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Devereaux's Dime Store #3
Dead Between the Lines
Opening an old-fashioned five-and-dime shop in her small Missouri hometown has been a great change for Devereaux “Dev” Sinclair. But when she hosts a reading group there, she learns that bad writing can mean life or death.
To keep her new business in the black, Dev opens up her shop to local clubs. But in the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club, the speaker storms out after members attack his poetry’s sexism and scorn for small towns. Later that night, the poet’s body is found outside Dev’s store.
Dev can’t afford for the murder to close her down, so she does a little stepping out of her own to investigate, with help from her two sexy suitors, Dr. Noah Underwood and Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio. But when the killer threatens Dev, they will have to use every trick in the book to solve the case before she becomes the final chapter in this murder mystery.…
Includes a sneak peek at the next Scumble River Mystery!
To keep her new business in the black, Dev opens up her shop to local clubs. But in the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club, the speaker storms out after members attack his poetry’s sexism and scorn for small towns. Later that night, the poet’s body is found outside Dev’s store.
Dev can’t afford for the murder to close her down, so she does a little stepping out of her own to investigate, with help from her two sexy suitors, Dr. Noah Underwood and Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio. But when the killer threatens Dev, they will have to use every trick in the book to solve the case before she becomes the final chapter in this murder mystery.…
Includes a sneak peek at the next Scumble River Mystery!
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 4, 2014
39 people are currently reading
1052 people want to read
About the author
Denise Swanson
69 books1,126 followersDenise Swanson lives in rural Illinois with her husband, classical composer David Stybr.
After 22 years as a practicing school psychologist, she's happiest sitting in her scree porch reading. However, when the weather turns too cold, she's willing to leave the Midwest to cruise the sunny Caribbean.
Denise is an animal lover, but her home is currently furless, since her kitty of 20 years passed away in August of 2016. Instead, she enjoys watching the wildlife out her office window.
After 22 years as a practicing school psychologist, she's happiest sitting in her scree porch reading. However, when the weather turns too cold, she's willing to leave the Midwest to cruise the sunny Caribbean.
Denise is an animal lover, but her home is currently furless, since her kitty of 20 years passed away in August of 2016. Instead, she enjoys watching the wildlife out her office window.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
January 16, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Another great story from Denise Swanson. I categorized this one as a Cozy Romance Mystery because the romantic triangle of Dev, Dr. Noah and Deputy U.S. Marshall Jake is really the prime storyline in my opinion. With Jake back in town and thinking about making that permanent, Dev is going to have to make a decision sooner rather than later. You can only keep these two men in limbo for so long or there may a murder that will be easy to solve. Thankfully I am sure one man will back off gracefully but unhappily when she makes her decision.
I love that Dev opens up the extra room to local groups to make a little extra money. This time it is the Stepping Out Book Club that is featured when their guest speaker turns up dead way too close to the five and dime. I was surprised the entire group didn’t strike him down right in the middle of the meeting. What a first class jerk he was!! I will say that final twist that unveils the killer was jaw dropping. I did not see it coming at all.
This series is filled with very interesting characters and I can’t wait to see where the author takes them next. The possibilities seem endless.
March 4, 2014
Denise Swanson continues her Deveraux Dime Store mystery series with her latest book, Dead Between the Lines. Swanson does a wonderful job of meshing her dime store theme with other plot elements to create interesting directions for this series. Her latest idea of using the store as a gathering place for community clubs is featured when murder ends up being the subject of the latest book club meeting. Swanson has a way of writing that gathers the reader in and keeps them so interested they can't put it down. A very good addition to the series.
What I liked:
Denise Swanson always delivers a great read, so I wasn't concerned about that. The Deveraux Dime Store series is quite different from her Scrumble River books and it's interesting to see how each new book changes the direction of the series. This time readers have the pleasure of reading not only a good murder mystery, but one with a reading related theme as well. Having the book club meeting in the dime store provided a great avenue for this mystery. I loved the idea that Swanson was able to add that element to give the story even more momentum.
As usual I enjoyed Dev very much. She is a great heroine. She has that spark of curiosity that comes across as more of inquisitiveness. It isn't annoying or pretentious. When she starts asking questions she doesn't seem like someone suspects need to worry about. She just seems like your average young woman, wondering about things, not a detective. It works for her very well. I thought Swanson did a great job of making this heroine attuned to people and able to get information others might not be able to.
