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A Loon Lake Mystery #2
Dead Creek
In Wisconsin's Northwoods, fishing buddies Doc Osborne and female Police Chief Lew Ferris find their lives in jeopardy when a baffling murder mystery threatens to reveal dark secrets that someone will do anything to keep hidden. Original.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2000
About the author
Victoria Houston
32 books263 followersShe is the author of the Loon Lake Mystery Series -- DEAD ANGLER, DEAD CREEK, DEAD WATER, DEAD FRENZY, DEAD HOT MAMA, DEAD JITTERBUG, DEAD BOOGIE, DEAD MADONNA, DEAD HOT SHOT, DEAD RENEGADE. DEAD DECEIVER, DEAD TEASE, DEAD INSIDER, DEAD HUSTLER, DEAD RAPUNZEL, DEAD LOUDMOUTH, DEAD SPIDER, DEAD FIREFLY, DEAD BIG DAWG and WOLF HOLLOW in hardcover, trade paperback and as an eBook from Simon & Schuster. The mysteries are set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin against a background of fishing – fly fishing as well as fishing for muskie, bass, bluegill and walleyes.
Houston’s mystery series was featured in a story on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (January 20, 2004) and on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan” (February 2, 2006). Both can be seen/heard on the website: www.victoriahouston.com.
She has also written or co-authored over seven non-fiction books. An award-winning author specializing in family issues, Houston’s non-fiction books include the highly recommended ALONE AFTER SCHOOL: A Self-Care Guide for Latchkey Children and Their Parents (Prentice Hall, 1985); the national bestseller, LOVING A YOUNGER MAN: How Women Are Finding and Enjoying a Better Relationship (Contemporary Books (1987); Pocket Books (1988); MAKING IT WORK: Finding the Time and Energy For Your Career, Marriage, Children and Self (Contemporary Books, 1990) -- which was published by Simon & Schuster's Fireside imprint in August 1991 as a trade paperback titled MAKING IT WORK: Creative Solutions For Balancing Your Career, Marriage, Children And Personal Life. Houston co-authored RESTORE YOURSELF: A Woman’s Guide to Reviving Her Libido and Passion for Life (The Berkley Publishing Group/2001) with Dr. James Simon, a Past President of the North American Menopause Society.
Houston’s mystery series was featured in a story on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (January 20, 2004) and on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan” (February 2, 2006). Both can be seen/heard on the website: www.victoriahouston.com.
She has also written or co-authored over seven non-fiction books. An award-winning author specializing in family issues, Houston’s non-fiction books include the highly recommended ALONE AFTER SCHOOL: A Self-Care Guide for Latchkey Children and Their Parents (Prentice Hall, 1985); the national bestseller, LOVING A YOUNGER MAN: How Women Are Finding and Enjoying a Better Relationship (Contemporary Books (1987); Pocket Books (1988); MAKING IT WORK: Finding the Time and Energy For Your Career, Marriage, Children and Self (Contemporary Books, 1990) -- which was published by Simon & Schuster's Fireside imprint in August 1991 as a trade paperback titled MAKING IT WORK: Creative Solutions For Balancing Your Career, Marriage, Children And Personal Life. Houston co-authored RESTORE YOURSELF: A Woman’s Guide to Reviving Her Libido and Passion for Life (The Berkley Publishing Group/2001) with Dr. James Simon, a Past President of the North American Menopause Society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 16, 2022
I'm starting to wonder how safe the community of Loon Lake is. Dead Creek is the third book I have read about these characters and it seems a rather violent place to live. But if you like fishing and hunting it's sounds great. I love the character Lew Ferris, I think the world needs more like her. Victoria Houston seems to know what she writes about and I love the setting in this series.
August 7, 2012
I wish I could do half-stars, because I'd give this one 3.5 instead of four. I'm erring on the side of niceness, though, because overall I enjoyed it. There seems to be, specifically in the exposition parts at the start of the book, a lot of text copied verbatim from Dead Angler, the first in the Loon Lake Fishing Mysteries. It's good, well written text, but I already read it once and it sort of feels like cheating when things are described in exactly the same was as they were before.
I felt the resolution of the mystery wasn't quite what I had hoped for, but that's probably my fault. I have a hard time keeping a secondary characters straight, and at the end of this one I'm still not entirely sure who's related to who and how they ended up where they are.
