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A Scumble River Mystery #19
Murder of a Cranky Catnapper
In this delightful Scumble River Mystery, a school psychologist has her hands full after a school board sourpuss meets a bitter end...
With her morning sickness finally abated, Skye Denison-Boyd is ready to pounce on the pertinent problems she faces as Scumble River Elementary School’s psychologist. After trying almost every trick in the book to aid a handful of socially awkward fourth grade boys, Skye opts for the innovative approach of pet therapy with the assistance of the local vet, a Siberian husky, and a Maine coon cat.
Unfortunately, the first session only breeds disaster and draws the ire of cantankerous school board member Palmer Lynch. But Skye’s worry over the episode changes to dread after Lynch is found dead in his home with the therapy cat hidden in his garage. With a clowder of questions unleashed, Skye finds herself dealing with a killer who isn’t pussyfooting around...
With her morning sickness finally abated, Skye Denison-Boyd is ready to pounce on the pertinent problems she faces as Scumble River Elementary School’s psychologist. After trying almost every trick in the book to aid a handful of socially awkward fourth grade boys, Skye opts for the innovative approach of pet therapy with the assistance of the local vet, a Siberian husky, and a Maine coon cat.
Unfortunately, the first session only breeds disaster and draws the ire of cantankerous school board member Palmer Lynch. But Skye’s worry over the episode changes to dread after Lynch is found dead in his home with the therapy cat hidden in his garage. With a clowder of questions unleashed, Skye finds herself dealing with a killer who isn’t pussyfooting around...
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 6, 2016
68 people are currently reading
936 people want to read
About the author
Denise Swanson
69 books1,128 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 92 reviews
March 11, 2023
Skye gets a phone call from her cleaning lady asking her to come over to the house she is cleaning right away and she won't tell her why until she gets there. Don't drive, walk. It ends up being the nasty school board president, dead and in a compromising position. There is no shortage of suspects. Plus they found the Belle the catnapped kitty in his garage. Even though this was a re-read for me, I was still surprised by who done it. I enjoy this series.
January 29, 2017
Murder of a Cranky Catnapper by Denise Swanson is the 19th book in the Scumble River Mystery series. Skye is called to a homicide when her housekeeper finds one of her other clients shot dead and bound to his bed in a compromising position. This is one of my favourite series and this book did not disappoint. I loved catching up with all the characters just as much as I enjoyed the mystery. A nice, well written and entertaining cozy mystery.
September 16, 2016
Wow, how did I miss this so-cool series for so long? This is definitely on my 'must read' list not only for the future, but also for all the ones I've missed! It is sometimes LOL funny, other times incredibly serious or suspenseful.
Skye has married the man of her dreams, and is now carrying their first child. She is happy to be a consultant with the Scumble River PD, where hubby Wally is Chief of Police, and happy to work at the local school system as a psychologist. She wasn't prepared to be yelled at by the school board member who is on the ballot against her beloved Uncle Charlie as board president for beginning pet therapy with one of her groups of children. At least until the gorgeous Maine Coon cat was stolen from the vet's office. And she was in no way prepared for the call from the lady who cleaned her home and many others in town, from the home of the cranky board member. The poor lady found the board member dead in his home in a rather unique....position. Skye becomes involved when the main suspect is someone she knows is innocent.
There are just enough suspects to keep this novel exciting and challenging. The characters are just like we are, with the thoughts and actions that many of us have. Secrets are unearthed in places where they would not be anticipated. The bad guy or gal was a bit of a surprise! The mystery is overall satisfying, and I am so looking forward to the next one - after all, we want to know if Skye gives birth to a boy or girl! And because this is an awesome series!
Skye has married the man of her dreams, and is now carrying their first child. She is happy to be a consultant with the Scumble River PD, where hubby Wally is Chief of Police, and happy to work at the local school system as a psychologist. She wasn't prepared to be yelled at by the school board member who is on the ballot against her beloved Uncle Charlie as board president for beginning pet therapy with one of her groups of children. At least until the gorgeous Maine Coon cat was stolen from the vet's office. And she was in no way prepared for the call from the lady who cleaned her home and many others in town, from the home of the cranky board member. The poor lady found the board member dead in his home in a rather unique....position. Skye becomes involved when the main suspect is someone she knows is innocent.
