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Authors: Denise Swanson

Tags: #Mystery, #C429, #Kat, #Extratorrents

Little Shop of Homicide

BOOK: Little Shop of Homicide
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Praise for the Scumble River Series

Murder of a Creped Suzette

“Tongue-in-cheek humor, complex motives, and unique murders. The latest cleverly crafted tale is another entertaining mystery.”


Romantic Times

Murder of a Bookstore Babe

“In the latest installment in her cozy Scumble River series, Swanson serves up another irresistible slice of romance-spiced mystery.”


Chicago Tribune

“A fun and fast-paced mystery. Reading about Scumble River is as comfortable as being in your own hometown.”

—The Mystery Reader

“Swanson once again thrills her readers.…. The thirteenth book in the series,
Murder of a Bookstore Babe
is still as fresh and fun to read as the first book, and that’s quite a tribute to the skills of an author to keep it so.”

—Fresh Fiction

Murder of a Wedding Belle

“The latest carefully crafted installment in Swanson’s Scumble River series features a charming heroine, who is equally skilled at juggling detection and romance.”


Chicago Tribune

“A tightly woven mystery…. I had no idea as to who the murderer was until the final reveal, which definitely makes for a page-turning read.”

—Once Upon a Romance Reviews

Murder of a Royal Pain

“A trip to Scumble River is like visiting with old friends…. Another entry into a fine series that is sure to be on most must-read lists.”

—The Mystery Reader

“Swanson has given me many a smile and many hours of wonderful, fun reading. This is another in a long line of really great books.”


CrimeSpree Magazine

Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry

“[A] cleverly crafted plot…. with a generous dash of romance.”


Chicago Tribune

“Top-notch storytelling with truly unique and wonderful characters.”


CrimeSpree Magazine

Murder of a Botoxed Blonde

“Endearing…. quirky…. a delight.”


Chicago Tribune

“Tight plotting and plenty of surprises keep this series on my must-read list.”


CrimeSpree Magazine

Murder of a Real Bad Boy

“Swanson is a born storyteller.”


CrimeSpree Magazine

“Another knee-slapping adventure in Scumble River.”


Kentucky Amplifier

Murder of a Smart Cookie

“Smartly spins on a solid plot and likable characters.”


South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“[Swanson] has a lot of surprises in store for the reader.”


Midwest Book Review

Murder of a Pink Elephant

“The must-read book of the summer.”


Butler County Post
(KY)

“Current readers will appreciate the trip into Scumble River, while new readers will want to go back.”

—The Best Reviews

Murder of a Barbie and Ken

“Denise Swanson keeps getting better and better! This time, I giggled like a schoolgirl at the antics of Simon’s estranged mother, Bunny, the explanation of the two essential tools for every household, and even the very fitting character names.…. It is not necessarily the mystery that holds me riveted. It is Denise’s way with words. She
jknows ust how to add humor and warmth to her books, making them unforgettable reads!”,

—Roundtable Reviews

“Denise Swanson hits all the right notes in this brisk and witty peek at small-town foibles and foul play.”


Romantic Times
(Top Pick)

“Swanson continues her lively, light, and quite insightful look at small-town life.”


Hartford Courant

“Another sidesplitting visit to Scumble River…. with some of the quirkiest and most eccentric characters we ever have met.”


Butler County Post
(KY)

Murder of a Snake in the Grass

“An endearing and realistic character…. A fast-paced, enjoyable read.”


Herald News

“This book is delightful.”

—Mysterious Woman

Murder of a Sleeping Beauty

“A smooth, pleasant, and ultimately satisfying book.”


Chicago Tribune

“Another delightful and intriguing escapade”

—Mystery News

Murder of a Sweet Old Lady

“More fun than the Whirl-a-Gig at the County Fair and tastier than a corndog.”


Charlotte Austin Review

“A magnificent tale written by a wonderful author.”


Midwest Book Review

Murder of a Small-Town Honey

“Bounces along with gently wry humor and jaunty twists and turns. The quintessential amateur sleuth: bright, curious, and more than a little nervy.”

—Agatha Award–winning author Earlene Fowler

“A charming, insightful debut.”

—Carolyn Hart

Other Books by Denise Swanson

Scumble River Mysteries

Murder of a Creped Suzette

Murder of a Bookstore Babe

Murder of a Wedding Belle

Murder of a Royal Pain

Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry

Murder of a Botoxed Blonde

Murder of a Real Bad Boy

Murder of a Smart Cookie

Murder of a Pink Elephant

Murder of a Barbie and Ken

Murder of a Snake in the Grass

Murder of a Sleeping Beauty

Murder of a Sweet Old Lady

Murder of a Small-Town Honey

Little Shop
of Homicide

A Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery

Denise Swanson

AN OBSIDIAN MYSTERY

OBSIDIAN

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,

Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,

Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,

Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,

New Delhi – 110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632,

New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,

Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, March 2012

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

Copyright © Denise Swanson Stybr, 2012

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-101-57695-3

OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

For Kelle Z. Riley

Because she is always there to help me brainstorm, listen
to my plots, and tell me when I’m going
in the wrong direction.

Because she tolerates my whining, but never lets me sink
into the quagmire of writer’s depression—especially
when I think I might have committed career suicide.

But, mostly, because she writes amazing stories with life-
affirming happy endings that everyone is going to love
once some smart editor snaps them up.

Never give up the dream!

Acknowledgments

After so many books, I sometimes forget to thank the two people who have had such a huge part in making those books possible. However, with a new series starting, it reminded me how much I owe my agent, Laura Blake Peterson, and my editor, Ellen Edwards. So, thank you for all you’ve done, and for being with me for the long haul!

Thanks also to my Facebook peeps. Your generosity in answering all my “research” questions, and your support of my books (and me) help in ways you can’t imagine—especially on the days that I wonder why I ever wanted to be a writer.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Murder of the Cat’s Meow

CHAPTER 1

S
tepping back from the old kitchen table I used as a workbench, I contemplated my creations. Both evoked strong feelings. The one on my left called up memories of a simpler time, filled with sunlight and innocence, while the one on my right summoned thoughts of sensual darkness and guilty pleasures.

As I examined the nostalgia basket, the one for the Gerbers’ sixtieth anniversary, I smoothed the 1952
Saturday Evening Post
, straightened the fifties music CD, and pinned an I LIKE IKE button to the sock monkey’s hat. Once I tucked in the sacks of peppermint sticks and licorice whips, a mesh bag of marbles, and a kazoo, I was ready to place my trademark—the one perfect book—in the center.
Norman Rockwell’s Faith of America
had been the clear choice.

Happy with the Gerbers’ basket, I turned my attention to the one for the Cusslers, who were celebrating their first anniversary. I studied my handiwork. It needed something to be amazing. They had asked for heat and passion; so which would sizzle more, a crimson silk blindfold or a pair of black satin panties? Already nestled in the folds of an ebony lace shawl were a bottle of cinnamon massage oil, a box of chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a lushly illustrated copy of the
Kama Sutra
.

BOOK: Little Shop of Homicide
8.11Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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