Hidden in the Pines

November 7, 2022
Houston’s benign sequel to 2022’s Wolf Hollow finds Lew Ferris, newly elected sheriff of McBride County, Wis., up to her elbows in paperwork, case reviews, and personnel matters. To help with the workload, Lew hires Judith Hanson, a retiree who has returned to her hometown of Loon Lake with a secret mission. Besides trying to make sense of the mess her predecessor left, Lew has to deal with a lawsuit against one of her police chiefs. He had summarily ruled the death of a teenage girl as an accidental drowning, but her parents are convinced their daughter was murdered. Knowing the chief’s sloppy reputation, Lew takes the accusation seriously and begins her own investigation. With the help of her significant other, forensic dentist Paul Osborne, and his lawyer daughter, Mallory, Lew discovers a chilling link to the unsolved murder of Judith’s sister 50 years earlier. The scenic north woods setting, appealing characters, and lots of fly fishing more than compensate for a straightforward plot that offers few twists. Fans of lighter regional mysteries will be satisfied. Agent: Christopher Combemale, Sterling Lord Literistic.

December 1, 2022
A very cold case has a surprising connection to a recent death in Wisconsin's Northwoods. For 50 years Judith Hanson has wondered what really happened to her older sister, Maggie, who was found dead at age 16 lying on the banks of the local river. Now that she's retired, she's moving into her family home in Loon Lake to prepare it for sale and take a last stab at finding the truth about Maggie's death. When Judith sees an ad for an administrative assistant in the McBride County Sheriff's Department, she applies, hoping for inside information. Lew Ferris can use plenty of help now that she's county sheriff but still wants to find time for fly-fishing. A lawyer is about to file suit against one of Lew's underlings over a death that was declared an accident. Sharon Knudsen was supposed to have drowned after a Jet Ski smashup, but the coroner is known to be an incompetent drunk, and the girl's family wants an investigation. Meanwhile, Lew's significant other, Mallory Osborne, daughter of retired forensic dentist Doc Osborne, is in the area to do publicity for wealthy hedge fund owner and art collector Matthew Brinkerhoff. When Lew reads the file on Sharon Knudsen's so-called accident, she learns that the driver of the Jet Ski was Barry Brinkerhoff, Matt's son. Could the accident actually be murder? A shady scheme run by Matt Brinkerhoff and some long-forgotten DNA kits provide Judith with the answer to the mystery of Maggie's death. Complex relationships and a wild chase through the forest provide plenty of excitement in contrast to the Zen of fly-fishing.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.