Body Over Troubled Waters

Welcome Back to Scumble River #4

by Denise Swanson

Love is deadly

Stupid Cupid is making School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd regret returning to work after her maternity leave. It starts with an emergency school lockdown, continues with her godfather's arrest by the state police, and ends with a dead body!

It's every teacher and administrator's worst nightmare--a school shooter lockdown. And even worse for Skye because she's trapped in a tiny room with the district's creepy superintendent, Dr. Wraige while they wait for the all-clear.

When Dr. Wraige turns up dead in his home just a short time later, is it a coincidence, or something more?

Skye joins her police chief husband, Wally, in an investigation that becomes more complicated by the minute. With a dead boss and a mysterious killer on the loose, Skye is caught between a rock and a heart place--but she won't give up until Scumble River is safe once again.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Literature, Audiobook

312 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Denise 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.

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Cute Valentine themed cozy mystery.

I enjoyed this one. It held up really well as a standalone. The setting had a nice small town feeling with plenty of interesting side characters. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. That said, I found the "whodunit" to be pretty obvious from early on. But that didn't really take anything away from my enjoyment. I also thought Skye and Wally were very likable main characters (though the constant stream of women hitting on Wally was annoying 😂). Last, the ending was satisfying, but lacked any genuine excitement. This is the second cozy mystery I have read in the past few days that ended with no real spectacle. I prefer some drama and panache in my endings. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

It’s almost Valentine’s Day in Scumble River and a couple of cupids are causing a little mayhem.

Skye Denison-Boyd is back to work after her maternity leave but she may wish she was still at home. First, there is a crazy school lockdown. Next, the state police arrest her godfather. And then there is that pesky dead body. Skye finds herself sitting out the lockdown with the school superintendent who is just plain creepy. She is totally surprised when he is found later dead at his home. Police chief/hubby has asked Skye to assist him on the case because she knows the would-be suspects at the school. But this case doesn’t have an easy solution. Skye doesn’t give up though. She keeps digging until the killer is found.

I really enjoy visiting these characters. The bond between Skye and Wally is so strong. They make an excellent team both as parents and catching criminals. They are surrounded by an excellent supporting cast. Strong relationships really bring the story to life. The Dooziers also return in this story and shake things up a little bit. Ms. Swanson has kept these characters fresh which is hard to do with a long-running series. Nineteen books with one publisher and now four books with a new publisher. I hope this series continues for many years.

There is more than one mystery to solve in this story. Before his murder, someone was stealing the superintendent’s valuable items. Also, Skye’s godfather is behind bars for illegal activity at his motor court. The author twists the mysteries together along with daily life happenings like the pro she is. The murder weapon is truly unique. I had my own theories on the murder and thefts as I read the book but wasn’t completely sure of anything until the final reveal. Uncle Charlie’s arrest had his family up in arms but that mystery wrapped up the way I hoped it would.

The fictitious Scumble River, Illinois setting is really ideal. It is the perfect size with plenty of quirky characters and everyone knows everyone’s business. It has its issues and the occasional murder but it sounds like a nice place to live.

Body Over Troubled Waters was a fun and entertaining read. I am really invested in these characters and I can’t wait for my next visit to Scumble River.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love each and every visit I make to Scumble River and this latest one was great! I did not want to put it down. It was nice to finally get to know Skye's coworkers better (the good and the bad) and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. As this was an ARC, there were a lot of editing errors that will hopefully be cleaned up before the publishing - one character's name was spelled three different ways - but this did not take away from my enjoyment of this story. I am eagerly awaiting the next one!

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

We return to Scumble River and to Skye and her family. Skye has newly returned from maternity leave and the first day back involves a school lockdown. She is stuck with the superintendent and notices that he is very pale and appears to not be feeling well. He is later found murdered. and Skye and her chief of police husband Wally start looking into the murder. Skye pokes around asking questions at the schools and helping Wally with interviews. I absolutely love this series. I love that balance that Wally and Skye have between their work and home life. It is always great to have the Dooziers in the story no matter how small. Scumble River wouldn't be the same without them. The mystery was good. I went back and forth on who I thought the killer was. I received this book from Poisioned Pen Press and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Welcome Back to Scumble River series is absolutely delightful! It’s got a lovely setting, realistic characters, quirky characters, and baffling murders! The latest book, Body Over Troubled Waters, is just as enjoyable as the first three!

Skye is back to working full-time as school psychologist. With the birth of her twins, Skye has been stretched thin! She really tried to take a maternity leave, but stuff happens. Now that she and Wally have the perfect live in nanny, Skye is ready to tackle her job(s) again. What she doesn’t expect is a school lockdown and another murder….nothing to do with the lockdown…but lots to do with the school since the dead body belongs to the superintendent! As part-time police psychological consultant, Skye’s involved in this mystery from all sides.

As with the prior books, Body Over Troubled Waters was a joy to read. With each book, I become more attached to these characters, and I love “watching” how they interact with each other. The Dooziers, you’ll love this quirky family, are, of course, in the book but only for a short scene. They crack me up, so I love when they’re involved in the mayhem somehow. I like that with each book, older characters play at least a small role, and newer characters keep growing in importance.

Solving the murder is quite challenging. Lots of red herrings will throw you off the scent of the real killer, but in the end, you’ll get that aha moment and figure it out.

I think that cozy mystery readers will enjoy Body Over Troubled Waters and the Welcome to Scumble River series by Denise Swanson.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an ARC of this book. I was not required to give a review & all opinions are my own.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy this series and this book was no exception. The mystery was good and I liked trying to solve it with Skye and Wally.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skye is headed back to work and on her first day back the school has to lock down. She ends up stuck alone with the superintendent Dr. Wraige in a closet. The man is pompous and rubs quite a few people the wrong way. She is happy to be free of the man when the lockdown turns out to be a situation handled in the wrong way. When Dr. Wraige is found dead the following day Skye is somewhat shocked although the man did have some secrets in his past. With so many suspects to interrogate Skye wonders if they will ever figure out who the killer is. Meanwhile Skye is worried about her godfather who has been arrested and has had his business closed down. Wally is trying to help him but isn't sure that there is anything he can do. Follow along as Skye is determined to help her husband figure who a killer is and if they will be able to stop them.

[Shoshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you don't want anything heavy, you want a good, old-fashioned cozy mystery with little gore and no violence to speak of. If that is what you are looking for, you cannot do better than Denise Swanson's Scumble River series. If you have triggers you can safely read "Body Over Troubled Waters" without worry.

I don't like spoilers so I am not going to give any. I will say that this book was very well written; for me that is the sine qua non. The prose flowed easily, and the plot moved right along. Although this is the latest of a long-running series, if this is your first time in Scumble River you will not find any difficulty keeping the characters straight.

I really enjoyed "Body Over Troubled Waters." It was light without being frothy, and serious without being ponderous. I am already looking forward to the next installment.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read these last three of the series back-to-back and this is my least favorite.
I counted 15 typos ! Way too many....
When sleaze is a main topic for the mystery .. my interest level dives and there was PLENTY of sleaze in this tale.

[Theresa Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denise Swanson remains one of my favorite cozy writers. Now twenty-three books into her Scumble River series (now billed as “Return to Scumble River”), she’s still cooking with gas. The books are packed with humor as well as real world details of main character Skye Dennison’s work as a school psychologist, a job Swanson herself held for many years.

Cozy writers have to strike a tricky balance between addressing an issue but not being too harsh with it. In a bravura first sequence, Skye is attending a meeting with Superintendent of schools Shamus Wraige, who has unceremoniously fired the school security officer because Scumble River is a small town and “It’s not as if anyone here is going to pull a Columbine or a Sandy Hook.”

Skye is horrified and mentally begins writing a memo outlining the statistics of school shootings and why a security officer is necessary. The officer has been replaced by Wraige’s son, Tavish, who will function as an “attendance” officer. As Skye hurries to speak with Dr. Wraige after the meeting, the school goes into an active shooter lockdown.

How to balance this type of situation in a cozy? Masterfully, Swanson folds in Skye’s husband, Wally, the town police chief (who of course is worried about his wife) and when the culprit and situation are tracked down, the whole thing turns out to be much less hazardous than it sounds. I won’t spoil Swanson’s set up, but I will say it involves Scumble River’s notorious, troubled and hilarious Doozier family.

While the school shooting issue is addressed in a cozy manner, Swanson diffuses it with humor and then springboards from this situation to the main situation in the novel, which involves Shamus Wraige. Because Swanson has used her opening to shade in Dr. Wraige’s personality, when she starts describing the petty thefts he has suffered and finally the theft of his car, a situation which brings the mayor down on Wally, as readers we are as bemused and irritated by him as are Skye and Wally.