There are just enough suspects to keep this novel exciting and challenging. The characters are just like we are, with the thoughts and actions that many of us have. Secrets are unearthed in places where they would not be anticipated. The bad guy or gal was a bit of a surprise! The mystery is overall satisfying, and I am so looking forward to the next one - after all, we want to know if Skye gives birth to a boy or girl! And because this is an awesome series!
September 16, 2016
I've been reading this series for a while and have usually liked it. Skye's a bit too prissy and prudish for me, but overall, I like it.
This one kind of annoyed me. The author seems to try and make Skye all worldly with her attitude of live and let live with regards to BDSM, but she still condemns it, making it out to be an extreme perversion. Listen, I'm not really into that either, but it's hardly a super odd and shameful thing. Sure, it's not something you talk about much with most people, but it's hardly a crazy thing. The author treats it like it's this awful, disgusting thing. So, yeah. That was a bit hard to get over. There were also several side things that weren't really resolved or didn't make any sense for the story. For instance, the girl who asked Skye for help with her essay....what happened? Or the kid with the shoes. Was that just to show us how awesome Skye's supposed to be? Meh. I was just a bit annoyed with this one and the attitudes.
This one kind of annoyed me. The author seems to try and make Skye all worldly with her attitude of live and let live with regards to BDSM, but she still condemns it, making it out to be an extreme perversion. Listen, I'm not really into that either, but it's hardly a super odd and shameful thing. Sure, it's not something you talk about much with most people, but it's hardly a crazy thing. The author treats it like it's this awful, disgusting thing. So, yeah. That was a bit hard to get over. There were also several side things that weren't really resolved or didn't make any sense for the story. For instance, the girl who asked Skye for help with her essay....what happened? Or the kid with the shoes. Was that just to show us how awesome Skye's supposed to be? Meh. I was just a bit annoyed with this one and the attitudes.
September 26, 2016
They say cats have nine lives. Well, big deal kitties! Author Denise Swanson has given her Scumble River series 19!
We all know cozy mysteries mostly take place in quaint, small towns that just happen to have a worrying number of murders. While Scumble River is indeed a small town, when I read about it I feel it has a bit of a Harper Valley PTA feel to it (Wow, that really shows my age), rather than a Hallmark movie sort of place. This makes for a fun and different sort of feel.
MURDER OF A CRANKY CATNAPPER does not let Denise Swanson fans down. With the same crafty, cunning writing of the other books in this series, as well as her Devereaux’s Dime Store Mysteries, author Swanson takes readers on an exciting reading ride through the pages as we help lead character Skye Denison-Boyd look for answers in the death of school a board member.
Pick up a copy of MURDER OF A CRANKY CATNAPPER, stretch out in the sun, and paw your way through this purrfectly wonderful mystery.
We all know cozy mysteries mostly take place in quaint, small towns that just happen to have a worrying number of murders. While Scumble River is indeed a small town, when I read about it I feel it has a bit of a Harper Valley PTA feel to it (Wow, that really shows my age), rather than a Hallmark movie sort of place. This makes for a fun and different sort of feel.
MURDER OF A CRANKY CATNAPPER does not let Denise Swanson fans down. With the same crafty, cunning writing of the other books in this series, as well as her Devereaux’s Dime Store Mysteries, author Swanson takes readers on an exciting reading ride through the pages as we help lead character Skye Denison-Boyd look for answers in the death of school a board member.
Pick up a copy of MURDER OF A CRANKY CATNAPPER, stretch out in the sun, and paw your way through this purrfectly wonderful mystery.
September 26, 2016
It is easy to love main character Skye and her take charge attitude with a twist. Who doesn't love a strong character who is also insecure about her weight, marriage and work? In this the 19th book in the series Skye finds herself in a few very uncomfortable situations, giving into pregnancy cravings and as usual helping to save the day. I enjoyed the character of Skye's line of work and the way that Denise wrote the boys in her special group as well as the way Skye discusses education in this book. I truly appreciated the realism and the way that Denise wrote this mystery.
March 22, 2017
Another great installment in the Scumble River series! I really like how Skye and Wally work together both professionally and personally. Good mysteries that kept me guessing.
September 26, 2016
Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.
I received this book for free from Berkley Prime Crime in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was both a really funny book, and a more suspenseful one. I had no idea who the killer was, it actually came as a complete surprise. But it made total sense once the reveal happened. And I liked how they brought the person in for questioning at the police station at the end, instead of being one of those cozies where the main character ends up being in fear for her life.
I liked how real the characters felt, there were no cardboard cut-outs, even with the ones who weren't as central to the plot. Skye was my favorite character, but all of them were fun to read about.
I liked how Skye came across clues, as well as helping her Police Chief husband. A number of times it was a case of 'right place, right time' and done in believable ways. Other times, it was something little that almost felt like filler, until Skye suddenly put two and two together.
I haven't read any other books by this author before, but after reading this one I now want to go back and read all the previous books in this series and try out her other works. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend it!
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
I received this book for free from Berkley Prime Crime in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was both a really funny book, and a more suspenseful one. I had no idea who the killer was, it actually came as a complete surprise. But it made total sense once the reveal happened. And I liked how they brought the person in for questioning at the police station at the end, instead of being one of those cozies where the main character ends up being in fear for her life.
I liked how real the characters felt, there were no cardboard cut-outs, even with the ones who weren't as central to the plot. Skye was my favorite character, but all of them were fun to read about.
I liked how Skye came across clues, as well as helping her Police Chief husband. A number of times it was a case of 'right place, right time' and done in believable ways. Other times, it was something little that almost felt like filler, until Skye suddenly put two and two together.
I haven't read any other books by this author before, but after reading this one I now want to go back and read all the previous books in this series and try out her other works. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend it!
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
November 1, 2016
I used to really enjoy this series but find that I am getting very tired of it. Although I enjoy romance and love in a mystery book (as in the Meg Langslow series and the Deborah Knotts series) the relationship between Skye and Wally has become so sickeningly sweet that I feared lapsing into a diabetic coma when I finished this book.
November 15, 2016
Swanson is a good writer, but she isn't always believable. The mystery was too rushed, the characters too sappy, and dialogue ridiculous at times. If one more character said "Son of a bee," I was going to throw the book down a steep flight of stairs. Just say it--these are normal people. Don't make them sound like they're in a G-rated Disney film. We're talking murder here, for God's sake.
September 7, 2016
I couldn't put this book down. I love this series. The characters are a blast, the mystery is fun to solve, and I have a huge crush on the main character's husband, Wally!
August 21, 2021
As school psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd hiked down the main hallway of Scumble River Elementary School, she juggled her purse, a bulging tote bag of files, an old shoebox containing reinforcement rewards, an a cup of heavily sweetened and creamed decaf coffee.
Skye has enlisted the help of a local vet to provide animal therapy for a group of her students. A run in with a school board member almost curtails the session. Later the school board member is found dead in a compromising situation by Skye's housekeeper. Several townspeople have had problems with the man including Skye's godfather, Charlie. Wally and Skye work together to find the murderer while also investigating an odd breaking and entering and a catnapping.
It is like visiting old friends when I step into Scumble River. It makes me sad that this is the last book in the series. Skye has grown on me over the series. I feel like I could sit down with her and have a conversation like she and Trixie do. I really love the Dooziers and look forward to whatever mischief they get into each book.
There were three separate crimes presented in the plot that ended up being intertwined. It was good to see how everything played out at the end.
I love that Skye and Wally are settling into married life and how protective he is over her now that she is expecting. Skye's insecurities make her more human and approachable as a character.
The secrets of the murder victim and his associates would be a huge scandal in a small town. The murderer surprised me a bit until I thought about it and then everything made perfect sense.
Of course, I love a book that has a Maine Coon. They are my absolute favorite kitties and it makes me miss my Oliver who would have been a perfect therapy cat.
I am sad to see this series end. However, there is a sequel series that I look forward to starting soon to see what Skye will get into next.