All in all, though, an entertaining read, and I look forward to the rest of the Loon Lake Fishing Mysteries.
I felt the resolution of the mystery wasn't quite what I had hoped for, but that's probably my fault. I have a hard time keeping a secondary characters straight, and at the end of this one I'm still not entirely sure who's related to who and how they ended up where they are.
All in all, though, an entertaining read, and I look forward to the rest of the Loon Lake Fishing Mysteries.
December 27, 2008
The 2nd book in the Loon Lake Fishing Mystery series.
In this book retired dentist Paul Osborne is out muskie hunting when he discovers four dead bodies left frozen in a cage. Chief of Police Lew Ferris is called in and Paul and Lew have to untangle the mystery together.
A great follow up. I have never guessed who the killer is before the end in these books (Of course I never want to know which probably helps...). I really enjoy this series!
In this book retired dentist Paul Osborne is out muskie hunting when he discovers four dead bodies left frozen in a cage. Chief of Police Lew Ferris is called in and Paul and Lew have to untangle the mystery together.
A great follow up. I have never guessed who the killer is before the end in these books (Of course I never want to know which probably helps...). I really enjoy this series!
July 16, 2017
Readable & fun. Enjoying this series.
Kindle Unlimited, read & listen
Kindle Unlimited, read & listen
January 10, 2020
Once the story started (about chapter 8) it was very entertaining. The first 7 or 8 chapters were spent setting up characters, which in its self is not a bad thing but, it was almost word for word from the first book of the series. It felt lazy, I almost stopped reading. If you need to set up characters use a different description instead of word for word of a previous book.
June 1, 2021
An enjoyable read. I got a bit confused at times with the dialogue but I'm not certain if that was the author's problem or the publisher's. I've already ordered the next one so maybe I'll have something more relevant to say after reading it.
August 26, 2024
I love the Loon Lake Series. This is one of the ones I had not read.
I enjoy how you can pick up any of these books and quickly follow not only the story line, but also relationship development between Lew, Ray and Doc along the way.
It is a fairly easy read, but still keeps you guessing.
I enjoy how you can pick up any of these books and quickly follow not only the story line, but also relationship development between Lew, Ray and Doc along the way.
It is a fairly easy read, but still keeps you guessing.
August 5, 2014
I just love it when the main protagonist of a novel discovers the body in the first chapter. There is nothing like getting right down to business. In fact, Paul Osborne actually finds four bodies, all stuffed in a large wire shipping crate anchored below the surface of a creek.
Chief of Police Lew Ferris is halfway across the country testifying in a case while taking a bit of vacation and the coroner is ill. So it falls upon Paul, Lew’s deputy, Roger, and the former chief, John Sloan, to begin the investigation. Upon initial examination, Paul believes that he is working with the bodies of three men and a woman. Having been both a practicing and a forensic dentist for over 30 years, he is an expert in cranial construction. Therefore, he is more than a little surprised to find that the one with the female skull is actually a male, albeit a male that is missing the testes and missing them naturally, not by surgery.
With this setup, Victoria Houston walks us into the living nightmare of four siblings poisoned from the moment of conception by industrial chemicals dumped into their family’s water supply. Loon Lake had been the site of a paper mill for many years, long before environmental laws made it illegal to dump effluent into the creeks these plants were invariably built beside. Part of the land surrounding this defunct mill was eventually sold to a couple that wanted to live in the backwoods, off the grid.
The wife suffered multiple miscarriages before having a daughter and then a set of triplets, two boys and a girl. The parents knew from the physical appearance of the children that something was desperately wrong. And they knew that the natural aging process couldn’t account for how they physically felt either. When the triplets were only five months old, a neighbor made a welfare check on the family a few days after the father told him about the “evil angels” that were their children. Finding the children alive but the parents dead by suicide, the neighbor placed the triplets with the local convent and adopted the older girl himself.
Although the children were removed from the backwoods to a more urban area with medical facilities, nothing could reverse the damage. The paper mill had dumped a chemical that was, in reality, a synthetic superestrogen. By absorbing the chemical through their drinking water and through the flesh of the fish they caught in the same waters, that chemical had caused a genetic mutation in the children at the cellular level.
The bottom line was that the children actually suffered from two irreversible effects. First, they had the correct gender chromosomes but only a partially correct reproductive system. Secondly, the males under-produced testosterone, never achieving puberty and developing a feminine bone structure. And the females overproduced it, entering puberty early and developing a hirsute, masculine frame.
