Dead in the Water (Welcome Back to Scumble River Series #1)

by Denise Swanson

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson returns to the beloved town of Scumble River and its quirky townsfolk with Dead in the Water. First in a newly revamped cozy mystery series, Dead in the Water is a gripping mystery that won't let you go until you've turned the last page.

A twister, a kidnapping, and a murder—oh my! Scumble River may never be the same.

Welcome back to Scumble River!

• Perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Ellery Adams
• For readers of cozy mysteries and small-town cozy fiction

For school psychologist Skye Denison, there's certainly no place like home. When a violent tornado shakes up the small river town, she can't see how the community will ever recover—especially since town councilman Zeke Lyons appears to have perished in the twister.

But things get even worse for Skye when her police chief husband, Wally, disappears in the midst of investigating Zeke's death. Did Zeke really die in the storm, or was he the victim of an un-welcome murder? And could Wally be next on the criminal's hit list? As evidence arises pointing to foul play, Skye will have to jump into this seemingly dead-end investigation to save her husband and her town.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492648321
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	09/05/2017
Series:	Welcome Back to Scumble River Series , #1
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	227,444
Product dimensions:	4.20(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Denise Swanson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Scumble River mysteries, the Deveraux’s Dime Store mysteries, and the Chef-to-Go mysteries, as well as the Change of Heart contemporary romances. She has been nominated for RT Magazine’s Career Achievement Award, the Agatha Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Editorial Reviews

07/17/2017
Swanson’s witty, charming 20th adventure set in Scumble River, Ill., the first in a series reboot that moves the timeline forward to 2017, finds a very pregnant school psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd (who was suffering morning sickness in 2016’s Murder of a Cranky Catnapper) and her hunky husband, police chief Wally Boyd, dealing with the aftermath of a devastating tornado. But there’s no time to mourn their own losses; Skye’s jerk of an uncle, Mayor Dante Leofanti, is bellowing threats at Wally and demanding that he personally perform checks on his cronies’ properties. This turns up the body of city councilman Zeke Lyons, whose death doesn’t look accident- or tornado-related. But before Wally can delve too far into Zeke’s death, his check on an old farmhouse lands him in personal peril. And when Carson Boyd, Wally’s Texas millionaire dad, arrives to help, the well-kept secret of Wally’s wealthy background becomes another issue. Based on this delightful entry, this cozy series should have a long, bright future. Agent: Laura Blake Peterson, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"It’s a pleasure for Swanson’s readers to welcome back her Scumble River characters, even though she throws them into danger from the first chapter to the last. A tornado, a corpse and a kidnapping make life in Scumble River challenging for Skye Denison-Boyd as she awaits the birth of her first child, but fans of Swanson’s series know she can handle it all. Swanson’s strongly drawn characters and vivid descriptions make this welcome return of her Scumble River series a pleasure to read." — Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of Buried in a Bog

"Rejoice, Scumble River fans! Skye and Wally and the whole gang are back—and Denise Swanson proves once again that she is among the top writers of the genre. With more twists and turns than a tornado—a real tornado!—Dead in the Water is fast-paced and fun, with a smart, savvy protagonist, some truly sinister villains, a suspenseful plot, and a delightfully satisfying ending. I can’t wait to visit Scumble River again!" — Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author

"Based on this delightful entry, this cozy series should have a long, bright future." — Publishers Weekly

"Denise Swanson is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors and DEAD IN THE WATER is yet another hit from her. I love that Denise Swanson has remained true to the heart of the Scumble River characters and atmosphere in her reboot of the series. If you love quirky characters combined with a darned good cozy mystery, then don't hesitate to give DEAD IN THE WATER a try. You won't regret it!" — Fresh Fiction

"Always an enjoyable series, this is a timely tale considering all the storms and disasters the south and northwest have faced recently. It’s a good mystery and a great example of how people work together when trouble hits a whole town. " — Mysteryrat’s Maze - Kings River Life Magazine

From the Publisher

2017-06-20
A pregnant Illinois school psychologist braves a tornado's wrath while searching for a city councilman's killer.Only a few days before the start of school, Skye Denison-Boyd is scrambling to set up the year's testing, counseling, and intern supervision ahead of her upcoming maternity leave. But Mother Nature turns out to be the ultimate decision-maker, dealing Scumble River a blow that knocks the roofs off all three school buildings and levels much of the property. The home Skye shares with her husband, police chief Wally Boyd, is in ruins. Fortunately, Wally's father, multimillionaire Carson Boyd, is able to send the couple a deluxe mobile home in which to await the arrival of their firstborn. But Wally can't stay home while a town full of dispossessed homeowners struggle. Zeke Lyons' wife is darn near beside herself because her husband may still be in their house, where he stayed to care for their dog through the storm. Wally finds Zeke's body in the bathroom, but the burn marks on his corpse suggest it wasn't the twister that did the councilman in. Wally's just starting to investigate when Mayor Dante Leofanti sends him to check on his friend Hollister Brooks' tenants. Wally heads for Brooks' old farmhouse east of town and promptly drops off the radar. Now it's up to Skye, with help from Carson, to track down Zeke's killer in hopes of finding her missing spouse. Swanson relaunches her Scumble River series (Murder of a Cranky Catnapper, 2016, etc.) under the flag Welcome Back to Scumble River. But her stories are just too earnest, as well as too formulaic, to stay afloat long.

Kirkus Reviews