Skye has enlisted the help of a local vet to provide animal therapy for a group of her students. A run in with a school board member almost curtails the session. Later the school board member is found dead in a compromising situation by Skye's housekeeper. Several townspeople have had problems with the man including Skye's godfather, Charlie. Wally and Skye work together to find the murderer while also investigating an odd breaking and entering and a catnapping.
It is like visiting old friends when I step into Scumble River. It makes me sad that this is the last book in the series. Skye has grown on me over the series. I feel like I could sit down with her and have a conversation like she and Trixie do. I really love the Dooziers and look forward to whatever mischief they get into each book.
There were three separate crimes presented in the plot that ended up being intertwined. It was good to see how everything played out at the end.
I love that Skye and Wally are settling into married life and how protective he is over her now that she is expecting. Skye's insecurities make her more human and approachable as a character.
The secrets of the murder victim and his associates would be a huge scandal in a small town. The murderer surprised me a bit until I thought about it and then everything made perfect sense.
Of course, I love a book that has a Maine Coon. They are my absolute favorite kitties and it makes me miss my Oliver who would have been a perfect therapy cat.
I am sad to see this series end. However, there is a sequel series that I look forward to starting soon to see what Skye will get into next.
September 16, 2016
http://openbooksociety.com/article/mu...
Murder of a Cranky Catnapper
A Scumble River Mystery, Book #19
By Denise Swanson
ISBN 9780451472120
Author Website: deniseswanson.com
Synopsis:
With her morning sickness finally abated, Skye Denison-Boyd is ready to pounce on the pertinent problems she faces as Scumble River Elementary School’s psychologist. After trying almost every trick in the book to aid a handful of socially awkward fourth grade boys, Skye opts for the innovative approach of pet therapy with the assistance of the local vet, a Siberian husky, and a Maine coon cat.
Unfortunately, the first session only breeds disaster and draws the ire of cantankerous school board member Palmer Lynch. But Skye’s worry over the episode changes to dread after Lynch is found dead in his home with the therapy cat hidden in the garage. With a clowder of questions unleashed, Skye finds herself dealing with a killer who isn’t pussyfooting around…(Goodreads)
Review:
I loved it! The author has a wonderful imagination to have come up with the not only this crime, but plotted the resolution of it! Most people know that I enjoy many books with cats, but even the poor purloined puss in this story didn’t captivate me as much as the overall plot did.
Skye has settled into married life with the man of her dreams and is now carrying their first baby. Near the end of the school year, she received approval from the parents of several fourth-grade boys to try something new. A local vet who has two pets, a Maine Coon cat and Siberian Husky, that have been trained as therapy animals for those who have various emotional and social challenges. The very first day of the therapy, Skye had an unpleasant run-in with a stuffy board member, Palmer Lynch, who is running opposite Uncle Charlie for school board president.
While in the midst of preparing special reports that were required before school year-end, challenges were abundant. Someone broke into Dr. Quillen’s clinic and stole the therapy cat, Belle, so he had to cancel. Then one morning Dorothy, housekeeper for many in Scumble River (including Skye and her parents), called her before the start of school. Refusing to tell her why, she asked Skye to go to Palmer Lynch’s home without letting anyone at the school know. Upon arrival, Skye was met by the housekeeper and a dilemma: Dorothy found Mr. Lynch in a very compromising position, dead. Murdered.
The first suspect was Dr. Quillen, and Skye so wanted to clear him! Her very pregnant condition, however, kept her from actively pursuing a solution as anything other than a consultant to the police. What she and Wally, her husband, found as the investigation continued, however, could rock the community of Scumble River for quite some time to come.
Skye, Wally and May, Skye’s mother, are very well-defined. Others are as defined as fitting to their roles, including Uncle Charlie, the Doozier family, Dorothy, and various school staff and board members. Each person is so clearly described that they almost leap from the pages into real life. In this series, the characters definitely make the story, as do various situations. Watching the small-town dynamics in action, from the middle class to the ‘other side of the tracks’ folks can be hilarious all on their own without some of the situations that occur.
This is only the second Scumble River mystery I’ve read, having recently read the first in series. It is such an enchanting series that I will be reading the rest as time and availability allows; it can be read as a stand-alone.
