Murder of a Small-Town Honey

Book 28 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from April 5 - 9

Murder of a Small-Town Honey

by Denise Swanson

Book 1 of the Scumble River Mystery series

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2000

When school psychologist Skye Denison left Scumble River after high school, she swore she would never return to such a small minded town. But when credit card and boyfriend trouble caused her to slink home, she tries to blend in unnoticed. However inconspicuous has never been one of Skyes attributes, as the small-town busybodies try to bring her out in the public eye whenever they can. When she stumbles upon a dead TV personality, the police accuse her brother and she is forced to prove him innocent. This proves to be a daunting task, but Skye is up to the task. She is bright, persistent, gutsy and the perfect amateur sleuth.

My Opinion

4 stars

Cozy mysteries are a dime a dozen but this series caught my eye at the library and I'm glad I decided to give it a try.  It took me way too long into the book to notice that the chapter titles were songs so that was a fun addition.

There were a few things I found odd, such as the character accused of murder continuing about their life pretty casually, but I rounded up to 4 stars because I'm interested in the main characters, especially Skye, and will continue reading to see where they go.  However, I won't be as generous while continuing to read the series if Skye's weight continues to be brought up and a few other "small-town" stereotypes don't calm down.

Quote from the Book

"When Skye Denison was forced to return to Scumble River, Illinois, she knew it would be humiliating, but she never dreamed it would be murder."