New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank gives a former TV star one more shot at fame—and it proves to be a killer comeback… unemployable, she’s coaxed into that desperate haven for has-beens: reality TV.
Winging it as a faux PI, she’ll solve off-the-cuff mysteries in her hometown of Sweet Briar, Alabama. For added drama, there’s police chief Luke Montgomery, inconveniently Summer’s first and only love.
It’s when Summer stumbles upon a very real corpse that Darling Investigations takes an unexpected twist. The growing list of suspects is a big draw to viewers, but the reality is that Summer doesn’t know whom she can trust. Someone has written this killer new scene especially for her, and unless Summer gives the role everything she’s got, it could be her last…
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This book was a good solid read. I’d totally try another future book by this author!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/V9X2DfpvDaI
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-deadly-summer-by-denise-grover-swank-darling-investigations-book-1/
One of my favorite by Denise Grover Swank.
Such a great read, can’t put it down.
This was just pure fun. I picked this up looking for something different and I am really glad I found this! Summer Butler is down on her luck and now is back in her home town of Sweet Briar, Alabama, filming a reality show. What is supposed to be a scripted detective show turns out to be a real one when she and her cousin end up solving a murder. Now it looks like they will be picked up for another season! Definitely going to pick up the next one in the series.
This looks to be the beginning of another great series from Denise Grover Swank!
Summer Butler is an immediately likable and relatable main character. Although, she hasn’t been dealt the best hand in her past, she isn’t jaded (at least not as much as I would be) and she trudges forward with her life. The plot is fast moving, but still manages to keep you guessing until the end. There is also an underlying mystery with her cousin that peeked my interest and has the possibility to surface later. I look forward to seeing more in this series.
Denise Grover Swank has yet to write a book I didn’t like! It’s fun fast paced, great read.
This was such a fun listen on Audible. The mystery was good and the characters were a hoot. Really good and humorous southern fiction. I love the authors humor in her books. narrator for it really brought it to life. Moving on to the next one in the series.
This character and book took awhile to grow on me. But I love all denise grover swank books so I gave it a chance. So glad I did as it is An amazing book. As it gets going it becomes more gripping. Summer butler is a washed up actress with the weigjt of the world on her shoulders. After a rough patch she gets offered her own reality show as a PI, this books has all these twists and turns. I could not work out who it was. Love the little cameo of Piper, I thought that was smart.
Denise Grover Swank at it again with another 5 star novel!
Summer Butler is back in her hometown in Alabama to take a reality show to help save her career (and her family’s farm). What she didn’t expect was a real case!
Denise Grover Swank always does such a great job of describing her characters and making their attitudes POP in her stories. I love the family relationships between Summer, Dixie, and Teddy.
Everything that’s written in this story is believable and you find yourself rooting for these characters. I’m excited to read the next in the series!
I’m not a fan of books with characters that are famous. I don’t watch reality TV. Denise did make this character more real though, not stuck up and fake but the real person deep down.
Going into this book I didn’t know what to expect but I was soon absorbed into the story.
Before I knew it I was at 88% into the book and wondered how much time I just spent ignoring everything around me and in another world.
Love, tension, the bond of family after hard times, mystery and murder. Was overall Great!
This book had me on my toes the entire time I was reading it! Loved the plot twist at the end! Denise Grover Swank does it again! Absolute 5 stars! I always used to be a romance lover but I branched out to more mystery series, particularly through DGS and I have not been disappointed. There was also my favorite kind of genre in there – ROMANCE! I cannot wait to read the next installment for this Darling!
Denise Grover Swank does it again! As a huge fan of all Denise’s books, this new Darling Investigations series featuring Summer Butler certainly lives up to the hype. I would describe Summer as a mix of Rose Gardner and Magnolia Steele (and for those of you who are still mourning the end of Magnolia’s era, this new series will help ease your heartbreak.) Reality TV turns real life deadly when Summer Butler, a has-been child actress is coaxed home to Sweet Briar, Alabama to reclaim her acting career. By going back to her hometown years later, she reunites with her estranged family in hopes to help them through a difficult time on the family farm. (Denise throws in some references of past book characters that I found quite endearing!) This book is filled with lots of mystery, small town gossip, and southern charm that you are sure to fall in love with!
I thought this book was so funny! I laughed out loud many times! Deadly Summer is not only funny, but the story-line is very entertaining and kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the chemistry between Summer and her former beau and kept my fingers crossed that something will happen between the two of them (again). I love the mystery aspect of this book and the unpredictability. Great book!!
When I hear Denise has come out with a new book, I always think she can’t get better than her Rose Gardner series but she continues to do it over and over again. This book was so awesome – I loved every minute of it. I really love that she pulled a little bit about Magnolia Steele from her other series you should read also
I do have to say, I don’t normally figure out who the bad guy is in her books and I did have it figured out this time. That didn’t ruin the book for me though because I of course wasn’t 100% sure.
You definitely need to read this book and all of her others!
Deadly Summer is another great start to a new series by Denise Grover Swank! I love all of Denise’s mystery books and this one is no different. I love the humor, drama, and mystery in this book. I did figure out the mystery part of the book early on but I still enjoyed reading the book and reading about the characters piecing everything together. I also loved that a character from another one of Denise’s series was mentioned a few times in this book. Once I got started on this book, it was difficult for me to put it down and I read it any time that I had free time in my day. I am really looking forward to the next book in the Darling Investigations series.
I had no expectations going into this book. I did know that I was looking for something not so heavy, but I also didn’t want complete fluff. I can honestly say that I got exactly what I was looking for.
This book is a little romantic, a little chuckle-worthy, and a lot mystery. I enjoyed the ever growing relationships in this book, along with the mystery of what exactly was going on in the book. There was a perfect mix of great characters, personal conflict, whodunit, and small town charm to keep me turning the pages from the start.
I will admit, at first I was worried that the over the top scenarios Summer found herself in where going to be it for the book. And that kind of scared me. I didn’t want that. Lucky for me, the author delivered in all other areas that mattered. The perfect combination of cliche small town, actual small town, and a great mystery made this book a winner for me. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I loved this book! Deadly Summer is a new series by the wonderful Denise Grover Swank!
Summer Butler is a washed up actress just trying to turn her career around. She ends up staring is a reality tv show. Summer is sent back home to her home town to solve cases as a PI. But she ends up stumbling into so very dangerous situations.
I absolutely love this book and I can’t wait to read more about Summer Butler in the next book.
Denise definitely knows how to spin a web of mystery! Throw in a little rom/com and you have the perfect trifecta! She has a way of creating a world full of characters that you feel like you’ve known your whole life. Summer Butler is a great start to a new series filled with lovable yet feisty characters. I honestly don’t know why I’m surprised that Denise has done it yet again. The woman is a literary genius. Her writing spans different genres and she never disappoints.
I loved Deadly Summer the first book of Darling Investigations. It had humor and mystery and little romance to top it all off. I had intended to take my time reading but could not put this book down and finished a lot quicker than thought possible.
Denise Grover Swank does such an amazing job writing characters that they become real by the end of each of her books and Deadly Summer is no different. Summer is a great interesting character. I love Dixie, she is funny and full of spirit! I also love the mention of Denise’s other book characters Magnolia Steele and Piper Lancaster!
What a fun read! If you are a fan of Denise’s Rose Gardner series you will LOVE Darling Investigations. There is something about the way Denise writes that makes you feel like you are surrounded by old friends even at the beginning of a new series. There is a comfortable familiarity in Denise’s books that I absolutely love. Summer and her family are a fun bunch. I immediately fell in love with the characters and the story. Mystery, romance, humor, quick wit. This one has it all. Sit down with a cup of coffee and Deadly Summer and lose yourself in a great story….and don’t be surprised if you find yourself chuckling out loud.
Denise Grover Swank is a master at character development. It will forever be the element of her writing I enjoy most. Deadly Summer -Book One of a brand new series- is just as expected. Flawed characters that show growth ( but still leave lots of room for future books), a mystery with a touch of romance… also leaving room for future books. I’m already looking forward to seeing where Summer and crew head next!