This mystery is delightful from the start! I would love to hear how the author came up with this plot. While I enjoy a variety of cozy mystery styles, I do like one that can be hilarious at times, which this definitely is. One can see from the descriptions of the pets that the author is also a pet lover, knowledgeable about cats and dogs. Bingo and the therapy animals do not take over the story but enhance it, showing the value of pets for those with various social and emotional challenges. I enjoyed watching Wally and Skye interact with suspects together, and how he values her opinion. The plot twists changed the direction of the story more than once, and it was a challenge to try to determine who the real bad guy or gal might be or if the purloined puss was related to the murder at all. All the situations were resolved, and I found the end to be completely satisfying. I am looking forward to finding out whether Skye and Wally’s baby will be a boy or a girl! I highly recommend Murder of a Cranky Catnapper, particularly to those who enjoy a challenging cozy mystery with LOL humor in a charming Midwest town.
Murder of a Cranky Catnapper
A Scumble River Mystery, Book #19
By Denise Swanson
ISBN 9780451472120
Author Website: deniseswanson.com
Synopsis:
With her morning sickness finally abated, Skye Denison-Boyd is ready to pounce on the pertinent problems she faces as Scumble River Elementary School’s psychologist. After trying almost every trick in the book to aid a handful of socially awkward fourth grade boys, Skye opts for the innovative approach of pet therapy with the assistance of the local vet, a Siberian husky, and a Maine coon cat.
Unfortunately, the first session only breeds disaster and draws the ire of cantankerous school board member Palmer Lynch. But Skye’s worry over the episode changes to dread after Lynch is found dead in his home with the therapy cat hidden in the garage. With a clowder of questions unleashed, Skye finds herself dealing with a killer who isn’t pussyfooting around…(Goodreads)
Review:
I loved it! The author has a wonderful imagination to have come up with the not only this crime, but plotted the resolution of it! Most people know that I enjoy many books with cats, but even the poor purloined puss in this story didn’t captivate me as much as the overall plot did.
Skye has settled into married life with the man of her dreams and is now carrying their first baby. Near the end of the school year, she received approval from the parents of several fourth-grade boys to try something new. A local vet who has two pets, a Maine Coon cat and Siberian Husky, that have been trained as therapy animals for those who have various emotional and social challenges. The very first day of the therapy, Skye had an unpleasant run-in with a stuffy board member, Palmer Lynch, who is running opposite Uncle Charlie for school board president.
While in the midst of preparing special reports that were required before school year-end, challenges were abundant. Someone broke into Dr. Quillen’s clinic and stole the therapy cat, Belle, so he had to cancel. Then one morning Dorothy, housekeeper for many in Scumble River (including Skye and her parents), called her before the start of school. Refusing to tell her why, she asked Skye to go to Palmer Lynch’s home without letting anyone at the school know. Upon arrival, Skye was met by the housekeeper and a dilemma: Dorothy found Mr. Lynch in a very compromising position, dead. Murdered.
The first suspect was Dr. Quillen, and Skye so wanted to clear him! Her very pregnant condition, however, kept her from actively pursuing a solution as anything other than a consultant to the police. What she and Wally, her husband, found as the investigation continued, however, could rock the community of Scumble River for quite some time to come.
Skye, Wally and May, Skye’s mother, are very well-defined. Others are as defined as fitting to their roles, including Uncle Charlie, the Doozier family, Dorothy, and various school staff and board members. Each person is so clearly described that they almost leap from the pages into real life. In this series, the characters definitely make the story, as do various situations. Watching the small-town dynamics in action, from the middle class to the ‘other side of the tracks’ folks can be hilarious all on their own without some of the situations that occur.
This is only the second Scumble River mystery I’ve read, having recently read the first in series. It is such an enchanting series that I will be reading the rest as time and availability allows; it can be read as a stand-alone.
