Murder of the Cat's Meow: A Scumble River Mystery
Read Murder of the Cat's Meow: A Scumble River Mystery Online
Authors: Denise Swanson
PRAISE FOR THE SCUMBLE RIVER SERIES
Murder of a Creped Suzette
“Tongue-in-cheek humor, complex motives, and unique murders. The latest cleverly crafted tale is another entertaining mystery.”
—
Romantic Times
“Another great book by this master of the small-town mystery.”
—
CrimeSpree Magazine
Murder of a Bookstore Babe
“In the latest installment in her cozy Scumble River series, Swanson serves up another irresistible slice of romance-spiced mystery.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“As always, Skye Denison and Scumble River provide a reliable, enjoyable mystery. Reading about Scumble River is as comfortable as being in your own hometown. Skye’s quirky assortment of relatives never fails to disappoint.”
—The Mystery Reader
Murder of a Wedding Belle
“The latest carefully crafted installment in Swanson’s Scumble River series features a charming heroine, who is equally skilled at juggling detection and romance.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“This book was very hard to put down. I enjoyed it tremendously and highly recommend it.”
—Gumshoe
“As always…Swanson combines humor and romance within an intriguing homicide investigation, while the support cast feels like friends.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Another winner.…This series always brings a smile and this one is loads of fun.”
—
CrimeSpree Magazine
Murder of a Royal Pain
“The series remains fresh and dramatic; a great combination, which translates to an enjoyable and intriguing reading experience.”
—Once Upon a Romance
“A trip to Scumble River is like visiting with old friends…another entry into a fine series that is sure to be on most must-read lists.”
—The Mystery Reader
“Swanson has given me many a smile and many hours of wonderful, fun reading. This is another in a long line of really great books.”
—
CrimeSpree Magazine
“Just plain fun to read. Readers of cozy mysteries who haven’t read Denise Swanson’s books are in for a real treat when they do.”
—Cozy Library
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
“[A] cleverly crafted plot…with a generous dash of romance.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“Top-notch storytelling with truly unique and wonderful characters.”
—
CrimeSpree Magazine
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
“Endearing…quirky…a delight.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“Tight plotting and plenty of surprises keep this series on my must-read list.”
—
CrimeSpree Magazine
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
“Swanson is a born storyteller.”
—
CrimeSpree Magazine
“Another knee-slapping adventure in Scumble River.”
—
The Amplifier
(KY)
Murder of a Smart Cookie
“Smartly spins on a solid plot and likable characters.”
—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“[Swanson] has a lot of surprises in store for the reader.”
—
Midwest Book Review
Murder of a Pink Elephant
“The must-read book of the summer.”
—
Butler County Post
(KY)
“Current readers will appreciate the trip into Scumble River, while new readers will want to go back.”
—
The
Best Reviews
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
“Swanson continues her lively, light, and quite insightful look at small-town life.”
—
The Hartford Courant
“Another sidesplitting visit to Scumble River…with some of the quirkiest and most eccentric characters we ever have met.”
—
Butler County Post
(KY)
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
“An endearing and realistic character…a fast-paced, enjoyable read.”
—
The Herald News
(MA)
“This book is delightful.”
—Mysterious Woman
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
“A smooth, pleasant, and ultimately satisfying book.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“Another delightful and intriguing escapade.”
—Mystery News
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
“More fun than the Whirl-A-Gig at the County Fair and tastier than a corn dog.”
—
Charlotte Austin Review
“A magnificent tale written by a wonderful author.”
—
Midwest Book Review
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
“Bounces along with gently wry humor and jaunty twists and turns. The quintessential amateur sleuth: bright, curious, and more than a little nervy.”
—Agatha Award–winning author Earlene Fowler
“A charming, insightful debut.”
—Carolyn Hart
Also by Denise Swanson
SCUMBLE RIVER MYSTERIES
“Not a Monster of a Chance,” short story in
And the Dying Is Easy
“Dead Blondes Tell No Tales,” e-book novella in
Drop-Dead Blonde
Murder of a Creped Suzette
Murder of a Bookstore Babe
Murder of a Wedding Belle
Murder of a Royal Pain
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
Murder of a Smart Cookie
Murder of a Pink Elephant
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
DEVEREAUX’S DIME STORE MYSTERIES
Little Shop of Homicide
Cat’s Meow
A Scumble River Mystery
Denise Swanson
AN OBSIDIAN MYSTERY
OBSIDIAN
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, September 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © Denise Swanson Stybr, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
ISBN: 978-1-101-59955-6
OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
To my fellow cat lovers:
I promise you no kitties are harmed in this story.
I
n July of 2000, when the first book in my Scumble River series,
Murder of a Small-Town Honey
, was published, it was written in “real time.” It was the year 2000 in Skye’s life as well as mine, but after several books in a series, time becomes a problem. It takes me from seven months to a year to write a book, and then it is usually another year from the time I turn that book in to my editor until the reader sees it on a bookstore shelf. This can make the timeline confusing. Different authors handle this matter in different ways. After a great deal of deliberation, I decided that Skye and her friends and family would age more slowly than those of us who don’t live in Scumble River. So to catch everyone up, the following is when the books take place:
Murder of a Small-Town Honey—
August 2000
Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
—March 2001
Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
—April 2002
Murder of a Snake in the Grass
—August 2002
Murder of a Barbie and Ken
—November 2002
Murder of a Pink Elephant
—February 2003
Murder of a Smart Cookie
—June 2003
Murder of a Real Bad Boy
—September 2003
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
—November 2003
Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
—April 2004
Murder of a Royal Pain—
October 2004
Murder of a Wedding Belle
—June 2005
Murder of a Bookstore Babe
—September 2005
Murder of a Creped Suzette
—October 2005
Murder of the Cat’s Meow
—March 2006