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1688 ratings | 42 reviews | avg rating:3.69

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Denise Swanson’s Followers (1,145)

Denise’s Bookshelves

to-read (321)
currently-reading (34)
read (1788)
did-not-finish (0)
apocolyptic (17)
books-i-ve-written (27)
contemporary-romance (97)
cozy-mystery (6)
erotic-romance (22)
light-paranormal (19)
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Denise’s Friends (72)

Lois Rotella

897 books | 37 friends

Susie

1,637 books | 441 friends

Ruth Ann Maynard

1,839 books | 223 friends

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2,812 books | 775 friends

Bam cooks the books

6,123 books | 1,067 friends

Linda

3,493 books | 262 friends

Jennifer

1,002 books | 83 friends

Emme

2,554 books | 30 friends

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Denise Swanson

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.deniseswanson.com/

Twitter

DeniseSwansonAu

Genre

Mystery, Romance

Member Since

December 2013

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Denise Swanson lives in rural Illinois with her husband, classical composer David Stybr.

After 22 years as a practicing school psychologist, she's happiest sitting in her scree porch reading. However, when the weather turns too cold, she's willing to leave the Midwest to cruise the sunny Caribbean.

Denise is an animal lover, but her home is currently furless, since her kitty of 20 years passed away in August of 2016. Instead, she enjoys watching the wildlife out her office window. ...more

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Combine Editions
Denise Swanson’s books

Average rating: 3.9 · 45,646 ratings · 4,343 reviews · 56 distinct works • Similar authors

	Murder of a Small-Town Honey (A Scumble River Mystery, #1) 3.78 avg rating — 3,509 ratings — published 2000 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tart of Darkness (Chef-to-Go Mystery, #1) 3.59 avg rating — 3,256 ratings — published 2018 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dead in the Water (Welcome Back to Scumble River, #1) 3.81 avg rating — 2,062 ratings — published 2017 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder of a Sleeping Beauty (A Scumble River Mystery, #3) 3.97 avg rating — 1,903 ratings — published 2002 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder of a Sweet Old Lady (A Scumble River Mystery, #2) 3.94 avg rating — 1,871 ratings — published 2001 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Leave No Scone Unturned (Chef-to-Go Mystery, #2) 3.91 avg rating — 1,859 ratings — published 2019 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little Shop of Homicide (Devereaux Dime Store, #1) 3.76 avg rating — 1,613 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder of a Barbie and Ken (A Scumble River Mystery, #5) 3.90 avg rating — 1,524 ratings — published 2003 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder of a Bookstore Babe (Scumble River Mystery, #13) 3.90 avg rating — 1,456 ratings — published 2011 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder of a Snake in the Grass (A Scumble River Mystery, #4) 3.92 avg rating — 1,418 ratings — published 2003 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Denise Swanson…

3 posts
Denise Swanson's Blog: Denise's Details

Fear

I'm afraid of a lot of things. Big cities, doctors, and the DMV all make me nervous. But I don't like feeling weak so I make myself do things that I fear. Goodreads is one of those things.

The talk among authors is that Goodreads can be a mean place for writers to hang out and I don't do mean very well. But as I said, I dislike feeling weak so here I am.

I've been sticking to my own page, but yeste Read more of this blog post »

8 likes · Like • 3 comments • flag

Published on April 28, 2015 05:59 • Tags: fear, goodreads, listopia

View all 3 posts »

Series by Denise Swanson

A Scumble River Mystery (19 books)
by

Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)

3.91 avg rating — 27,745 ratings

Chef-to-Go Mystery (4 books)
by

Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)

3.77 avg rating — 6,360 ratings

Devereaux's Dime Store (7 books)
by

Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)

3.91 avg rating — 5,501 ratings

Welcome Back to Scumble River (5 books)
by

Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)

3.97 avg rating — 5,085 ratings

Forever Charmed Mysteries (2 books)
by

Denise Swanson (Goodreads Author)

3.92 avg rating — 581 ratings

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Denise is Currently Reading

Denise Swanson is currently reading

The Warning Call: An EMP Post Apocalypse Prepper Survival Thriller

by Hazel Holmes

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 25, 2026 05:42PM

Denise Swanson is currently reading

Tex (Burnout, #2)

by Dahlia West

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 27, 2026 07:48PM

Denise Swanson is currently reading

Invoked (Infected #4)

by Jessica Gomez (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 26, 2026 03:30PM