Fortunately, regardless of how badly their bodies had betrayed them, each child was of above average intelligence. Each child grew up to be an expert in their respective chosen professions and, with one exception, are quite well off financially. Three of the children were adopted by local families and have been able to maintain a relationship into adulthood. And now, one of the four siblings, the one Paul Osborne thought was a woman, is dead in that submerged cage.
Victoria Houston has crafted quite a convoluted mystery in this second entry of her Loon Lake series. In addition to our main three, Paul, Lew and Ray, there are a slew of characters to keep straight. And because of the multiple adoptions, there are multiple name changes to keep track of. But Houston puts the clues out there for the reader, chapter by chapter. However, the full scope of the treachery and psychosis involved here does not crystalize until almost 80% of the story is complete. So don’t be surprised if you change your mind as to the identity of the murderer several times after this point.
And, for a cozy, that remaining 20% of the book is terrifying. Unfortunately, the resolution of the crisis borders on a deus ex machina. However, Houston has structured the character of Ray Pradt in such a manner that you can almost believe it could happen that way – almost.
Speaking of Ray Pradt, Houston gives us a great deal more insight into his character and his background in this novel. We also learn considerably more about Paul, his marriage to his now-deceased wife, and his growing feelings for Lew. What we don’t get is any real insight into Lew. After two novels we know what she looks like, we know how she functions as a cop, we know about her expertise as a fisherman, and we suspect we know how she feels about Paul. But we have almost no backstory for her at all; her past is almost a cipher.
Again, as in the first novel, we observe all the action from Paul’s viewpoint. And, again, as in the first novel, we have a high degree of romantic tension with no overt sexual action. However, Paul is a shy man who believes he is too old for Lew. So, for now, friendship and fishing will just have to do. And with this unresolved conflict, Houston sets the hook (no pun intended).
Chief of Police Lew Ferris is halfway across the country testifying in a case while taking a bit of vacation and the coroner is ill. So it falls upon Paul, Lew’s deputy, Roger, and the former chief, John Sloan, to begin the investigation. Upon initial examination, Paul believes that he is working with the bodies of three men and a woman. Having been both a practicing and a forensic dentist for over 30 years, he is an expert in cranial construction. Therefore, he is more than a little surprised to find that the one with the female skull is actually a male, albeit a male that is missing the testes and missing them naturally, not by surgery.
With this setup, Victoria Houston walks us into the living nightmare of four siblings poisoned from the moment of conception by industrial chemicals dumped into their family’s water supply. Loon Lake had been the site of a paper mill for many years, long before environmental laws made it illegal to dump effluent into the creeks these plants were invariably built beside. Part of the land surrounding this defunct mill was eventually sold to a couple that wanted to live in the backwoods, off the grid.
The wife suffered multiple miscarriages before having a daughter and then a set of triplets, two boys and a girl. The parents knew from the physical appearance of the children that something was desperately wrong. And they knew that the natural aging process couldn’t account for how they physically felt either. When the triplets were only five months old, a neighbor made a welfare check on the family a few days after the father told him about the “evil angels” that were their children. Finding the children alive but the parents dead by suicide, the neighbor placed the triplets with the local convent and adopted the older girl himself.
Although the children were removed from the backwoods to a more urban area with medical facilities, nothing could reverse the damage. The paper mill had dumped a chemical that was, in reality, a synthetic superestrogen. By absorbing the chemical through their drinking water and through the flesh of the fish they caught in the same waters, that chemical had caused a genetic mutation in the children at the cellular level.
The bottom line was that the children actually suffered from two irreversible effects. First, they had the correct gender chromosomes but only a partially correct reproductive system. Secondly, the males under-produced testosterone, never achieving puberty and developing a feminine bone structure. And the females overproduced it, entering puberty early and developing a hirsute, masculine frame.
Fortunately, regardless of how badly their bodies had betrayed them, each child was of above average intelligence. Each child grew up to be an expert in their respective chosen professions and, with one exception, are quite well off financially. Three of the children were adopted by local families and have been able to maintain a relationship into adulthood. And now, one of the four siblings, the one Paul Osborne thought was a woman, is dead in that submerged cage.
