in the local nursing home discover they have been robbed.

"Victoria Houston's love for her Wisconsin setting--and her wonderful characters--is evident on every page of her fine series" (New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman).

Review Quotes

"...Houston does an outstanding job of crafting a good plot and entangling her rural protagonists in real-life situations."-- "Library Journal"

"[S]eries fans will appreciate Loon Lake's starring role, with its local color and murderous urges lurking just beneath the placid waters."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Gripping, atmospheric and smart . . . I enjoy Houston's Loon Lake mysteries enormously."--T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times bestselling author of The Room of White Fire

"Houston is one smart writer."--Jim Fusilli, author of Road to Nowhere

"Houston populates her little burg with two engaging protagonists and a steady stream of mildly eccentric townies as she leisurely moves a clever plot toward a suspenseful and satisfying conclusion."-- "Booklist"

"Victoria Houston's love for her Wisconsin setting--and her wonderful characters--is evident on every page of her fine series. Loon Lake is a great getaway, even if it does keep me up at nights."--Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Wilde Lake

"Who would have thought that fly-fishing could be such fun? Victoria Houston makes you want to dash for the rod and reel. [She] cleverly blends the love of the outdoors with the thrill of catching a serial killer."-- "The Orlando Sentinel"

About the Author

In her teens and twenties, mystery author Victoria Houston was the classic hometown girl who couldn't wait to leave her small Wisconsin town. She has not only returned to her hometown of Rhinelander, but she has based her popular Loon Lake mystery series in the region's fishing culture. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on National Public Radio.