Customer Reviews

Murder of a Smart Cookie: A Scumble River Mystery

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's another fun little lite cozy murder mystery featuring Skye Dennison and her friends and family. This time, our hapless heroine Skye is on summer vacation from her vocation as a school psychologist in the small Illinois town of Scumble River - where she is in charge of her community's part of a 100 mile long Yard Sale along old Route 66. Alas, poor Cookie, we barely knew ye, but, as must happen to make a murder mystery, ye are dead. And Skye's on the case. The chapter titles in this Classic Route 66 installment of the series are apt and fitting from Classic TV: "To Tell the Truth," "Truth or Consequences," "I've Got a Secret," and, oh yes, "Murder, She Wrote."

Author Denise Swanson, herself a School Psychologist in Illinois, was paying attention in writing class when the teacher told them to "Write what you know!" The results work. The reader need not read all the books in this series in order - Swanson artfully gives new readers the background and returning readers a refresher course - but why miss all the fun back down on the farm? The plot and pace are perky. The style's bright and breezy. By the next book, expect a "What's it gonna be? Him or Me?" <-Do you remember? Can you sing along with Paul Revere and the Raiders?

If you live in small town, or used to, you KNOW some of these characters! Maybe you CAN go home again - at least within the friendly confines of this smart series. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Skye Denison is looking for a summer job to supplement her income as the school psychologist in Scumble River, Illinois. She starts working for Cookie Caldwell who buys and sells antiques, but she gets fired after she reveals to an elderly customer, Mrs. Griggs, that Cookie is trying to cheat her by giving her less for an item than it is really worth. Her next job is as an assistant to her Uncle Dante who is promoting the First Annual Route 66 Yard Sale which has 100-miles of continuous sales in small communities along the old Route 66. Skye gets more than she bargains for when two murders occur. Added to this is the disappearance of her student Justin and marital battles between her parents and some friends. Skye is also torn between two men in her life and can't seem to decide which one she really loves. Denise Swanson does her usual good job of mixing interesting characters and plot to create an enjoyable "cozy" mystery.

Having just gone to a community yard sale in a small Michigan village over the weekend, this book (which I had just finished before leaving town) took on new meaning for me. Although the dynamics of the event were totally different than those in Smart Cookie, which takes place along a stretch of famous Route 66 in the state of Illinois, it was, nonetheless, a connection. It was 90 degrees and there were some great deals to be had, but, as far as I know, no one was murdered.

In Murder of a Smart Cookie, Skye Denison is a school psychologist in Scumble River, Illinois. Skye is in her early thirties and finds herself, once again, involved in solving a murder. Her Uncle Dante Leofanti, mayor of Scumble River, has roped her into organizing the First Annual Route 66 Yard Sale after his latest assistant bolted. Skye needs a summer job, so....

When a particularly unpleasant TV personality and her crew arrive, lovable Uncle Dante sublets to the crew the little cottage Skye rents. He does this behind her back, of course. Skye ends up moving in with Mom and Dad for nine days...and they aren't getting along. Shortly after the yard sale begins, antique maven and Cookie's Collectibles shop owner, Cookie Caldwell, is murdered. She may not be the most pleasant person around, but murdered? Why? Old Mrs. Griggs is not at all happy with Cookie after finding out that Cookie tried to cheat her on the price of one of her valuable antiques. Could Mrs. Griggs have killed Cookie? As the days pass, Skye gets more deeply involved in Cookie's murder, has to put up with unhappy parents, a friend contemplating leaving her husband, a student who has disappeared, a boyfriend who's out of town, and growing romantic feelings for police chief, Walter (Wally) Boyd. Another murder occurs and things get downright scary for Skye as county sheriff and bully, Buck Petersen, decides Skye is the guilty party and arrests her. In the end, the cases are solved, and life begins to return to normal...or does it? A good beach read.

Note: I thought the television show chapter headings were clever: To Tell the Truth; All in the Family: Name that Tune; Meet the Press, etc. Very clever, indeed. Enjoy!

Swanson's next book is due out next month! (Jul 06)

Carolyn Rowe Hill

I enjoy all the Scumble River mysteries. This one is a fun romp and follows a line of story that is not complicated yet a great read. I am waiting to see which beau wins out in the next book.

This was a great book and I was glad to return to Scumble River, but what's up with starting to break up Simon and Skye! I really liked Simon, so I hope they work things out...what a way to leave us hanging on for the next book!

Skye Denison, Scumble River school psychologist was just trying to find a summer job. Her rented home is being sold and she has to come up with the money to buy it, or she'll be out of a home.

Her first job, working for Cookie Caldwell at Cookie's Collectables didn't work out well. Skye was fired when she told old Mrs. Griggs that Cookie was trying to cheat her by not paying her what her antiques were really worth. To add insult, Cookie smacked her with a sword on her way out.

Now she was working for the mayor, her Uncle Dante, who's bright idea resulted in a First Annual Route 66 Yard Sale, which Skye was now in charge of organizing.

