DEAD BOOGIE               Purchase this book

Even though experienced angler Doc Osborne knows there are plenty of fish in the sea – in Loon Lake, Wisconsin, only police chief Lew Ferris qualifies as his catch of the day. But just as the summer is heating up, the town gets turned upside down by the bizarre triple homicide discovered on a backcountry road…

Peg Garmin was not Loon Lake’s most beloved citizen. Considering her “calling” in life, no one was completely surprised when she was found murdered in the company of two exotic dancers…no one, that is, except for Ray Pradt, Peg’s dearest friend. As the team digs into the mysery of her past, they discover some startling connections to one of the wealthiest families in Chicago and to the buried secret that could destroy them. Now Lew, Osborne and Ray must root the skeletons out of the Garmin family closet before Peg’s killer becomes the one who got away….

ISBN 0-425-20895-8
paperback, 224pp
March 2006
Berkeley Prime Crime $6.99

DEAD JITTERBUG               Purchase this book

Everyone knows the name Hope McDonald – and not just the couple thousand folks in Loon Lake. Her advice column is syndicated worldwide to about eighty million readers. When the wise old woman is found murdered in her home, Chief Lew Ferris can think of more than a few suspects – and calls on Doc Osborne for help. Since Hope was dealing with some desperate souls, Doc and Lew will have to think of the perfect bait to net a cold-blooded killer….

ISBN 0-425-20201-1
Paperback, 259pp
April 2005
Berkeley Prime Crime

DEAD HOT MAMA                Purchase this book

It's ice-fishing season in Loon Lake and Doc Osborne is trying to convince Police Chief and fishing pal Lew Ferris to give it a chance. But fish aren't the only things lurking below the surface. The bodies of two snowmobilers have just been pulled out of nearby Two Sisters Lake. And a beautiful woman's corpse turns up in a snowdrift. Is it payback for a drug deal gone bad? Or is it something more sinister? Osborne and Ferris once again team up to get to the bottom of a very murky mystery.

"Victoria Houston writes fishing mysteries set in the fictional Wisconsin community of Loon Lake. Her heroine is police chief who is also an ardent fly fisherman. With the help of a retired dentist, she solves murders. In Loon Lake, eccentrics are welcome, including Ray Pradt, a local guide and champion loon-caller who wears an earflap leather cap topped by an enormous stuffed trout...Her books have sold a total of more than 100,000 copies."--The Wall Street Journal

ISBN 0-425-19332-2
Paperback, 304pp
March 2004
Berkeley Prime Crime

DEAD FRENZY               Purchase this book

For fishing pals (or are they more than just pals?) Doc Osborne and Police Chief Lew Ferris, Loon Lake, Wisconsin, is usually a great place to seek out some mutual solitude in the trout stream. But lately the town has been teeming with competitive bass fishermen and bikers ­ too many less-than-savory characters. Meanwhile, there¹s an old murder case, Doc¹s bent on solving even as he himself is stalked by a mysterious visitor.

A motorcycle rally, bass fishing tournament, illicit drugs and very expensive antique fishing lures make for a dangerous mix ­ reminding Doc and Chief Ferris that the secrets of the northwoods can be hidden in places you least suspect.

"Victoria Houston's...plots and clues invariably involve fly and bait fishing. The formula works: Houston is the best-selling author down at Madison's Booked For Murder mystery bookstore."--Chicago Tribune

ISBN 0-425-18887-6
Paperback, 304pp
February 2003
Berkeley Prime Crime

DEAD WATER               Purchase this book -- REVIEW

While out kayaking, Paul Osborne discovers the grisly remains of a woman -- whose shoulders bear mysterious bite marks. And just as Lew begins her investigation, another body turns up...

The second victim was a successful businesswoman from Kansas City, and the evidence indicates she was in Loon Lake for a rendevous with an ex-lover -- a con man who had tried to get his hands on her money. Now, Lew's got two confusing cases -- and a killer who may be more elusive than any fish....

