Dead Spider, Loon Lake

A “neatly crafted” Loon Lake novel “cleverly interweaves two seemingly unrelated mysteries” when a wealthy visitor to the small town is murdered  (Publishers Weekly).

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.


Praise for the Victoria Houston and the Loon Lake series:

“Victoria Houston’s love for her Wisconsin setting—and her wonderful characters—is evident on every page of her fine series” —Laura Lippman, New York Times–bestselling author of the Tess Monaghan mysteries

“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 populates her little burg with two engaging protagonists and a steady stream of mildly eccentric townies.” —Booklist

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