When Wally is called to look into a suspicious noise at Wraige’s house and discovers him dead, he calls in Skye, in her function as a consulting psychologist to the police department. This is another thing I think is really well done in these books – Skye’s connection to the investigation not only uses her skill set, but it’s believable, as she is actually a paid police consultant.

The resulting investigation is clever and well thought out, zeroing in, golden age style, to very few suspects. As readers, we also get a chance to catch up on Skye and Wally’s happy home life as recent newlyweds and the parents of twins. Twenty-three books in, readers are familiar with the community surrounding Skye, and it’s filled with great characters from Skye’s mother to her librarian friend Trixie to a pathologist named Doris Ann Norris. Doris Ann was a real-life librarian well known (and loved) in the crime community who passed away a few years ago, and it’s a real delight to encounter her again in print. It actually brought a tear to my eye.

In person, Denise Swanson is a thoughtful, calm, kind and intelligent woman, and those traits are certainly reflected in her main character and alter ego, Skye. One of the running themes of the books is the basic decency of both Wally and Skye. While I worried as a reader that some of the energy in the series would be diffused when Skye and Wally at last got married, I should have trusted Ms. Swanson. As her many fans and readers know, she has a sure hand at the story telling helm. This is another delightful entry in a beloved series.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining "cozy" mystery set once again in Scumble River, wherein reside the School Psychologist Skye and her police chief husband, Wally, the main characters who get involved in solving the latest homicide there, sadly, at one of the schools. The victim is Dr. Shamus Waige, the district's superintendent, a not very-well liked character, whose serious demeanor around the school is belied by his escapades with other ladies, none of whom are his very possessive wife, Nanette.
Skye and Wally have twins to raise, and relatives aplenty who figure in and out of the story and sometimes get in trouble through no fault of their own. Nanette's son, Nanette, and her best friend Colleen, who is staying with her, turn out to be the prime suspects, once the investigation eliminates the possibility of a burglar, since some valuable items are missing from Dr. Waige's home and mysteriously turn up again in several places.
At the same time a Valentine's Day party at the school is being planned, and Skye combines sleuthing with shopping at a nearby Kankakee mall. Her husband is very well off, and she drives a Mercedes SUV which she is quite fond of and drives everywhere. Money is not a worrisome thing for them, and I wondered as a reader why there were so wealthy. But since this is #4 in the series, I guess a lot of readers know and I've got to catch up on the particulars of life in Scumble River.
Apparently, various members of the family of Dr. Waige are in line to inherit lots of money according to the will and some pre-conditions. But as things begin to be discovered, it seems that nothing is for certain until the final reckoning when all four suspects are once again requested to come in to the station, although not all at once.
After the mystery is resolved, all the characters come together (except for the guilty, of course) for the Valentine's dance and a night of celebration as the town of Scumble River returns to a semblance of normal. Since the characters are interesting, I'll definitely be reading more of this series.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Body Over Troubled Waters by Denise Swanson is the umpteenth in the saga of Skye Denison-Boyd. She and her sheriff husband, Wally, solve crimes together after finally getting together a couple of years before, marrying, and having twins. It has been a rocky journey but all is well with them, except for this pesky murder of the school superintendent, Skye's boss. Swanson manages with weave through the story a thread about Skye's life at school which not only lends a touch of humor but is so accurate, it hurts. The victim, Dr Wraige, is a complicated guy, not at all who one would think would be the school superintendent in a small town. His family is interesting, as well. There seem to be plenty of people who are possible suspects. Can Skye and Wally solve this one?

This series is one of the longest running in cozy and history and still one of the best. Swanson's fans have seen this family and this town through a huge amount of growth and change. Skye has siblings and parents and extended family, all of whom have interesting lives. Wally has his dad. There is the school, and the town, and the ex-girlfriends and boyfriends of various folks. It is an intricate and entertaining story. One I will keep reading as long as I can. The characters are well-developed, which is not to say boring, and they can always find something interesting to capture the readers' attention. They are good crime fighters with a variety of tools and resources available only in a small town. This series is an old but good and I hope it never ends. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Body Over Troubled Waters by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #bodyovertroubledwaters

[Denise Zendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Skye Denison-Boyd’s first day back at school from maternity leave (birth of twins), she’s faced with a school lockdown, the arrest of her godfather on an unrelated charge, and eventually a dead body. She and her husband, Chief of Police Wally Boyd, are faced with a complicated investigation and a mysterious killer.

