Die Me A River by Denise Swanson is the second book in the “Welcome Back to Scumble River” mystery series. Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, coming September 4, 2018

The chips are down in Scumble River

School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd had hoped that her maternity leave would be at least a little relaxing, but when she and her husband, Wally, meet with the priest to discuss their newborn twins’ christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley rocks the rectory. And although the business was closed at the time of the blast, there’s a body inside.

As police chief, Wally is inevitably drawn into the investigation, which seems to indicate that foul play is afoot again in Scumble River, and Skye can’t help but do a bit of her own sleuthing. But the clues come fast and furious, ranging from an odd new stranger in town to animosity toward the gambling machines that had recently been installed at the bowling alley, and Skye finds herself wondering if this could be the puzzle that stumps her for good.

New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson has penned another hit for cozy fans with Die Me a River, the latest installment in her beloved Welcome Back to Scumble River mystery series.

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Rebuilding from the recent tornado, Scumble River is rocked when a bomb explodes at Bunny’s business and a body is found inside. Identified as the insurance agent who was denying claims, Wally has to figure out who was the intended target and was this an act of revenge.

I like the premise that this mystery was set upon where anyone from town could have been involved, but it is the clues that Wally and Skye uncover that lent itself to a well-written whodunit that was both entertaining and enjoyable. With Bunny playing a pivotal role in this latest caper, all eyes are on how this will end for her. In the meantime, we finally learn the name of the twins in the party that May throws. One of the amusing scenes in the book is when the Dooziers arrive at the baby shower/christening. They simply make me laugh and I enjoyed the encounter with Glenda and Bunny. There was a nice little twist at the end with a character that seemed to pop up around Skye and I liked how the author addressed that appearance. This was a fun read and I can’t wait for the next book in this delightfully charming series.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.