Deadly Summer

Darling Investigations, Book 1

By: Denise Grover Swank

Narrated by: Megan Tusing

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank gives a former TV star one more shot at fame - and it proves to be a killer comeback...

Ten years ago, Summer Butler was television's most popular teenage sleuth. Since then, she's hit - what gossip sites just love to call - the gutter. Nearly bankrupt, betrayed, estranged from her greedy mother, and just about unemployable, she's coaxed into that desperate haven for has-beens: reality TV.

Winging it as a faux PI, she'll solve off-the-cuff mysteries in her hometown of Sweet Briar, Alabama. For added drama, there's police chief Luke Montgomery, inconveniently Summer's first and only love.

It's when Summer stumbles upon a very real corpse that Darling Investigations takes an unexpected twist. The growing list of suspects is a big draw to viewers, but the reality is that Summer doesn't know whom she can trust. Someone has written this killer new scene especially for her, and unless Summer gives the role everything she's got, it could be her last...

©2018 Denise Grover Swank (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Meh..typical "modern" cozy

I must be getting old. I remember back in the day when even cozy mysteries attempted to create interesting, original characters and took a stab at being a real, well plotted mystery.

Of late too many new cozies are just cookie cutter mediocre books. This one is no exception. It basically just ticked off the cozy tropes and called it a day.

Female detective with either no spine or no brains? check.
Stereotype love interest (usually the cop)? check
Juvenile romance with "sparks" and "electricity up the spine" comments? check
Painfully obvious murderer easily detected by chapter 5? check
Some catchy "something" to try to look original (character was child star/reality show") check

I would have rated this lower save for a couple of actually interesting characters and the fact that the first third of the book wasn't completely dreadful. It just went downhill from there. I finally gave up about 3/4 of the way through and just jumped to the end to confirm my solution was correct (it was).

I won't be reading more from the series.

Loved it!!

Denise Grover Swank has done it again!! I was completely absorbed in Summer’s world from the beginning of the book. A page turner, filled with drama, comedy, and suspense. I absolutely LOVE this series and cannot wait for Blazing Summer!! So anxious to read it and see what kind of trouble Summer and Dixie can get into.

Very entertaining.

My first time trying this author. Story was good with twists, turns and humor. Action, sass, and a strong female lead. Add an old flame to the mix, sans gratuitous sex, and a mean ol' mother you just want to pie. What's not to like? I've already purchased the next book in the series.

Narrator was spot on too. She really kept the story moving.

Naughty!

Enough naughty in the first five minutes to get me to shut this OFF! What a waste of good money!

Cute, fun listen

This is a cute and fun series so far! Easy listen for summertime - I hope there are more coming!

Like listening to the text of a product manual

I have tried and tried to get though this:.traveling on my day job, listening while doing PT exercises, etc., and I JUST CAN'T FINISH THIS BOOK! The performer was good. The story though...I didn't find the story believable and I didn't find the main character likable. I have just got to the part where she is sitting down to the dinner table with Mee Maw; Oh, I can't go any farther.

Good start then lots of disappointments

The villain is over obvious. The dialogue between romantic leads is clunky. The heroine is another intellectually slow female PI, and the action scenes are bad. Sorry, I was disappointed.

Sassy!

I picked this book thinking it would be a nice story to listen to, easy read kind of book. Holy cow was I wrong. It got me hook line and sinker! I can not wait to see what the second book has in store!

Delayed homecoming for Summer

Financially, Summer has almost hit bottom. The commitment to pay for the family farm, a promise she made with her grandfather before he died accidentally has consumed her meager earnings. In desperation, she agrees to star in a reality show as a detective.

Returning to her hometown, fraught with anxiety and dread, she runs into her old boyfriend, the Chief of Police. Throw in 2 murders, a bag of cash, and a bully for a series director and her life becomes only more complicated.

The book has a fairly complex storyline with many well developed characters. The mystery element was fast-paced and fun to listen to. The book was NOT naughty, as described by a previous review. No sexual scenes or descriptions, just intention and wishful thinking.

Narrator Megan Tusing was good, but will improve with more differentiation of voices between characters.

Easy, fun listen.

Not exactly a ‘page turner’

This book was cute enough, and the premise seemed original. Although the narrator was amazing, the story didn’t keep my interest. I love starting the first book in a series and immediately buying the next book, but I didn’t even care to read what it was about. #tagsgiving #sweepstakes,

great book

as always you fb mail t ol disappoint us as readers I was hooked from the get go thank you so much

Another page turner from D G Swank

Yet a another series of Denise Grover Swank that I love. Thank you. Starting the 2nd book now!

A perfect who done it mystery

Ticked all my boxes. Narrator was excellent, really brought the characters to life. And the story had that perfect who done it mystery to it. A great start to a new series. Looking now for the next one.

Incredibly good

Another fantastic book done in audible, Amazing storyline and perfect narrator's performance . I really enjoyed it and loved!