annieb123's Review of Hidden in the Pines (A Lew Ferris Mystery, #2)

by Victoria Houston

Sheriff Lew Ferris knows how to land a sweet brook trout—but can
she catch a cold-blooded killer in the thrilling second installment in the Lew Ferris mysteries.

It’s Lew Ferris’s first day as the newly-elected Sheriff of McBride County, and already things are heating up in the Wisconsin Northwoods. The tragic drowning of a teenage girl draws an eerie parallel to the unsolved murder of another teen thirty years earlier, but one of Lew’s new subordinates—Alan Stern, Chief of the Deer Haven Police Department—has ruled it an accidental death by drowning. Neither Lew nor the girl’s family accept the ruling, but Lew is up against a wall of sexism and subterfuge. Not only is Stern belligerent and dismissive of Lew, but he takes the word of the local coroner, Ed Pecore, who Lew believes is completely unqualified for the job.

Adding to Lew’s headaches, an unwelcome interference in the case by a multimillionaire resident reopens a cold case that stretches back decades—and could lead to an anguished relative taking justice into his own hands to avenge a crime the cops never solved. And when Lew’s dear friend, Dr. Paul “Doc” Osborne, finds himself witness to a sophisticated money laundering scheme that could threaten the lives of his daughter and her close friend, Lew finally feels like she’s reached the breaking point.

The fish may be biting in McBride County—but now, Lew is on the line to uncover the long-buried secret that could ensnare a killer once and for all.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Hidden in the Pines is the second book of a tie-in series to Loon Lake by Victoria Houston. Released 10th Jan 2023 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in Dec 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author is a competent storyteller and the book is redolent with scenes of small town life and rural living. She's clearly familiar with the outdoorsy life and it adds a great deal of verisimilitude to the story. The action is mostly straightforward; there aren't a lot of twists and turns and few red-herrings to confuse along the way.

Protagonist Lew Ferris is just starting her job as the newly-elected sheriff of McBride county in the Wisconsin northwoods, and she's already dealing with a tragic drowning death/murder? with creepy parallels to a case from 3 decades before, money laundering with dangerous potential to harm the people she loves, as well as heaping helpings of sexism and an entrenched "old boys" network. No time for trout fishing in her near future.

This is a standalone series and it doesn't seem necessary to be familiar with the author's other series to follow along here. It's a procedural(ish) mystery and the denouement and resolution were satisfying and complete. This is book 2, and there are 19 books extant in her other series, so it might be a good candidate for a binge read.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

10 January, 2023: Started reading

10 January, 2023: Finished reading

10 January, 2023: Reviewed