I love Dev's love life as well. It's a triangle for sure. She has feelings for Noah, but she also likes Jake. Who will she choose? Maybe we will find out in future books. For now she's dating both of them. Not something I think is necessarily realistic when it comes to men who know about each other, but it goes along with the plot. That long distance relationship stuff is for the birds though, so I think it's Noah who will win out.
The mystery was well written and had some edge to it. The guest author for the book club gathering has written a scathing book of poetry that has tempers on the rise. After having words with several book club members the author ends up dead right in front of Dev's store. I liked the way Dev gets right into the fray of finding out who did it. The suspects were aplenty and the motives were varied and interesting. Not Swanson's strongest effort, but definitely worth the time to try to figure out.
What I didn't like:
There wasn't much I didn't like, but it didn't grab me like some of Swanson's books do. It was a good book for sure, just not my favorite of the series, to date.
Bottom Line:
If you have read the other books in this series and others by this author, you know how good she is. This is a good addition to the series and continues to move the series forward at a good clip. Looking forward to the next one.
What I liked:
Denise Swanson always delivers a great read, so I wasn't concerned about that. The Deveraux Dime Store series is quite different from her Scrumble River books and it's interesting to see how each new book changes the direction of the series. This time readers have the pleasure of reading not only a good murder mystery, but one with a reading related theme as well. Having the book club meeting in the dime store provided a great avenue for this mystery. I loved the idea that Swanson was able to add that element to give the story even more momentum.
As usual I enjoyed Dev very much. She is a great heroine. She has that spark of curiosity that comes across as more of inquisitiveness. It isn't annoying or pretentious. When she starts asking questions she doesn't seem like someone suspects need to worry about. She just seems like your average young woman, wondering about things, not a detective. It works for her very well. I thought Swanson did a great job of making this heroine attuned to people and able to get information others might not be able to.
I love Dev's love life as well. It's a triangle for sure. She has feelings for Noah, but she also likes Jake. Who will she choose? Maybe we will find out in future books. For now she's dating both of them. Not something I think is necessarily realistic when it comes to men who know about each other, but it goes along with the plot. That long distance relationship stuff is for the birds though, so I think it's Noah who will win out.
The mystery was well written and had some edge to it. The guest author for the book club gathering has written a scathing book of poetry that has tempers on the rise. After having words with several book club members the author ends up dead right in front of Dev's store. I liked the way Dev gets right into the fray of finding out who did it. The suspects were aplenty and the motives were varied and interesting. Not Swanson's strongest effort, but definitely worth the time to try to figure out.
What I didn't like:
There wasn't much I didn't like, but it didn't grab me like some of Swanson's books do. It was a good book for sure, just not my favorite of the series, to date.
Bottom Line:
If you have read the other books in this series and others by this author, you know how good she is. This is a good addition to the series and continues to move the series forward at a good clip. Looking forward to the next one.
March 11, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/de...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Beth
dead-between-the-lines-devereauxs-dime-store-mystery-denise-swansonDev Sinclair has opened her shop to local clubs in the past, but the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club ends with the guest speaker storming out in anger, and with murder. With her shop involved, Dev is already drawn into the investigation. Her assistant Xylia is a member of the book club, and involved as well. Dev has to balance business, investigation, and two hopeful suitors, along with the care of her grandmother, and cat sitting duties. Will her grandmother’s cat Banshee have Tsar for a snack if she brings him home? The solution is to keep Tsar at the store, but murder intervenes. Tsar can’t stay at the store while the CSI is there.
With fun and fascinating characters the author gives us a lively mystery with many twists and turns. Just as lively is Dev’s love life with two men competing for her attention, and not liking each other at all. Fun witty dialogue and a fast moving plot keep the reader engaged, and enjoying the ride. Most of the story is told from Devereaux’s viewpoint, but we do get to see things through the eyes of Noah, and Jake, finding out just how much they care about Dev. Friendship, attraction, and family complications all add to the mélange that make up this mystery. Mystery lovers, cat lovers, and those who like some humor and romance mixed in with their mystery will enjoy both this book and the series. I know I am hooked.
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Beth
dead-between-the-lines-devereauxs-dime-store-mystery-denise-swansonDev Sinclair has opened her shop to local clubs in the past, but the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club ends with the guest speaker storming out in anger, and with murder. With her shop involved, Dev is already drawn into the investigation. Her assistant Xylia is a member of the book club, and involved as well. Dev has to balance business, investigation, and two hopeful suitors, along with the care of her grandmother, and cat sitting duties. Will her grandmother’s cat Banshee have Tsar for a snack if she brings him home? The solution is to keep Tsar at the store, but murder intervenes. Tsar can’t stay at the store while the CSI is there.
