Rating: 
Summary: Another winner in new series
Review: After reading Swanson's second Scumble River Mystery, you'll think twice before going "over the meadow and through the woods" to visit Grandma. In fact, as Skye Dennison searches out her grandmother's killer and learns more than she ever wanted to know about her relatives' lurid secrets, you'll think twice about your whole family. Back in Scumble River, her small hometown in the boonies where she works as a school psychologist, Skye solves multiple murders, juggles two love interests, and counsels several students. With the authority of a born writer and career psychologist, Swanson tells a first rate story, a strong follow-up to her Agatha nominated Murder of a Small Town Honey.
Rating:
Summary: Denise Swanson has done it again...
Review: created an enjoyable mystery story with interesting characters, that is. Skye Dennison's feuding family, including her obnoxious cousins make this a great read. Like the first book in the series, Murder of a Small Town Honey, there are also some references to Skye's work as a school psychologist to round out the plot.If you like mysteries with amateur detectives with usnusal jobs and a nice sprinkling of humor, both of these books are good picks.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: Even though Skye's poor grandmother is murdered, this book still brings entertainment as we meet the crazy extended family and try to find out who commited the murder. I also enjoy getting to see the school psychologist in her. Meeting the different kids at the school brings another dimention to the story. I really enjoyed this book along with the other two in the series. I cant wait until the next is published. It is a very fast, easy read and leaves you wanting more at the end. wonderfully written.
Rating:
Summary: An author with a fresh style
Review: For years Skye Denison's goal was to leave her small Illinois town of Scumble River. When she finally achieves her objective, her life falls apart. The Chicago school psychologist requests the Children's Protective Services look into a potential child abuse case. Her boss demands she withdraw her complaint, which Skye refuses to do so she is fired. Losing her fiancee right afterward, a beaten Skye returns to her hometown. Although Skye still wants to leave town, she needs a new nest egg plus she has her beloved grandma to visit everyday. Her grandma's mind is slowly deteriorating, but she still is able to tell Skye the family history as well as any professional storyteller. However, one day Skye arrives to find her grandma in bed with a sheet over her head and the housekeeper missing. Though it appears her granny died in her sleep, Skye insists on an autopsy only to learn someone killed her beloved relative. Needing closure while she grieves, Skye seeks out who and why anyone would murder a sweet old lady. Skye is a quixotic mix of vulnerability and strength that leads to reader endearment. The story line is a skillfully executed amateur sleuth tale that shows that Denise Swanson, with only two published books, is on her way to the top of the genre. Though the audience will feel sad that granny was killed, they will also exult in a magnificent tale written by a wonderful author. <p.Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Riveting
Review: I just love Skye Denison, Denise Swanson's amateur sleuth. She's a school psychologist who has to battle parents who can't wrap their flaccid minds around the fact that perhaps their little Betty or Reginald isn't as perfect as paradise. With these little battles to...well, battle, the last thing poor Skye needs is someone to murder her beloved grandmother, Antonia Leofanti. But someone has. Sky finds her grandma dead as the proverbial doornail in the poor old lady's bedroom, with the covers pulled up over her head, only a cloud of wispy gray hair peeking over the top. Later on the same day, or perhaps the next day, Antonia's maid and caregiver, Mrs. Jankowski is found in an abandoned well or some such, along with a half a pan of poisoned brownies jammed in beside her. As if all this isn't enough, Skye is almost positive that the person(s) who murdered her grandma and Mrs. J is a person in her family. This is a fun, fast mystery that I had a terrible time putting down.
Rating: 
Summary: Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
Review: i read a lot, mostly cozys (light mysteries) i cut my teeth on nancy drew and the bolton sisters even the hardy boys i graduated to the cat who books and miss marple. even morse and dalgleash were guests on my night stand. i read an average of one book every day or two. after many years i can usually tell who done it early on/ figure the plot/ hope for a surprise to keep from getting bored. i like mary higgins clarke and enjoy many others as well.
however swansons book about a small town (much like my own) with all the family "stuff" much like my own, hit a nerve.for the first time since i read"penny nichols and the plack imp" at the age of ten i was spellbound within a story. she is smart, plump, works for a living, loves her brother and parents,SHE IS REAL, and i can't wait to read more of this heroine. for several hours i and my cat were lost within your pages of adventure and i thank you for that. the story was light, i didn't have to consult my dictionary. i was pleasantly involved without having to waste time in tracking twining story lines. this book is the type to tuck in your purse and carry around that is if you can leave it long enough to carry it. ill now order the next offering from this author
Rating:
Summary: bravo
Review: i read a lot, mostly cozys (light mysteries) i cut my teeth on nancy drew and the bolton sisters even the hardy boys i graduated to the cat who books and miss marple. even morse and dalgleash were guests on my night stand. i read an average of one book every day or two. after many years i can usually tell who done it early on/ figure the plot/ hope for a surprise to keep from getting bored. i like mary higgins clarke and enjoy many others as well.