I am a longtime fan of this series – from the first Scumble River book all the way through this revamp of the series. I was afraid when Skye gave birth that the series might have jumped the shark for me (I tend to lose interest when characters have babies because the focus frequently becomes alllll about the babies), but the author has found a way to keep it fresh and interesting. I love the writing, the settings, the recurring characters (except for Skye’s mother, who annoys the heck out of me) and the relationship between Skye and Wally. He started out way back as her high school crush. They both had other failed relationships, but found in each other the kind of relationship most people want.

These books are the perfect blend of day-to-day life, work, and mystery. They hold my interest all the way through, and they are fun to read. And I’m a little sad when they end because I know it will be a while before I’ll be back in Scumble River. Each book makes me feel like I’m spending time with old friends. The books can be read out of order as the author skillfully weaves in details from previous books so readers don’t feel lost. I recommend reading them in order, because it makes the reading richer. I enjoyed watching the relationships between the characters grow and change over the course of 21 books.

[heloísa ✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book of this genre and I loved it very much. The author's writing is very engaging and even if you do not read the three previous books you understand perfectly the perssonings and where everything happens so you can understand the chronological order without many spoilers to read the previous ones without fear. The mystery of the book is engaging but not complicated which makes the book perfect for people who are not used to mystery books so read without fear that you will not regret it. The main protagonists are amazing and you can accompany them in everything at work at home with the family as well as extremely pleasurable so that happens it makes them more human and real to our eyes while reading. I found ita wonderful coincidence with everything that happens during the story parallel to the first events the Cupid to say it poor thing. The only two points that bothered me were the sudden disappearance of the doozier family who should have been the main suspects in the story because of the Cupid's involvement and the quick and fast way that the author portrayed the harassment in the last chapter that should have been dealt with more firmly and responsibly. I loved the experience of reading and intend to read the other books soon. I received an arc for netgalley for a sincere opinion. Thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity.

[Solace Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

*SPOILERS*

This has been a long story of "cozy murder mysteries." As far as I can tell, this is going to be the last book. It basically was like all of the others, and I probably would have given it 4 stars because I've liked watching these characters grow and the town change.

And then the ending of this one happened. And here's where the spoiler comes in, so last warning, because I'm about to give away the murderer.

Dr. Wraige is murdered by his wife's best friend, because he tries to blackmail her into sleeping with him. And she's about to accept, but when he actually touches her she can't handle it and pushes him off, which ultimately pushes him into a statue where the arrow on the statue stabs him. Her lack of calling the police is what causes him to die, because he might not have bled out with help.

This man nearly raped a woman, but the handling is more like, "Welp, we got the murderer, she likely won't do too much time because of the blackmail and rape stuff, but yeah she of course will still go to jail and she's lost her child to her ex-husband because of it."

It left an unsettled feeling in my stomach. I get these books don't go deep, that's why it's a cozy mystery, but I felt this one needed to have a different reason for the murder, or it needed to be handled with more decorum.

[L.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body Over Troubled Waters (Welcome Back to Scumble River 4) by Denise Swanson





And we’re back y’all!!!
Scumble River is one of my favorite fictional towns, along with Keeneston and Shadows Landing!

I love this series but y’all I really love this book and does it ever start off with a bang! Like literally we start off with an active school shooter situation. (Shhh! it involves the Doozier’s!) From there we’re kept hopping along as poor Skye and Wally attempt to navigate time with the kids and murder. We also get to see an inside view of the local school system with Dr. Wraige’s murder. I do wonder if next book we’ll see a certain principle as the new superintendent?! Uncle Charlie’s in trouble again and staying with May. While our favorite young twosome has some wonderful news! Oh man, there’s simply too much going on for me to tell. Including something Simon’s momma did to a certain boyfriend but lordy!
Ya’ll need to get this book with a quickness and expect to happily be unable to put it down until the very end! 5*

I would love to see this as a tv show WB or Hallmark Mysteries! Talk about something I’d watch again and again!




Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the ARC.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my honest review.*

I love this series! I love the update where the author jumped a few years and brought the original series into current times. I really enjoyed the first part of the series before the jump, but it is easier to read the series being in "current" times, in my opinion.

Skye is back to work full time after her maternity leave and feels like she is able to take a few liberties with the principals in the school district realizing how important she is to the running of the schools. This also makes me happy because it seemed like Skye would be a doormat in some instances in past books. And I feel like she is growing past that. Makes my heart sing! When the superintendent is found dead, Wally and Skye have to investigate.