With fun and fascinating characters the author gives us a lively mystery with many twists and turns. Just as lively is Dev’s love life with two men competing for her attention, and not liking each other at all. Fun witty dialogue and a fast moving plot keep the reader engaged, and enjoying the ride. Most of the story is told from Devereaux’s viewpoint, but we do get to see things through the eyes of Noah, and Jake, finding out just how much they care about Dev. Friendship, attraction, and family complications all add to the mélange that make up this mystery. Mystery lovers, cat lovers, and those who like some humor and romance mixed in with their mystery will enjoy both this book and the series. I know I am hooked.
March 4, 2014
A small town book club meeting gone awry, dark secrets meant to stay buried, and murder! DEAD BETWEEN THE LINES is a juicy cozy mystery that had me hooked from the beginning.
Dev Sinclair runs Shadow Bend’s dime store, and to help make ends meet, she rents out space for local club events. On the evening the Stepping Out Book Club held its meeting, things go terribly wrong. The guest speaker, a local poet, turns out to be a misogynistic jerk who manages to offend everyone. He storms out in a huff and is later found dead in Dev’s trash behind her store. Mr. Unpleasant was harboring some big secrets, ones that made him even more unlikable, if that’s possible.
With an ear to the gossip grapevine of Shadow Bend and an eye on possible suspects, clever Dev becomes an invaluable resource to the police’s murder investigation. I like Dev. She’s a down to earth gal who takes a sensible approach to amateur sleuthing. She also gets some help from the two men in her life – U.S. Marshal Jake and Dr. Noah. Both guys have a thing for Dev, and she kind of has a thing for both of them, which complicates things.
DEAD BETWEEN THE LINES was an enjoyable read. It was a fast-paced and exciting mystery, and I was rather surprised to learn who the killer was. This is the third book in the series, though it could be read stand alone. Recommended to fans of cozy mysteries who like a healthy dose of romance mixed in.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Dev Sinclair runs Shadow Bend’s dime store, and to help make ends meet, she rents out space for local club events. On the evening the Stepping Out Book Club held its meeting, things go terribly wrong. The guest speaker, a local poet, turns out to be a misogynistic jerk who manages to offend everyone. He storms out in a huff and is later found dead in Dev’s trash behind her store. Mr. Unpleasant was harboring some big secrets, ones that made him even more unlikable, if that’s possible.
With an ear to the gossip grapevine of Shadow Bend and an eye on possible suspects, clever Dev becomes an invaluable resource to the police’s murder investigation. I like Dev. She’s a down to earth gal who takes a sensible approach to amateur sleuthing. She also gets some help from the two men in her life – U.S. Marshal Jake and Dr. Noah. Both guys have a thing for Dev, and she kind of has a thing for both of them, which complicates things.
DEAD BETWEEN THE LINES was an enjoyable read. It was a fast-paced and exciting mystery, and I was rather surprised to learn who the killer was. This is the third book in the series, though it could be read stand alone. Recommended to fans of cozy mysteries who like a healthy dose of romance mixed in.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Source: Review copy from the publisher
December 28, 2014
Jake and Noah are not only heating thing up for Dev but could end up slugging it out if Dev doesn't step up her game and make some hard choices.
The Murder of a local author out back of her store has Dev even busier when she decides that she's going to have to find the killer before he or she decides she's getting too involved.
This is most definitely the best book in the series to date and I hope the author (who I really like) keeps us glued to our seats with many more books in this series.
The Murder of a local author out back of her store has Dev even busier when she decides that she's going to have to find the killer before he or she decides she's getting too involved.
This is most definitely the best book in the series to date and I hope the author (who I really like) keeps us glued to our seats with many more books in this series.
March 21, 2014
Another great book from Denise Swanson. Gave us a twist and left with a cliff hanger. Hope the series continues as well as her Scumble River mysteries do.
April 10, 2017
Opening an old-fashioned five-and-dime shop in her small Missouri hometown has been a great change for Devereaux “Dev” Sinclair. But when she hosts a reading group there, she learns that bad writing can mean life or death.