however swansons book about a small town (much like my own) with all the family "stuff" much like my own, hit a nerve.for the first time since i read"penny nichols and the plack imp" at the age of ten i was spellbound within a story. she is smart, plump, works for a living, loves her brother and parents,SHE IS REAL, and i can't wait to read more of this heroine. for several hours i and my cat were lost within your pages of adventure and i thank you for that. the story was light, i didn't have to consult my dictionary. i was pleasantly involved without having to waste time in tracking twining story lines. this book is the type to tuck in your purse and carry around that is if you can leave it long enough to carry it. ill now order the next offering from this author
Rating:
Summary: Good, but...
Review: I thought this book was good, but I didn't really get into the storyline that much. The idea of her grandmother being murdered by a family member is a very good one, but Ms. Swanson didn't really live up to my hopes. This book could have been much better handled with the idea, and the fact that someone from the family was the responsible for the murder was an interesting one. So far, of the three books that I've read in this series, the first one is still my favorite (Murder of a Small-Town Honey). I hope that the fourth book (Murder of a Snake in the Grass) becomes my new favorite once I find time to read it. -Ater
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Small-Town Cozy!
Review: In the 2nd book in the Scumble River mystery series, we see amateur sleuth, Skye Denison working hard at fitting into her hometown and finishing up the school year. Skye is a school psychologist, returning home to live and work after humiliating herself while delivering a valedictorian speech 12 years prior. It seems that Skye left with a chip on her shoulder about "the small minds of those in a small town" and has to return home with her tail tucked firmly between her legs after losing her last job. Since she left her last job in disgrace (although it was not her fault), the only job she can get is in the school system that she shunned when she left town. While trying to re-establish herself in her hometown, she helped to solve a previous case that cleared her brother of murder. In this case, Skye has been spending a lot of time with her grandmother to re-establish broken ties and to learn more about family history. When her grandmother dies suddenly after being given a clean bill of health from her doctor, Skye gets suspicious. And when she learns that her grandmother's caretaker has vanished, family members start to hypothesize that she murdered the grandmother. While suspecting everyone (including her own family members) Skye determines that she will ferret out some old family secrets and in doing so will prove who killed her grandmother. Add to this that Skye is having difficulties with some students at school, and you have an interesting, engaging cozy mystery! I enjoyed this book much more than I had the first book in this series. I felt that the first book was valuable for its character development but did not offer as much of an interesting read as this one did. I like the characters in Scumble River, and enjoyed all of the relationships between family members as described in this book. I also enjoyed the fact that Skye faced a huge ethical dilemma, and it was interesting to see how she would handle this situation. If you like cozy mysteries involving small towns, give this series a try. The first book in the series is "Murder of a Small Town Honey". Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Small-Town Cozy!
Review: In the 2nd book in the Scumble River mystery series, we see amateur sleuth, Skye Denison working hard at fitting into her hometown and finishing up the school year. Skye is a school psychologist, returning home to live and work after humiliating herself while delivering a valedictorian speech 12 years prior. It seems that Skye left with a chip on her shoulder about "the small minds of those in a small town" and has to return home with her tail tucked firmly between her legs after losing her last job. Since she left her last job in disgrace (although it was not her fault), the only job she can get is in the school system that she shunned when she left town. While trying to re-establish herself in her hometown, she helped to solve a previous case that cleared her brother of murder. In this case, Skye has been spending a lot of time with her grandmother to re-establish broken ties and to learn more about family history. When her grandmother dies suddenly after being given a clean bill of health from her doctor, Skye gets suspicious. And when she learns that her grandmother's caretaker has vanished, family members start to hypothesize that she murdered the grandmother. While suspecting everyone (including her own family members) Skye determines that she will ferret out some old family secrets and in doing so will prove who killed her grandmother. Add to this that Skye is having difficulties with some students at school, and you have an interesting, engaging cozy mystery! I enjoyed this book much more than I had the first book in this series. I felt that the first book was valuable for its character development but did not offer as much of an interesting read as this one did. I like the characters in Scumble River, and enjoyed all of the relationships between family members as described in this book. I also enjoyed the fact that Skye faced a huge ethical dilemma, and it was interesting to see how she would handle this situation. If you like cozy mysteries involving small towns, give this series a try. The first book in the series is "Murder of a Small Town Honey". Enjoy!
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