Murder of a Smart Cookie: A Scumble River Mystery
Read Murder of a Smart Cookie: A Scumble River Mystery Online
Authors: Denise Swanson
“It’s no mystery why the first Scumble River novel was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award. Denise Swanson knows small-town America, its secrets and its self-delusions, and she writes as if she might have been hiding behind a tree when some of the bodies were being buried. A delightful new series.”
—
Margaret Maron
Murder of a Pink Elephant
“Get the hammock strung, the lemonade poured, and settle in for the must-read book of the summer… . With a sharp tongue and even sharper mind, Skye once again proves herself adept at outwitting not only the bad guys, but the well-meaning good guys… . The sixth book in the Scumble River series is another enjoyable adventure in everybody’s favorite small town.”
—
Butler County Post
(KY)
“Swanson’s tongue-in-cheek humor is priceless… . Series readers will be pleased … I know I was. The Scumble River series is a fun one. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
—
Mystery News
(3½ feathers)
“One of my favorite series. It has all the nuances of life in a small town. I laugh out loud while I read faster and faster, trying to keep up… . I look forward to all my visits to Scumble River.”
—
Crime Spree Magazine
“Continues Swanson’s tradition of building on already wonderful characters… . Current readers will appreciate the trip into Scumble River, while new readers will want to go back.”
—The Best Reviews
“Skye Denison is back and better than ever … the best book in this series so far. The writing is crisp and the plot never wanders… . What makes this book stand out is the perfectly-put-together mystery… . If you like a funny heroine, tight plotting and a homey setting.
Murder of a Pink Elephant
is for you.”
—I Love a Mystery
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
“Fans of small-town cozies are going to have a good time reading
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
… . A clever, well-thought-out mystery that is almost impossible to solve, but it is the heroine that makes the novel.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Swanson continues her lively, light, and quite insightful look at small-town life… . A solid plot [and] likable characters who never slide into caricature.”
—
The Hartford Courant
“Another side-splitting visit to Scumble River … filled with some of the quirkiest and most eccentric characters we ever have met, with a sharp, witty protagonist.”
—
Butler County Post
(KY)
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
“Swanson’s Skye Denison, amateur sleuth, is an endearing and realistic character… . A fast-paced, enjoyable read.”
—
The Herald News
“This book is delightful… . The characters are human and generous and worth following through the scries.”
—
Mysterious Women
“A charming and enjoyable book… . A pleasant afternoon’s diversion and well worth the time.”
—
The Drood Review of Mystery
“Bound to send new readers to the bookstore in search of Swanson’s earlier books. They can rest assured they won’t be disappointed.”
—Reviewing the Evidence
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
“Superbly written with emotion and everything a good mystery needs … Shame on you if you miss anything by Denise Swanson.”
—
The Bookshelf
“More fun than the Whirl-A-Gig at the County Fair and tastier than a corndog.”
—
The Charlotte Austin Review
“Swanson is on her way to the top of the genre … A magnificent tale written by a wonderful author.”
—
Midwest Book Review
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
“A smooth, pleasant, and ultimately satisfying book.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“Another cunning, light-hearted story from Swanson. The book keeps pace, reminding us all over again why we have come to know and love that sly, witty Skye—the paradigmatic sleuth.”
—
The Sunday Journal
(Kankakee, IL)
“Another delightful and intriguing escapade … Do yourself a favor and buy it.”
—
Mystery News
“Swanson gets better and better. There’s a reason her books are consistently nominated for awards.”
—BookBrowser
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
“A delightful mystery that bounces along with gently wry humor and jaunty twists and turns.”
—Earlene Fowler, Edgar Award-winning author
“A light-hearted, entertaining mystery.”
—
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
“A charming, insightful debut mystery.”
—Carolyn Hart
“A likable new heroine reminiscent of some of our favorite childhood detectives—with a little bit of an edge … A fresh, delightful and enjoyable first mystery.”
—
The Charlotte Austin Review
“Skye is smart, feisty, quick to action and altogether lovable.”
—I Love a Mystery
“A charming debut novel that rings with humor, buzzes with suspense, and engages with each page turned … An impressive first novel worthy of praise.”
—
Daily Journal
(Kankakee, IL)
Other Scumble River Mysteries
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
Smart Cookie
A Scumble River Mystery
D
ENISE
S
WANSON
A SIGNET BOOK
SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, July 2005
10 9 8 7 6 5
Copyright © Denise Swanson Stybr, 2005
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-101-63987-0
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
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
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To my dear friends
Joyce and John Favero
Monika and Joe Bradley
Nancy and Robert Chidel
Andrea Pantaleone, Wes Dodd, Kay Lynn Shoemaker,
Laurie Bianchetta, Sandy Kral, Donna Sears,
Monica Granger, and Anne Hiller
Thanks to Dave Stybr for Dante’s Route 66 speech, and George Stybr for Monty Lapp’s great one-liner.
As always, I couldn’t have written this book without the continuing support of my husband, mother, relatives, and friends.