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310th out of 325 books
—
50 voters
Murder of a Bookstore Babe (A Scumble River Mystery #13)
When school psychologist Skye Denison discovers a body crushed by a toppled bookcase in Scumble River's new bookstore, she has to read the clues before she becomes the killer's next work-in-progress...
Paperback, 243 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Signet
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While school psychologist Skye Denison is thrilled that a new bookstore is opening in town, not everyone else is and several people are trying to shut it down. When someone is murdered there it looks like they might get their wish. Skye has worked with the police department before (and is engaged to Police Chief Wally Boyd) and agrees to help interview several suspects as they are all members of her family. Could someone in her family be the killer?
“Murder of a Bookstore Babe” is the enjoyable 1...more
“Murder of a Bookstore Babe” is the enjoyable 1...more
Skye is very excited when she finds out when a bookstore is going to open up but some of the other people in the community were not happy about it opening up.
Some of Skyes fellow teachers are even protesting the bookstore opening up, and wanted Skye to sign a petition to keep it out of town.
Rise is the new owner, and she is a happy but troubled woman with a husband that has PTSD from the war. Skye is enjoying the Grand Opening but some people try to wreak it by letting out her pet Chinchillas an...more
Some of Skyes fellow teachers are even protesting the bookstore opening up, and wanted Skye to sign a petition to keep it out of town.
Rise is the new owner, and she is a happy but troubled woman with a husband that has PTSD from the war. Skye is enjoying the Grand Opening but some people try to wreak it by letting out her pet Chinchillas an...more
I picked this one up at Target the other day because it was a mystery about a book store and that sounded like something I might like. Plus, it was 25% off, so why not. I liked it! I thought it was a cute little mystery. I'll probably try to read the rest of these now too. I liked the main character and most of the cast in the town. There were a couple of odd things: In the beginning at the opening of the book store, Skye's put into a very dangerous situation with a bunch of fundamentalist prot...more
i enjoy this series and have read all of them. However I am getting tired of the "conflict" between Wally and Simon, the two rivals for Sky's affections. She has made her choice; let them alone now. That is really detracting from the books. In this one a new bookstore comes to town. The local residents are not thrilled - a petition to get rid of them before they even open is being circulated. One teacher says that romance is really porn. How are the owners tied in with Sky's friend Xavier? When...more
Yes, Scumble River books are rather predictable, but entertaining. Like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I like that the same characters are in almost every book and it's always fun to see the next crazy thing they will do.
Denise Swanson is a local author and Scumble River closely resembles an area a few towns away, so it makes it easy for me to picture the locations, although names have been changed in some cases but not in others.
Things I don't like about the series: Skye's mother is a...more
Denise Swanson is a local author and Scumble River closely resembles an area a few towns away, so it makes it easy for me to picture the locations, although names have been changed in some cases but not in others.
Things I don't like about the series: Skye's mother is a...more
First book I've read in this series, and won't be reading any more. I mostly enjoy books about bookstores and books, but this isn't really about that, is it. The heroine, Skye, is another of those grown women who can't stand up to their extremely overbearing, annoying, pushy, and overly dramatic mothers. And the Catholicism gets to be irritating, too. Also, I can't believe that that mother would name her baby girl Skye; it's just not in character. The teenage girls Xenia and Kayla were well-draw...more
This was a fun, light read. It's the first book I've read in the Scumble River series. When I saw that the plot involved the opening of a new bookstore, Tales and Treats, that's vehemently opposed by some of the town's citizens for various reasons (e.g., that the romances and vampire novels will corrupt the town's youth), followed by a murder on the store's premises, I couldn't resist. It turned out to be a good solid page-turner of a traditional mystery with quirky characters, a fine plot, and...more
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This was pure fluff and, as such, it was excellent for what it is. It was a light fun read, moved quickly, with lots of quirky characters and humor. It was well written with only a few spots where I felt it was a bit repetitive or unclear; for the most part it was smooth reading. The whodunit was a surprise so that was quite satisfying; I hate when I can easily figure it out too early. This is about 13th? in the series; I might look for another when I'm in the mood again for something fun and mi...more
This is a cozy mystery series. I like the characters a lot, but this one just seemed to have lost something. It wasn't as entertaining as they usually are. Maybe it's time for the series to end. I have a hard time quitting series, sometimes reading them long after I should. This one isn't there for me yet, but I think that the author should quit when the main character finally gets married. For such a small town there are way too many dead bodies. I'm surprised there are any people left.
The love triangle was mostly resolved in the previous book, #12 in the series. The love triangle has to be one of my least favorite things to find in a book. So, I was hopeful that the series would start to get good again. Unfortunately, it hasn't. This latest installment in the series seems stale and boring. I think that this will be the last book I read in the series. It's not that it was that horrible so much as there's so many books out there that are good and even great, that it seems point...more
School psychologist Skye Denison is hoping the new bookstore in town will do well, but when a young woman is found dead inside, she wonders who wants to sabotage the grand opening. And was the victim the intended target, or might it have been one of the bookstore owners? As Skye gets to know the people involved, she sees that more than one citizen is harboring a deadly secret. Murder of a Bookstore Babe is a delightful addition to the Scumble River mystery series.
