Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | …And the Dying is Easy | 2001 | Denise Swanson | Buy |
| 2 | Drop-Dead Blonde | 2005 | Denise Swanson | Buy |
Denise Swanson’s anthology contributions include …And the Dying is Easy (2001) and Drop-Dead Blonde (2005), both multi-author mystery collections. Her short fiction carries the same cozy small-town tone as her Scumble River and Devereaux’s Dime Store novels.
…And the Dying is Easy is a summer-themed mystery anthology published in 2001, when Swanson was still in the early years of her Scumble River series. Drop-Dead Blonde arrived four years later, by which time she had a solid readership. Both collections pair her with other cozy mystery authors.
Swanson’s anthology stories are a good introduction for readers who are not sure whether to commit to a full series. They give a quick taste of her small-town settings and amateur sleuth characters without the investment of a novel. Fans of her longer work will appreciate the extra glimpses into her writing style.