This mystery is delightful from the start! I would love to hear how the author came up with this plot. While I enjoy a variety of cozy mystery styles, I do like one that can be hilarious at times, which this definitely is. One can see from the descriptions of the pets that the author is also a pet lover, knowledgeable about cats and dogs. Bingo and the therapy animals do not take over the story but enhance it, showing the value of pets for those with various social and emotional challenges. I enjoyed watching Wally and Skye interact with suspects together, and how he values her opinion. The plot twists changed the direction of the story more than once, and it was a challenge to try to determine who the real bad guy or gal might be or if the purloined puss was related to the murder at all. All the situations were resolved, and I found the end to be completely satisfying. I am looking forward to finding out whether Skye and Wally’s baby will be a boy or a girl! I highly recommend Murder of a Cranky Catnapper, particularly to those who enjoy a challenging cozy mystery with LOL humor in a charming Midwest town.
February 19, 2017
I have really enjoyed every story in this series and Murder of a cranky catnapper did not disappoint.
Skye is blooming in pregnancy, loving being married to Wally and looking forward to school finishing for the summer. I love how Skye has grown into herself more and more with each book and especially so since finally marrying Wally she has so much more self confidence but it was also good to still see a bit of vulnerability about her body changing with pregnancy it's a normal reaction for a woman pregnancy is such a beautiful thing but when your the one carrying the baby it can also be a time full of self doubt about your body and becoming a parent I really loved how Wally was just there for her and loving her it was sweet.
Wally is a strong man with a really sweet loving nature especially when it comes to his wife, as the police chief he has a tough job even in a small town there is always something going on and look out if anyone does anything to Skye..lol when it comes to the safety of his beautiful wife and their unborn child Wally is on edge a bit but still is the best police chief around.
What I loved most about this story was that it was mainly Wally and Skye living, loving and working together I love the way they work together and especially how they solve mysteries together.
Skye is blooming in pregnancy, loving being married to Wally and looking forward to school finishing for the summer. I love how Skye has grown into herself more and more with each book and especially so since finally marrying Wally she has so much more self confidence but it was also good to still see a bit of vulnerability about her body changing with pregnancy it's a normal reaction for a woman pregnancy is such a beautiful thing but when your the one carrying the baby it can also be a time full of self doubt about your body and becoming a parent I really loved how Wally was just there for her and loving her it was sweet.
Wally is a strong man with a really sweet loving nature especially when it comes to his wife, as the police chief he has a tough job even in a small town there is always something going on and look out if anyone does anything to Skye..lol when it comes to the safety of his beautiful wife and their unborn child Wally is on edge a bit but still is the best police chief around.
What I loved most about this story was that it was mainly Wally and Skye living, loving and working together I love the way they work together and especially how they solve mysteries together.
August 26, 2016
I won a copy of this book in a Good Reads giveaway. An interesting cozy mystery that involves a crazy cat. Pregnant Skye stumbles upon a dead body with the cat hiding out in the garage. Read the book to see how it all turns out.
October 10, 2017
Skye is about half way through her pregnancy and is finally getting over her morning sickness. With the school year nearing an end, Skye elects to try a session of Pet Therapy with her "special" students. Unfortunately, the session does not start off very well and Skye runs into a very unpleasant member of the School Board, Palmer Lynch. Lynch is running against Uncle Charlie for the position of School Board President.
About a week later, chaos broke out when the American Legion Lodge was broken into, the cat from the Pet Therapy session was kidnapped, and Palmer Lynch was found dead.
Are the crimes connected? If so, what is the connection? Who killed Lynch and why? Will Skye and Wally be able to unravel this tangled mess and solve the mysteries?
While this story is well written and keeps you guessing until the end, it has more romance and more intimate scenes than most of the Scumble River series.
About a week later, chaos broke out when the American Legion Lodge was broken into, the cat from the Pet Therapy session was kidnapped, and Palmer Lynch was found dead.
Are the crimes connected? If so, what is the connection? Who killed Lynch and why? Will Skye and Wally be able to unravel this tangled mess and solve the mysteries?
While this story is well written and keeps you guessing until the end, it has more romance and more intimate scenes than most of the Scumble River series.
November 25, 2018
The Scumble River Mystery series is a fun series to read. The books are pretty short and they are fast and funny reads. School psychologist Skye Denison gets into all kinds of trouble when she plays around as an amateur investigator in each book. The mysteries are full of twists, turns and surprises and there are always plenty of suspects to choose from. I almost never know for sure whodunit until fairly close to the end. The whole series makes for excellent pool or beach reads for the summer.
