Rating: 
Summary: good read
Review: Sixty-three-year-old Paul Osborne is a retired dentist who wants to learn how to fly-fish. Loon Lake (population 2654) Chief of Police Lewellyn Ferris enjoys fly-fishing at night as a stress reliever from her job. Through the machinations of mutual friends, Paul and Lewellyn go fly-fishing together. The duo enjoys their evening together until the former dentist discovers the body of a dead woman in the river. Paul recognizes the victim as Meredith Marshall, a former patient of his. He believes someone killed her because all her gold fillings were removed. The subsequent autopsy proves Paul's theory is right.Lewellyn deputizes Paul because she believes his knowledge of the deceased and her friends, relatives, and acquaintances will prove invaluable in the investigation. Paul enjoys his new job, taking it very seriously. An added bonus to Paul is to work with Lew, a woman he is beginning to love. Lew and Paul work well together as if they have been partners for years rather than days. Soon, they find an abundance of suspects who gain financially with Meredith dead. There are colorful and eccentric charcaters populating DEAD ANGLER with most of them involved with fishing. Readers who prefer their fish either in a restaurant or supermarket exclusively will still enjoy this delightful mystery because Victoria Houston hooks her audience from start to finish. The Great lakes make a wonderful backdrop to fine charcaters and a delightful story line. The well-plotted story line contains many viable suspects while retaining a level of believability that leave readers wondering who the killer actually is. This regional mystery has a powerfully tasty (somewhat fishy) taste to it. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Red Herrings Galore
Review: There are enough red herrings in Victoria's story to stock a sizeable lake. The book kept me pleasantly in suspense, wondering who-done-it until the last couple pages. Every time I thought I had the culprit nailed, the story took a new surprising twist. I'm not a fisherman but was pleasantly surprised at how connected I felt to the characters and their passions for fly and muskie fishing. Dead Angler is a wonderful romp through the back woods, streams and lives of the inhabitants of rural Wisconsin. Every time I had to put the book down, I found myself anxious to get back to the story and the characters. I'm already deep into Victoria's next book in the series (Dead Creek) and finding it equally thrilling. I have a standing order for her third book.
Rating:
Summary: Red Herrings Galore
Review: There are enough red herrings in Victoria's story to stock a sizeable lake. The book kept me pleasantly in suspense, wondering who-done-it until the last couple pages. Every time I thought I had the culprit nailed, the story took a new surprising twist. I'm not a fisherman but was pleasantly surprised at how connected I felt to the characters and their passions for fly and muskie fishing. Dead Angler is a wonderful romp through the back woods, streams and lives of the inhabitants of rural Wisconsin. Every time I had to put the book down, I found myself anxious to get back to the story and the characters. I'm already deep into Victoria's next book in the series (Dead Creek) and finding it equally thrilling. I have a standing order for her third book.
Rating:
Summary: A review by a school superintendent
Review: Victoria Houston's Dead Angler is captivating, entertaining, and a must read for all lovers of mysteries (especially those who have a love for the attractions and wonders of the north country). I'm hooked on Victoria's work and can't wait for her next bool.
Rating:
Summary: A review by a school superintendent
Review: Victoria Houston's Dead Angler is captivating, entertaining, and a must read for all lovers of mysteries (especially those who have a love for the attractions and wonders of the north country). I'm hooked on Victoria's work and can't wait for her next bool.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: While I liked retired dentist Paul Osborne, I failed to connect with him. Consequently, I didn't really care what happened to him and the rest of the characters, and I found myself skipping sections of the book. Perhaps I would have become more involved and enjoyed the book more if it had been written in the first person, rather than in third person. Also, I prefer that the protagonist in the books I read be female. Contrary to the cover blurb that indicates the female police chief is the protagonist, the real main character in this book is Paul Osborne. The female character is just an add-on. I do think readers who really, really enjoy fishing will like this book, as a great deal of time is spent with the characters engaged in fishing or talking about fishing or thinking about fishing.
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