"Dead Tease" starts off with the murder of an attractive young woman, committed by a man she's never met. Loon Lake Police Chief Lew Ferris and her boyfriend Paul Osborne (a forensic odontologist who used to be the town dentist) begin investigating. Why an odontologist is required when the victim is readily identified is beyond me ... and that is the place that the story first goes south for me.The "whodunnit" became ridiculously clear during the first third of the book. Now, in fairness, I read a great many police procedurals (along with majoring in forensic anthropology) and have a good eye for figuring out the mystery. It could just be me, as the old saying goes.There is also some Wisconsin-specific slang that is never clearly explained ("razzbonya" and "jabones," for example), which I had to work out from context.The book is a short read, at 174 pages. What's sad to me is that the story had so much potential and just fell short of the mark.(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.) Victoria Houston's series involves Wisconsin, fish, murder, and fly-fishing. Strictly speaking you do not need to care a bit about fly fishing - the sport is there, aficionados will be teased by the champion muskies and handtied flies but those who prefer their fish cleaned and cooked can still enjoy it. Especially in the company of Ray Pradt....Several women are intimately acquainted with the handsome clinic director, but only one of them ends up murdered. And off we go.I really love the way Ms Houston uses the setting, the characters, and humor in this series.
What do You think about Dead Tease (2012)?
Doc, Lew and Ray investigate the death of an employee at the local medical clinic. Good read.
—kerty
A quick, easy read. Nothing overly exciting, but an entertaining read.
—ColleenVincent44
