Hidden in the Pines: A Lew Ferris Mystery

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. (Jan.)