Praise for the
Scumble River Mystery Series
Murder of a Wedding Belle
“The latest carefully crafted installment...features a charming heroine who is equally skilled at juggling detection and romance.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Yet another winner. A great group of characters surround protagonist Skye Denison. . . . This series always brings a smile and this one is loads of fun.”
—CrimeSpree Magazine
“Ms. Swanson is quite crafty . . . a tightly woven mystery [and] page-turning read.”
—Once Upon a Romance Reviews
“This book was very hard to put down. I enjoyed it tremendously and highly recommend it.”
—Gumshoe
Murder of a Royal Pain
“Denise Swanson’s Scumble River mysteries are always fun to read . . . a strong whodunit with solid twists.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A trip to Scumble River is like visiting with old friends . . . another entry into a fine series that is sure to be on most must-read lists.”
—The Mystery Reader
“Scumble River mysteries are well constructed, well written, and each one is better than the last—and they’re just plain fun to read. Readers of cozy mysteries who haven’t read Denise Swanson’s books are in for a real treat when they do.”
—Cozy Library
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
“Denise Swanson neatly seasons the cleverly crafted plot of Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry with a generous dash of romance as Skye’s relationship with Scumble River’s police chief, Wally Boyd, continues to simmer neatly along.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Top-notch storytelling with truly unique and wonderful characters.”
—CrimeSpree Magazine
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
“With its endearing hero, terrific cast of realistically quirky secondary characters, and generous soupçon of humor, Murder of a Botoxed Blonde . . . is a delight.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Tight plotting and plenty of surprises keep this series on my must-read list.”
—CrimeSpree Magazine
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
“Swanson is a born storyteller.”
—CrimeSpree Magazine
“Another knee-slapping adventure in Scumble River.”
—The Amplifier (KY)
Murder of a Smart Cookie
“[Swanson] smartly spins on a solid plot and likable characters.”
—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“[A] hilarious amateur sleuth mystery. . . . [Swanson] has a lot of surprises in store for the reader.”
—Midwest Book Review
Murder of a Pink Elephant
“The must-read book of the summer.”
—Butler County Post (KY)
“Current readers will appreciate the trip into Scumble River, while new readers will want to go back.”
—The Best Reviews
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
“Swanson continues her lively, light, and quite insightful look at small-town life.”
—The Hartford Courant
“Another side-splitting visit to Scumble River . . . filled with some of the quirkiest and most eccentric characters we ever have met, with a sharp, witty protagonist.”
—Butler County Post (KY)
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
“An endearing and realistic character . . . a fast-paced, enjoyable read.”
—The Herald News (MA)
“This book is delightful. . . . The characters are human and generous and worth following through the series.”
—Mysterious Woman
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
“A smooth, pleasant, and ultimately satisfying book.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Another delightful and intriguing escapade.”
—Mystery News
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
“More fun than the whirlagig at the county fair and tastier than a corn dog.”
—The Charlotte Austin Review
“Swanson is on her way to the top of the genre . . . a magnificent tale written by a wonderful author.”
—Midwest Book Review
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
“Bounces along with gently wry humor and jaunty twists and turns. The quintessential amateur sleuth: bright, curious, and more than a little nervy.”
—Agatha Award–winning author Earlene Fowler
“A likable new heroine reminiscent of some of our favorite childhood detectives—with a little bit of an edge.”
—The Charlotte Austin Review
“A charming, insightful debut.”
—Carolyn Hart
Other Scumble River Mysteries
Murder of a Wedding Belle
Murder of a Royal Pain
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
Murder of a Smart Cookie
Murder of a Pink Elephant
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
Copyright © Denise Swanson Stybr, 2011
All rights reserved
To all my Alpha Sigma Alpha sisters, especially the
Chicago West Alumnae Chapter
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Valerie McCaffrey for helping me figure out Chase’s profession and for Skye’s great vintage belt. Thanks also to Melissa Kantor for allowing me to use her book If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? Hugs to my new grandnephew, Ethan Graham, and my new niece-in-law, Natalie Beckham Vanderhyden.
Author’s Note
In July 2000, when the first book in my Scumble River series, Murder of a Small-Town Honey, was published, it was written in “real time.” It was the year 2000 in Skye’s life as well as mine, but after several books in a series, time becomes a problem. It takes me from seven months to a year to write a book, and then it is usually another year from the time I turn that book in to my editor until the reader sees it on a bookstore shelf. This can make the time line confusing. Different authors handle this matter in different ways. After a great deal of deliberation, I decided that Skye and her friends and family will age more slowly than those of us who don’t live in Scumble River. While I made this decision as I wrote the fourth book in the series, Murder of a Snake in the Grass, I didn’t realize until recently that I needed to share this information with my readers. So, to catch everyone up, the following is when the books take place: