Skye Dennison-Boyd is back, with an exciting new Welcome Back to Scumble River series. She is very pregnant and very in love with her husband of eight months, police chief Wally Boyd. New readers will be introduced to Scumble River as the author seamlessly weaves together past and present. Reading this during Hurricane Harvey brings the crises up front and personal through Denise Swanson’s prose, based on a real tornado in Coal City, Illinois.

Skye is a school psychologist as well as a consultant to the police department. Two students who Skye helped during their high school years stopped for a brief visit. While they are making plans for the needs of one student’s parents, the town’s tornado alarms sound. Bingo, Skye’s cat, is popped into the carrier. Wally arrives just in time to herd everyone to the cellar.

When the terrible noise stops, Wally looks out to find that the beautiful home Skye had inherited and lovingly remodeled was gone. They leave behind the rubble, taking only Skye’s purse, surprisingly intact. They arrange for a place to stay and Wally hunkers down to work until the worst of the crisis is over.

Skye’s Uncle Dante, the mayor, sends Wally in every direction. First, he goes to find Zeke, a town councilman, whose wife and mother-in-law have gone to the Dante’s office demanding he be found. Sadly, Zeke is the first casualty found since the storms began, but it looks much more like murder to Wally.

Dante then sends Wally out to check on the home of someone who is currently out of the area. About the same time, Skye learns something from her baby doctor that she must tell Wally, but he hasn’t returned. Nobody knows where he is, and Dante, n*ow down with the flu, doesn’t even know Wally missing. Wally’s father, on his way from Texas, gets a ransom demand. From Zeke’s killers, or who?

Skye, her family and friends, even the Dooziers and Red Raggers are as delightful (or frustrating, depending) as in the earlier series. I really enjoyed getting to know Wally’s father, Carson, as it shows more of who the man Wally is learned from. Skye’s trademark humor and caring personality that has endeared her to her readers only gets better! Of course, I love Skye best, and even her mom, knowing how hard change is for her, especially for a small-town, Midwest mother. This Scumble River family rocks!

One thing I like is how each chapter begins with a quote from The Wizard of Oz that is fitting to the chapter. It is a favorite tale that with lessons relevant to today, through tornados and other dangers. There are plot twists and turn that bring excitement, apprehension, or pure alarm and dread. This first in the new Scumble River series combines crises reflecting what many around the country face, being suddenly homeless and very pregnant, or getting unexpected news from the doctor, or discovering that a loved one has disappeared. It also includes the very positive ideals of watching people work together to help each other and what is needed most by those whose lives have just been dramatically changed. The mysteries are well-planned with stunning plot twists. I highly recommend Dead in the Water!! It is an amazing start to a new series, not to be missed! Scumble River has never been so awesome!

From a grateful heart: I received this eBook from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Thanks SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and netgalley for this ARC.

This is a cozy mystery series that will appeal to a wide variety of contemporary mystery lovers.

Dead In The Water is part of the Welcome Back to Scumble River series of books.

This is the first book I have read by Denise Swanson and I am taking part in the blog tour

Skye and Wally Boyd were going about their lives in the town of Scumble River, Illinois and Skye is heavily pregnant when a tornado rips through the area and their house, destroying everything they have.

Denise Swanson throws us into the action and we get a great sense of what's happening with vivid descriptions of objects flying around and the devastation afterwards. The tornado has left houses and buildings flooded and/ or completely destroyed, and 75% of the town without power.

Skye sends Wally, who is a police chief, out looking for Zeke Lyons, the town's councilman. Skye herself handles a lot of the phoning around to see how neighbors are doing and which resources they have or need. Skye and Wally are both caught up in the rescue mission as is Skye's mum May. I was touched by how proactive they, and many of the town's residents, were in pulling together and helping out during this time of crisis.

I warmed to Wally's dad in the times he helped Skye and Wally and just at how he was in general as a person. The town's mayor, Dante Hizzoner wasn't very helpful at all.

The book really shows the contrasts of people and class within small-town America.

I love the very appropriate Wizard of Oz quotes at the beginning of every chapter. They really compliment the story.

The introduction of Mrs Alma Griggs (previous owner of Skye and Wally's house gives the plot a unique and slightly paranormal slant, which is very welcome in my mind and gives some background to the house.

The book is full of non stop tension but there's also happiness and sadness. Everyone in the book seems a "real" and realistic character to me, and all the investigation, whether into Zeke's death or the aftermath of the tornado, had me hooked. I'd be interested in reading more by Denise Swanson.

Thank you to Denise Swanson and Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC via NetGalley.

I'd not read the Scumble River series but that was not a problem for me- and if this is an example of the previous books, well, I'm looking forward to more. I read this as Hurricane Harvey was wrecking havoc in Texas and Louisiana, which made it all the more topical. Prefacing each chapter of a novel with a tornado with quotes from the Wizard of Oz was bold and I liked it. I also really liked Skye, who as a really really pregnant woman was trying to untangle a mystery while worrying about her husband Wally who has gone missing. There are some terrific insights into small town life. This is best described as a cozy but it's a bit more. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Nicely done!

This series is billed as Welcome Back to Scumble River. Well, I've never been there before but I really don't think it mattered as for some reason it actually didn't feel like it. I even went back and checked my records, as I slipped into this series feeling like I was indeed reconnecting with old friends. Strange I know but there you go!
So, we meet Skye, a school psychologist and at the beginning of the book, heavily pregnant. She is married to Wally, the Police Chief of Scumble River, and is currently working towards handing her job over to her replacement. Then a tornado strikes and pretty much wrecks the entire town as it travels through. A body is found which doesn't appear to be connected to the tornado and Wally is tasked with trying to work out what happened; hampered very much by the devastation and aftermath of the weather. Then Wally goes missing. With the usual political shenanigans that are rife in small towns, can Skye cut through the noise to find him, a task made all the more difficult being as she herself has also lost everything in the storm?
As already mentioned, I slipped into this book right from the first page. The characters all felt so real and familiar to me and I went through all their emotions with them as I read first about the storm and the loss felt by the community and then Skye's anguish as she desperately searched for news of her husband. All the time being so heavily pregnant that she literally could drop at any time. Obviously with a fair few books in the original series, I have missed quite a chunk of their backstories but that really didn't seem to matter as the salient points were included at appropriate times and in just the right way to enhance the present day story. To be honest, whenever you meet new characters in a book, unless introduced as babies, they have always lived before the current action so everyone has stuff that adds to their current situations and I see no difference here.
The story goes along at a fair lick too. There are some wonderful descriptive parts, especially with respect to the tornado and my heart bled for the community but at the same time, I saw the way that the majority pulled together. I am not usually a very visual reader but I was well able to see what was happening as I was reading and that is the sign of a great writer.
There were the usual twists and turns and red herrings along the way but the ending when we got there was very well worked out. I did guess a few things along the way but there were still a few surprises at the end for me.
If I had the time I would love to go back and read the previous series as I really enjoyed this book and felt very comfortable with the author's style, but sadly, I don't. What I will be doing is waiting eagerly for the next in this new series so I can reconnect to my new friends and see how they are doing rebuilding the town.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I love the way Ms. Swanson was able to 're-start' with this Welcome Back to Scumble River series.

I've always loved the characters and the setting. Even if one hasn't read the original series, there is enough explanation of the relationships (past and present) so that you'll feel comfortable with the characters. On the flip side, if you've read all of the original series, there isn't an overload of reviewing the past and it doesn't bog down the story line at all.

Some twist and turns, some 'hold your breath' moments and happy moments when everything works out well. It was also interesting to read how a small town can overcome a natural disaster.

A nice easy read that was hard to put down.

I was a newcomer to Scumble River, but I will be going back and reading the entire series now!
I enjoyed this book and it's characters very much. The plot was interesting and especially moving to me as I read it just as Hurricane Harvey wreaked damage in Houston. It gave me some insight to what people feel as they realized their house and their town had been destroyed.

Skye Boyd is a school psychologist in Scumble River IL. She's married to the police chief, Wally and she's very pregnant. Skye is getting ready to go on maternity leave when a tornado hits Scumble River and destroys not only their house but much of the town. A town councilman is found dead, but is an accident or a murder? In the ensuing tornado rescue efforts and investigation, Wally is kidnapped and Skye gets involved to find Wally and solve the murder.

I loved the characters. They are so well written that you want to get to know them personally. The plot had some twist and turns and I never guessed the identity of the murderer.

I highly recommend this book. Denise Swanson will be a regular author on my Kindle!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't understand how this keeps happening to me, but I seem to start reading a book and then the current events are reflected in my reading.

In Dead in the Water not one but three tornados have struck in Scrumble River and demolished house after house. The town is devastated. People have to travel miles to find shelter as they begin to rebuild. Many lost everything. School has to be closed until a new location for classes can be found. And I am reading this right after Hurricane Harvey has destroyed coastal Texas and left hundreds of thousands without a place to call home. Scrumble River is Houston on a much smaller scale. I look at photos of Corpus Christi and think about the homes in Scrumble River.

Now, in the midst of all this, Skye, our protagonist who is 7 1/2 months pregnant, has her home destroyed and her police chief husband is over taxed with rescue operations and a murder that was supposed to look like an accident from the tornado.

I found this a hard book to put down. As I am thinking about the people in Houston and their trials, I am reading about similar if not as dire situations in a fictional town. The book makes everything so personal as we learn about individuals and their plights, that it is easier to feel compassion for the nameless, faceless people in Texas. A person is always easier to care about than a number, even if fictional.

Ms. Swanson makes the reader care about the people in her book. The emotions are not overblown as in some cozy novels but seem to be appropriate for the situation. She used lines from the Wizard of Oz, known for the tornado that carried Dorothy to Oz, to introduce each chapter.

The book ends with a successful birthing experience for Skye and Wally (I doubt that is a spoiler) and I look forward to reading about this new family and the newly built home.

Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson is the first book in the new Welcome Back to Scrumble River series. I am sure I read some of the previous Scrumble River books. Readers will not be lost if they have never read any of the prior Scrumble River books.

Skye and her police chief husband Wally are expecting their first child. As if that is not stressful enough, the town of Scrumble River is hit by a devastating tornado with one death, councilman Zeke. To make matters worse Wally disappears while investigating Zeke's death. Skye is dealing with the loss of her home and a missing husband.

One word of warning - do not start this book if you only have a short amount of time to read. I stayed up way too late two nights in a row to finish the book. I know a book is great when at the end of each chapter I decide to read "just one more". The book is full of action from the start. The characters work well together, and the writing flows so well. I am excited to read more in this series!

Dead In The Water is the first book in the Welcome Back To Scumble River series...but for me it is my first visit to Scumble River. The original Scumble River Cozy Mystery series has 18 books. Following a publisher change, the series is having a restart/reboot. The author explains in the foreward that there are a few cosmetic changes Scumble River fans might notice, but all the characters from the original series are still there. For me, this is the first Scumble River book I've read, so I just went with the flow. :)

The basics: School Psychologist Skye Boyd is pregnant. Very pregnant. Almost feeling like she could pop pregnant. Just after she and her Police Chief husband Wally have finished decorating the nursery and life seems perfect, a tornado rips through Scumble River leaving destruction in its wake. As if that isn't bad enough, a city councilman is found dead in the rubble of his house. Turns out, the twister didn't kill Zeke Lyons. He was murdered. Bad goes to worse when Wally disappears while investigating the killing. Where is Wally? Did the murderer kill him too? Has evil come to Scumble River?

