Murder of a Royal Pain: A Scumble River Mystery

For me, one of April's highlights is the release of Denise Swanson's latest Scumble River mystery, and this year was no exception. There's nothing not to like about the sleuth in this series. Skye Dennison is a most likeable and appealing personality. The reader wants to know her better, and as one reads through the series more and more is revealed about this school psycholgist/crimer solver. "Murder of a Royal Pain" is, I think, the best Scumble River Mystery yet. I highly recommend it. However, if you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading the earlier titles, I would recommend reading them in the order written. Have fun, the entire series is terrific.

I joke about the title because Scumble River is a great escape, and every trip there is bittersweet because the book has to end. In her eleventh full-length novel, Denise Swanson once again breathes life into our favorite school psychologist (and sleuth) Skye Dennison. When murder hits a prominent afterschool and prom committee member, Skye tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. However, the road isn't easy for the Scumble River girl as beau (and Sherrif) Wally leaves the town for a family crisis, her brother and best friend are having some relationship problems and the new school social worker who is everyone's dream, turns into Skye's nightmare. Then there's the threats, the warnings and the clues, which cause Skye to question whether or not she was the intended target of the murderer. Reading Denise Swanson is like going home. Scumble River is any(small)town, USA (think of it as the everyman for small towns) and Swanson continues to write her ensemble cast of characters in a consistant and believeable way. When is the next one coming out?

As usual Ms Swanson has done a royal job of entertaining me with her latest Scrumble River mystery - MURDER OF A ROYAL PAIN. The wacky cast of characters, both local and from out of town, in Scrumble River are a delight to read about. I'm just glad I don't have to live with them. Having spent part of my teenage years in a small rural town I can relate with the things that go on in Scrumble River. Like if you sneeze on one side of town they say God Bless on the other. And if you misbehave your family hears about it before you can make it the three blocks home. Ms Swanson nails small town life, but doesn't forget to engage the reader with her mystery - who killed the local "pain" and why. I enjoyed the thread that ran through several previous books and was tied up neatly in this one. In addition she's created a group of characters that have the ring of reality while they entertain the reader. Royally done.

This is the 11th in the Scumble River mysteries and just as much fun as the prior ten. Perhaps, the continued success of this series is due to Swanson's ability to have her characters grow and change; or, perhaps, it is due to the reader's growing fondness for the small town in Illinois in which these novels take place. Whatever the reason, I can't wait for the next one, and hopefully, the one after that. In this installment, Skye volunteers for the Promfest Halloween fundraiser, even though she does not like haunted houses, witches, mazes, funhouses, or other things of this nature. However, thanks to the new (and first) sociologist hired by the school board, Jackie Jennings, who quickly volunteers, Skye is put in the position of having to agree to help also. Jackie, in front of only Skye, says one thing and does another, makes promises she doesn't keep, and manages to look good while making Skye look bad. Skye, who had worked hard to get a sociologist hired, cannot put her finger on what is going on with Jackie's outward perfection and private irritating behavior. As a volunteer, Skye is given the role of one of three witches who, especially in costume, look a lot alike and, as Skye is moving into position for her role, she finds the dead body of one of the other witches, Annette Paine, who was also the Promfest chairwoman. Annette died by running into a rope and, after some investigation, the death is ruled a homicide which raises many questions, not the least of which is whether the rope, strung at Skye's height, was meant for Skye. There is so much more I would love to write about this book such as the role of Skye's former boyfriend, her current boyfriend and a new guy in town; as well as Skye's relationships with other residents of Scumble River. Skye's job as school psychologist and her relationship with the students and their parents always plays an interesting and meaningful part in this series. Also, while not dwelt upon, it is clear that Skye is not slender. Her size is never directly mentioned; however, her curves are, and it is clear they are not the curves of a size 10 lady. Skye is confident, an advocate for her students, and willing to speak up about what she sees. This series manages to stay fresh, interesting, funny and intelligent--an amazing feat as of the completion of the 11th book! I obviously recommend this book highly as well as the others in this series.

I admit, I may like the Scumble River books from Denise Swanson more than some others might, because I grew up, and still live, in the Joliet area, where all of her books are set. I played in a band with the guys who PINK ELEPHANT is dedicated to (their band was called Plastic Santa in real life) and I know the dentist to whom this book is dedicated. The settings are real to me, and become sort of an additional character for me. But I think these books, and specifically this book, stand on their own merit. In this one, Skye Denison finally has the help she has so often requested when the school board hires a social worker. But this new colleague is a bit over-zealous and soon has Skye feeling pressure to do more herself. So against her better judgement, she becomes the liason between the parent's Prom committee planning Promfest and the school administration, and is roped into volunteering for the haunted house. It's at this haunted house that the particularly obnoxious chairwoman of the committee is found dead, the victim of an apparent accident where she ran into a rope. But who put up that rope anyway? And might Skye herself have been the intended target? It's another fun romp through Scumble River, with the usual feisty characters and a good solid plot. It continues Skye's tale quite nicely, and sets up numerous possibilities for the next book. I really enjoyed it, and found it to be an engaging and quick read. It may help that I am intimately familiar with the settings of this book (I had dinner at Merischka's about 2 months ago) but I think any lover of cozy mysteries will enjoy this book immensely.