This is a very reliable series to read. Scumble River has it's own variety of characters, some loved, some I wish would be written out.
This novel revolved around a murder victim that worked at the new controversial bookstore. The only controversy I could detect was a small town aversion to a new comer. As our sleuth picks through the suspects, she is also involved in a personal mystery surrounding her brother.
This was a pleasant, but to me, predictable mystery.
This novel revolved around a murder victim that worked at the new controversial bookstore. The only controversy I could detect was a small town aversion to a new comer. As our sleuth picks through the suspects, she is also involved in a personal mystery surrounding her brother.
This was a pleasant, but to me, predictable mystery.
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Denise Swanson does not write an excellent mystery, but she does write an excellent story. I was impressed with her using a hook in this particular novel and playing games with it. I enjoy seeing Skye's life evolve and what comes of it because of the scenarios. The murders almost seem to be a way now to further her storyline, which is okay with me. I do not read these for the titillating tale of murder and mystery, but for the smalltown that Swanson has created. Do not go into this book expectin...more
I'm giving this book a two star. It is a cozy mystery but doesn't make you care for the characters, even though some are quite interesting.
Also this is the first time I knew who was guilty before I had finished. Didn't even have to think about it for sure.
I would add another 1/2 star because I will read another of the series before ruling adding it to the list of the series which I read everyone.
Also this is the first time I knew who was guilty before I had finished. Didn't even have to think about it for sure.
I would add another 1/2 star because I will read another of the series before ruling adding it to the list of the series which I read everyone.
I have grown a little disappointed with this series as it has gone on. I really loved this series when it first came out and I enjoy visiting the characters of Scumble River, but I think it's time for the series to get shaken up a bit. I don't want to see it end, but with so many books in the series now, it's getting predictable. You know, as the reader, every time 2-3 new characters are introduced, one will be killed and the other is the killer. This the case of this series. One of my favorite...more
I decided after reading a 2nd book (for me) in this series I have to read the rest. I have come to really like the characters, the one liners such as "you can dress up a pig, but that don't make him king of the prom", and the stories in general. Have more books on reserve from the library and what I can't find there I hope to find at the used bookstore! Can't wait to read the rest of the adventures!
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One of the best in the series. A bookstore is opening in Scumble River and of course some people are against it. When a murder occurs after hours, there are many suspects with a motive and its up to Skye to eliminate people with alibis. One of the more interesting aspects is that each chapter heading is a book title with a clue to the content of the chapter.
I was surprised to really like this book, as I had read one other in the series and thought it was just "eh." this one was really good and I now understand why thie Scumble River books are such a hit. Skye's adventures working at a school were interesting and I enjoyed the drama between Simom and Wally, as well as Skyr's meddling mother. I will be continuing with this series!
I've read all in this series and have enjoyed them. Like most books that are classified as mystery, this one is a quick, easy to read book. It's a small town setting. Sometimes the interactions within the family, or between her and her fiance, or her and her former boyfriend are annoying, but overall, still readable.
Skye Denison is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of Tales and Treats the new bookstore, many Scrumble river citizens want to shut it down before the owners even open. And one is angry enouch to commit murder...... But who could be driven to kill someone over books and sweets?
Its well written and the story flows pretty smoothly however I was dissapointed with how easy it was to figure out who the murderer was and what their motivation could be. It just didn`t have the suspense and the twists and turns I have come to expect and love in this series.
Bookstore owner wears t-shirts with quotes.
"Never judge a book by it's movie" J.W. Eagan
"Pardon me while I slip into a good book"
"Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures" Jessamyn West
"One good book deserves another"
"Never judge a book by it's movie" J.W. Eagan
"Pardon me while I slip into a good book"
"Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures" Jessamyn West
"One good book deserves another"
I love this whole series and am looking forward to the next one Murder of a Crepe Suzette coming out August 2011. Oh one thing that was not to my liking was Skye's mother. She was very annoying and overbearing. But other than that this one was a great cozy
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Such a painful cliche of quirky small-town mysteries with a female heroine, that not only did I stop reading this book halfway through, but I threw it in the trash so I would not ever pick it up again, nor would anyone else. I only went halfway because I was vaguely optimistic, and because it was a super fast read.
Denise Swanson has produced another fun read. By now I feel like I'm connecting with old friends each time I open one of her books. Can't wait for the autumn when her next book is published. Thanks, Denise!
Great read, first one of the series I read, now I'm looking for the rest! Good story, great mystery, (which I figured out before the book did!)and fun to read. Loved all of it.
This was fun to read - nice characters, small town life, a bookstore
setting and chapters titled with different novels like Look Homeward, Angel, Pride and Prejudice, etc. A delightful cozy.
setting and chapters titled with different novels like Look Homeward, Angel, Pride and Prejudice, etc. A delightful cozy.
I really enjoyed this book. The main character, Skye Denison was written as smart and capable. The mystery was engaging and kept me guessing. This is the only book I have read in the series but it was written in a way, that I did not have to read the previous books to follow along. I may have to read more books from this series.
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Denise Swanson lives in Illinois with her husband, classical composer David Stybr and their cool black cat Boomerang. Unlike her protagonist Skye, Denise realizes she can never really move very far from her home town. But several times a year she and Dave sneak away for a little adventure.
More about Denise Swanson...
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