Book Review: Murder of a Small-Town Honey

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Murder of a Small-Town Honey     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Denise Swanson
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth   Woman Main Character
Series: Scumble River Mysteries
Signet, Jul 2000, $5.99, 256 pp.

Twelve years ago at her high school graduation valedictorian address, Skye Denison insulted the residents of her hometown Scumble River, Illinois as small minded. Now, she has eaten her pride and returned as a school psychologist. However, Skye never expected to be cornered into offering her services to the hokey Chokeberry Days Festival, but food tasting chokeberry jelly is what she is doing. However, her assaulted taste buds get relief when she finds the corpse of Mrs. Gumtree.

To everyone’s amazement, the sixty-ish children’s TV star Mrs. Gumtree turns out to actually be thirty-ish Honey, a former resident who slept with many a male. The police suspect Skye’s brother committed the crime. Several other close friends of Honey have their homes and/or businesses trashed, as someone seems to be searching for something. Skye begins her own inquiries.

MURDER OF A SMALL-TOWN HONEY is an amusing amateur sleuth tale starring an entertaining lead protagonist. The interesting story line is loaded with twists and turns, and filled with intriguing small town characters who provide depth to the plot. Still, the story clearly belongs to the humble pie and chokeberry jelly eating and choking Skye who makes this Denise Swanson’s novel soar due to her droll relationships with the locals.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner