Wednesday, June 15, 2016

What is Victoria Houston reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Victoria Houston, author of Dead Loudmouth.

Her entry begins:
I was reading “By the Book” in the Sunday New York Times Book Review section this winter when a British author mentioned one of his favorites was Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust. Years ago I read Scoop and loved it — so I ordered this one and settled in. Talk about terrific. I is not a long book but it took me a while to read it because it’s one of those rare novels you sink into. The characters are really well done. No cliches but people you recognize and either like or dislike with enthusiasm. The writing is realistic, straightforward and fresh. The ending...[read on]
About Dead Loudmouth, from the publisher:
It’s a sunny mid-June morning in Loon Lake when Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris is called to the scene of a horrific accident that must have occurred in the dead of night at a local gentleman’s club. The club, located next to the prestigious Deer Creek Fishing and Hunting Preserve, is owned by one of the victims, a member of the private Preserve and the scion of an enormously wealthy Wisconsin family. While waiting for the Loon Lake coroner to arrive at the scene, Chief Ferris receives word that the coroner has been seriously injured when his car collided with a deer. Fortunately she is able to reach her close friend and fellow fly-fisherman, retired dentist “Doc” Osborne to assist as deputy coroner.

Shortly after Doc Osborne arrives his discovery of mysterious footprints confirms Chief Ferris’s earlier suspicion: this is no accident but a double murder. Leaning on Doc Osborne for his forensic and interrogation skills, she hopes to enlist the help of Ray Pradt, fishing guide and expert tracker to help find a suspicious intruder. But Ray’s time is limited as he is coaching the University of Wisconsin’s fishing team in the college musky fishing tournament starting the next day. Complicating the investigation further is that Ray has hired Doc Osborne’s granddaughter, Mason, to assist the college fishing team in the boat – only to have her disappear late in the afternoon of the first day of the tournament.

The fishing tournament is suspended as Loon Lake residents and law enforcement concentrate on searching for the missing eleven-year-old who may have stumbled into the path of the murderer. Sunny June days turn dark as a desperate search ensues.
Learn more about the book and author at Victoria Houston's website.

The Page 69 Test: Dead Insider.

My Book, The Movie: Dead Insider.

Writers Read: Victoria Houston.

--Marshal Zeringue