Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murder of a Small-Town Honey | 2000 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
| 2 | Dead Blondes Tell No Tales | 2012 | Denise Swanson | Buy |
| 3 | Murder of a Sweet Old Lady | 2001 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
| 4 | Not a Monster of a Chance | 2012 | Denise Swanson | Buy |
| 5 | …And the Dying is Easy | 2001 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
| 6 | Murder of a Botoxed Blonde | 2007 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
| 7 | Murder of the Cat’s Meow | 2012 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
| 8 | Murder of a Stacked Librarian | 2013 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
| 9 | Murder of a Needled Knitter | 2014 | Denise Swanson | N/A |
The Scumble River Mysteries Short Stories collect shorter fiction set in Denise Swanson’s Scumble River, Illinois. These companion pieces to the main novel series offer quick mysteries and bonus stories featuring Skye Denison and other familiar characters from the town.
The nine entries span from Murder of a Small-Town Honey (2000) through Murder of a Needled Knitter (2014). Some, like Dead Blondes Tell No Tales (2012) and Not a Monster of a Chance (2012), were released as standalone short stories. Others share titles with the full-length novels and contain bonus material or related scenes.
Readers new to the Scumble River world should start with the main novel series before dipping into these shorter pieces. The stories assume familiarity with Skye, her family, and the small-town setting. Long-time fans of the series will appreciate the extra glimpses into life in Scumble River that these stories provide.