It is nice for a series like this one to have characters that come back in every book. They all become old friends themselves. It's also nice to know how Skye and Wally think things through, but everything is not given away to fast that the mystery is solved immediately. I really enjoy the series and the pace of the books and this cozy was a solid addition to the series.

[Grace Koshida · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emergency school lockdown brings school psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd and her police chief husband Wally together to deal with an errant costumed cupid and a gun-happy assistant to the principal. The district's creepy superintendent Dr. Wraige had been at the school for a big announcement and was also nagging Wally to solve several break-ins at his home. A short time later, Dr. Wraige is found dead in his home, stabbed in the neck with a cupid statue's arrow.

Skye and Wally juggle the murder investigation with their busy family responsibilities with their twin babies CJ and Eva. Were Wraige's sexual quirks and extramarital flings the key motive for his murder? Did his son Tavish's long-simmering need for vengeance go too far? Or did a disgruntled school employee get his revenge for an unjust firing? A final interrogation of the three main suspects by Skye and Wally finally reveals the killer's identity.

This was another enjoyable entry in the Scumble River mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press/SOURCEBOOKS with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skye Denison-Boyd is back from maternity leave and her first day back has an all school lockdown where Cupid is being held at gunpoint. Yup, pretty hard to believe, but that was only the tip of the troubles! Skye is stuck dealing with satisfying Cupid's parents demands so they don't sue the schoolboard, along with dealing with family issues, and a murder. Being married to the Chief of Police, being the Psychologist for the Police Department, mother of infant twins, and psychologist for all schools in Scumble River leads to a pretty busy life.
This mythical Illinois town is a great place to visit. Colorful characters (especially the Doozier Family and the Red Raggers), small town living, farm life, and family peccadillos mix together to make the laughs plentiful, murders unusual, and a story that is fun to read. This series is a terrific addition to the original 18 book series. Once you start reading, it's hard to put it down!

Thanks to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description feels a bit misleading because the school lockdown happens in the first part of the book and doesn't have much bearing on the rest of the mystery. The murder doesn't happen because of the lockdown. Was it supposed to be a red herring? It was a bit interesting to see the how Scrumble River handled a school lockdown but it didn't seem to integral to the story.
The superintendent dies. It is interesting to read how Chief Boyd and Skye work together to find the murderer. There were many intimate details of the superintendent's life that came to light but the resolution didn't involve any flair or drama. That is not necessarily a bad thing but I think I am not used to a cozy mystery that runs on such an even keel. I never really felt a sense of urgency in the resolution, although there were deadlines expressed within the story.
It ends with Valentine's Day.
I enjoy visiting Scrumble River, and I like Skye and Wally as characters.
So I liked it, but I didn't feel invested in the story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body over Troubled Water
By Denise Swanson


Skye Denison-Boyd first day back as a School Psychologist from maternity leave, is unforgettable. The worst thing that could happen is a school shooter emergency lockdown, and she is trapped with superintendent Dr. Wraige, while her godfather is being arrested by the state police.

Dr. Wraige body is discovered dead in his home a short time later Skye doesn’t think that’s a coincidence. So she joins her husband Police Chief Wally in the investigation that becomes very complicated. There’s are so many suspects and for different reasons. With the killer still on the loose Skye is caught with some heart decisions.
But she won’t give up until everyone in Scumble river is safe.


I received this temp e-book from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I love all Denise Swanson’s book and I can add this one to this list. I love reading about Skye and Wally and can’t wait for the next book in this series.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read any of the Scumble River books, from the first series or this one, you know what to expect and you mostly get it. Almost everyone either pops up or gets mentioned though the story really focuses on Skye and Wally's joint investigation. it was nice to see more of Skye's interactions with Wally which are usually pretty brief in most of the books.

The mystery keeps you guessing which was nice particularly with the limited suspect pool.

This new "Welcome Back to Scumble River" is a tad (and I mean a tad) racier than the first. There were a couple of vulgar words (and I really think it was the same word, twice)and some mention of racy lingerie. Wheeee! I find it a bit more realistic. I think the author is letting Skye be more feisty too which is nice.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Lori Leaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine returning from maternity leave to an emergency school lockdown, your godfather being arrested and a dead body. Welcome to Skye’s life as the school she works at has a lockdown her 1st day back. She’s locked in with Superintendent Wraige, who later is found dead in his house a short time later.