Victoria Houston has crafted quite a convoluted mystery in this second entry of her Loon Lake series. In addition to our main three, Paul, Lew and Ray, there are a slew of characters to keep straight. And because of the multiple adoptions, there are multiple name changes to keep track of. But Houston puts the clues out there for the reader, chapter by chapter. However, the full scope of the treachery and psychosis involved here does not crystalize until almost 80% of the story is complete. So don’t be surprised if you change your mind as to the identity of the murderer several times after this point.
And, for a cozy, that remaining 20% of the book is terrifying. Unfortunately, the resolution of the crisis borders on a deus ex machina. However, Houston has structured the character of Ray Pradt in such a manner that you can almost believe it could happen that way – almost.
Speaking of Ray Pradt, Houston gives us a great deal more insight into his character and his background in this novel. We also learn considerably more about Paul, his marriage to his now-deceased wife, and his growing feelings for Lew. What we don’t get is any real insight into Lew. After two novels we know what she looks like, we know how she functions as a cop, we know about her expertise as a fisherman, and we suspect we know how she feels about Paul. But we have almost no backstory for her at all; her past is almost a cipher.
Again, as in the first novel, we observe all the action from Paul’s viewpoint. And, again, as in the first novel, we have a high degree of romantic tension with no overt sexual action. However, Paul is a shy man who believes he is too old for Lew. So, for now, friendship and fishing will just have to do. And with this unresolved conflict, Houston sets the hook (no pun intended).
May 23, 2017
I'd give it a 3.5 if I could only because it's pretty light but that's exactly what I needed, do it gets a 4. I'll likely read another of her books.
October 21, 2017
A most excellent 5 star read! I really enjoy this series...:)
December 10, 2017
This book starts with a fishing expedition, but becomes a complex and fascinating mystery. Some fairly deep issues are dealt with, and there is a level of suspense. This series is worth continuing.
January 19, 2018
Great Read
It's not often I get totally emersed in a story line and all the characters in a book. It happened with " Dead Creek". As I said........Great read.
It's not often I get totally emersed in a story line and all the characters in a book. It happened with " Dead Creek". As I said........Great read.
April 4, 2018
I have enjoyed reading these books. This one was a bit more tangled than the last one I read but I still love these books.
June 24, 2018
I'm hooked :D.
August 31, 2018
So good I read it in one day.
December 30, 2018
entertaining, interesting characters -the descriptions make you visualize these people and places. a fast read
July 4, 2019
Did not finish it. Boring
Read
August 15, 2019A fun series with interesting characters - not to intense or hard to follow. A bit of romance, humor, and enough detail to support the story.
September 24, 2019
Despite a total indifference to fly fishing, and ignorance of Wisconsin's waters, I have really enjoyed Victoria Houston's Loon Lake mysteries. In fact, I am rereading them as I find them.
November 18, 2019
Read in order, much is a repeat (verbatim) of the first in the series, providing character background and setting the scene. After the plot starts, it is easy to follow but not easy to solve
December 9, 2019
A fun outdoorsy read following Lew, Doc and Ray in another adventure in the northwoods of Wisconsin.
What I love about this series is the outdoors component and the location of the series.
What I love about this series is the outdoors component and the location of the series.
January 10, 2020
Good Fishing Country Mystery
I love the characters in this Loon Lake series. The author really makes them come alive! I plan to read all the series.
I love the characters in this Loon Lake series. The author really makes them come alive! I plan to read all the series.
April 19, 2021
Another good read. Interesting back story and premise. I am learning a lot with these little books and not just about fishing.
August 10, 2021
Sort of a typical small town cozy with some extra sinister villains thrown in. Just not my cup of tea.
July 12, 2022
So good! Disturbing, unexpected, perfectly Northwoods themed.
October 7, 2022
Fun easy read. Lots of fishing info. Interesting characters.
March 10, 2023
Second book in the series- fast moving cozy mystery that takes place in northern WI. An interesting mix of environmental pollution and murder.
September 15, 2024
really exciting case, really enjoyed the book...
February 23, 2019
Another entry in the Loon Lake murder mystery series. This time, Lew, the Chief of Police takes a back seat to two old friends, Doc. Osborne (the town dentist, now retired) and his friend, Ray (a grave digger, hunting and fishing guide, and occasional drug user/dealer).
