Come Homicide or High Water

Dollycas’s Thoughts <br /><br />We return to Scumble River as work is almost complete on Wally and Skye’s new home. They are both looking forward to moving out of the RV and having plenty of room to spread out. Skye is also nearing the end of her maternity leave which means they have to hire a new nanny soon. During her leave, she has been going into the school when her intern replacement needs help dealing with school staff or parents. Right now she is trying to explain to a mother than her child is not as gifted as she thinks. The meeting takes a huge left turn that results in the mother threatening to sue the school. Oh boy, does Skye really want to return to all this drama?<br /><br />Later the woman threatening to sue is found dead and Skye learns she was her contractor’s wife. Skye gets nervous that someone from the school could be responsible. She also worries that the death will halt construction on her home.<br /><br />Wally has also asked Skye to assist him in the case of a missing woman. Could the two cases be connected? Could the killer be someone they know? Skye and Wally are determined to find out.<br /><br />______<br /><br />Denise Swanson is a remarkable storyteller. Her characters have become old friends and I couldn’t wait to get into the pages to see what they were up to this time.<br /><br />I love the way Skye and Wally really compliment each other. They are excelling at parenting and working together too. Wally asks for Skye’s help and trusts her theories and opinions. They make a great team and I love that we get to see things from both Skye and Wally’s point of review. It is very refreshing to have a cozy mystery written in this way.<br /><br />The main characters are surrounded by a great supporting cast as well. There is family to pitch in to help with the babies and to give their opinions on just about everything. Oh, May, you are such a treasure but there are times I want to reach in the book and tape your mouth shut ?<br /><br />We have some quirky characters too. The Dooziers are doozies but always make me smile and sometimes laugh out loud. Friends, school staff and town residents round out the wonderful cast. The dialogues are crisp with a lot of humor. Very realistic for the midwest setting.<br /><br />The main and subplots are very well-written and have a comfortable flow. The author packed the pages full of daily life and drama along with a nice bit of humor too. Twists, turns, red herrings, this story has them all. Ms. Swanson has given us quite an intriguing story. One of the mysteries wraps up in a delightful way. The other kept me guessing to the very end.<br /><br />Come Homicide or High Water is a marvelous addition to this series. Entertaining characters wrapped in a delightful story that includes mysteries that are interesting and fun to try to solve. I can’t wait for my next trip to Scumble River.<br /><br />This is the third book in the continuation of Denise Swanson’s Scumble Murder Mysteries. The change happened when the series was picked up by the new publisher. I had gotten behind on the series but was thrilled to jump back in with this new start. I love these characters and do plan to go back with the books I missed. Ms. Swanson has done an excellent job providing background so readers like me with a few books in arrears can pick up books in the continuation without feeling lost. I recommend new readers start with the first book in the continuation, Dead in the Water for maximum enjoyment. You will probably want to go back and read thm all.

Skye Denison-Boyd is almost ready to return from maternity leave to her job as a school psychologist. Until she goes back, she’s lending a helping hand to the intern replacing her. She’s called in when an angry mother threatens to sue the school. Her husband, the chief of police, requests her help in locating a missing elderly woman. When the angry parent is found murdered, Skye can’t help wonder if the cases are somehow connected.<br /><br />Skye and her husband set out to solve both of these mysteries. They suspect the guilty party could be someone they know.<br /><br />This series originally began with the Scumble River Mystery series and blossomed to the Welcome Back to Scumble River Mystery series. I’m so glad they did. The Scumble River series was one of the first cozy mystery series I ever read, before I knew they were a genre unto themselves. This is the third book in the new series and I love seeing the way Skye has grown from a woman fighting for a career to a woman with a successful career and married with twins. This is why I always think it’s best to start a series from the beginning so you can appreciate the character growth.<br /><br />However, the mystery itself is contained within this book. So, it can be read on its own. There are no cliffhangers. Still I recommend reading the whole series from the beginning.<br /><br />This was a quick read for me. I could not put it down and loved every minute of it. The plot was fast-paced and the characters are well-developed. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I was totally taken by surprise. <br /><br />This is a wonderful addition to the series and I hope there will be many more to follow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It is nice to be back in Scumble River. I am a long time Denise Swanson reader and what hit me the most about this story is even after two decades with Skye Denison (now Denison-Boyd) is that the stories continue to be entertaining, intriguing and each with its own distinct story. The characters continue to develop and change enough to make it interesting and Earl Doozier is always good for a chuckle. <br /><br />This is the third in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series and there are over twenty books featuring Skye Denison in Scumble River. Even if you have never read a Skye Denison-Boyd book Come Homicide or High Water could easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. <br /><br />Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoy Denise's books. This is no exception. It's smoothly written and the characters are great. I was hooked on it from the very first and read it in one sitting. There's nothing that pulls you out of the story. A great book. #Come Homicide or High Water #NetGalley

In this third book of the series Skye is looking forward to having her new home finished, living in an RV has its challenges especially with two babies to care for. She is also getting prepared to return to work and isn't sure how she feels about leaving her babies, finding the right person to care for them hasn't been ideal. During her first trip back to the school she is met with an angry parent who is ready to sue and Wally ends up needing her help with a missing persons case. The next day Skye gets a panicked phone call and rushed to help but ends up finding a dead body instead. It looks like someone wasn't happy with the disgruntled parent and killed her. Skye can't help but get involved in looking for the killer, she wants to make sure the right person is caught. Follow along and see if she can gather up the proper clues that will help her come to the right conclusion. Will she be able to find a killer and will Wally ever figure out what happened to the missing woman?

