DEAD INSIDER by Victoria Houston_Review

Review of Dead Insider by Victoria Houston

5 stars

This is the 13^th in a series, the Loon Lake Mysteries, set in Northern Wisconsin, a land of lakes and firs, cold winters, beautiful summers, and isolation from big city confines. Loon Lake, a community, has 300 lakes within its town limits. Chief of Police is Lewellyn Ferris, a strong but lovable individual, deeply involved in a steady relationship with Dr. Osborne, retired dentist and odontology consultant to the Loon Lake force. Additional important characters in this mystery are Ray, a thirty-two-year old tracker, fishing guide, and close friend of Doc’s; Kaye Lund, a woman with a tragic past who has been friends (and formerly babysitter) for Jane, daughter of the late Senator, a very wealthy woman, and candidate for her deceased father’s Senate post; and Lauren Cantrell, the willful and controlling campaign manager.

I won’t spoil the plot, except to say that this is a murder mystery. and therefore does contain some gory forensic detail. However, in this era of CSI, court documentaries, and forensic documentary series, most readers will not find this too much. Author Victoria Houston has a flair for demonstrating the scenic background, the locals (and the outsiders, such as Lauren and Kenton, the current friend and colleague of Doc’s elder daughter Mallory), and of fleshing out her protagonists and secondary characters. Additionally, the mystery itself is tautly plotted, and contains certain twists and denouements which will intrigue and gratify readers who “love a good mystery.”