Customer Reviews

Murder of a Small-Town Honey (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 1)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the best amateur sleuth mysteries I read all summer. School psychologist, Skye Denison is portrayed extremely realistically and I wasn't at all surprised to see in her bio that the author herself is a practicing school psychologist. I loved getting a behind the scenes look at schools in general and special education in particular. I hope Ms. Swanson includes even more of that element in her next book.

Skye's return home to Scumble River after what she herself terms a 12 year escape is fun to watch. On one hand Skye wants to slip into town, do her job, save some money, and move out ASAP. But her family and the townspeople have other ideas. The author really nails the whole Midwest casserole culture to a T, but she does it with a light touch and with affection, not in a mean way.

Another element I especially liked was the spin she puts on stereotypes. At first glance it is just very funny, but it also makes the reader reflect on her/his own prejudices.

Although I read mostly for the characters, this book had a good solid mystery at its core. The story moves right along and if the first chapter of the next book (which is included at the end of this boook) is any way to judge, the pacing just gets better.

The humor in this book is more of the giggle and smile to yourself type, than the laugh out loud kind, but there were a couple of places people looked at me funny as I let out a rather loud laugh or snort.

I hope this new writer gets the large readership she deserves so we can enjoy many, more Scumble River Mysteries.

I was blown away by this debut novel. It is hard to believe that this is the first book this author has written. It has obviously been well polished and well edited. The wry humor and empathetic portrayal of both the town and the characters won me over.

The various descriptions of the characters are unique and well rounded, not the same old tall/short, brown/blond type of narrative you see in lots of books.

Skye is one of the most likeable sleuths I have met in ages. She's a real person, with troubles to which a lot of people can relate. Her reasonable explaination for her decision to quit dieting and accept the extra pounds is nicely slipped into the dialogue. Skye's dry sense of humor and obvious dedication to the children she serves gives her a personality that makes the reader want her as a friend. The mystery of her being jilted and fired has me anxiously awaiting the next book.

Another interesting aspect of this novel is the inside look at what a school psychologist does. I love the scenes when Skye is doing her job.

Although I don't want to give away the ending, let me just say it is a triumph for feminism and one of the more clever escape scenes that I've read.

This is an author to watch. I feel sure her future includes an award for best first mystery. Murder of a Small-Town Honey would make a great TV movie.

When Skye Denison announced during her valedictory address that she "can't wait to get away from this town of small minded people with small ideas" she had no idea that 12 years later she would have to eat her words and move back to Scumble Creek. Although her family and friends love Skye they also have long memories and Skye has to start working for forgiveness. When her brother is arrested for murdering his old girlfriend, she feels compelled to investigate and as she closes in on the killer she becomes a target.

You can tell that the author has a great deal of experience with living in a small town and that she also has great affection for her characters. This is a humorous look at small town life and includes an interesting mystery to solve.

The first in a new mystery series, MURDER OF A SMALL-TOWN HONEY is a charming look at small town life. We meet Skye Denison as she is judging the chokeberry jelly contest at the Chokeberry Days festival in her home town of Scummy, er, Scumble River. A woman is killed at the festival, and Skye's brother is the main suspect. To protect her brother, Skye investigates and discovers there are some secrets in a small town afer all.

Skye is a likeable protagonist, but there is much about her past life we don't know. We do know she was fired from her previous job in a big city, she was jilted by her fiance, and she's totally broke, but we never learn exactly why all these things occurred. Skye starts rebuilding her life, and I'm rooting for her all the way. I'm looking forward to the next in this series.

Have you ever started a book and by the end of the first chapter just know that you are going to like it? That's what happened to me when I started reading MURDER OF A SMALL TOWN HONEY. This mystery contains everything I like in a cozy, a likable protagonist, a unique mystery, plenty of twists and false leads, and, most of all, a humorous outlook at life.

When Skye left her small hometown full of small-minded people twelve years ago, little did she imagine she would be back, eating humble pie and looking for a job. She finds employment as a school psychologist with the Scumble River School District. In her job, she realizes many have grown stagnant in their jobs, and dislike being dissed in Valedictorian speeches. Oh well, this doesn't stop our protagonist; she plows right in, shows her concern for the students and does her job (These actions alone had me cheering!). Skye tackles the mystery weaved throughout this terrific cozy debut with the same unwavering courage, and it's a good thing she is a strong woman because not only does Skye find the body of the murdered TV personality, she sets her mind to solving the murder and risking her life to free the person they've arrested and if that isn't enough she accepts a...blind date. Is there no mercy?

