Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Murder of a Creped Suzette - 14th in the Scumble River Mystery series
Author: Denise Swanson
Publisher: Obsidian
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-23500-8
Release Date: October 2011
Genre/Sub-genre: Romantic/Cozy Mystery
Year/Setting: Scumble River IL
Overall Rating: 4.25
Sexual Content Rating: None (off scene)
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Denise's Website: www.deniseswanson.com
Is Scumble River ready to be the next Branson? Skye Denison doesn’t’ think so, but as for the rest of the small town the jury is out. If Rex has anything to do about it he and his Country entourage will be on the map with his star-fangled idea.
Suzette Neal is a part of the star-fangled entourage. In fact, in a way, Suzette has come home. Scumble River is where she lived when she was three. It’s also the place where her mother died. She has had misgivings about that, however. In her eyes her mother was murdered and would like Skye’s investigative skills to determine the truth.
Skye only gets as far as compiling a list of questions to begin her investigation before she fins Suzette’s almost unrecognizable body. Now there is one murder and one questionable death to solve. Skye and her fiancée/police chief, Wally, have a lot of suppositions to wade through and many questions to be answered. What was buried in Suzette’s past? Who in Scumble River knew the family over twenty years ago? Does the past overlap the present in the Neal family?
As you would guess, they wonder if the two deaths are related and what does, if anything, the Country Roads tour/theater have to do with one, or both deaths.
With little to no information or clues to follow up on, their hands are tied in this particular investigation. Are they missing something important? Surely this case won’t go unsolved…but no one seems forthcoming with any information needed to close these cases.
As usual, Denise Swanson delivers a very puzzling mystery. Creped Suzette is comprised of familiar characters among new and suspicious characters. They all provide the reader with interesting interactions and help create a list filled with conjecture and perplexing issues to explore.
Good writing that makes up a true ‘modern’ cozy; Ms. Swanson is at the top of her game with this Scumble River entrée.
Connie
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