To keep her new business in the black, Dev opens up her shop to local clubs. But in the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club, the speaker storms out after members attack his poetry’s sexism and scorn for small towns. Later that night, the poet’s body is found outside Dev’s store.
Dev can’t afford for the murder to close her down, so she does a little stepping out of her own to investigate, with help from her two sexy suitors, Dr. Noah Underwood and Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio. But when the killer threatens Dev, they will have to use every trick in the book to solve the case before she becomes the final chapter in this murder mystery.…
This is my first visit to Dev's Dime Store, but not my last.
I found this is a fun and funny mystery, and has had me laughing. With a good set of characters, in a well plotted and written mystery, that will keep you listening right until the end.
The narrator Maia Guest, makes this audiobook an enjoyable and smooth listen.
I voluntarily giving an honest review an audio copy of this book for the author.
Available in paperback and audio download in both the UK and the USA.
To keep her new business in the black, Dev opens up her shop to local clubs. But in the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club, the speaker storms out after members attack his poetry’s sexism and scorn for small towns. Later that night, the poet’s body is found outside Dev’s store.
Dev can’t afford for the murder to close her down, so she does a little stepping out of her own to investigate, with help from her two sexy suitors, Dr. Noah Underwood and Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio. But when the killer threatens Dev, they will have to use every trick in the book to solve the case before she becomes the final chapter in this murder mystery.…
This is my first visit to Dev's Dime Store, but not my last.
I found this is a fun and funny mystery, and has had me laughing. With a good set of characters, in a well plotted and written mystery, that will keep you listening right until the end.
The narrator Maia Guest, makes this audiobook an enjoyable and smooth listen.
I voluntarily giving an honest review an audio copy of this book for the author.
Available in paperback and audio download in both the UK and the USA.
March 25, 2019
I really enjoy this series. Dev is a very real and likeable character. The mystery in this one is good and I was surprised at the ending. It was a lot of fun.
February 24, 2014
Dead Between The Lines is the third book in the A Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery series.
Dev is getting ready to welcome the Stepping Out Book Club to here dime store. It was with some trepidation that she is hosting them, another night away from her mother and that the president of the club is the principal, Mrs. Ziegler, from her old high school. Ziegler has always been able to put the fear of God in Dev. The guest author for the first meeting is Mr. Quistgaard, who will discuss his latest book of poetry about life in a small town and women. In this book of poetry, is quite malicious both to women in general and the people and life of small towns. Needless to say, this doesn't go over well with the members of the book club. Three of the members have words with him and one storms out of the meeting. Very early the next morning Dev receives a call from the police asking here to come to the store and when she arrives she finds out that Quistgaard has been killed behind the store. Dev starts sleuthing, once again, hoping to get closure for little community and to turn her store back into a store and not a place people come to gawk. Dev needs to careful as death might lurking on the stairs.
On the romance side, Dev has decided not to decide. She has feelings for Jake Del Veechio, but he's now five hours away and she certainly still has feelings for Noah Underwood, even if he did break her after high school. The agreement is that she will date both of them until she makes up her mind. Yes, it is like putting two mountain goats together, ready to do battle.
I really enjoy this series that gives the reader a good story and interesting characters. And little humor mixed in, too.
Looking forward to the next book to see what Dev can get herself into.
Dev is getting ready to welcome the Stepping Out Book Club to here dime store. It was with some trepidation that she is hosting them, another night away from her mother and that the president of the club is the principal, Mrs. Ziegler, from her old high school. Ziegler has always been able to put the fear of God in Dev. The guest author for the first meeting is Mr. Quistgaard, who will discuss his latest book of poetry about life in a small town and women. In this book of poetry, is quite malicious both to women in general and the people and life of small towns. Needless to say, this doesn't go over well with the members of the book club. Three of the members have words with him and one storms out of the meeting. Very early the next morning Dev receives a call from the police asking here to come to the store and when she arrives she finds out that Quistgaard has been killed behind the store. Dev starts sleuthing, once again, hoping to get closure for little community and to turn her store back into a store and not a place people come to gawk. Dev needs to careful as death might lurking on the stairs.
On the romance side, Dev has decided not to decide. She has feelings for Jake Del Veechio, but he's now five hours away and she certainly still has feelings for Noah Underwood, even if he did break her after high school. The agreement is that she will date both of them until she makes up her mind. Yes, it is like putting two mountain goats together, ready to do battle.
I really enjoy this series that gives the reader a good story and interesting characters. And little humor mixed in, too.
