Publisher: Berkley
Published: September 6 2016
ISBN: 978-0451472120
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Print
Obtained via: Publisher
FOUR HEARTS
Back from her honeymoon it’s business and life as usual for Skye
Dennison-Boyd. Well almost. She and Wally are expecting their first child
and she’s trying out a new kind of therapy to help her special ed students. A local veterinarian has had some marvelous
success with a therapy cat and dog.
During the first session though, one of the school board members, Palmer
Lynch, who is not a fan of dogs and cats shows up. He not only doesn’t like animals—he’s hoping
to snag Skye’s godfather’s role as school board President out from under him. It
doesn’t take long for Skye to learn that Palmer isn’t exactly the nicest guy to
anyone…after his housekeeper finds him dead…under some very odd circumstances. While checking out the murder scene Skye
comes across one of the therapy animals, Maine Coon kitty Belle. How the cat ended up in the house of an avowed
animal hater is beyond Skye and Wally, but they are on the trail.
Denise Swanson’s Scumble River series is one of the most
enduring cozy mystery series with the first book, MURDER OF A SMALL TOWN HONEY
being released in 2000 and not one has been dull or repetitious. Swanson has done a great job of moving Skye’s
life and relationship with Wally, her mother and other characters along. None of them have been stagnant—not an easy
feat given the number of regular characters that appear in the books. And underlying each of the different mysteries
is a life issue that anyone can relate to.
She deals with the issues faced by special ed students with compassion. While it’s easy to say of course she does
because she was a school psychologist for twenty-two years, she still
approaches each situation with an understanding, if not fresh, perspective.
The mystery behind the murder in this one was a good one. I
certainly didn’t expect it and had a momentary jaw drop when the reason came out. As usual, when I finish one of her Scumble
River books I can’t wait for the next.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of
this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment