The chips are down in Scumble RiverSchool psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd had hoped that her maternity leave would be at least a little relaxing, but when she and her husband, Wally, meet with the priest to discuss their newborn twins’ christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley rocks the rectory. And although the business was closed at the time of the blast, there’s a body inside.As … there’s a body inside.
As police chief, Wally is inevitably drawn into the investigation, which seems to indicate that foul play is afoot again in Scumble River, and Skye can’t help but do a bit of her own sleuthing. But the clues come fast and furious, ranging from an odd new stranger in town to animosity toward the gambling machines that had recently been installed at the bowling alley, and Skye finds herself wondering if this could be the puzzle that stumps her for good.
New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson has penned another hit for cozy fans with Die Me a River, the latest installment in her beloved Welcome Back to Scumble River mystery series.
more
Die Me A River
Welcome Back To Scumble River, Book #2
Denise Swanson
5 Stars
Synopsis:
The chips are down in Scumble River
School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd had hoped that her maternity leave would be at least a little relaxing, but when she and her husband, Wally, meet with the priest to discuss their newborn twins’ christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley rocks the rectory. And although the business was closed at the time of the blast, there’s a body inside.
As police chief, Wally is inevitably drawn into the investigation, which seems to indicate that foul play is afoot again in Scumble River, and Skye can’t help but do a bit of her own sleuthing. But the clues come fast and furious, ranging from an odd new stranger in town to animosity toward the gambling machines that had recently been installed at the bowling alley, and Skye finds herself wondering if this could be the puzzle that stumps her for good.
New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson has penned another hit for cozy fans with Die Me a River, the latest installment in her beloved Welcome Back to Scumble River mystery series. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. I like how strong and independent Skye is, but she still has insecurities, and that makes her seem more realistic to me. I really enjoy reading about the relationship between Wally and Skye, they are such a great couple. You can tell how much love and respect they have for each other, it is so refreshing. The secondary characters added a lot to the story and I really enjoyed spending with all of them.
The writing style flows smoothly and defined the characters very clearly by their words and actions. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and this pulled me into the story from the very beginning of the book. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. I would not have even cared if there was no mystery to solve, I was enjoying spending time with Wally, Skye and the twins, but the mystery added to the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. Both of the books in this series were really great, as were the older books written in this series, from many years ago.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Their twins have been born and their house is being rebuilt after the tornado, Skye, Wally, and the babies are leaving in a fabulous RV. Life is good. Then the new parents are meeting with the priest to go over details for the babies’ christening when a loud explosion rocks them and the building. They run outside to see that the explosion occurred at the bowling alley. The bowling alley where Skye’s former boyfriend’s mother lives. Police chief Wally and Skye take in the scene and after the firemen rescue those that were trapped in the building they are both rocked again by one of the people coming out of the building. But there was someone that didn’t make it out. A body is found in the debris.
Was the bowling alley targeted because of the flak about the gambling machines? Or is there some other reason a bomb was placed in the building? Wally is right in the thick of the investigation but Skye is doing some investigating of her own. She is also handling some things at school for the intern filling in for her while she is on maternity leave. And then there are the twins, the christening, the baby shower where her mother has invited over 150 people, and decisions that need to be made regarding their new home. To say Skye and Wally have a lot on their plate in an understatement of epic proportions.
Whether this is your first book in this series you have picked up or if you are a long time fan you are in for a wonderful treat!
Ms. Swanson has taken Syke through thick and thin over the now 23 Scumble River and Welcome Back to Scumble River series’. I was a little nervous about how these babies may slow her down, but we saw in this story that that is not the case. Skye has really matured over the course of the series. She and Wally make a great team both as parents and investigators. With all their friends and extended family, there is never a dull moment in Scumble River.
This story was incredibly easy to escape into. The characters are likable, believable, and engaging. The dialogue is spot on too. I was surprised that the new babies remain unnamed until the christening when the names are revealed. There is no way my family or my husband’s family would have let us get away with that. But it did make the moment very special.
Now the mystery starts out with several potential suspects, the victim was not an easy person to like and they were doing anything to advance their career on the backs of others. With a little digging, the list of suspects was pared down quickly. The author throws several red herrings along the path to distract us too. Everything comes to a surprising end in totally the wrong place. Yes, I was on edge until it all played out.