MURDER OF A SMALL TOWN HONEY is super debut; you can't get any better than this the first time out!

Skye Denison has reluctantly returned home to Scumble River, the only place she's been able to get a job as a school psychologist. She arrives in time for the annual Chokeberry Days festival, and finds the dead body of the celebrity who had come to make a special appearance. But, the victim is not the sweet television host she appeared to be, and her secret past make Skye's brother the chief suspect. Can Skye cut through the resentment she left behind to find the real killer?

I went into this book with high hopes based on the word of mouth the book was getting. However, I was mildly disappointed when I read it. Many of the supporting characters, including suspects, are little more the caricatures. The story is not a plot but little more then a series of events with a conclusion. Still, I was intrigued enough by the main characters to book a return trip to Scumble River.

This book, from a first time author, does show some promise. Hopefully, the author will improve as the series progresses.

Isn't it nice to find a new series that isn't set in New York or Chicago or the deep South? Murder of a Small-Town Honey is set in rural Illinois! Even better, we have a totally different amateur detective -- she's a school psychologist working in her own home town. Just think of all the great secrets tucked inside those student files. There's a lot more than kids in this book, though. We meet a ton of natives including Skye's old crushes, her family (good and bad) and her new colleagues. The book moves along at a fast clip and some of the dialogue will make you laugh out loud. By the end of the book you'll feel at home in Scumble River. The preview of the second book in this new series looks even better. If you like Earlene Fowler's quilting books you will like Denise Swanson's new book.

I picked up the Scumble River mystery series because I was intrigued when I came across the title of Murder of Ken and Barbie. When I found it that it was a series, I decided that I had to get the entire series and read it in chronological order.

For a first time author, this book was pretty good. I can't help but compare it to Muder She Wrote. The town Scumble River sounds alot like Cabot Cove and so do all the towns folk. Skye is a young beautiful woman who is a School Psychologist while Jessica Fletcher is a sweet old lady who is a Mystery Writer. While this is a contrast, both are alike in that they get involved in a murder which they have to solve in order to clear a friend or relative. In this book, Skye has to help clear her brother, Vince who has been accused of killing a woman named Honey. Both Jessica and Skye are alike in that they rub suspect the wrong way by trying to poke around for information.

I happen to like Murder She Wrote so I enjoyed this cozy little book which I gave 4 stars only because it was not as suspenseful as most mystery. However I do like the fact that the author made a likable heroine and that her book does not rely on sex, violence and gore in order to attract an audience. I did not guess the identity of the killer until the last 10 pages or so just like on Murder She Wrote, you have to wait until the last 10 minutes of the show in order to have JB Fletcher reveal the killer and their motive.

School psychologist, Skye Denison, is an amateur sleuth who had to leave her last school and has come back to her hometown of Scumble River, Illinois, where she swore she'd never return. Many people in town remember her high school graduation speech in which she did not talk nice about the town.

I enjoyed this cozy and cannot wait to read more. The sleuth is likeable and the story moves quickly but she doesn't omit important items. There aren't so many characters that you lose track of who people are. She gets into a few sticky places (don't all amateur sleuths). It is a fun, quick read and I highly recommend it.

Denise Swanson's debut mystery, Murder of a Small-Town Honey, is a honey of a read. She introduces us to small-town life at its most amusing--during a town event (The Chokeberry Days Festival) when the community is forced to work together for success. Because her heroine, Skye Dennison, is both an outsider and an insider (she has just returned after a twelve year absence) she is able to see below the surface and appreciate the absurdity.

I really like the way Swanson shows us through the types of clothing Skye chooses to wear, that even though she has gained weight, she still thinks of herself as attractive.

Swanson writes on several levels. If you want a light read it is there for you, but if you want to look a little deeper her characters have something to tell you. No one is who they seem in this book. Even Skye has secrets.

Skye's mysterious background is a great point of interest. What happened in the years she was away? Why was she in the Peace Corps? Why was she fired? Why did her fiance jilt her? I'm guessing the answers to all these questions will have a future book of their own--and I can't wait. Her second book, Murder of a Sweet Old Lady, will be out in less than a month. I already have mine ordered.