Denise Grover Swank sticks to a formula that has worked well for her in the past. Mystery, check. Strong female sleuth who finds herself in dangerous situations, check. Fun smart sidekick, check. Love interest in law enforcement, check. But it works. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you are a fan of Swank's you'll enjoy this fun story. If you like a good mystery with spunky characters, you'll love this story too.

I've fallen in love with yet another amazing series by Denise Grover Swank. The plot is fast paced and full of twists and turns, there is enough sizzling chemistry to make you want a sexy police chief of your own and a heroine who may have had some tough times but is working to prove to everyone she is better than they believe. Each new chapter beings more clues to the mystery and becomes more intense but the laugh out loud moments are just as integral to the story. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to escape into a new book world and can't wait for more of Darling Investigations.

I really enjoyed Deadly Summer and am very much looking forward to the next installment in the series. This book was too good to put down in some moments and I wanted to read it from cover to cover! I highly recommend it.

I'll admit I wasn't sure this story was going to work. A has been actress becomes a reality tv PI, with real and fake cases? But, I was completely entertained and excited to see whodunit. Summer isn't just an airhead actress but smart, funny and brave to solve murders. Of course, the Chief of Police is an old flame that just might still be lit. Truly a wonderful mystery with humor, smarts and grizzly crimes. I requested my copy from Netgalley.

Deadly Summer by Denise Grover Swank was a very fun read. The characters are likeable and it was neat reading about the behind the scene details of how a “reality show” is filmed. Instead of leaving the fate of her career up to the grumpy showrunner, Summer took initiative to clear her name and solve the investigations given to her. I love that there was a true ending and not a complete cliffhanger the way DGS books tend to end. The story is complete, but still leaves you wanting to know more about the characters and what will happen next in their lives.

If this were my first DGS book, I would be beyond excited for the next book to be released. However, I can’t help but feeling letdown as it seems like the characters are recycled from her earlier series. Main character is the daughter of a crappy mother who doesn’t care about her (check!). Love interest is a cop (check!). Supporting character comes across as a dimwit but is actually intelligent and street smart which helps the main character solve the mystery (check!). I actually rolled my eyes for the first time while reading a book when I read that her last name was Baumgartner. Baumgartner! How is that not extremely similar to Rose Gardner?! There are thousands of very different names that could have been chosen, but this is the one that won? Lastly, the murderer was very easy for me to figure out early on in the book. I kept hoping that the twists and turns would lead to someone else and I would be wrong, but it didn’t happen and I was disappointed.

All in all, I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to someone new to DGS. I knocked off one star for the character similarities and the lack of surprise about the bad guy.

This author is so talented in all that she does. I thought this book was a great start to what I feel will be yet another amazing series. The book is written in Summer's POV. She is a washed up teen actress now struggling to save her family's farm without their knowledge. She ends up playing the part in a "reality show" back in her home town. I am not one for reality television but loved the plot for the book. Summer's character was instantly likable, as was the rest of her family. I cannot wait to see what is yet to come.

I received an early copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another amazing series start by Denise Grover Swank. I have not found a book yet by this author that I have not loved. She definitely knows her ways around words, and how to keep you entertained while also craving what's yet to come.

Perfect story for most ages, due to the fact that it's a page turner without all the dirty scenes, and words. If you like a who dun it, that leaves you guessing until the end this book is for you. Recommend for anyone looking for a comical, edge of your seat read.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. In no way has this determined my rating of said book.

Can you go home again? Summer's finding out that Sweet Briar, Alabama can be as difficult as Hollywood sometimes because, for one thing, there's a real murder! A slight, entertaining novel with a good protagonist in Summer, this one has topical chops. Summer was a teen age starlet but now she's feeling lucky to do reality tv. She's got a long lost love in Luke, some wacky relatives, and a town that's just sometimes more than she wants to deal with. The mystery isn't too complicated, the writing is sprightly, and all in all, this makes for a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

As a teenaged star in Hollywood Summer had a squeaky clean image. But after a scandal she lost her job, was all but unemployable, and to top things off her mother emptied her bank accounts and ran off to live the high life on her money. Without a dollar to her name and debts due she has little choice but to accept a role in a reality TV show where she is a private investigator in her home town of Sweet Briar. But she quickly discovers she’s been set up to fail. The director and the crew all hate her and the cases are all contrived to make her look like a washed up failure.

Determined to save herself, protect her family and save the farm, she starts investigating the disappearance of the town drunk. And as she investigates she discovers plots and intrigue and murder.

Denise Grover Swank can be a little hit and miss. I honestly struggle with her short stories, I’d be surprised if I’ve rated any of them more than 3 Stars. I gave up on the Chosen series and found The Curse Keepers tough going. But when she gets it right she hits that ball right out of the park. And Deadly Summer is that book. It’s Denise Grover Swank being as great as she can be. I loved this book.

What a delicious comedic, romantic mystery.

I have read several of Denise Grover Swank's YA/NA novels and contemporary romances but have shied away from her mysteries until now but the premise lured me in - and how glad I am.

