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hlflosser's review
5.0
I loved this cozy. I’m glad I have the next. It was not slow moving at any point with a bit of humor. The only thing I didn’t like is the husband kept saying sweetie. I don’t know why that just aggravates me lol
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson is the first book in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series. Skye Denison-Boyd is at home when violent storms strike the area. Wally rushes home to get Skye into the basement (along with Bingo, the cat) when the tornado sirens ring out there warning. After the storm, they discover that their home is destroyed. Three separate tornadoes struck Scumble River leaving devastation in its wake. The mayor has Wally check on their newest councilman, Zeke Lyons who got separated from his family. Wally finds Zeke dead in the bathroom of his home and knows his death cannot be attributed to the storm. Who took advantage of the tornadoes to wipe out mild mannered Zeke Lyons? Wally has a full plate with a murder investigation, rescuing citizens, the burglaries occurring around town, his limited staff, and a pregnant wife. Wally heads out one afternoon and fails to return. Sergeant Roy Quirk, Wally’s right hand, does not have the staff to hunt for Wally. Skye calls Carson Boyd, Wally’s father, who flies in from Texas to help her. What happened to Wally? Will Caron and Skye be able to find him in time? To find out what happens, pick up a copy of Dead in the Water.
Dead in the Water is the first book in Welcome Back to Scumble River series, but it is actually a continuation of A Scumble River Mystery series (with some changes). This was my first visit to Scumble River, and I had no problem reading Dead in the Water. Ms. Swanson provided the needed history on the main characters. There are quite a few characters mentioned in the beginning (as Skye checks in on family and friends), but it settles down to a manageable level. My rating for Dead in the Water is 4.5 out of 5 stars (I downgraded a little since I accurately solved the mysteries). Dead in the Water is an engaging and entertaining story. It has lively and quirky characters (except the mayor who I hope gets ousted in the upcoming election). I thought the story was easy to read, had a good pace, and just the right amount of humor. The two mysteries were interesting with one being more complicated than the other. I believe many readers will be surprised by the killer’s identity (depends on your sleuthing prowess). I thought the method of murder was clever. The suspense ramps up towards the end of the book which had me up late turning the pages. The ending is sweet and will leave you smiling. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series.
Dead in the Water is the first book in Welcome Back to Scumble River series, but it is actually a continuation of A Scumble River Mystery series (with some changes). This was my first visit to Scumble River, and I had no problem reading Dead in the Water. Ms. Swanson provided the needed history on the main characters. There are quite a few characters mentioned in the beginning (as Skye checks in on family and friends), but it settles down to a manageable level. My rating for Dead in the Water is 4.5 out of 5 stars (I downgraded a little since I accurately solved the mysteries). Dead in the Water is an engaging and entertaining story. It has lively and quirky characters (except the mayor who I hope gets ousted in the upcoming election). I thought the story was easy to read, had a good pace, and just the right amount of humor. The two mysteries were interesting with one being more complicated than the other. I believe many readers will be surprised by the killer’s identity (depends on your sleuthing prowess). I thought the method of murder was clever. The suspense ramps up towards the end of the book which had me up late turning the pages. The ending is sweet and will leave you smiling. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series.
southernmomma98's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
johnw613's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Skye Denison-Boyd is a school psychologist who is married to Wally, the chief of police in tiny Scumble River, Illinois. When a tornado comes through town there’s more than a natural disaster to clean up after. There’s a murder, and a kidnapping, all while Skye is just about to give birth.
There’s a lot going on in this book, and author Swanson is deft at creating intricate plots and characters we truly care about, especially amateur sleuth Skye and professional sleuth Wally. Unfortunately the book, like her Chef To Go series, is marred by kitchen sink plotting (the book is rife with references to The Wizard of Oz thanks to the tornado plot device, including a character named Mrs. Gulch who happens to live on Kansas Street) and clunky prose that is easy to read but is often awkwardly wordy and belabored. She has great plot ideas but her execution leaves a bit to be desired.
There’s a lot going on in this book, and author Swanson is deft at creating intricate plots and characters we truly care about, especially amateur sleuth Skye and professional sleuth Wally. Unfortunately the book, like her Chef To Go series, is marred by kitchen sink plotting (the book is rife with references to The Wizard of Oz thanks to the tornado plot device, including a character named Mrs. Gulch who happens to live on Kansas Street) and clunky prose that is easy to read but is often awkwardly wordy and belabored. She has great plot ideas but her execution leaves a bit to be desired.
colorfulleo92's review
4.0
Dead in the water is one of the better cozy mystery I've read in the second half of the year, the story had a really good flow and I didn't get bored reading it. It was a nice balance of cozyness, crime and so e serious bits. Will definitely want to read more books in this series
gcolston1832's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
direton1's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
especiallybooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great cozy series and reminds me of why I love them. It's a great story and not overkill on the blood, guts, and violence.
sheilabookworm3369's review against another edition
3.0
A cozy mystery, decent plot, not so realistic characters, but the two main characters do have some depth. Enjoyed the story, felt like I didn't need to hear some of the thoughts running through one main character's mind, but do see that it's becoming more common with people in real life, which makes me wonder...
Are people voicing more of there less interesting thoughts because they read characters voicing their thoughts in books, or are we reading/hearing more of the characters' thoughts because people are voicing more of theirs? (Just illustrating the point).
Are people voicing more of there less interesting thoughts because they read characters voicing their thoughts in books, or are we reading/hearing more of the characters' thoughts because people are voicing more of theirs? (Just illustrating the point).