She Treads Softly: February 2026

Sunday, February 1, 2026

The Wolves Are Watching

The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston
2/24/26; 240 pages
Crooked Lane Books
Lew Ferris Mystery #4

The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston is a highly recommended cozy mystery set in the Northern Wisconsin woods which follows a murder investigation, illegal betting, arms dealing, and some fly fishing. This is the fourth book in the Lew Ferris series following Wolf Hollow, Hidden in the Pines, and At the Edge of the Woods. It can be enjoyed as a standalone novel but reading the previous books in the series does provide more background information.

Sheriff Lew Ferris, of McBride County and the Loon Lake area of northern Wisconsin, receives a call from the state patrol who think a couple of missing wolf watchers, the McKenzies, may be in her area. Lew quickly calls part time deputy Ray Pradt, an excellent tracker and fishing guide, to assist in the search. Ray agrees, but also brings to Lew's attention the information that a man is trying to blackmail one of the students he is coaching to throw the first round of a state high school fishing tournament.

When assessing the situation, Ray is sure he knows the area where the missing wolf watchers would likely go. During the search he finds an old log cabin which has recently been fixed up and is now full of crates of high-powered weapons. Lew puts the cabin under surveillance hoping to catch the illegal gun runners and now has three cases to investigate.

This is another well-written, fast-paced, and fun addition to the ongoing mystery series. All the books include an investigation of possibly interlocking crimes, involve outdoor activity, and will include fly fishing at some point. The wolves in this outing are a distraction as the humans are much more dangerous predators. Dentist Doc Osborne, along with Dani and other known characters, are back and make an appearance during the investigations.

The Wolves Are Watching is a great addition to the series where the books are entertaining, short, and can be quickly read as the mysteries are all straightforward, investigated logically, and not full of complications. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.