This is a warm and friendly cozy-leaning mystery which takes place in Loon Lake, Wisconsin. Those who love to fish, either "dancing the fly" or musky fishing, will certainly have fun reading this very good mystery with lots of Wisconsin atmosphere. While it is not necessary to be much of a fisherman to like this series, enthusiasts will probably enjoy it more than others.

Loon Lake is the kind of town where the local MacDonald's isn't just a place to meet in the morning for coffee, but a clearing house for the latest Loon Lake gossip. On any given morning, it's where you can usually find retired dentist Paul Osborne, known simply as "Doc." Loon Lake has a Cabot Cove kind of feel to it, as almost everyone in town is right where they want to be.

We’re introduced to Doc’s “out there” good friend Ray Pradt, the best fly fisherman around. Their friendship is given some attention in the narrative, and will add depth to the mystery. Doc's feelings for the town's female sheriff, Lewellyn Ferris, is explored as well. Doc is a musky man, but takes Lew up on her offer to reacquaint him with the joys of fly fishing. When they discover the body of a woman named Meredith, Lew deputizes Doc for his forensic skills.

Doc's old friends soon become suspects, revealing some unexpectedly tangled up relationships. While this definitely is a cozy, there is a dash of unexpected violence that, while not graphic, adds a serious dimension to the mystery portion. For example, someone you were expecting to be a recurring character in the series will not be, making for a sad but exciting ending to the mystery portion of Dead Angler.

As with any cozy, the fun is n getting to the end, getting to know the setting and the characters. Much is revealed about Doc’s past marriage in the first entry, and the lingering effects to his oldest daughter. His buddy Ray meanwhile, wants his fifteen minutes of fame on ESPN. Wisconsin and Loon Lake seem like an additional character in the narrative. The epilog, as the survivors enjoy some burgers smothered under big slabs of Wisconsin cheddar cheese, make this first entry in the series fun for those who like cozies with a lot of atmosphere, and just a little bite. ( )

Doc Osborne is adrift, having lost his wife 2 years earlier. When he is cleaning out his garage, he finds his old fly fishing equipment. He goes to get it appraised, and he is told of its value. His friend then tells Doc he should fish again. Doc agrees, and is pleasantly surprised to be paired with Chief Lew Ferris. However, their outing is cut short when they discover a body floating in the water. Doc realizes that he knows the person, and that it was murder.
What follows is a tale of drugs, greed, and jealously.
So begins the series of Loon Lake mysteries. This is an easy to read novel with an intricate murder mystery. The budding romance between Doc and Lew is sweet. ( )

A cozy mystery - a big part of my enjoyment was the setting in my old northwoods Wisconsin stomping grounds. A tough but appealing female Chief of Police, a retired dentist widower, and the discovery of a body while they're out fly fishing kicks this one off.

Lots of bad guys, lots of good guys, some interesting guys... it was a good read. I might buy others in the series; I KNOW i've read other books by this same author (sometime, somewhere..) ( )

Promising start to a new series. Interesting characters and setting with strong sport fishing overtones and background to add a little flavor to the story line. ( )

Dead Angler is the first book in the Loon Lake Fishing Mystery. The new book that is coming out soon is Dead Insider. I received Dead Insider to read and review and as I was looking for a little information from it I found that Last year I had gotten Dead Angler. So I decided to read the first book first.

I enjoyed Dead Angler. I like the characters in it and look forward to reading Dead Insider next to see what is going on in Loon Lake now. The suspense of the murder kept me guessing.

Paul Osborne is a retired dentist. He is a widower with two grown married daughters. He is bored with his life and makes some changes when he was cleaning his garage. He decided to try fly fishing again. He was supposed to meet a fly fisherman who would take him fishing again and show him how to do fly fish.

Lewellyn is a strong woman not afraid to be different. She is the Sheriff of Loon Lake. Loves fly fishing. Is willing to teach Paul about fly fishing. She starts by taken him fishing at night.

When Paul falls into the river he puts his hands down to get up and finds a arm in the water. He hurries and finds Lew. After they get the body out they figure that she drowned while fishing. Then Doc notices that he knows her and that all her gold fillings are taken out while dead. So it looks like murder.

This book was written a few years ago. The only thing that dates it for me are party phone lines and pay phones. No cells. I hardly remember party lines.

Ray is his next door neighbor and friend. Ray smoked some weed, not all obeying the law. Especially fishing in private lakes and fishing limits. He is likeable. He can tract and is fishing guide & grave digger.

There are a lot of suspects and a close community. It makes you care about the victim and want the guilty party to pay.
Publisher: Tyrus Books (August 23, 2011) 276 pages ASIN: B005I5EMJM ( )