June 20, 2024
I love this series. Great characters and plot.
May 9, 2017
I'm addicted to this Series. Hopefully the next one will come out soon! If you havn't met the nice (and some not so) people of Scumble River I highly recomend them to you. In this book I very much enjoyed how Skye and Wally coped with the ups and downs of pregnancy, but their happyness together as well. I just always love to hear from the weird Doozier-Family and I appreciated that Skye wasn't really in Danger this time. But don't think it will be boring because of that. You will never guess who the murderer is.
*****
*****
September 26, 2016
Enjoyed the book. The plot was full of twists and turns and kept your interest all the way through the end.
Glad to see the wacky Dooziers were included in this book.
Can't wait for the next book to see if Wally and Skye have a Junior or Juniorette.
Glad to see the wacky Dooziers were included in this book.
Can't wait for the next book to see if Wally and Skye have a Junior or Juniorette.
November 10, 2016
Love this title and this series and I always look forward anxiously to the next release.
January 7, 2017
Another excellent book! Love this series and love every story in it. No disappointments this time. Looking forward to the next one.
July 6, 2017
love this series!
February 28, 2017
As I have just recently started to read more mystery novels, I don't feel like I have a lot to compare this book to.
On the back of the book Fresh Fiction says that Swanson is one of their favourite cozy mystery authors. I wasn't aware that cozy mysteries were a sub-genre, but I can see how this book would fit nicely into it.
The book itself is filled with charm and spunk. With a handful of strong women characters who support each other in their careers and lives it was especially a treat to read.
Swanson keeps you guessing about the crimes from the beginning and although she gives hints throughout, the big reveal still offers much surprise.
Although this is the 19th book in a series that I haven't read any of the other 20 odd books in (there are some .5's), I didn't feel like I was missing as much as I though. This book can be read as a stand alone. Although some of the relationships will fill less developed, more than enough information is provided about the town of Scumble River and it's occupants to make you feel engaged and like you're just another concerned resident of a small town with a high crime rate.
A quick and easy read. A good way to end 2016. (I did finish it today but I only had 40 pages left so it didn't really feel like the first book on 2017)
On the back of the book Fresh Fiction says that Swanson is one of their favourite cozy mystery authors. I wasn't aware that cozy mysteries were a sub-genre, but I can see how this book would fit nicely into it.
The book itself is filled with charm and spunk. With a handful of strong women characters who support each other in their careers and lives it was especially a treat to read.
Swanson keeps you guessing about the crimes from the beginning and although she gives hints throughout, the big reveal still offers much surprise.
Although this is the 19th book in a series that I haven't read any of the other 20 odd books in (there are some .5's), I didn't feel like I was missing as much as I though. This book can be read as a stand alone. Although some of the relationships will fill less developed, more than enough information is provided about the town of Scumble River and it's occupants to make you feel engaged and like you're just another concerned resident of a small town with a high crime rate.
A quick and easy read. A good way to end 2016. (I did finish it today but I only had 40 pages left so it didn't really feel like the first book on 2017)
March 23, 2017
#19 in a series – pretty impressive. The series hasn’t gotten tired yet – I think that’s because Skye and Wally are just starting out on their lives so things are changing for them which will add to the story over time (unlike some series where the main character is too afraid to make a decision and every book is more of the same..I’m talking to you Janet Evanovich). More of the familiar characters would be better but if you didn’t have new people moving to Scumble River all of the time, then who the heck would you kill off?
What I loved: The Doziers are my favorite people. Iswear I picture them like “Swamp People” mixed in with the characters from some Southern trailer park show that child enjoys watching. I wish they chould be in every Scumble River mystery because the visuals I create alone are worth the giggles.
What I didn’t love: Skye’s weight obsession does get a little tired every now and then. You’re pregnant - your body is going through an amazing change and it should be embraced and cherished – said the woman who gained so much that she had her own circumference. It’s like she is body shaming herself and that’s horrible.
What I learned: I was smart to turn by back at all of my OCGYN’s weigh-ins. It was more fun watching the hub’s eyes pop out of his head!