I really enjoyed this trip back to Scumble River and even though this was book 4 in the series it can easily be read as a stand alone. It’s always nice reading about familiar characters and settings though.

One thing I really love about this series is that Skye works together with her husband, and chief of police, to solve the crimes. So many cozies have the characters sneaky behind the polices back so it’s fun to read them working together.

This was another great book in the series with plenty of clues and suspects. I can’t wait to see what Skye and Wally get into next.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time it’s personal! Scumble River’s school psychologist Skye has enough to deal with her newborn twins with her police chief husband Wally. Now, her godfather has gone and got himself arrested. Plus, the school’s superintendent has been stabbed in the throat by cupid’s arrow…literally…and died. So much for Skye to do and so little time in book #4 in the Scumble River reboot, Body Over Troubled Waters.

I always enjoy returning to rural small town Scumble River life. Sure, everyone is in everybody’s business. But that doesn’t mean they don’t care for each other. The two mysteries here are interesting. Both have several viable suspects, some clues, and some red herrings. Body Over Troubled Waters is a nice relaxing way to spend a summer afternoon. 4 stars!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Tracy Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scumble River has a modern day Mayberry feel in that it is a small town with a slightly zany family, the Dooziers which adds to the fun aspect of the story even though they are not the main characters. I am also a huge fan of Uncle Charlie’s turn of phrase, like how he isn’t knocking on Death’s door, nope, he is playing doorbell ditch! Highly engaging and Skye and Wally are a well-rounded, crime solving, cozy couple. It did catch me off guard every time his Hummer was mentioned, not the standard police car, but hey, why can’t the Chief be the son of a multimillion dollar Dad? A nice blend of suspects, plenty of supportive characters that moved the story along, and a great ending. Definitely one that I will be adding to my watch list for series. For my recipe testing I’ll be looking for a cinnamon streusel scone or sweet potato and ham casserole, or maybe both!

[Nolan]

I love this series. These characters matter to me so much that I can't wait for another book. Sadly, I think I'm caught up, and I'm not sure I'll realize a new volume is available.

Someone murders the creepy school district superintendent shortly after the school where Skye works dealt with a lockdown and concerns for a school shooting. That's not real; I mention that because someone will decide not to read this based on the recent shooting in Texas. This is not like that at all, and none of the students are ever endangered.

Whoever murdered the superintendent did so rather creatively. This all happens around Valentine's Day.

Skye and Wally deal with a variety of suspects from school employees to bus drivers, not to mention the superintendent's bizarre family.

The bottom line is this will be worth your time if you read it. This entire series is something you should read.

[John Wetterholt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denise Swanson’s Welcome Back to Scumble River series continues with this deftly plotted case involving the murder of the local school superintendent. As a rather widely disliked member of the community, Shamus Wraige had plenty of enemies, but school (and police) psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd and her police chief husband Wally crack the case in between raising their infant twins. Swanson’s greatest strength is in creating memorable characters each one quirkier than the last and this book is no exception. I was concerned during the first part of the book that the plot would an overflowing kitchen sink affair, but all the disparate elements get woven together by the final chapter resolution. Toward the end of the book there were several places where mundane tasks were described with too much detail but overall this is a fine effort.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're back in Scumble River with the kooky characters a d small town fun. Skye and Wally are settling into married life as well as the life of new parents. But after a questionable decision from the school superintendent and an appearance from several Dooziers, the superintendent ends up dead, but why? There's so much to choose from. Is it his son who he just created a job for? Or maybe his new wife? Or could it have something to do with his kinky proclivities? You'll have to read to find out!

This is number 4 in the Return to Scumble River series, but number 23 overall. Honestly, this is one of my favorite cozy series. Skye and Wally are just sweet enough together without being nauseating and there are enough crazy characters to keep the reader entertained.

[Jillian Digiantonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a visit to Scumble River and have been reading Denise Swanson's numerous mystery series for years. I consider her of the OG of cozy writers and am always excited to read another of hers. This one was no exception! In this entry, Skye and Wally have moved into their new house, settled in with the twins, and Skye is back to work at school. The murder of the superintendent of the school district has more action in and out of school instead of the town as a whole. I missed some of the more eccentric and wild characters like Bunny, but we did get a dose of the Doozier clan, which is always a hoot! The mystery was solid and enjoyed the reveal of the murderer. All in all, this is another great entry in the Scumble River series!