This includes co-ordinating with all the towns along the route, the massive amount of people who are expected to show up and renting her house to Faith, the ultimate prima donna of a Chicago TV station, who's program is coming live from the yard sale, which results in Skye having to move home for the duration of the sale.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Cookie Caldwell winds up dead on opening day.

And things get worse when poor old Mrs. Griggs also ends up dead.

Is it one killer? Since the sheriff is looking suspiciously at her, Skye decides she better find the killer before she ends up in jail herself.

Highlights:

Interesting mystery. Didn't guess the killer or the reason.

Skye's family is always a highlight in the books. No matter how annoying, irritating or downright crazy they seem to be, you still get the feel of a real family.

Trixie - Skye's best friend, who's husband promised to help her if she agreed to use their house as a bed and breakfast for the huge crowd of people showing up for the yard sale. He, of course, has conveniently forgotten he was supposed to help when she agrees.

Wally - Scumble Rivers sheriff, who should be Skye's boyfriend.

Lowlights:

Bunny - mother of Skye's boyfriend Simon. I can't stand this character. She is neither interesting or funny, although I think she's supposed to be. I just find her sad and pathetic.

Simon Reid - Skye's boyfriend. He's ok but not as Skye's boyfriend. Fortunately, he's gone for the entire book and they only have phone conversations. I have never warmed to this character and I like him even less by the end of the story. "Lying by omission is the same as a deliberate lie." I'd be happy if he and his obnoxious mother Bunny would move out of town.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than several of the previous entries.

Skye Denison is a school psychologist in Scumble River. She very briefly worked in an antique shop for the owner, Cookie Caldwell, but was fired when she ruined Cookie's scheme to cheat a local elderly widow. Yet before the day is over Skye has anew, better paying job.

Skye is the sole organizer of the First Annual Route 66 Yard Sale which covers over 100 miles. With all the recent rezoning laws, she is having a horrible time making sure all is legal and ready for the major event. Once it begins, Skye learns that yard sales bring out the worst in people. Even her own mother splats a TV celebrity, Faith Easton, in the face with a pie when the lady claims the pie not to be flaky enough. When not dealing with the huge yard sale, Skye is in the middle of a battle of the sexes among her parents, best friends, and even students.

Trouble really begins when Cookie is found dead, stabbed to death by a piece of jewelry, and Faith's TV crew is filming it all live. Thanks to the rezoning, Wally, the intelligent and handsome police chief, can do nothing. Jurisdiction now falls to Sheriff Buck Peterson of Stanley County, almost an hour drive away. The sheriff is not exactly the sharpest tack in the box either, because he is trying to pin it all on Skye.

***** This is the seventh book in the series. Each book stands alone as a mystery, but the highly amusing cast of characters are consistent. Author Denise Swanson blends together mystery and humor, with a few cups of murder and dashes of intrigue, to give fans one of the best mystery meat surprises of the Summer. You will not find a dull moment within the entire novel. I see awards in the future for this author. Highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

After being dumped by her boyfriend and losing her job and apartment, Skye Denison returns home to Scumble River, Illinois where she becomes district school psychologist. She needs a job when school is out especially so because she wants to buy her cottage. She becomes a salesclerk in Cookie's Collectibles but when she sees Cookie trying to cheat eighty-nine year old Alma Griggs out of a vase worth thousands of dollars, Skye tells Alma not to sell it. Cookie fires Sky who gets a job with the Mayor her Uncle Dante pulling together the First Annual Route 66 yard sale.

She rents her home to Faith Easton, the star of TV show Faith Finds, who is coming to televise the miles long flea market. Everything is going well for Skye who has no trouble coordinating the event until her mother and grandmother find Cookie's murdered body in the liquor cabinet they are using to store stuff for the yard sale. Shortly thereafter, Sky and her mother find Alma's body in the trellis on her home, a sword in her body. The sheriff thinks Skye and her mother are viable suspects so once again she has to find out who the killer is.

This is a hilarious amateur sleuth mystery as the heroine goes from one crisis to another trying to pull the Route 66 yard sale together. Denise Swanson never lets her characters get stale as they constantly grow. IN MURDER OF A SMART COOKIE, the author has a lot of surprises in store for the reader as the characters undergo certain changes in their lives ever the secondary support cast. This is one mystery series that just keeps getting better and better.

Harriet Klausner

This series just keeping getting better! Skye has found herself in the middle of yet another murder in the small town of Scumble River. The story takes place during the towns largest sale, where people searching for antiques would do anything to get what they want. The victim was found in the Denisons pie stand, so Skye must find out who the murderer is, to clear the family name.
Besides the main plot line, there is alot of other interesting things going on - between Skye's mom and dad...and Simon's mom, as well as between Skye herself and the police chief...
If you have enjoyed the previous books in this series then you will enjoy this book as well. If it is new to you, although you could understand what is going on by reading this book alone, I highly recommend starting from the beginning. You get a great picture of who Skye is and an understanding of the supporting cast that would make this book all the more enjoyable.
Happy Reading!

If you love to escape to cozies, you will enjoy this Scumble River series about a child psychologist is a small town. The characters are engaging and the series is sequential so start at the beginning. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.