Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
Read Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry Online
Authors: Denise Swanson
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Mystery & Detective, #Women Sleuths
“When writers as sharp as Margaret Maron, Earlene Fowler, and Jerrilyn Farmer all rave about a colleague as convincingly as they have about Denise Swanson … take notice.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“With its endearing hero, terrific cast of realistically quirky secondary characters, and generous soupçon of humor,
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
… is a delight.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“Tight plotting and plenty of surprises keep this series on my must-read list.”
—
Crimespree Magazine
“This fast-paced cozy has it all.”
—
Romantic Times
“Swanson is a born storyteller.”
—
Crimespree Magazine
“Another knee-slapping adventure in Scumble River.”
—
The Amplifier
(KY)
“Scumble River is a joy to visit.”
—
Romantic Times
“[Swanson] smartly spins on a solid plot and likable characters.”
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South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“[A] hilarious amateur sleuth mystery…. [Swanson] has a lot of surprises in store for the reader.”
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Midwest Book Review
“A hoot.”
—
Romantic Times
(4 stars)
“It’s no mystery why the first Scumble River novel was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award. Denise Swanson knows small-town America, its secrets and its self-delusions, and she writes as if she might have been hiding behind a tree when some of the bodies were being buried. A delightful new series.”
—Margaret Maron
“The must-read book of the summer.”
—
Butler County Post
(KY)
“One of my favorite series. I look forward to all my visits to Scumble River.”
—
Crimespree Magazine
“Current readers will appreciate the trip into Scumble River, while new readers will want to go back.”
—The Best Reviews
“Swanson continues her lively, light, and quite insightful look at small-town life … a solid plot [and] likable characters who never slide into caricature.”
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The Hartford Courant
“Another sidesplitting visit to Scumble River … filled with some of the quirkiest and most eccentric characters we ever have met, with a sharp, witty protagonist.”
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Butler County Post
(KY)
“An endearing and realistic character … a fast-paced, enjoyable read.”
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The Herald News
“This book is delightful…. The characters are human and generous and worth following through the series.”
—
Mysterious Women
“Swanson’s Scumble River mysteries are marvelous.”
—Jerrilyn Farmer
“A smooth, pleasant, and ultimately satisfying book.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Another delightful and intriguing escapade.”
—
Mystery News
“More fun than the whirlagig at the county fair and tastier than a corn dog.”
—The Charlotte Austin Review
“Swanson is on her way to the top of the genre … a magnificent tale written by a wonderful author.”
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Midwest Book Review
“Bounces along with gently wry humor and jaunty twists and turns. The quintessential amateur sleuth: bright, curious, and more than a little nervy.”
—Earlene Fowler
“A lighthearted, entertaining mystery.”
—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“A likable new heroine reminiscent of some of our favorite childhood detectives—with a little bit of an edge … a fresh, delightful, and enjoyable first mystery.”
—The Charlotte Austin Review
“A charming, insightful debut.”
—Carolyn Hart
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
Murder of a Smart Cookie
Murder of a Pink Elephant
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
Chocolate-
Covered Cherry
ENISE
S
WANSON
OBSIDIAN
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, April 2008
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Copyright © Denise Swanson Stybr, 2008
All rights reserved
EISBN: 9781101567531
OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
To the people of my hometown, Coal City, Illinois,
who have been amazingly supportive
Author’s Note
In July of 2000, when the first book,
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
, was published in my Scumble River series, it was written in “real time.” It was the year 2000 in Skye’s life as well as mine, but after several books in a series, time becomes a problem. It takes me from seven months to a year to write a book, and then it is usually another year from the time I turn that book in to my editor until the reader sees it on a bookstore shelf. This can make the time line confusing. Different authors handle this matter in different ways. After a great deal of deliberation, I decided that Skye and her friends and family will age more slowly than those of us who don’t live in Scumble River. Although I made this decision while writing the fourth book in the series,
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
, I didn’t realize until recently that I needed to share this information with my readers. So, to catch everyone up, the following is when the books take place.
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
—August 2000
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
—March 2001
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
—April 2002
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
—August 2002
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
—November 2002
Murder of a Pink Elephant
—February 2003
Murder of a Smart Cookie
—June 2003
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
—September 2003
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde—
November 2003
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
—April 2004
The Scumble River short story and novella take place:
“Not a Monster of a Chance”—June 2001
“Dead Blondes Tell No Tales”—March 2003
Scumble River is not a real town. The characters and events portrayed in these pages are entirely fictional, and any resemblance to living persons is pure coincidence.
Chapter 1: Preheat Oven to 350°
Chapter 2: Assemble the Ingredients
Chapter 3: Read Through Recipe
Chapter 4: Butter and Flour Your Pan