Looking forward to the next book to see what Dev can get herself into.
December 6, 2015
This is a cozy mystery about a young, single woman who owns a dime store and creates gift baskets to support herself and her grandmother. We soon learn that she has a complicated family history with a father who was arrested for manslaughter and a mother who left her with the grandmother and never was heard from again. This is the third in the series, and I often found myself wondering about the backstory of different events referred to that must have taken place in the first two books. Evidently, her history with the town is complicated also. She and her grandmother endured years of judgment by former friends when Dev's father was arrested. She also seems to have been involved in two other murders within the last year prior to the opening of this book. In spite of the cloud she grew up under, she seems to have good friends, two hunky boyfriends, and a good life in the small town. This book is completely stand-alone--I was just curious to know more.
The mystery part was intriguing. The romance part was propelled by "naughty" thoughts, kisses and groping. My favorite part was her obvious love of, and sense of responsibility toward, her grandmother. She is a very likeable character, and her two beaus are both very appealing.
Totally beside the point, this book is a bonanza for anyone trying to complete a A-Z character reading challenge. Quistgarrd. Zizi, Xylia, Winkie, Yale and others all play a role in the story. I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but the thoughts expressed are mine.
The mystery part was intriguing. The romance part was propelled by "naughty" thoughts, kisses and groping. My favorite part was her obvious love of, and sense of responsibility toward, her grandmother. She is a very likeable character, and her two beaus are both very appealing.
Totally beside the point, this book is a bonanza for anyone trying to complete a A-Z character reading challenge. Quistgarrd. Zizi, Xylia, Winkie, Yale and others all play a role in the story. I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but the thoughts expressed are mine.
April 7, 2014
I got this free from a blogger. This is my honest review.
Devereaux Sinclair has her hands full running her "five and dime" store in Missouri, and keeping track of her Gran who is loosing some of her memory. On the other hand, she has the good fortune to have two hunky boyfriends who both want her full attention. Noah is the town's Doctor and Jake is a US Marshal. In this book--third in the Devereaux Dime Store Mysteries--both men have their hands full trying to keep "Dev" out of trouble.
Dev has numerous book and crafting groups that meet at her store. This month's book group has read a poet's book, but instead of lovely verse, the poet bashes everything about women and small towns. Then he tries to hit on one of the book group members. His reward is murder. His body is found behind Dev's store. Dev delves into the poet's personal life and tracks down alibis from her customers to find the killer before he/she takes her out too.
Lots of fun romance and interesting competition amongst the characters in this book. Background information relates to the two previous books in this series, so I suggest reading them first. Love the humor of the Dime store group names--book group is the "SOBs" , the Stepping Out Book club, for one. Reminders of my times long ago in "five and dimes" made this book particularly interesting for me. Think Swanson has potential for lots more books in this fun series!
Devereaux Sinclair has her hands full running her "five and dime" store in Missouri, and keeping track of her Gran who is loosing some of her memory. On the other hand, she has the good fortune to have two hunky boyfriends who both want her full attention. Noah is the town's Doctor and Jake is a US Marshal. In this book--third in the Devereaux Dime Store Mysteries--both men have their hands full trying to keep "Dev" out of trouble.
Dev has numerous book and crafting groups that meet at her store. This month's book group has read a poet's book, but instead of lovely verse, the poet bashes everything about women and small towns. Then he tries to hit on one of the book group members. His reward is murder. His body is found behind Dev's store. Dev delves into the poet's personal life and tracks down alibis from her customers to find the killer before he/she takes her out too.
Lots of fun romance and interesting competition amongst the characters in this book. Background information relates to the two previous books in this series, so I suggest reading them first. Love the humor of the Dime store group names--book group is the "SOBs" , the Stepping Out Book club, for one. Reminders of my times long ago in "five and dimes" made this book particularly interesting for me. Think Swanson has potential for lots more books in this fun series!
March 20, 2014
I received this from Goodreads giveaway.
I just finished this wonderful little book by Denise Swanson. I have never read any of her books before. I know I will look forward to reading some other books by her. This book is a romance mixed with a mystery cozy read to it.
I loved the blend of characters, You can just picture this small town easy going people. The author just brought them to life for you.
We meet Dev who owns and runs a small shop in town and also who takes care of her sweet feisty grandmother who you can not help but love. Dev has also has a love triangle going with two who are about ready to duck it out tow win her. She really has to do something but does not
want to hurt either one.
Dev we find is having a hard time making ends meet and decides to open her shop up to several clubs in town. She opens it up one night to a book club. The main speaker that night is not very gentleman like and storms out in a temper before the meeting has ended. This is where things pick up and the next morning to Dev's surprise he is found dead behind her shop.
Dev is scared what this will do to her shop and with the help of her two suitors she tries to find out who killed him. You will laugh at the way things go and also will feel sorry for them at times.
This book is just a lot of laughs. I found it a fun read...
I just finished this wonderful little book by Denise Swanson. I have never read any of her books before. I know I will look forward to reading some other books by her. This book is a romance mixed with a mystery cozy read to it.
I loved the blend of characters, You can just picture this small town easy going people. The author just brought them to life for you.
We meet Dev who owns and runs a small shop in town and also who takes care of her sweet feisty grandmother who you can not help but love. Dev has also has a love triangle going with two who are about ready to duck it out tow win her. She really has to do something but does not
want to hurt either one.
Dev we find is having a hard time making ends meet and decides to open her shop up to several clubs in town. She opens it up one night to a book club. The main speaker that night is not very gentleman like and storms out in a temper before the meeting has ended. This is where things pick up and the next morning to Dev's surprise he is found dead behind her shop.
Dev is scared what this will do to her shop and with the help of her two suitors she tries to find out who killed him. You will laugh at the way things go and also will feel sorry for them at times.
This book is just a lot of laughs. I found it a fun read...
August 7, 2016
Denise Swanson has another winner. This is Ms. Swanson second series, and it is good as the Scumble River Mysteries. This is the third one in the Devereaux's Dime Store Mysteries, but it can stand alone.
Dev Sinclair was a successful business woman who gives up her well paying job to come home and take care of her grandmother. She opens a DIme Store and decides to let different clubs rent space supplement her income. With an obnoxious speaker for the Book Club, Dev is plunged into a murder after the speaker's body in found behind her store. Without giving anything way, Dev and her two boyfriends search for the killer who is complete surprise. I usually can figure out the culprit but this one was a complete surprise.
This is a wonderful cozy mystery. The romance in the book is fun. Dev and her grandmother are delightful. Every series has to have a character you love to hate, and this is no exception. Ms. Swanson makes you care for her characters which makes this series for me.
Buy or check out of the library this book and enjoy a wonderful read.
Dev Sinclair was a successful business woman who gives up her well paying job to come home and take care of her grandmother. She opens a DIme Store and decides to let different clubs rent space supplement her income. With an obnoxious speaker for the Book Club, Dev is plunged into a murder after the speaker's body in found behind her store. Without giving anything way, Dev and her two boyfriends search for the killer who is complete surprise. I usually can figure out the culprit but this one was a complete surprise.
This is a wonderful cozy mystery. The romance in the book is fun. Dev and her grandmother are delightful. Every series has to have a character you love to hate, and this is no exception. Ms. Swanson makes you care for her characters which makes this series for me.
Buy or check out of the library this book and enjoy a wonderful read.
November 27, 2023
Dead Between the Lines (Devereaux's Dime Store, #3)
by Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)
This book had some good elements and some not-as-good elements.
a. Dev Sinclair is a liar. She lies about little things and when she's caught in the lie, she tells another one and gets caught in that lie. For Sinclair "lying is okay when profits are involved."
b. Sinclair blames her loose association with the truth on working in the finance industry. That's insulting. Working in a certain industry doesn't change who you are, it just reveals it.
c. Sinclair keeps throwing Jake's ex-wife in his face or is feeding her insecurities about it. This is going to get tiresome for me and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets old for Jake as well.
d. Swanson once again throws some shade at city workers or non-small-town people. "They like contemporary instead of traditional. Spectacular instead of dignified." Really?
by Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)
This book had some good elements and some not-as-good elements.
a. Dev Sinclair is a liar. She lies about little things and when she's caught in the lie, she tells another one and gets caught in that lie. For Sinclair "lying is okay when profits are involved."
b. Sinclair blames her loose association with the truth on working in the finance industry. That's insulting. Working in a certain industry doesn't change who you are, it just reveals it.
c. Sinclair keeps throwing Jake's ex-wife in his face or is feeding her insecurities about it. This is going to get tiresome for me and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets old for Jake as well.
d. Swanson once again throws some shade at city workers or non-small-town people. "They like contemporary instead of traditional. Spectacular instead of dignified." Really?