4.5 stars. The school stuff started to bore me in this book .. but there was plenty of other story to keep me interested!<br /> The killer was a surprise. <br /> Enjoyed this one and glad that Wally, Skye and twins are in their big new house now.<br /> (Covers are really good in this Welcome Back series .. but too many typos!)

Come Homicide or High Water<br />Welcome Back To Scumble River, Book #3<br />Denise Swanson<br />5 Stars<br /><br />Synopsis:<br /><br />THE FIRST IN A NEW COZY MYSTERY SERIES<br /><br />From New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson comes Come Homicide or High Water, a cozy mystery full of twist and turns and small town charm! Because despite appearances, there's something fishy just below the surface of Scumble River...<br /><br />You'll love getting to know this brand-new series from the author of the beloved Scumble River Mysteries. This book is:<br /><br />A delightful small town cozy mysteryFull of quirky, lovable charactersPerfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Miranda JamesWelcome back to Scumble River! Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.<br /><br />When the parent suing Skye's school is found dead and with the missing woman's case still unsolved, Skye suspects the crimes are somehow linked. With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations. Now she and Wally barely have enough time for date night once the babies are asleep! But as tensions rise and Skye and Wally's suspect list lengthens, they start to wonder whether they'll be able to catch the guilty ones before tragedy strikes again. (Goodreads)<br /><br />Review:<br /><br />The characters are well rounded and well developed. It would not matter to me if there was a mystery to solve or not, I just enjoy spending time with Skye and Wally. It is so refreshing to read about them working together, whether they are trying to figure out their family situation or trying to solve a mystery. It is great that Wally cares about her input and insights and really listens to Skye.<br /><br />The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The descriptions held my interest and the action just kept coming. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. The mystery was challenging and not easily solved, which is a plus in my book.<br /><br />I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am waiting patiently for the next book to be written.<br /><br />I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate. <br /> <br /><br />

This book in the series continues the story of Skye, she is married with 3 month old twins. She is getting ready to go back to work at the school full time even though she has been helping out while on leave. The first day back an elderly woman goes missing and a parent threatens to sue the school. The lady is later found dead. Skye and her police chief husband work together to find out what is going on. They are also building their house, while living in an RV, after their home had been destroyed in a storm.

Skye Dennison-Boyd is one of my favorite protagonists. I've enjoyed every book in the series and this one is top notch.<br />A missing you and a murder are just a couple of the things Skye and her husband Wally are dealing with. Add twins, living in an RV and her over involved mother, and you will find Skye with her hands more than full.<br />Of course, we all know how independent and determined Skye is, so when she becomes embroiled in these investigations, we see her at her best. Of course, no book is complete without the wild antics of the Doosiers, and fans won't be disappointed with their shenanigans in Come Homicide Or High Water.<br />Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read this book.

School psychologist and police consultant Skye Denison-Boyd may still be on maternity leave, but she knows her intern needs help and clearly isn’t getting it from the horrible principal or the others who said they would help in Skye’s absence. Skye wants the young woman to succeed, so helps her out where she can. A disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school because her little girl wasn’t assigned to the school’s gifted program, and winds up dead. At the same time, an elderly woman who may have Alzheimer’s disappears from Scumble River. Skye thinks the two cases may be related, and she and her husband, Chief of Police Wally Boyd, set out to solve the mysteries.<br /><br />I have enjoyed every single book in this series, from book 1 in the Scumble River Mysteries to this book 3 in the reboot. The reboot retains the same loveable, quirky (an in some cases, extremely annoying) characters, but moves them to present day, where the first part of the series was set in the 90s. <br /><br />I find Skye to be highly relatable. She seems very real to me. And I love the relationship between her and Wally, who was her school-girl crush. She has insecurities about her appearance (she’s “plus” size, and sometimes wonders how someone so stunningly attractive would pick her), but she struggles to overcome them and feel worthy of the relationship. Wally respects her abilities as a psychologist and frequently seeks her opinions on cases. Plus, she can get people to talk, where he can’t. The secondary characters are multi-dimensional and add humor to the stories. The author perfectly captures the eccentricities of a small town and how everyone knows everyone else’s business.<br /><br />Some long-running series grow stale for me, but not this one. The author manages to keep the situations and characters fresh and believable. I prefer mysteries that are character-driven, and like to find out whodunnit when the protagonist does. While I was hoping the killer would be a character I particularly dislike, the book took a left at the ending and I was surprised by the outcome. I also enjoyed that the author put a couple of secondary characters in the police sights; I thought this a nice change from the standard “bushy-haired stranger” or newcomer always being the guilty party.<br /><br />I have the entire series (both the old one and the reboot) in paperback. I am always happy to see a new book arrive. I know I’m going to get a nicely balanced mystery/romance/day-to-day-life of favorite characters. The Scumble River books hold my interest and keep me thinking about the story when I’m not reading. When they’re done I’m always a little sad, as I feel like these character have become friends over the years. I eagerly await the next entry in this enjoyable series.<br />