Murder of a Bookstore Babe

A Scumble River Mystery

By: Denise Swanson

Narrated by: Christine Leto

Who could be driven to kill by books and sweets? While school psychologist Skye Denison eagerly anticipates the grand opening of a new bookstore called Tales & Treats, many of Scumble River's most outspoken citizens want to shut down the owners before they even open - and one is angry enough to commit murder....

Dropping off some books at Tales & Treats, Skye trips over a toppled bookcase, which has crushed a woman beneath its weight. While police search for motives, Skye sees the messy aftermatch of a half-baked plot to murder somebody else.

Skye is juggling her own busy life, but when all the clues lead to dead ends, she turns up the heat on her own investigation... and stumbles upon the deadly secret that got this bookstore babe done in. And if Skye isn't careful, the killer just might make her the sequel.

©2011 Denise Swanson Stybr. (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the best traditional mystery series being written today." ( CrimeSpree magazine)

Simple plot, poor reader

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator. Also, I like a little more depth and a little less lip-gloss color detail.

If you’ve listened to books by Denise Swanson before, how does this one compare?

n/a

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

She is extremely nasal and her overuse of vocal fry for every single character (I could see using it on purpose for one or two characters) was so irritating, I may not be able to finish the book at all.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I would not go to a theatre to see this. It's really more in the Lifetime Movie genre anyway.

Cute cozy mystery

What made the experience of listening to Murder of a Bookstore Babe the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a really good job of keeping the material interesting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Murder of a Bookstore Babe?

The ending - which I won't give away - was a surprise that followed a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing.

What does Christine Leto bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She makes the characters come alive without "overreading." She is good at performing different voices, which adds a new dimension to the experience that I wouldn't be able to enjoy just reading the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, I didn't have any extreme reactions to the book. It was just a good cozy mystery.

Any additional comments?

This is not a thriller with nonstop action, so don't pick it if an "edge-of-your-seat" experience is what you're craving. This is a typical cozy with a lot of emphasis on relationships. It's a nice relaxing listen after a long day - the type of thing that evokes the image of a listener reclined in a comfy chair inhaling lavendar aromatherapy with a cup of chamomile tea in one hand, using the other hand to pet a cat while it softly rains outside.

I will probably listen to more from this author when I just want to relax with the sound of a good cozy mystery in the background.

Unexpectedly Behavior…. not ok.

I have an issue with Simons behavior. It has stopped being romantic, him not excepting Sky’s decision is not ok. Someone who can’t accept the word no has issues. Especially when said multiple times!!

Enjoyable Book

Would you listen to Murder of a Bookstore Babe again? Why?

I enjoyed the character development almost as much as the story. This ranks as one of my favorites.

Another steller addidtion to the series

This is a very good series. I enjoy reading it. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series.