March 14, 2015
Dead between the lines by Denise Swanson is the 3rd book in a Devereaux Dime store Mystery series. After giving a presentation to a book club at Devereaux's dime store, an obnoxious local poet and writer is found dead and dumped in the garbage behind the store. I enjoyed the book and catching up with all the characters again and I liked the different narratives from the various characters. The love triangle spoilt the book for me though and hopefully it will be resolved soon. I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing Devereaux's relationship with her father develop further, now that he has been released from prison.
April 5, 2014
When I started this series I did not think I could love a series as much as Denise's other series set in Scumble River, but I have fallen in love with this Deveraux Dime series and its characters , esp Deveraux who is a cool curvy chick.
In this book, book 3 in the series we meet some great characters and some down right horrible ones, plus Deveraux is practically fighting off the men as she has more then one man interested in her, add in a dead body and you have a fun filled read that is worth setting some time aside for . Fantastic book, loved it! Go get it!
In this book, book 3 in the series we meet some great characters and some down right horrible ones, plus Deveraux is practically fighting off the men as she has more then one man interested in her, add in a dead body and you have a fun filled read that is worth setting some time aside for . Fantastic book, loved it! Go get it!
March 9, 2014
I like this series. Probably more than I like the Scumbag River series. Totally team Jake.
March 12, 2014
I love every one of these books! More please! :)
July 18, 2017
A good mystery set in Deveraux's Dime Story, this story takes place when a man is murdered right after leaving a book club event in Dev's store. She is called to come back to her store in the middle of the night, because the police found the man in a box right outside her back door. The victim has offended many people in many ways, so there are many who would like to see him silenced. The town is in an uproar, and Dev and the two men who are her love interests have to find out who the killer is before the threats against Dev's life can actually happen.
June 4, 2017
Dev owns and runs a dime store that really is much more. She makes gift baskets to order, and hosts a variety of meetings, including a book discussion group. But things go awry at the discussion, and the guest speaker causes a ruckus with unfortunate results. Trying to keep her store running smoothly while caring for her grandmother and dating two very eligible guys has Dev burning the midnight oil and then some. Highly entertaining, this cozy is one for the books.
July 21, 2022
Once again Dev is trying to sort out her love life but obstacles keep getting in her way daily. A simple book club reading ends up in a heated argument with the author, someone who is supposed to be local, but nobody really seems to know.
The heat is turned up with Dev’s lovers as she tries to figure out what, if anything, to do with the both of them.
Family dynamics are changing for several people and viable solutions need to be worked out.
The heat is turned up with Dev’s lovers as she tries to figure out what, if anything, to do with the both of them.
Family dynamics are changing for several people and viable solutions need to be worked out.
February 20, 2024
I usually love Denise Swanson, but this one bothered me. Maybe it was all the smut-shaming through the book. I know Swanson's books fall on the more innocent side of romance novels, and this is way more a romance novel than a mystery novel, more than any of her novels have been, but alienating with pretty strong opinions about it felt off.
September 15, 2017
I liked this series when I first started it a few years ago, but I just couldn't get in to this story. Maybe it's because I let too much time pass in between reading installments, but I struggled to get through it and it didn't capture my attention.
October 30, 2017
Although the plot was a bit twisted, I really enjoyed all the idiosyncrasies of the folks in this book. I like the fact too that while the heroine did discover the murdered, she did not realize at the time that she was doing so.
July 13, 2020
Dev host a reading group have an author do a live interview about his latest poetry book. Things don't turn out well for him and Dev ends up needing to investigate a murder. The storyline is entertaining and we get to see Dev date two men.
July 9, 2017
Ok
Not the best of this series. A bit heavy on the attraction to 2 men, which is best. The murderer was all too evident
Not the best of this series. A bit heavy on the attraction to 2 men, which is best. The murderer was all too evident
October 2, 2017
I can’t get enough of these books! My favorite cozy mystery series I’ve read in a long time. Wonderful characters, wacky crimes, and a picturesque setting make these easy and fun to read.
December 27, 2017
I liked this book the most so far in the series because it focused more on the mystery and less on the romantic entanglements of the detective.
March 9, 2018
Love me some Denise Swanson. Whether it's the Dime Store series or the Scumble River series, you can count me in.
My only request is that Devereaux pick between Jake or Noah already!!
My only request is that Devereaux pick between Jake or Noah already!!
March 6, 2018
She writes a good cozie.
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