"(Victoria Houston) puts me right there in the Wisconsin heat and cold, lets me know what the fish are biting on, lets me spy on the interesting characters of Loon Lake, and, most of all, spins an intelligent and captivating tale. I look forward to more and more."--T. Jefferson Parker, Author of Silent Joe

"Victoria Houston's love for her Wisconsin setting-and her wonderful characters-is evident on every page of her fine series. Loon Lake is a great get-away, even if it does keep me up at nights."--Laura Lippman, Author of The Sugar House

ISBN 0-425-18003-4
Paperback, 288pp
June 2001
Berkeley Prime Crime Book

DEAD CREEK                Purchase this book

Fishing aside, there's nothing Doc likes better than helping Chief of Police Lew Ferris -- a world-class fly fisherman in her own right -- delve into Loon Lake's criminal underworld. He's looking for any excuse to spend time with the only woman he knows who likes to fish as much as he does. So bloodthirsty killers and backwoods bandits be damned. Doc will take the quiet risk. But someone wants a certain piece of truth kept quiet, and dead people don't talk. Doc and Lew better watch their backs, or they won'tbe pulling in the fish -- they'll be sleeping with them ...

"Fans of a well-drawn regional police procedural will want to read this novel. All the subplots smoothly return to the main theme and there are plenty of suspects to keep the audience guessing about what is going on and who is the mastermind behind the mysterious events. With this fine novel, Victoria Houston will hook readers and make them seek her previous stories."--Painted Rock Reviews

"What a great story! A book that fishermen of all ages (and species) are sure to enjoy."--Tony Rizzo, legendary Northwoods fishing guide, Author of Secrets of a Muskie Guide

"Murder mystery muskies! The X-Files comes to Packer Land."--John Krga, dedicated Northwoods "catch-and-release" muskie fisherman

ISBN 0-425-17703-3
Paperback, 288pp
November 2000
Berkeley Prime Crime Book

DEAD ANGLER                Purchase this book

Retired dentist Paul Osborne hasn't fly fished since his wife died. He hasn't had a woman tell him what to do since then either. But in the company of Lewellyn Ferris, he's relearning both. And when he and his lady instructor find a well-dressed body floating in the moonlight, Paul adds deputy to his list of experiences...

Whether the death is accidental -- or accidentally on purpose -- Lewellyn is determined to rell in the truth. She enlists Pail and his walleye-expert buddy, Ray, to help her get to the bottom of the murky mystery. Whoever thought small-town retirement could be this dangerous?

"Who would have thought that fly-fishing could be such fun? Victoria Houston makes you want to dash for rod and reel. (She) cleverly blends the love of the outdoors with the thrill of catching a serial killer."--The Orlando Sentinel

"As exciting as fishing a tournament-and you don't know the result until the end."--Norb Wallock, North American Walleye Anglers' 1997 Angler of the Year

"Houston introduces us to a cast of characters with whom we quickly bond-as fly-fishers and as good citizens-in the first of what I hope will be a long series."--Joan Wulff, world-class fly-caster, co-founder of the Wulff School of Fly-Fishing

"A compelling thrillerŠpopulated with three-dimensional characters who reveal some of their secrets of trout fishing the dark waters of the northern forests."--Tom Wiench, dedicated fly-fisherman and member of Trout Unlimited

"Should net lots of fans; a good catch."--The Star Press

ISBN 0-425-17355-0
Paperback, 272pp
April 2000
Berkeley Prime Crime Book

RESTORE YOURSELF!               Purchase this book

Recent news stories have hailed the benefits of estrogen/testosterone combination therapy-but leave many questions unanswered. Written by an experienced doctor and a woman whose life has been transformed by testosterone therapy, Restore Yourself educates women on how the so-called "male" hormone can help them rekindle desire-before, during, and after menopause.

ISBN 0-425-18179-0
Paperback, 224pp
2001
Berkeley Trade