Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reach for the Sky(e) with this Newest Scumble River Cozy!, April 8, 2008
Skye Denison's culinary skills leave MUCH to be desired, so she is shocked when she learns that her mother has entered her in the Grandma Sal's Soup-to-Nuts cooking competition. To think that Skye has even a remote chance of winning is, well, nuts! When Skye's boyfriend, Wally Boyd, Chief of Police of the Scumble River PD, starts breaking their dinner dates, she is convinced it has something to do with the fact that she is taking every opportunity to practice her mom's Chicken Supreme Casserole recipe.
And, as if worrying about a cooking contest and Wally's strange behavior isn't enough, Skye is trying to handle a threatened lawsuit by parents of a Scumble River High cheerleader after an unauthorized article about the student appears in the school paper. Skye is not only the school psychologist but also the co-sponsor of the paper. She then learns that said cheerleader has gone missing, and that the author of the article that prompted talk of a lawsuit is nowhere to be found but has written a blog that implies her involvement in the cheerleader's disappearance. To say that Skye's plate is full is an understatement.
The cooking contest seems to have brought out the worst in almost everyone involved. Too many cooks have indeed spoiled the broth. Threats, sabotage, and accusations abound, but nothing compares to finding one of the contestants murdered and another person attacked. The question is, was Cherry Alexander's murder tied to the contest, to her marriage, or did it have something to do with her next tell-all book? While Wally and Skye have barely spent any quality time together, he quickly requests Skye's help in her capacity as consulting psychologist to the Scumble River PD in order to help interrogate those involved with the contest. Skye is up to her eyeballs in people who had a motive to harm Cherry and at the same time is trying to decipher clues as to the cheerleader's whereabouts.
Denise Swanson's Scumble River cozy series realistically presents life in a small town full of likable, quirky people with a very strong sense of family and community. It is also written with a sense of humor - which is always appreciated when used to advantage to keep the story from being bogged down by murder and mayhem.
The ending of this book is a real cliffhanger. I can hardly wait for book number 11 in the series to come out!
Carol Ann Hopkins 4/8/2008
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love it great funny and light mystery, April 24, 2008
This is the tenth installment of the Scumble River Series by Denise Swanson. As always I enjoyed this one immensely. Perfect cozy and funny characters. Great story line. Recommend for cozy mystery lovers
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting Review: Murder Of A Chocolate Covered Cherry, October 28, 2008
MURDER OF A CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY
DENISE SWANSON
Contemporary Mystery
Rating: 4 Enchantments
MURDER OF A CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY is the tenth book in Ms. Swanson's 'Scumble River Mysteries' series featuring Skye Denison. This time around Skye finds herself coerced by her mother to enter the Grandma Sal's Soup-to-Nuts Cooking Challenge. A fact made even more amazing when she finds out her mother's entered four recipes, three of which under other family members' names, including Skye's own. Grudgingly, Skye agrees to take part in the contest, knowing no matter how many times she's practiced her recipe, it won't turn out anywhere near her mother's version.
When contestant Cherry Alexander, the same woman who looked to be sabotaging Skye's mother's chances in the competition during the run through is found dead in the chocolate fountain, Skye finds herself investigating a murder while surrounded by far too many suspects. With Cherry's attitude at the Challenge, it could have been any of the contestants who'd drowned the woman in the excessive chocolate fountain, especially with the way she treated her fellow contestants a few short hours before she was discovered dead.
I found MURDER OF A CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY to be an interesting mystery. Set against the backdrop of the Cooking Challenge, there were more than enough logical suspects in the death of the cocky contestant Cherry Alexander. In fact, if not for the hint of Cherry in the title, I was almost sure another character would have been discovered dead in the fountain, given some of the scenes surrounding dear old Grandma Sal herself early in the book. As this was the first book in the 'Scumble River Mysteries' series I'd read, I found myself liking Skye almost immediately and it was easy to become immersed in her world. I loved her meddling mother and her relationship with her family. I look forward to reading more of the series.
Ms. Swanson creates an enjoyable mystery in the tenth book in her popular series. Readers looking for a light, entertaining mystery read won't go wrong picking this one up.
Denise Swanson started writing after coming face-to-face with evil. She quickly decided she would rather write about villains than encounter them in her daily life. She was also shocked to discover that getting a book published was nearly as difficult as vanquishing scoundrels. Her books are set in Scumble River, a fictional small town in the Midwest, and feature Skye Denison, a full-figured school psychologist-sleuth. Visit her online at her website: www.deniseswanson.com
Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2008
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