Caution – there are a few curse words in the story, but the new parents are working on that
Superb characters in some crazy situations come together in the well-written mystery. I would have finished the whole thing all in one evening if only my eyeballs would have cooperated.
This was a fun read!
I did not enjoy this nearly as much as the 1st in the series. Once there was a fairy God mother it completely jumped the shark for me. And there is way to much illegal activity in that small town for anything to seem remotely plausible. Lastly, what mother 5 weeks post having twins would be out and about? I appreciate the creativity and work, but this didn’t work for me at all.
Denise Swanson is one of my always buy authors. Smart, funny mysteries with great characters!
This is an absolutely fabulous cozy mystery! I’m so glad that when Denise switched publishers she was able to keep Scumble River. You will be entranced by these books. Extremely well written with honest, realistic characters. Keep them coming Denise Swanson!! Enjoy!
Skye Denison-Boyd and her husband Wally are preparing for the baptism of their twins, which includes agreeing on their names. While meeting with the priest to prepare for the grand event, the rectory is shaken by an explosion in Bunny Lanes, the town’s bowling alley. Despite the fact that the business was closed at the time of the explosion, a body is located inside by the fire department.
Wally, the town’s police chief, finds himself in the middle of investigating a murder, and Skye, the police departments’ psych consultant, is there to do a bit of digging herself. Skye loves to dig for clues. There are many suspects in this whodunit thanks to the influx of strangers, who are the result of a recent tornado that hit the town.
This book is another page turner in this series. I look forward to each new book and try to make them last, but once I start reading them I can’t put them down. They are a must-read for any cozy lover. I definitely recommend this book. The characters are very well-developed. The cast is also filled with a variety of personalities who make this small town come alive. The plot moves at a steady pace and is never rushed. Swanson always makes the story easy to visualize. This story also has a group of characters ready to bring comic relief while helping out Skye in one way or another.
Love this series. Looking forward to the next book.
An easy ready for mystery cozy. Love the author – I wish she would write faster !!
Die Me A River by Denise Swanson is the second installment in Welcome Back to Scumble River series. Skye Denison-Boyd is on maternity leave after giving birth to twins. It has been three months since tornadoes rocked the area and destroyed their home. Wally, Skye and the twins have been staying in a luxury RV in their driveway while a new home is being built. They are preparing for the twins christening as well as the party afterward. If only Wally and Skye could agree on names for their babies (it has only been five weeks). Skye and Wally are meeting with Father Burns to go over the baptism when they hear a loud boom and the building quakes. The explosion came from Bunny Lanes, the local bowling alley run by Bunny Reid. She had recently renovated the facility and added video gambling machines to the bar. While the bowling alley had been closed for the day, the firefighters find the body of Paige Myler inside. Paige was a representative for Homestead Insurance who insured many of the citizens in Scumble River, and she had been denying their claims which had upset the policy owners. Wally must first figure out if the gambling machines, Bunny or Paige were the bombers target and then he can start assembling a list of suspects. He must also deal with a home under construction, a fairy godmother running around town, the christening, the party, newborn twins, an understaffed police department and a hormonal wife. Skye, though, is always eager to help Wally with his cases and it does give them time together. Come along to Scumble River where you will be welcomed with open arms and your secrets will spread faster than you can say Die Me a River.
Die Me A River may be the second book in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series, but it is a continuation of A Scumble River Mystery series. If you are new to this series of books, begin with Dead in the Water. If you are up for a challenge, pick up Murder of a Small-Town Honey (go all the way back to the beginning). I thought Die Me A River was easy to read with eccentric characters and a quirky small town. Denise Swanson has an engaging writing style that draws the reader into the Scumble River world. It can be hard, though, to keep track of the all extraneous characters especially in the beginning. Skye has an extended family and many close friends along with co-workers, Wally’s family, Wally’s co-workers, the townspeople (you get the picture). There is plenty of humor in the story as Skye learns to deal with the twins, Carson’s new girlfriend (and how they learn who it is will have you chuckling), the fairy godmother (her outfit alone will cause you to snicker), May’s over-the-top plans for the party, and the incident at the party are just a few examples. While Die Me A River has a delightful homey feel to it, the mystery was lacking. There is misdirection as the author tries to steer readers away from the real killer, but there are a limited number of suspects. Readers will have no problem solving this whodunit. I would like to suggest the author consider Homer as a victim in a future story (he is an obnoxious ignoramus). I could have done with fewer lovey dovey moments between Wally and Skye (they are sweet, but this is not a romance novel), references to Skye’s weight (which is normal after having a baby), and less focus on how much money Carson has at his disposable (and is spending on Wally, Skye and the babies). I am glad that the new parents are trying to eliminate vulgar swear words from their vocabulary (I dislike seeing them in my cozy mysteries), and they are coming up with some creative alternatives. It was lovely to finally find out the names that Skye and Wally had picked out for the twins. Die Me A River is an enticing cozy mystery with peculiar characters and an appealing small town.