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Denise’s Recent Updates

Denise Swanson is currently reading The Warning Call: An EMP Post Apocalypse Prepper Survival Thriller by Hazel Holmes	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 25, 2026 05:42PM · like
Denise Swanson rated a book liked it Safe Haven (The Outbreak #1) by Thomas Baker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 25, 2026 12:52PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Safe Haven by Thomas Baker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Safe Haven by Thomas Baker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Denise Swanson rated a book it was amazing Howl You Forgive Me?: A Steamy Shifter Rom Com (The Bark Side of Love Book 5) by Amber Hex	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 22, 2026 06:22PM · 2 likes · like
Denise Swanson rated a book it was amazing Howl You Hex Me?: A Steamy Shifter Rom Com (The Bark Side of Love Book 4) by Amber Hex	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 21, 2026 05:54PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Howl You Hex Me? by Amber Hex. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Howl You Hex Me? by Amber Hex <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Denise Swanson rated a book liked it Every Dark Mile: An EMP Post Apocalypse Prepper Survival Thriller (EMP Survival in a Powerless World Book 173) by Skylar Finn	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 20, 2026 06:31PM · 2 likes · like
Denise Swanson rated a book it was amazing Howl You Heal?: A Steamy Shifter Rom Com (The Bark Side of Love Book 3) by Amber Hex	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 18, 2026 06:56PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Howl You Heal? by Amber Hex. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Howl You Heal? by Amber Hex <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Denise Swanson rated a book it was amazing Howl You Doing?: A Steamy Shifter Rom Com (The Bark Side of Love Book 2) by Amber Hex	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 18, 2026 01:06PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Howl You Doing? by Amber Hex. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Howl You Doing? by Amber Hex <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Denise Swanson rated a book really liked it Chasing Echoes (The Fallen Republic Book 3) by James Tarr	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 17, 2026 03:52PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Chasing Echoes by James Tarr. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Chasing Echoes by James Tarr <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Denise Swanson rated a book really liked it Cascade: A Zombie Apocalypse Thriller (The Fallen Republic Book 1) by James Tarr	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2026 06:11PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cascade by James Tarr. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cascade by James Tarr <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Denise Swanson and 1 other person liked Cheyenne's review of Howl you Been?: A Steamy Shifter Rom Com (The Bark Side of Love Book 1): "Simply adorable If you’re looking for a quick but clever read this will fill your break. Most shifter love stories are quick so this fits right in."
Sep 01, 2026 04:37AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Howl you Been? by Amber Hex. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Howl you Been? by Amber Hex <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Denise's books…

Quotes by Denise Swanson (?)

“If you don't see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small mind and share it with your big mouth.”
― Denise Swanson

9 likes

“Men are like horoscopes,” Trixie cut Skye off. “They always tell you what to do and are usually wrong.”
― Denise Swanson, Murder of a Royal Pain

tags: relationships

4 likes

“Try not to let your mind wander ... it's too small and fragile to be out by itself.”
― Denise Swanson, Murder of a Pink Elephant

3 likes

See all Denise Swanson's quotes »

Polls

What is your favorite cozy mystery series?

Donna Andrews, Murder With Peacocks (Meg Langslow)

16 votes, 17.4%

Krista Davis, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (Domestic Diva)

11 votes, 12.0%

Rhys Bowen, Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness)

11 votes, 12.0%

Jenn McKinlay, Sprinkle with Murder (Cupcake Bakery)

10 votes, 10.9%

Miranda James, Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks)

7 votes, 7.6%

Elizabeth Peters, Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody)

6 votes, 6.5%

Laura Bradford. Hearse and Buggy (Amish Mystery)

5 votes, 5.4%

Denise Swanson, Murder of a Small-Town Honey (Scrumble River)

5 votes, 5.4%

Dorothy L. Sayers, Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey)

5 votes, 5.4%

Ngaio Marsh, A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn)

4 votes, 4.3%

Carolyn Hart, Death On Demand (Death on Demand)

4 votes, 4.3%

Earlene Fowler, Fool's Puzzle (Bennie Harper)

2 votes, 2.2%

Lea Wait, Twisted Threads (Mainely Needlepoint)

2 votes, 2.2%

Spencer Quinn, Dog on It (Chet and Bernie)

2 votes, 2.2%

Kathi Daley, Romeow and Juliet (Whales and Tails)

1 vote, 1.1%

Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity's Death (Aunt Dimity)

1 vote, 1.1%

Barbara Ross, Clammed Up (Maine Clambake)

0 votes, 0.0%

92 total votes

6 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Cozy Mysteries : Theme Read - July 2010	109	211	Jul 28, 2010 10:11AM
Cover to Cover Ch...: CindyAnn's 2010 List	12	40	Dec 05, 2010 04:44PM

Denise’s Friend Comments

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message 1: by Donna

Sep 02, 2017 07:31PM

Denise, I am happy to be your friend of Good Reads. I have entered the giveaway for your new book.
I love cozy books.
Donna

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Denise Swanson’s Followers (1,145)

Denise Swanson

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