Although this is the first book from this series I read, it was relatively easy to figure out the characters and understand the plot. There are some references to prior books, but nothing that is central to the plot. I'm glad that Denise Swanson is able to continue her series after it got cut by her original publisher. This is definitely a great start to a reboot of the series. I loved the Wizard of Oz quotes that start each chapter. :)

I have the first book to the original series on my bookshelf and can't wait to start reading it! It will take me awhile to read my way through 18 books, but if this new release is any indication, I'm sure the series is well worth reading! I like Skye as a main character. She is smart and seems to really roll with the punches when things go wrong. Wally is a great character as well. He's a very good police officer, and a kind husband. Nice mix! :)

The mystery moved along at a steady pace, with plenty of surprises to keep it interesting. The ending surprised me...I thought I knew the killer's identity, but I was wrong! I love it when a mystery catches me off guard! The tornado theme didn't overpower the murder mystery portion of the plot, but added to it. It will be interesting to see how the town rebuilds itself in this new series!

The cover art for Dead In The Water is fantastic! It's what first drew me to the book. Definitely eye-catching artwork!

Denise Swanson also writes the Devereaux Dime Store cozy series. For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.deniseswanson.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

That was a whirlwind of emotions. Before I start my review, I have to share a quick, bizarre coincidence. When I started reading this book, I only made it a couple chapters in before bedtime. Well, I woke up the next morning to a tornado warning! We were lucky and didn't get hit, but it was a bit weird when I remembered what I had read right before I fell asleep. OK, time for my review. I really enjoyed reading this book, although at times I forgot about the murder. The kidnapping plot was so well written that I was caught up in it and forgot about the murder for most of the book. I really loved how this book was written as both a start of a new series and a continuation of an old series. It is perfect for both old and new fans.

This was a fun story with a strong Wizard of Oz type theme. I knew the killer real early in the book but still enjoyed reading how Skye and Wally figured it out. I wish there had been a bit more from Wally's side during the kidnapping. I definitely suggest this book. Denise Swanson is an excellent author.

Dead In The Water
Welcome Back To Scumble River, Book #1
Denise Swanson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

The first book in a brand new series featuring New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson's beloved Scumble River setting and characters, Dead in the Water is a gripping mystery that won't let you go until you've turned the last page.

A twister, a kidnapping, and a murder--oh my! Scumble River may never be the same.

For school psychologist Skye Denison, there's certainly no place like home. When a violent tornado devastates her small hometown of Scumble River, she can't see how the community will ever recover--especially since town councilman Zeke Lyons appears to have perished in the twister.

But things get even worse for Skye when her police chief husband, Wally, disappears in the midst of investigating Zeke's death, and evidence arises pointing to foul play. Did Zeke really die in the storm, or was he murdered? And could Wally be next on the criminal's hit list? (Goodreads)


Review:

I have read some of the first Scumble River books many years ago, and I really liked them back then. And I am happy to say that I really like the new Scumble River books too. This book had everything I look for in a cozy mystery: great characters, great setting, great suspense and a great writing style.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with Skye and Wally. They were likable and felt like people I would like to be friends with. Skye is spunky, smart and is not afraid to take chances when it comes to people she cares about. Wally cares deeply for Skye and he has a keen sense of justice. I also really liked the relationship between Skye and her mother, May. Although they aggravate each other at times, you could tell how close they were and how much they loved each other. This made the book seem more realistic to me. The secondary characters added a lot to the story and I cannot wait to spend more time with all of them in upcoming books.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and for much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the activity taking place around me. I really felt like I was right there with Skye and Wally when the tornado was barreling into them. I also really felt that the author put personal touches into her writing, which pulls the reader into the book. One such personal touch for me was what Skye and her mom ordered from Olive Garden. They ordered chicken gnocchi soup, which is what I always order from there. Such a s small thing but it really made me feel more drawn into the story and made it more personal to me.

I liked the way there were more than one mystery to solve: who killed Zeke Lyons, who is behind the kidnapping of Wally and will he be rescued before it is too late? Finding out the answer to these questions kept me reading well into the night, when I should have been sleeping. The mysteries and suspense were well written.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I plan on reading the original Scumble River books that I have missed and am looking forward to the new books in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this great book.