In this next book of the series people are still reeling from the storm that hit the town in the previous book. Everyone is trying to get back to normal but quite a few people in town are having issues with a certain insurance company re-fusing claims. Things were going well with the original adjuster but he was removed and someone new sent in. While Skye and Boyd are with their priest discussing the twins christening they hear an explosion that sounds relatively close. It ends up being the bowling alley and when the fire fighters discover the body of a certain claims adjuster dead there are more than a few suspects to be had. Skye is trying to enjoy her leave but with Wally being the head of the investigation she can’t help but be pulled in. Being bombarded with clues is a good thing right, it’s not when there are no answers to be had when it comes to said clues. Skye really can’t seem to get a hold onto this mystery and wonders if it will ever get solved. In the meantime she is still working on figuring out what to name the twins, rebuilding her home, and getting into a new normal with two babies. Follow along as Skye tries to make sense of all the she has learned and be a great mom in the process. I’m enjoying where this series is going and love the transition the main character has made from being single to married and from being childless to a new mother of twins. I can’t wait to see what she comes up against next.
I have been a fan since the very first Scumble River story came out. I found Die Me A River to have a slightly different feel than the previous books including Dead in the water, the first book in this new reincarnation.
The new feeling I got in Die was of maturity and realism. The story focuses very much on Sky and Wally and their new family. Many of the usual suspects show up, some very, very briefly though. Sky is no longer the doormat she once was and I hope that doesn’t revert in the next book. Sky and Wally aren’t quite as perfect and there is the almost use of vulgarities several times (but as new parents, they cut themselves off in time). I felt that may have been overdone as part of a story, but I know in my real life, family members would be doing it just as much or more often. Sky does obsess about her weight a bit too much as well. I like how the author mentions the subtle changes now that people know Wally is the son of a rich man.
An exception to the realism is how quickly Wally’s relationship with his father has improved. Also, his father’s romance(?) with a local woman seems a bit unbelievable since no time is spent explaining his attraction to the individual. I think of him as an urbane sophisticate and to be interested in a local woman, particularly the one he chooses seems off without any development/explanation.
The mystery and two separate issues which tie into it are very timely, especially in Illinois in 2018.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Still dealing with the aftermath of tornadoes, Scumble River is susceptible to conmen and ruses.
Skye and Wally had tried to keep the family wealth a secret, but now, having to rebuild, along with the rest of the town, and deciding to go big with their new home and expanded family, judiciously it is revealed that they can afford something more than expected on their combined salaries. This brings its own difficulties.
They don’t have time to worry about that, as their twins are now over a month old, still without names. Baptism day is coming and Skye’s mother can’t contain her enthusiasm, especially now that budget is not a problem.
Obstacles seem to roll out from every direction and odd things happen as well.
Does magic really exist? Is something paranormal going on in rural Illinois?
With all of the zany, quirky characters we’ve come to love from Denise Swanson (and at one point all under one tent) and the building tension of protecting the children while answering unusual questions and solving an explosive murder, we watch as Skye must move forward with decisions and learning to balance motherhood, work, even if part time, and rebuilding.
This can be read as a stand alone but I think you will enjoy it best if you are familiar with at least some of the main characters by reading several previous books. You’ll be hooked and want to read the entire series.
Loving how all the chapters are named after BABY songs, or songs which include the word baby. Authors go to so much trouble to entertain us readers. I admit I was not familiar with “My Baby Must Be a Magician” so I did look it up. I have heard of the Marvelettes and love that musical era.
I accepted this book via Netgalley to read.