August 8, 2014 at 2:54 p.m.
Book review
Book review
By By Teri Schlichenmeyer-
Sometimes, the reason you're on the river with a rod in one hand and line in another is to hear birds, feel the sun, or watch the water. You're there to lay a feather on the surface, to drown a worm, or to get away. There are days when it's about challenge just as much as it is about the catch. And sometimes, as in "Dead Lil' Hustler" by Victoria Houston, what you might catch is a killer.
The kayakers up in Nicolet National Forest were understandably nervous.
It's not every day that a snowmobile suit full of bones is found, but that's what they'd discovered and Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn "Lew" Ferris figured she knew the identity of the deceased. Earlier in the year, a bank executive had been reported missing and, since few people ever ventured that far into the heavy wilderness, the list of missing persons was short.
Word travels fast, however, and when businessman Jake Barber learned that a body was found, he headed north. His son, Liam, hadn't been heard from in days, which was unusual. Liam was an avid fisherman, and the skeleton had been floating near where Jake figured Liam might practice a newfound skill.
He hoped Liam was merely lost.
Once upon a time, Paul Osborne had retired from his dental practice but he was easily enticed by Lew Ferris into working as backup coroner for Loon Lake. Not only did Paul truly like Lew, but her smile made him feel as though the world were his alone. Yes, they'd had a little romance going for awhile, but Paul thought they'd been discreet. It concerned him some, therefore, that Bud Jarvison was asking so many questions about him and Lew.
Years ago, Bud and Nancy Jarvison were the wealthiest couple in northern Wisconsin. Their house was the envy of (and comic relief for) Loon Lake's residents; Bud controlled a local bank and Nancy controlled several committees and bridge clubs. They'd made no bones about having money - so why was Bud interested in a long-dead pile of bones?
With more than just a little delight, I somehow hear in my head the theme song to "The Andy Griffith Show" every time I read a Loon Lake Mystery - which is a very good thing. "Dead Lil' Hustler" and its predecessors always transport me to quiet small-town life, only with dead bodies.
Life is far from bucolic these days in Loon Lake, though: there are murders here, just like there are in every mystery, but drugs have found their way north. Still, author Victoria Houston, a Rhinelander native, allows her characters several chances to take their rods and reels to the rivers and lakes nearby, which makes for a nicely balanced novel and an all-around pleasurable read.
Yes, this is part of a series, but the Loon Lake Mysteries can be read alone and out of order. If you're up for a gentle whodunit with no profanity or gore, "Dead Lil' Hustler" is a book to catch.
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