Denise Swanson does it again writing a 'can't put it down, need to know what happens next' novel. I feel invested in these characters lives and enjoy reading each Scumble River story that is written. I love how each book has a twist and turn and keeps you guessing up until the very end. I do have to say, I wish Skye would quit her job and be a stay at home mom who stumbles upon mysteries. Her job just gets in the way! lol.

School Psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd is still out on maternity leave after having her two twins. She still visits the schools several times a week despite her leave time to help out her intern, Piper Townsend, who is receiving no support from the district co-op and is ruthlessly bullied by Principal Homer Knapik. However, this time Homer may have gone too far when a parent meeting turns into a lawsuit. Meanwhile, Skye is also helping her husband and Police Chief on a case as her role of psychological consultant to the police department on a missing persons case. Now Skye and Wally have a missing person, a dead woman, and a whole lot of suspects including Earl Doozier himself. Can they figure out what is going on while juggling parenting duties of two twins and living in an RV until their home is built?

COME HOMICIDE OR HIGH WATER is the third book in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series and is exactly the kind of read I needed right now. Skye and Wally are a heck of a lot of fun and it’s easy to jump into the series even if you aren’t familiar with the characters. Admittedly, it’s a lot more fun when you’ve seen all the antics of Scumble River and its various citizens (especially the Dooziers!) and I can’t imagine anyone reading just one book about Scumble River and not wanting to binge read them all!

COME HOMICIDE OR HIGH WATER delves into some of the politics of Scumble River, including the school system, the town itself and one of the neighboring villages, Bord du Lac. I love that we are starting to see some of the surrounding communities, even if Gerald Baker is exactly the kind of retired neighbor you don’t want to have! But that also applies to Homer, who may win the award for the slimiest and ugliest principal ever. His rudeness gets him in a heap of trouble in COME HOMICIDE OR HIGH WATER!

Denise Swanson is one of my favorite cozy mystery writers as I love that a school psychologist is the heroine! Skye’s experiences as a school psychologist in a rural community are believable and I love that the Dooziers are in the midst of things! If you’ve never read a Scumble River book and met the Dooziers, you are definitely missing out on a hilarious family with crazy antics. COME HOMICIDE OR HIGH WATER is easily recommended and I can’t wait to dive into the next installment!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

This was a fun book. I have read several books by this author and have liked them all. Nice feel good, cozy read.

This is the 3rd instalment in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series and I would recommend you read the previous books first. I hadn’t and felt like I might of missed out on some things that lead up to where this story starts.

Welcome back to Scumble River! Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the latest in the Scumble River series. I love all the characters and how they interact. I highly recommend his book.

Come Homicide or High Water
Welcome Back To Scumble River, Book #3
Denise Swanson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

THE FIRST IN A NEW COZY MYSTERY SERIES

From New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson comes Come Homicide or High Water, a cozy mystery full of twist and turns and small town charm! Because despite appearances, there's something fishy just below the surface of Scumble River...

You'll love getting to know this brand-new series from the author of the beloved Scumble River Mysteries. This book is:

A delightful small town cozy mysteryFull of quirky, lovable charactersPerfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Miranda JamesWelcome back to Scumble River! Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.

When the parent suing Skye's school is found dead and with the missing woman's case still unsolved, Skye suspects the crimes are somehow linked. With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations. Now she and Wally barely have enough time for date night once the babies are asleep! But as tensions rise and Skye and Wally's suspect list lengthens, they start to wonder whether they'll be able to catch the guilty ones before tragedy strikes again. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. It would not matter to me if there was a mystery to solve or not, I just enjoy spending time with Skye and Wally. It is so refreshing to read about them working together, whether they are trying to figure out their family situation or trying to solve a mystery. It is great that Wally cares about her input and insights and really listens to Skye.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The descriptions held my interest and the action just kept coming. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. The mystery was challenging and not easily solved, which is a plus in my book.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am waiting patiently for the next book to be written.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Come Homicide or High Water by Denise Swanson is the third book in the author’s Welcome Back to Scumble River series. There are also 19 books in the original Scumble River series. This is the first of this author’s books that I’ve read. I was able to step right into this story but I definitely felt that I was missing a lot of the town/family history. This was a nice, easy cozy mystery. I will be looking for more books in this series.

Denise Swanson's Scumble River series is always a delight. The newest installment, Come Homicide or High Water, is a sweet, fun story, as expected by fans of the series. School psychologist Skye and her police chief hubby Wally are on the case of a missing elderly woman, and then another woman from their small town turns up dead. In a town where everyone knows everyone, there are all sorts of connections to note, and lots of suspects.

If you haven't read the series from the start, you will still enjoy this book, and the characters and their relationships are explained and developed in each book, including this one. If you're looking for a series that is funny and sweet, not scary, and with no triggers, while still holding your attention and solving a mystery, the Scumble River series is one to check out.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.

When the parent suing Skye's school is found dead and with the missing woman's case is still unsolved, Skye suspects the crimes are somehow linked. With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations. But as tensions rise and Skye and Wally's suspect list lengthens, they start to wonder whether a member of their own tight-knit community could be behind it all.

If you haven't read the Scumble River series or the first two books in the series don't worry, the author does a nice job of weaving enough background information into the story so you can get to speed. The author gives us two different mysteries that each have their own clues, suspects, red herrings, twists, and turns will have you guessing until the unexpected conclusions. The characters are well written, well developed, quirky, and interesting. The way the characters give us an glimpse of their lives and relationships makes them seem realistic and lifelike.

I like that Wally stands up for Skye by saying she is perfect the way she is and that he loves how she looks, when a family member tries to body shame her because she's not a smaller size. I also like that May isn't constantly over at the RV trying to take over the care of the twins like she always trying to do in the last book. The only problem I have with the book is that the author has the twins sitting up by themselves and entertaining themselves by playing with their toys at roughly three months old, most babies don't sit up independently until seven to nine months and most don't entertain themselves until around five months.

I have been a fan of the author's since book one in the Scumble River series, I have also enjoyed getting to continue reading about the characters with this series. I have also enjoyed reading the books in her other two series the Chef-To-Go Mystery and Devereaux's Dime Store and getting to know all of these characters also. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and the next book in the Chef-To-Go-Mystery series.

I received an ARC of this book from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley for my honest review.

This series is so much fun and this book does not disappoint. The characters are funny and the plot is unreal! I encourage anyone to read it. It’s highly enjoyable and will make you smile. It’s a good time in a book. The writing is solid and is always wild. I cannot wait for the next book.

Come Homicide or High Water by Denise Swanson -
School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.
With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations.
I have always enjoyed Denise Swanson’s Scumble River Books and this was no exception. A very enjoyable cozy mystery. I recommend highly. Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advanced reader’s copy for review.

This is book 3 in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series and I would recommend you read the previous books to catch up on the characters and the events that lead up to this story. Sky is still on maternity leave with the twins when a woman goes missing in town. Then a parent at Sky's school is found murdered just as she has filed a lawsuit against the school. Good mystery to solve but you need background. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Book three in the (Welcome Back To) Scumble River series. When Skye decides to return to her work as a school psychologist, following maternity leave, her first day back goes anything but smoothly. Murder and mystery abound and Skye finds herself in the thick of it all. Enjoyable cosy mystery with an endearing cast and an entertaining plot.

It was so good to 'visit' with Skye and the rest of her family in Scumble River. These characters are like old friends that I always look forward to visiting. I thought the mystery was top-notch and have just the right amount of twists and turns that kept me turning pages late into the night.

I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.

Skye Denison-Boyd is on maternity leave from her positions as a school psychologist and as a consultant with the Scumble River, Illinois Police Department. Her husband Wally is the chief of police and is as happy as ever with Skye and their three-month-old twins CJ and Eva. Things are already hectic for Skye and Wally with the babies living in a small RV while their new house is being built. In the middle of all the chaos, two new cases land on their door. There is a missing woman who may have met with foul play as well as a murdered woman with a surprising tie to Skye and Wally – she is the wife of their slow-moving general contractor! The couple work together to find solutions to these cases before anyone else gets hurt!

This is the third book in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series, which is really a continuation of the original Scumble River series that has several books. I have followed these characters through both series, but think new readers will also enjoy the book. In addition to the mystery aspect of the book, I love seeing Skye’s work at school. I’m glad the author still includes these interesting details in the books because they help make this series unique. I also appreciate that Skye and Wally are dealing with the common issues of juggling work and family, although Skye and Wally’s newly acquired wealth make that a little easier for them. It’s also nice to see a couple working together to solve cases, interviewing witnesses together, and comparing notes at the end of the day. The two make a great team on the job and taking care of their newborn twins. Their love for each other is evident and the way they express their admiration isn’t my any means graphic, but is a little more suggestive than in the typical cozy.

I enjoyed this book, but there are some downsides. I don’t find the ever-present Doozier family to be that entertaining, but am happy their antics are a little less over-the-top in this installment. However, they still play too large of a role in the story for me. Another negative to this book and the series as a whole is the character of Skye’s mother. It’s hard to see a positive aspect of May. I assume she loves her family, but has a strange way of showing it. She is meddling and overbearing and says very unkind things to Skye that are often unbearable to read. I hope that either Skye finds a way to manage her mother or that May plays a smaller role in future books.

The details of Skye’s work at the Scumble River schools and the fact that she and Wally are such a happy couple who are able to balance work and family outweigh the negative of the book. Overall, this is an excellent mystery with interesting characters and cases that will keep you guessing until the very end.

~ Christine

Skye Denison-Boyd is almost ready to return from maternity leave to her job as a school psychologist. Until she goes back, she’s lending a helping hand to the intern replacing her. She’s called in when an angry mother threatens to sue the school. Her husband, the chief of police, requests her help in locating a missing elderly woman. When the angry parent is found murdered, Skye can’t help wonder if the cases are somehow connected.

Skye and her husband set out to solve both of these mysteries. They suspect the guilty party could be someone they know.

This series originally began with the Scumble River Mystery series and blossomed to the Welcome Back to Scumble River Mystery series. I’m so glad they did. The Scumble River series was one of the first cozy mystery series I ever read, before I knew they were a genre unto themselves. This is the third book in the new series and I love seeing the way Skye has grown from a woman fighting for a career to a woman with a successful career and married with twins. This is why I always think it’s best to start a series from the beginning so you can appreciate the character growth.

However, the mystery itself is contained within this book. So, it can be read on its own. There are no cliffhangers. Still I recommend reading the whole series from the beginning.

This was a quick read for me. I could not put it down and loved every minute of it. The plot was fast-paced and the characters are well-developed. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I was totally taken by surprise.

This is a wonderful addition to the series and I hope there will be many more to follow.

Another great addition to Denise Swanson's "Welcome Back to Scumble River" series. I can't wait to see what Skye and the quirky people of Scumble River, IL will get themselves into next!

Come Homicide or High Water by Denise Swanson in another of the Welcome Back to Scumble River series and brings us home to Skye and Wally and their adorable twins, who at three months of age are still living in the RV Wally's dad provided after a tornado leveled their house. Work is progressing on the new house and if their general contractor would arrive a little more consistently, life would be better. Wally continues as police chief and Skye, although she is still on maternity leave, usually goes in to work a time or two a week for a few hours, just to supervise the intern that had been left in charge. Life was good, only the disappearance of an older woman on the horizon until one day when the silence in the RV is broken by a call from Earl Dozier, pleading for assistance. Skye calls her father-in-law for last minute babysitting and takes off for the address Earl had given her. At first she sees nothing so she gets out of her car to investigate and comes upon Earl...in a turkey costume. He tells her there is a dead body but he did no killing and she discovers he's right! She immediately calls Wally at which point Earl takes off, only to be immediately escorted back by the security guys who had followed her at her father-in-law's behest. So the investigation begins. It is typical Scumble River.

Denise Swanson is the grand dame of the cozy mystery. This series has been running since 2000 and just gets better as our characters lives grow and change. Skye is still insecure although she is coming around, mainly thanks to Wally and his love for her. She has her family, something she though would never happen and she has Wally and will soon have a new house. Life has never been better. The fabulous thing about Scumble River is the peripheral characters that we have come to know and love, foremost the Doziers but Skye's mother, May, high school principal, Home Knapik, even mayor, Dante. All are unique and lovable in their own ways. The plot is interesting but not incredibly different than usual. Fun to read. Fun to return to Scumble River. I recommend it to readers who have followed the series for years and to new readers. This is a great place to begin.

I received a free ARC of Come Homicide or High Water from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein in are solely my own. #netgalley #homicideorhighwater

Come Homicide or High Water is the third book in the spinoff cozy mystery series by Denise Swanson. Released 31st Dec. 2019 from Poisoned Pen Press, it's 352 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an odd cozy with an extremely quirky set of characters. There are some humorous moments and overall the whole is fluffy, humorous, and passably well written. There is a murder mystery wrapped in the disappearance of an elderly woman. Multiple disparate plot threads intertwine in the central murder and disappearance including house-building contractor woes, antagonistic counterproductive school administrators, and main character Skye trying to raise twins and keep her marriage on an even keel living in an RV on site where her house is being rebuilt.

I didn't find Skye a particularly sympathetic character, she's meant to be a school psychologist and has demonstrably bad impulse control and planning issues of her own. I found myself being yanked out of the story by eye-watering dialogue when any of the Dooziers show up. The buildup and denouement were just strange and 'off' to me.

I read this one as a standalone which undoubtedly contributed to my disorientation when reading. The reviews I've read are almost universally glowing. I think this would be a better fit for fans of 'wacky & whimsical' small town cozies. Bonus points for fans of the author's other work. The language was surprisingly strong (lots of cursing and adult themes) for a warm & fuzzy type cozy. The author (who was a school psychologist herself) also writes some characters who have mental health issues in a manner which seemed unnecessarily stereotyping.

Three and a half stars, rounded up because the prose really is quite good for the genre.

A woman whose husband claims she suffers dementia goes missing in Scumble River. A woman who plans to take the high school principal to court turns up dead. School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd, now on maternity leave, and her husband Wally, chief of police, investigate. While much of the plot is implausible as in many cozy mysteries, it's still an enjoyable holiday read set around Thanksgiving but referring to Christmas in places. I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.