Dead in The Water is the first novel in the Return to Scumble River series. This is my first experience with Scumble River, and it won't be the last!

It is summer in Scumble River, and Skye is in the final trimester of her pregnancy. The stormy summer weather produces a tornado, a murder and a kidnapping, leaving Skye to try and cope with the devastation of the disaster as well as solve the murder and the kidnapping of her husband.

This is a great book - fast paced with plenty of twists to the mystery. I loved the characters of Scumble River, particularly Skye and Wally's families. Swanson really captures the sense of community during a disaster and just how thin resources are spread. All of the relationships were multi-dimensional and well written. The story never lagged, and the ending was well paced. I cannot wait to see what is in store for Skye and Wally! Also, the cover is absolutely amazing! The quotes from The Wizard of Oz, one of my favourite books and movies, were a wonderful touch.

The only tricky part for me was the number of characters and who was related to who as I had not previously read the Scumble River series. I could have used a cast of characters at the beginning of the book, but this did not deter my reading enjoyment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced reading copy in exchange for review!

A tornado struck Scumble River and as the town tries to recover, a murder and a disappearance sets the stage for this homecoming of sorts for Skye, Wally and their friends. Everything old is new again as the author takes this series to 2017 and I’m so excited about all the new possibilities where this series can go.

From the first page to the exciting conclusion, this book immediately grabbed my attention, quickly becoming a page turner. The tornado, the destruction, the murder, and the missing Wally created a well-executed mystery that I could not put down. The action was non-stop with a nice pacing to keep me in tuned to all that was happening on the pages with the various scenarios and how they would all play out. Adding Carson to the mix provided some insight into his, Wally and Skye’s relationship and I rather like it. With the tornado as the backdrop, the author did a great job in keeping me intrigued as to who was the mysterious Tin (I had my suspicion) and who really murdered the councilman and why. I really enjoy watching how all the pieces came together but my biggest thrill was the aftermath involving Skye and Wally and what a momentous occasion that came to fruition. This was a great old-new-debut series and I can’t wait for the next book in this delightfully endearing series.

There is a lot going on in this book. A murder, of course, tornado, pregnancy, kidnapping, burglaries, good parents and in-laws and bad ones. There is even a cat and dog. An enjoyable page-turner with suspense and anxiety.

Skye and Wally were introduced in previous Scumble River books and they now have their own series called Welcome back to Scumble River. Skye and Wally are expecting their first baby and when a tornado just about levels the town things become messy. When they find a dead body it's a murder not an accident and then Wally disappears when checking for survivors in the outer farms. Fast paced and a good mystery this is another winner by Denise Swanson. I enjoy her books because the characters are regular people and the mystery is always first rate.

It was hard to get into this book with not having read previous books in the series. I highly recommend not reading this book if you are new to the series as I am.

I truly enjoyed this new series about Scumble River! I feel like I am visiting old friends and family - - although I'm not a big fan of May, as she isn't fan of animals, but that issue still brings out an emotion. I love Skye and Wally and this books seems to be full of plots and twists. I stayed up late to finish this book - it is almost heart pounding at times. I feel that this is the BEST Scumble River book to date. I will recommend to friends, family, and Amazon what an amazing read this book is. Keep up the good work Denise! (My sympathies to the families of Coal City who suffered tragedy and loss)

Dead in the Water is the first book in the Welcome Back to Scrumble River series. It features the same characters from the Scrumble River series (which is different from this one). Gah! Sounds confusing right? For me, it was. Overall, I DID enjoy the book. The characters are interesting, the plot sucks you in, and the mystery was well done. However, I wish I knew that it was part of a previous series before diving into this one because apparently the characters have a ton of back story and I missed it. In cases like this I would normally go back and start from the beginning to see how everything played out up until this point BUT because the previous series has so many books (I think about 18) I wouldn't have the time.

Now, while this book may not have been exactly what I was looking for (although it did hit the spot in terms of my craving for a cozy mystery) I think those who have read the Scrumble River series would adore this one.

Rating: 3 stars