Murder of a Barbie and Ken (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 5)

Book Description

Skye joins Scumble River's social club and ends up at a party at the home of socialites Barbie and Ken Addison. But not long after, Skye gets caught in a murder mystery when she finds the perfect couple, perfectly dead...

Customer Reviews:

Who Murdered Barbie & Ken - Who Cares?.......2005-07-01

This is the fifth Scumble River Mystery: Murder of a small town honey, Murder of a sweet old lady, Murder of a sleeping beauty, Murder of a snake in the grass. There is also a short story in the anthology book, Drop Dead Blonde, but is the first I'm reviewing.

The short story was what I read first and it was just barely interesting enough to get me to buy this series, which have turned out to be interesting but frustrating and this book is the worst, and seems to contain all the problems I noticed in the other books.

Skye Denison is a school psychologist, who was fired from her first job in New Orleans and dumped by her fiancee, she couldn't get a job anywhere, so was forced to come back home to Scumble River, Illinois which she had insulted in her high school valedictorian speech a dozen years before.

Skye and her boyfriend Simon have joined Scumble River's Social Club where Sky finds herself being invited to such events as Instant Gourmet food night at the home of Ken and Barbie Addison. Reluctantly, Skye purchases some of the food, just so she can get out of there.

Things are even worse when she stops by in a snow storm to pick up the food only to find Ken, strangled on the floor and Barbie strangled and hidden in the freezer. Why would someone want to kill Ken, who's a doctor or Barbie?

With everyone, including Wally the police chief asking her to help solve the crime, Skye puts on her detective cap and searches for the killer of what looks like a perfect couple, and uncovers some truly nasty secrets being hidden by the Scumble River residents.

Highlights:

Skye's family, from her parents to her hairdresser brother Vince, aunts, uncles and cousins are a close-knit family, who are like a lot of families, arguing but still loving each other.

Wally, I love the police chief. He doesn't mind Skye getting involved in the investigations, as long as she lets him know what she's doing. He had been a rookie cop when Sky, a fifteen year old had developed a crush on him, which he had handled perfectly without taking advantage or embarrassing her.

Lowlights:

Skye. I don't know how she can get on with her daily life since she obviously has no backbone. She constantly complains about how she wants to stand on her own, she's in her thirties, but lets her mother clean her house, her father & godfather buy her a car and generally take care of all of her problems. She always complaining, but doesn't do anything to stop them. And she picked the wrong boyfriend.

Simon - her boyfriend, coroner and owner of the funeral home. He's ok, but most women, with a backbone would not have gone out with him after the way he treated her on their first two meetings. (Read Murder Of A Small Town Honey). Skye tends to start acting like a fourteen year old when she's around any man.

Bunny - Simon's mother. This woman walked out on Simon and her husband over thirty years ago to become a dancer, she had come home a couple of times, claiming she would give it up, the last time was twenty years ago when not only did she leave, but stole all the savings from the bank on her way out. Simon doesn't want to have anything to do with this woman, but Skye is determined they are going to get together. This woman is a vulgar pig, which is trying to pass itself off as being eccentric. Fortunately, she just showed up in this book, so you can have four books to read before she appears. Her character was one of the reasons I was hesitant about getting the series, as she is in the short story.

Skye is another example of characters in books who claim they have to do something because it would hurt another person's feelings or not be polite. TOO BAD. Bunny shows up one night claiming to be Simon's mother and Skye just lets her move in, without even asking for any ID.

The mysteries are interesting and if you can stand the frustration of wanting to smack the heroine upside the head, this is an ok series to read while waiting for something better.

Skye has a house guest.......2005-01-11

Skye Denison and her boyfriend Simon join a social club and begin participating in activities with other couples in the club. Skye even finds herself at the home of the glamour couple, Ken and Barbie Addison, attending an Instant Gourmet party. When Skye goes to the Addison home to collect the food she purchased at the party, she finds that someone has murdered Ken and Barbie. Another unpleasant surprise occurs when Simon's mother, Bunny, shows up unexpectedly and decides to stay with Skye. Since Bunny has a bad relationship with Simon, this puts Skye in an awkward position. Skye manages to do her job as a school psychologist, date Simon, deal with his mother, and investigate the murders all at the same time. There are no end of suspects because Ken Addison was a much reviled person who cheated in his personal and professional lives. Skye persists in her investigation until she and Simon are almost added to the list of murder victims. This is another delightful book in the Scumble River series and should be pleasing to Denise Swanson's fans.

Who killed socialites Barbie & Ken and why?.......2004-05-20

Skye Denison is a school psychologist in Scumble River. Her boyfriend Simon, the coroner and funeral home owner, has joined the local social club, Grand Union of the Mighty Bulls, and he has talked her into joining the GUMB ladies' auxiliary. That's how she met Barbie Addison.

Skye attended a Instant Gourmet party at Barbie's and ended up buying a week's worth of Instant Gourmet food. Skye's dad gives her a ride to Barbie's to pick up her food. Her Bel Air doesn't do well in really bad weather. They find Barbie and Ken (her husband) dead.

Police Chief Walter Boyd asked Skye and Simon to help him investigate their murders. Skye has assisted in the past, but usually against everyone's wishes. This is a new twist for Wally to ask for her help. He knows he needs people who are in GUMB to help find out information.

To complicate matters more, Simon's mother Bunny arrived at Skye's house one night in a snowstorm with no where else to stay. Skye thought Simon's mother was dead so she is quite surprised to meet her. At least that's what Simon had told her! Skye's Uncle Charlie who runs a local motel, referred Bunny to Skye's for the night. One night turns into many! Bunny isn't the easiest person to live with either. Simon was not too happy to see his mother.

Skye and Simon find themselves in many interesting situations as they assist Wally in the investigation.

I love the characters and their interactions in this series. Denise has constructed such a great cast of characters. Plus Scumble River is the typical small town (if any are typical). Everyone knows everyone's business and there are plenty of scandals.

I highly recommend this book and the whole series! It's great! It is a wonderful cozy mystery series.

Getting Silly.......2004-04-23

It's never a good thing when an author bases their main character so much on themselves that it interferes with forming the character individually in the reader's mind. In this case of this series, it's obvious that's just what this author has done, just by reading the little bio blurb in the back cover. At least try for a little deviation from yourself, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally.

Skye has become increasingly annoying as the series progresses. There's no justifiable reason whatsoever for her sticking her nose into these cases, and even less reason for a police chief to not only allow her to do it, but give her access to confidential information in order to faciliate her "assistance." It gets even more ludicrous when her mother, the town police dispatcher, gives her permission to go into the store room to poke through evidence while the chief is out of the office. Shouldn't that be grounds for termination?

If Skye's romance with Simon is supposed to be sexy, the author is doing a poor job of portraying that. These are two grown adults, neither is attached, the whole town knows they're dating, and yet they feel they have to sneak around? That no one has figured out they're sleeping together? What is this, junior high school? There's nothing at all appealing about this couple.

Add in the silliness of Bunny, Frannie and Justin at the end, and this was almost a painful book to finish. If the author wants to continue this series, then she needs to have her characters grow up and stop acting like a bunch of teenagers trying to form their own "in-crowd."

Mattel Murders.......2004-04-06

This is a fun little lite cozy murder mystery, offering insights such as this father-daughter advice from 30-something School Psychologist Skye Denison's dad: You only need 2 tools, WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use the WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use the duct tape. Anything more complicated than that, call me.
And here's a fun flashback from Skye's Funeral Director Beau's Mom, Bunny: In the 60s, we took acid to make the world weirder. Now the world is weirder than we can handle, and we take Prozac to make it normal.
The plot and pace are perky. The style's breezy. If you live in small town, or used to, you KNOW some of these characters!
/TundraVision, out of a farmland village of about 900 souls in the Illinois heartland.

Scumble River Mystery Series: Murder Of A Small-Town Honey, Sweet Old Lady, Sleeping Beauty, Snake In The Grass, Barbie And Ken, Pink Elephant, Smart Cookie, Real Bad Boy (Set of 8)

Average customer rating:

Scumble River Mystery Series: Murder Of A Small-Town Honey, Sweet Old Lady, Sleeping Beauty, Snake In The Grass, Barbie And Ken, Pink Elephant, Smart Cookie, Real Bad Boy (Set of 8)
Denise Swanson
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MXWQ48

Book Description

By the vow of her father and her own desire, Raederle was pledged to Morgon, Riddle-Master of Hed. But a year had passed since Morgon disappeared on his search for the High One at Erlenstar Mountain, and rumors claimed he was dead.
Raederle set out to learn the truth for herself, though her small gift of magic seemed too slight for the perils she must face. The quest led through strange lands and dangerous adventures. Only her growing powers enabled her at last to reach Erlenstar Mountain. And there she discovered what she could not bear to accept.
Accompanied by Deth, the High One's Harper, she fled. And behind them came a pursuer whose name was Morgon, bent on executing a grim destiny upon Raederle and Deth.
Her only hope lay in summoning the Hosts of the Dead, led by the King whose skull she bore . . .

Customer Reviews:

"The wise man does not pursue his own shadow.".......2005-02-05

The heir of sea and fire referred to in the title is Raederle, Morgon of Hed's betrothed, and the main character of this second book in McKillip's 'Riddle-Master' trilogy. She struggles against her shape-changer heritage, but gradually begins to tap into its power in order to protect Morgon. "Heir of Sea and Fire" begins in the spring of the year "following the strange disappearance of the Prince of Hed, who had, with the High One's harpist, vanished like a mist in Isig Pass..."

Raederle has reason to believe Morgon dead, since the land-rule of Hed has passed to Morgon's brother, Eliard. Or was land-rule ripped from Morgon while he was still alive? In a key passage, Raederle asks the High One's harpist, "What piece of knowledge did the Founder expect to find beneath the knowledge of when the barley would begin to sprout or what trees in his orchard had a disease eating secretly at their hearts?"

The importance of the question lies in the inability of the harpist to answer it.

As with all quest fantasies, this book has some long, relatively dull journeying to be gotten out of the way. Characters get seasick, lost, confused. It rains a lot. Raederle keeps losing jeweled pins out of her hair. Plus I'm not nearly as fond of the Morgol and her guards as is the author, and they don't add much to the plot. Perhaps in the years following the publication of this book (1977), we have all become used to spear-wielding maidens. And battle scenes are battle scenes no matter how much they're juiced up with magic.

But there are also some great visuals in "Heir of Sea and Fire," especially in the sequence where Raederle calls up the dead of An and bargains with them to protect the man who is journeying across their land. I really feared for her life because of the bargain she made with the dead Kings, even though I've read a million fantasies and the heroine never dies--at least not until the end of the trilogy.

This book is a worthy heir to "The Riddle-Master of Hed." You will definitely have to keep reading through to the end of the trilogy, which is "Harpist in the Wind."

excellent series.......2002-04-24

Out of all three books this one is, to me at least, the least attractive one. Don't get me wrong I mean it's an excellent read and you'll burn through it just like the other two but this one spends so much time with the girl that I really would rather read about the main character, so to speak. Might be wrong but its just my opinion.

Weak middle volume... NOT!.......2001-11-11

In most trilogies, the middle volume is the weak one, tying beginning and end together with too little plot. Patricia McKillip skillfully avoids this pitfall in "Heir of Sea and Fire," the second slim volume in her Riddlemaster trilogy, and the story of Raederle, the second most beautiful woman in An.

A year has passed since Morgan of Hed vanished at Erlenstar Mountain, and suddenly the land-rule passes to Morgan's brother -- a sign that Morgan is dead, that the harpist Deth has betrayed him. As he was the Star-Bearer, assorted people are extremely upset. And a few refuse to believe that it can be true.

Raederle's father is one of them; after he leaves, his daughter meets the Morgul of Herun, and her brother in Caithnard. There she teams up with the Morgul's daughter, Lyra (whom Morgan met in "Riddlemaster") who is angry at Morgan's supposed death, and eager to accompany Raederle wherever she goes. They set off on a ship, going to Erlenstar Mountain, and soon find that aside from Raederle, Lyra, and Lyra's fellow guards, they also have Tristan of Hed stowed away (who is promptly seasick).

Raederle finds out that Morgan has recently appeared, kept captive by the mysterious and evil Ghisteslwchlohm, and betrayed by Deth -- who is now on the run from everyone. But as Raederle's questions are answered, more pop up. She encounters a shapechanger, and then runs into Deth camping in the woods. Answers about the High One, about Morgan, and about her own abilities and heritage begin to come to light, as the dead of An begin to blaze back into existance. Raederle must bargain with fate and a dead king, using only her newfound powers and a crowned skull, to save Morgan -- and the rapidly unraveling world.

Wow, where to begin? Well, for one thing, Patricia McKillip delivers a wallop in book two of three, explaining many of the things she brought up in "Riddlemaster" and starting the buildup to the huge climax in book three (which I am now twenty pages into). This book (thankfully) does not end on a cliffhanger like "Riddlemaster"; also, if you are looking for an immediate answer to the cliffhanger previously shown, then you will be frustrated enough to give the Great Shout.

In addition, we are given another character who is as realistic as Morgan: Raederle, the second-most beautiful woman in An. Her looks are only brought up a couple times, as it's her strength, brains, and search for the truth and for Morgan that catch the reader -- and are most often displayed. The explanation for her growing power and the use she makes of it is as breathtaking as Morgan learning how to become a tree or a vesta. The scenes where she dangles the crowned skull to get that dead king to bargain with her was priceless, and the climax is shattering. McKillip's skill in describing magic grows even further; the descriptions of what Raederle is doing are like poetry. In addition, she does not remain a static character as she learns shattering truths and encounters strange people; she grows more mature and stronger.

We don't see Morgan much, though we hear a lot about him, and his sudden growth of power. More we see of Raederle and Lyra, who is fleshed out from the more shadowy character from "Riddlemaster." It's a rare gift to write strong women convincingly. Deth remains strange and ambiguous -- he betrayed Morgan, yet makes no excuses for himself. Other characters like the Morgul and Morgan's siblings are more absent (though what Tristan does is a bit unforgettable).

McKillip's writing is a bit more flowery than in "Riddlemaster," more descriptive and dreamy in parts. We get a few more puns on "Hel," such as that the Star-Bearer's path was leading straight into Hel. (Hel being a region)

Overall, an astounding piece of work and a worthy sequel to "Riddlemaster." I'm itching to read more of "Harpist in the Wind."

This is a stellar series-- why is the 2nd book out of print?.......1998-09-14

I would highly recommend this book, and indeed, the whole series, to any fantasy reader. Admittedly, I have not read all of Ms. McKillip's offerings, but I have read extensively in this field, and I found this to be a highly moving, intelligent, and succinct trilogy. Heir of Sea and Fire is especially integral to the reading of the series, as it is, after all, the second and middle book. I just want to ask, who flubbed up and let this one go out of print, while leaving the first and last in print? What a loss!

More wonderfulness from McPhillip.......1998-07-10

If you've read the first book, "The Riddlemaster of Hed," I'm sure you've already read the whole trilogy, or are going through it. So I can't truly give you a recommendation for this book - you must start at the beginning - this trilogy is much too intricate to miss the start. You'll find yourself absorbed and awakened. Enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

Heir Of Sea And Fire
Patricia Mckillip
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PD29QU

Average customer rating:

Heir Of Sea And Fire
Patricia Mckillip
Manufacturer: Futura
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PD993Q

Average customer rating:

Sequel to "The Riddle-Master of Hed"

Heir Of Sea And Fire

Manufacturer: Futura
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Sequel to "The Riddle-Master of Hed" .......2006-11-01

Average customer rating:

Heir of Sea and Fire
Patricia A. Mc Killip
Manufacturer: Ballantine Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QB9Z1I

HEIR OF SEA AND FIRE (RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED, NO 2)

Average customer rating:

HEIR OF SEA AND FIRE (RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED, NO 2)
PATRICIA A. MCKILLIP
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LVMIEY

Average customer rating:

Heir of Sea and Fire
Patricia A. McKillip
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRHMBC

Average customer rating:

HEIR OF SEA AND FIRE

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FS5E62

Average customer rating:

Heir of Sea & Fire
Patricia A. McKillip
Manufacturer: New York: Ballantine Books, 1982
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LVBVY2

Average customer rating:

HEIR OF SEA AND FIRE
Patricia A. Mckillip
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVPIMA

Average customer rating:

Caution

Very Goofy

TROUBLE ON PLANET/29 (Choose Your Own Adventure, No. 29)
R.A. Montgomery
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Mysteries | Teens | Subjects | Books
General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

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Lost on the Amazon (Choose Your Own Adventure #9)

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House of Danger (Choose Your Own Adventure, No. 6)

The Abominable Snowman (Choose Your Own Adventure #1)

ASIN: 0553263080
Release Date: 1984-01-01

Book Description

"SOME ONE OR SOMETHING IS DRAINING EARTH'S OIL RESERVES. CAN YOU CRACK THE CASE IN TIME?

Everyone knows that Earth has limited oil reserves. How can they go missing overnight? Is it an evil multi-national corporation? A rogue element in the government? Some crazy scientist? When the trail takes you into outer space, you are terrified for the first time in your life. A mysterious galaxy beyond the Milky Way seems to be siphoning Earth's oil using laser straws. The world's economy and life as you know it will crash to a halt, unless you can stop them

You followed three men to a small house. The doorway is empty, the men have gone. You enter a narrow passageway to a green staircase. Your heart is racing. Just as you are about to climb the stairs, the upstairs door opens. You flatten yourself against the wall in the shadow of the stairs. Maybe they won't see you! The three men come down the stairs talking in low voices. Shivers of fear dart through your body. The men disappear down the passageway. You are safe—at least for now. But should you follow the men, or search the room upstairs for clues to who they are?

If you follow the men, turn to page 111. If you search the room, turn to page 24.

Customer Reviews:

Caution.......2007-08-31

Growing up, I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure Series. Naturally, I was thrilled when I found them and I wanted to share them with my son. I was shocked when I found out that some of the endings include the characters being murdered in a variety of ways. I don't know if these books are updated versions or if I read the ones for younger readers when I was little. Please proceed with caution.

Very Goofy.......2005-01-21

A very far-fetched and silly tale about two smart kids who try to solve a world wide oil crisis. At it's best, it can be a very fun read with a couple of imaginative endings. At it's worst, there are alot of cheesy sci-fi characters and environments such as jumping into an Arabian chant painting or being held trial at an intergalactic court. With the whole oil crisis, there comes a moral to the story which R.A. Montgomery likes incorporating within his stories. Also, some of the different paths are 'go' or 'don't go' type decisions which makes for a bland flow of things. Other than these shortcomings, it's silly fun. There are even a couple of violent endings if you are not careful.

Average customer rating:

Delicious, Exciting and Fantastic

I couldn't put it down!

Great Cookbook

Wonderful!

The Guru on Hispanic Recipes

The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic Home Cooking from Patagonia to Rio de Janeiro, with 450 Recipes
Maria Baez Kijac
Manufacturer: Harvard Common Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Latin American | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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South American Food & Cooking: Ingredients, techniques and signature recipes from the undiscovered traditional cuisines of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, ... Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela.

Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin Cooking: 200 Sizzling Recipes from Mexico, Cuba, Caribbean, Brazil, and Beyond

The Exotic Kitchens of Peru

Secrets of Colombian Cooking (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)

ASIN: 1558322493

Book Description

This book has over 450 recipes from 10 countries for everything from tamales, ceviches, and empanadas that are popular across the continent to specialties that define individual cuisines.

Customer Reviews:

Delicious, Exciting and Fantastic.......2006-04-27

The South American Table contains authentic flavorful recipes from South America.

Maria Baez Kijac is a food writer, cooking instructor and culinary historian. She was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and spent 15 years researching this book.

Coming from a native of South American and currently living in the United States, Baez Kijac knows what we are missing in our lives - genuine South American foods! Having lived in South America myself, I see that South American food is gaining in popularity but is still under-recognized. This cookbook helps people enjoy a variety of dishes without focusing too greatly on one area of the continent.

Her recipes are easy-to-follow and extremely flavorful! I was happy to see some of my favorites in here too!

If you enjoyed "The Book of Latin American Cooking" by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, then you will love "The South American Table" by Maria Baez Kijac!

I couldn't put it down!.......2005-08-12

I just bought this book today and have yet to cook from it (hence holding off on the 5th star) but this is what I was looking for in a South American cookbook. While others may give a brief intro about a dish, Ms. Kijac gives several pages of history and background that really helps one understand this cuisine. The book is so well-researched that one can see it was truly a labor of love. The food glossary is a big bonus! My only criticism is that each recipe is not associated with its country of origin.

Great Cookbook.......2004-02-23

My wife, who studies many cookbooks, said that it was a wonderful book with many delicious recipes. She made me a terrific dish from book and asked me to get her a copy as a present.

Wonderful!.......2004-02-11

I recently took this book out on loan from my local libary, but love it so much, I'm going to buy a copy for myself. I am half-Colombian and grew up in New York where South American cuisine, particularly Colombian, was plentiful (from homecooked, family meals to countless restaurants in Queens). I've been living in California for ten years and often long for an authentic sancocho, platanos, arepas, empanadas, aji piques, etc, but have never had any luck. Now, with these recipes and the wonderfully informative glossary of South American ingredients - and where to get them - I can make the meals I love so much myself and discover so many others. I especially enjoyed the brief history of the South American cuisine.

The Guru on Hispanic Recipes.......2004-02-04

An elaborated acomplishment it deserves praise for such an acomplishment. A great reference and guide to foods from Latin America. Maria Kijac presents a complete and extense set of recipe with simplicity.
Definetly a must for the food lover that likes to cook every day something nutritious and diferent.

So far the best recipe book ever made for the Hispanic Market

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