Overall Grade: B
www.FluffSmutandMurder.com
April 30, 2018
>Book Review – Murder of a Cranky Catnapper
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the 19th in the Scumble River Mystery series. Skye and Wally told everyone about their upcoming baby. Wally is so cute in his protectiveness of Skye. I thought it was quite interesting to see both Skye and Wally have issues of jealousy regarding their relationship. May is finally showcased in a positive light, instead of her normal abusive-to-Skye attitude and actions.
>The mystery involved some adult themes (BDSM and drugs). I enjoyed the banter between Wally and Skye when it came to talking about fetishes. The parts of the story discussing pet therapy were a fun and interesting. The series is a mystery series, but real life issues, such as the need for pet therapy and what it entails is quite interesting.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. The themes are too adult to call this book a young adult book. The relationship between Wally and Skye also had a bit more description than usual, which I enjoyed. I am giving this story 5 stars.
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the 19th in the Scumble River Mystery series. Skye and Wally told everyone about their upcoming baby. Wally is so cute in his protectiveness of Skye. I thought it was quite interesting to see both Skye and Wally have issues of jealousy regarding their relationship. May is finally showcased in a positive light, instead of her normal abusive-to-Skye attitude and actions.
>The mystery involved some adult themes (BDSM and drugs). I enjoyed the banter between Wally and Skye when it came to talking about fetishes. The parts of the story discussing pet therapy were a fun and interesting. The series is a mystery series, but real life issues, such as the need for pet therapy and what it entails is quite interesting.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. The themes are too adult to call this book a young adult book. The relationship between Wally and Skye also had a bit more description than usual, which I enjoyed. I am giving this story 5 stars.
May 31, 2022
This was another fun installment in the Skye Denison-Boyd series. These books go pretty fast once you start them, and this one was fun.
Someone murders a local school board candidate, and naturally, an increasingly pregnant Skye finds the body. This guy didn't just have a bullet hole in the forehead though. Someone stripped him naked, and he was thoroughly bound and tied up.
Skye and Wally work to find a solution, and there's talk that the guy belonged to a local club where such practices are widely accepted and encouraged.
You watch with fascination as Skye moves into the final trimester of her pregnancy and deals with the waxing and waning of her sex drive. That may be more than I needed to know, but the fictional top cop in town may have worried that he wasn't shooting straight anymore based on her lack of interest. It's all in good fun.
Someone murders a local school board candidate, and naturally, an increasingly pregnant Skye finds the body. This guy didn't just have a bullet hole in the forehead though. Someone stripped him naked, and he was thoroughly bound and tied up.
Skye and Wally work to find a solution, and there's talk that the guy belonged to a local club where such practices are widely accepted and encouraged.
You watch with fascination as Skye moves into the final trimester of her pregnancy and deals with the waxing and waning of her sex drive. That may be more than I needed to know, but the fictional top cop in town may have worried that he wasn't shooting straight anymore based on her lack of interest. It's all in good fun.
July 17, 2017
This was a book club book. A fun little cozy mystery. The characters are cute and likable, if a bit caricaturist - which works for the type of story being told. It was fluff, but entertaining and enjoyable fluff. Skye Denison is no Kinsey Millhone or Stephanie Plum, but she is easy to like with her foilbles and insecurities. Although this was most certainly a stand alone mystery, there is enough references to previous storylines that starting from the beginning - rather than at the end - would probable be best.
September 25, 2017
I have read all of the Scumble River mysteries and this one is my favorite. I have enjoyed them all. It seemed that Skye had this poor relationship with her mother and every book the relationship seemed to get worse. Sometimes it would make me want to put down the book. Skye is such a strong woman in a lot of aspects and I couldn't understand why she just didn't stand up to her mother. In this book she finally did. I was so proud of her. I really enjoy reading this series and can't wait for the next one.
January 20, 2018
Wally and Skye are busy solving three crimes - a breakin at the American Legion, the theft of a prized pet therapy cat and the murder of an unpopular school board member in their small town of Scumble River. This book follows the usual formula with Skye using her psychology skills to assist Wally in dealing with town residents including the Dooziers. It was nice to see how much Skye has grown up and is taking care of herself and her baby not putting herself in harm's way.
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