Osborne finds six dead, mostly frozen, bodies submerged in an obscure corner of a local lake, as he is out "scouting" for a good Muskie spot that he discovered the year before--a few weeks before Muskie season opens. When it turns out the bodies were frozen BEFORE they were submerged, and had been there weeks, the mystery the case all of a sudden takes priority.
The old Chief, who has been working as a volunteer, and the two lead detectives are all unavailable, so Lew deputizes Ray and Osborne. Then Ray disappears, only to be found half frozen, unconscious, on an obscure back road, guarded (or being attacked?) by a weird person who looks like a walking mushroom. To complete the cast of characters, a lawyer shows up from Kansas City, representing the estate of the dead CEO, who apparently is worth several hundred million dollars.
From there the plot takes many twists and turns, until the inevitable solution arrives. The writing is great--good character development through effective use of backstories. However, I felt that there was too much wandering around chasing non-clues, rather than a development of the evidence. Too often, the purpose of these ramblings seemed to be to introduce a new character, rather than move the narrative forward. A little more action would have better suited my tastes.
One additional caveat. The author is vastly insensitive to intersex people...never recognizing that reality, and instead causing her characters to speculate they are "transsexuals." Since this was central to the plot, and is repeated a couple of different times, I found it annoying. It may or may not be disqualifying for you--but be forewarned.
Osborne finds six dead, mostly frozen, bodies submerged in an obscure corner of a local lake, as he is out "scouting" for a good Muskie spot that he discovered the year before--a few weeks before Muskie season opens. When it turns out the bodies were frozen BEFORE they were submerged, and had been there weeks, the mystery the case all of a sudden takes priority.
The old Chief, who has been working as a volunteer, and the two lead detectives are all unavailable, so Lew deputizes Ray and Osborne. Then Ray disappears, only to be found half frozen, unconscious, on an obscure back road, guarded (or being attacked?) by a weird person who looks like a walking mushroom. To complete the cast of characters, a lawyer shows up from Kansas City, representing the estate of the dead CEO, who apparently is worth several hundred million dollars.
From there the plot takes many twists and turns, until the inevitable solution arrives. The writing is great--good character development through effective use of backstories. However, I felt that there was too much wandering around chasing non-clues, rather than a development of the evidence. Too often, the purpose of these ramblings seemed to be to introduce a new character, rather than move the narrative forward. A little more action would have better suited my tastes.
One additional caveat. The author is vastly insensitive to intersex people...never recognizing that reality, and instead causing her characters to speculate they are "transsexuals." Since this was central to the plot, and is repeated a couple of different times, I found it annoying. It may or may not be disqualifying for you--but be forewarned.
December 27, 2018
Dr. Paul Osborne, retired dentist, is scouting out fishing areas and runs into a cage with 4 dead bodies. Soon Police Chief, Lew, and Osborne's neighbor, Ray, are involved in figuring out who killed them and a whole lot more.
Another great installment in the Loon Lake mystery series. I got pulled in this series with the first book I read. It's a murder mystery set in a small town where fishing is a big industry.
3 Main Characters in the books are:
1. Lew Ferris--The Police Chief of the town. The first woman to be so. She is an excellent fisherman and even teaches the Doc fly fishing. She is divorced with three kids. Her town is small so she often has to call in forensic help from nearby places
2. Paul Osborne--retired dentist who also knows some forensic dentistry. He's a widower and after his wife's death, he is discovering some of her more unlikeable characteristics. He loves fishing and is falling for Lew.
3. Ray Pradt--Doc's neighbor--a jack of all trades. He digs graves, shovels snow, leads fishing trips, etc. He is an expert tracker and photographer. He is a bit unusual, but very likeable and helpful.
Another great installment in the Loon Lake mystery series. I got pulled in this series with the first book I read. It's a murder mystery set in a small town where fishing is a big industry.
3 Main Characters in the books are:
1. Lew Ferris--The Police Chief of the town. The first woman to be so. She is an excellent fisherman and even teaches the Doc fly fishing. She is divorced with three kids. Her town is small so she often has to call in forensic help from nearby places
2. Paul Osborne--retired dentist who also knows some forensic dentistry. He's a widower and after his wife's death, he is discovering some of her more unlikeable characteristics. He loves fishing and is falling for Lew.
3. Ray Pradt--Doc's neighbor--a jack of all trades. He digs graves, shovels snow, leads fishing trips, etc. He is an expert tracker and photographer. He is a bit unusual, but very likeable and helpful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews