Murder of a Wedding Belle by Denise Swanson, picture from Barnes and Noble.com.

About eight or nine years ago I discovered Denise Swanson and her Scumble River series featuring Skye Dennison, school psychologist and sleuth on the side.

Swanson will be at Barnes and Noble in Bradley on Thursday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m. on her latest book tour. Having met Swanson in the past, I can honestly say it will be an enjoyable outing.  The reason has everything to do with Swanson’s sense of fun and I love the Skye Dennison character.

Skye seems like a real person, someone I would know and with whom I could laugh. As the high school valedictorian, she left town after a scathing speech about small towns and small minds.

But then 12 years later, she comes back home with her tail between her legs and a load of debt to pay off. Luckily, the girl had scads of experience and a master’s degree in order to become the school psychologist for the district. The problem is people tend to die in strange mysterious ways and Skye is there to find their bodies. Ok, that is one reason not to hang out with Skye.

What keeps me coming back is her good sense and wicked sense of humor. Skye can be a bit of a smart mouth who has champagne taste and a beer budget.  Another aspect to love about the series is that Skye has a number of love interests. There is the undertaker, Simon, who matches her intellectually and in the same interests. The police chief, Wally, is her teenage crush and equal when it comes to solving crimes. When she is not with Simon, Wally captures her attention. Who am I rooting for? Well, let’s just say he is out of the running for now.

What Swanson does best is run a tight ship in regards to the mystery. I know because as an avid mystery reader I do not always figure out the culprit right away. Her characters feel like people we know and her sense of small town politics is excellent. It is one of the best series to read while curled up in a favorite chair.

If I am lucky, I will be able to get out and see Denise when she comes to town with the other Deadly Divas. Are you going?

 For more info about the Dealy Divas visit their website at http://www.thedeadlydivas.com

 Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook or send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.