Denise Swanson logo

from Obsidian, a division of Penguin
Tenth Book in the National Best-Selling, Award-Winning Series!

Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry

A Scumble River Mystery featuring School Psychologist Skye Denison

by Denise Swanson

National Best-Selling Author of:
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde (Barnes & Noble Best-Seller, April 2007; Independent Mystery Booksellers' Association Best-Seller)
Murder of a Real Bad Boy (Entertainment Weekly magazine Mystery Best-Seller, September 8, 2006; Barnes & Noble Best-Seller, August 2006)
Murder of a Smart Cookie (Barnes & Noble Best-Seller, July 2005),
Murder of a Pink Elephant (Daphne du Maurier Award: 2nd Place, 2005; Barnes & Noble Best-Seller, July 2004),
Murder of a Barbie and Ken (Barnes & Noble Best-Seller, November 2003; BookSense 76 Pick & Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick),
Murder of a Snake in the Grass,     Murder of a Sleeping Beauty,
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
(Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, 2001), and
Murder of a Small-Town Honey (Agatha Award nominee: Best First Novel of 2000)

Grandma Sal's Soup-To-Nuts Cooking Challenge is coming to town, and Skye Denison is entering. And though she can't solve the mystery of the perfect mousse, murder is another story. Because a cocky contestant has been found delectably drowned in a chocolate fountain...

Chicago Tribune: "With its endearing heroine, terrific cast of realistically quirky secondary characters, and generous soupçon of humor ... Denise Swanson's charming series, set in the small Illinois town of Scumble River, is a delight."
— John Charles

Denise Swanson writes the Scumble River Mystery series featuring school psychologist Skye Denison. Her series is set in a fictional small town in the Midwest, and contains elements of humor and romance. She is currently under contract by Penguin / Obsidian through her eleventh book in this series.

Denise Swanson

U.S. Route 66 in Scumble River, Illinois

Her first book, Murder of a Small-Town Honey, was nominated for the Agatha Best First Mystery. It won the Reviewers Choice Awards for Best First Novel and Best Amateur Sleuth, and is currently in its eleventh printing! Her second book, Murder of a Sweet Old Lady, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and is in its eighth printing.
Her third book, Murder of a Sleeping Beauty is in its fifth printing. Her fourth book, Murder of a Snake in the Grass, débuted in the top 100 of the Barnes & Noble online best-sellers and is in its fifth printing. Her fifth book, Murder of a Barbie and Ken, (seventh printing) was an RT Magazine Top Pick, spent four weeks on the Barnes & Noble Mass Market Mystery Best-Seller list, was #1 on the IMBA Best-Seller list, a BookSense 76 Pick, and nominated for an RT Reviewers Choice Best Amateur Sleuth Award and the Daphne du Maurier award. Her sixth book, Murder of a Pink Elephant, (fifth printing) was also a Daphne du Maurier finalist — coming in second, spent three weeks on the Barnes & Noble Mass Market Mystery Best-Seller list, and was #1 on the IMBA Best-Seller list. Her seventh book, Murder of a Smart Cookie, (third printing) débuted at #11 on the Barnes & Noble Best-Seller list and remained on the list for four weeks. Her eighth book, Murder of a Real Bad Boy, was #15 its first week and #13 its second week on the Barnes & Noble Best-Seller list and remained on the list four weeks. It was also featured on the paperback best-seller list in Entertainment Weekly magazine. Her ninth book, Murder of a Botoxed Blonde, (second printing) became a Barnes & Noble Mass Market Best-Seller and an IMBA Best-Seller in its first month.
Denise was nominated for RT Magazine's Career Achievement Award. Her fellow nominees included Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich. She has spoken at hundreds of library events and other civic organizations, and has received excellent ratings when surveys have been taken. She has also been interviewed on radio and TV.

Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry is the tenth and latest book in her Scumble River Mystery series.

Home * Next

Scumble River Mysteries:
10: Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry

9: Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
8: Murder of a Real Bad Boy
7: Murder of a Smart Cookie
6: Murder of a Pink Elephant
5: Murder of a Barbie and Ken
4: Murder of a Snake in the Grass
3: Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
2: Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
1: Murder of a Small-Town Honey


Skye Writing * Home Cookin'
Biography * Interview
Awards * Bibliography
Schedule an Engagement

Personal Appearances
Links and Press Kit
Denise Swanson on the Lam

E-mail to Denise Swanson


New! Reading Group Guides


Updated 29 February 2008:
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry * Skye Writing * Home Cookin' * Interview * Bibliography * Schedule an Engagement * Personal Appearances * Links and Press Kit * Denise Swanson on the Lam * Reading Group Guides
"The lowest and vilest alleys of London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside." — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), English author. Holmes to Watson, in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: "Copper Beeches" (1892).
Book 1, July 2000: Murder of a Small-Town Honey
ISBN 0-451-20055-1 * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-3329-X
Book 2, April 2001: Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
ISBN 0-451-20272-4 * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-3674-4
Book 3, April 2002: Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
ISBN 0-451-20548-0 * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-4402-X *
Audio cassettes ISBN 0-7927-2553-0

Book 4, April 2003: Murder of a Snake in the Grass
ISBN 0-451-20834-X * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-5629-X
Book 5, November 2003: Murder of a Barbie and Ken
ISBN 0-451-21072-7 * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-6126-9
Book 6, July 2004: Murder of a Pink Elephant
ISBN 0-451-21210-X * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-6798-4
Book 7, July 2005: Murder of a Smart Cookie
ISBN 0-451-21584-2 * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-7765-3
Book 8, August 2006: Murder of a Real Bad Boy
ISBN 0-451-21828-0 * Large Print ISBN 0-7862-9282-2
Book 9, April 2007: Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
ISBN 978-0-451-22141-4 * Large Print ISBN 978-0-786-29680-4
Book 10, April 2008: Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
ISBN 978-0-451-22368-5

Book 10, April 2008
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
ISBN 978-0-451-22368-5

Scumble River Mysteries
Novella, February 2005: "Dead Blondes Tell No Tales"
in the anthology Drop-Dead Blonde * ISBN 0-451-21444-7
Short Story, June 2001: "Not a Monster of a Chance"
in the anthology And the Dying is Easy * ISBN 0-451-20329-1

Breaking and Entering, compiled by Denise Swanson
A Guide to Finding an Agent, Selling a Manuscript and Other Mysteries of Publishing
A Publication of Sisters in Crime; © 2004 Sisters in Crime

Order Form


"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, even the gruffest noir addict has to take notice."
Chicago Tribune

"I enjoy every minute of every book of this series."
New York Times Best-Selling Author Charlaine Harris

"Quite simply the best traditional mystery series being written today."
CrimeSpree Magazine

"Hi, I'm Denise's cool black cat Boomerang, and I just know you'll love her Scumble River Mystery series. It's the cat's meow!"
>^..^<
Black Cat Boomerang

Scumble River, Illinois postmark Skye Denison
13 River Drive
Scumble River, IL 60400



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Music: Scumble River Legend,
a Ballad for Small Orchestra by David Stybr (1 minute, © 2001)

How many book series have their own signature music? It's quirky, but so is Scumble River, Illinois.

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Created 25 December 1999 * Updated 29 February 2008
© 2008 Denise Swanson
Der Webmeister: David Stybr * Web Host Provider: Interland, Inc.

This web site is purely for entertainment and information purposes. We hope that you enjoy our simple yet informative format.