Poor Summer Butler. Famous for being a child star of a popular TV show in which she played a child detective she is now unable to get other acting roles (because she's been typecast) or a normal job (because she has that residual fame). Her mother was always hungry for money and fame, she pushed Summer into bad career choices (and child pageant shows) then ran off with all of Summer's money. Now, 10 years after the show finished, Summer is practically bankrupt and desperately looking for ways to raise money, not to save her Malibu home but to make a balloon payment on a mortgage on the family farm which she countersigned when her grandfather was still alive. A family farm that she has been banished from by her MeeMaw.

After a disastrous pitch to a TV producer which culminated in Summer punching an aggressive 'fan' in the face, Summer thinks her only option is a nude coverspread for a tacky magazine, until her agent calls and tells her the producer liked one of her random pitch ideas. Summer in tongue-in-cheek desperation suggested that she could do a reality TV show loosely based on her famous character by solving real-life mysteries as a PI. Of course, being reality TV, Summer is being set up. The show is based in her home town of Sweet Briar, Alabama, her assistant is her cousin Dixie and as soon as she arrives in town she is literally flung head first into her childhood sweetheart Luke Montgomery who is now the Chief of Police.

The woman producing the TV show is determined to make Summer look ridiculous, manufacturing mysteries such as who impregnated a pet dog, a workers compensation investigation, a missing man investigation for one of the town's drunks, and a cheating spouse investigation - all of which have been carefully primed in advance. But as Summer tries her hardest to make the show a success in order to save the farm, she realises that the missing man investigation may not be the scripted non-event that her producer expects.

This book is chock-full of family drama, second-chance romance, comedy, mystery, stalkers, and redemption.

I loved this book from start to finish. Literally. The book opens with Summer sitting in an upscale Vietnamese and Portuguese fusion restaurant called Magnum - I could picture it perfectly. Summer is such an endearing character and her family is quirky and lovable, even grumpy MeeMaw.

Highly recommended.

Deadly Summer is Denise's newest mystery series and I was curious to see if she could bring something new and different to this genre. Even though this is the author's third mystery series, she created a world that is completely unique, complex and compelling. I have to say I think these cast of character might just be my favorite ones Denise has ever created.

Summer Butler is a person who has lived a thousand lifetimes but she even hit 18. Forced by her mother to be a child star, she hits it big but at a huge cost. Used and abused by her mother and the industry, Summer is just a shell of person, barley hanging on by a thread.

Summer is in a desperate position and her only choice to help those she loves is to sign up for a reality TV show, that happens to bring her back to her hometown, that is full of it's own skeletons in the closet and they all don't belong to Summer.

Summer comes to town a broken and lost person, but as she begins to deal with the hurt and pain she caused her friends and family, Summer begins to understand who she is and what she really wants out of life. She is no longer a pawn in other people's plan for her life and she finally decides to fight for what she wants.

Deadly Summer is an amazing first book in a series, full of biting wit and a fun mystery. I can't wait to see where Denise takes Summer and the colorful cast of characters.

Summer Butler played a teenage sleuth on TV a dozen years ago. In order to save her family’s farm she needs to go back to her hometown of Sweet Briar, Alabama and star in a reality show. She has a chance to solve mysteries, fix her relationships with her family and the love of her life.

This book was great! It was funny and entertaining. I love the character of Summer because she was kind and honest, and genuinely cared about her family. I also really liked that she was brave and didn’t have a big head even though she used to be a big star. I actually think I like the character of Summer better than Magnolia and Rose.

The only downside about the book was that I felt like the murderer was obvious. I feel like it was pretty clear from the beginning even if there were a few false leads. I would definitely read the book again though, because the story and the characters were good. I could tell who the bad guy was, but I couldn’t figure out the motive until almost the end. As always Denise builds up the plot slowly and leaves lots of little clues that you don’t realize are important until later.

I also LOVED the mention of Magnolia Steele! It was a great tie-in.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting beginning to a new series.
Summer played a beloved girl-next-door character on a popular television series. But that was a long time ago. Lately, she's been having trouble finding work. And she needs the money because her mother long ago took off with all of Summer's money and a balloon payment on a mortgage for the family farm is coming due. So, in a fit of temperament, Summer signs up for a reality television show wherein she will become a private investigator. Too bad the producer doesn't want the show to succeed and Summer is having to go back to the hometown and a family that doesn't really want to see her again (at least, her grandmother; her cousins welcome her with open arms).
The "Southern language" is a little hard to read sometimes. There also seemed to be a lot of back story that didn't get covered in this book. I'm definitely interested in the second book in this series.

Three stars
This book comes out January 9
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Denise Grover Swank knows how to write a good mystery! Deadly Summer is a great addition to her repertoire. Summer Butler, the titular character, is the strong kind that Denise writes best. Dysfunctional family? Check. Dead bodies? Check. A mystery that's a fun who-dun-it? Check. A lead character with a complicated past? Check. Comedy, even when you're not expecting it? Check. A dash of romance on the side? Check. A heroine with a life so messy that you're glad you're not her? Check!

Deadly Summer is a fun, fast paced read. I highly recommend it for fans of Denise Grover Swank, mysteries, and books of all kinds. ****Five solid stars!****

3.5 stars

Denise Grover Swank is at her best when writing mysteries with a touch of romance set in small Southern towns, and this new series fits the bill quite nicely. Summer Butler left her hometown in Alabama as a teen to star in a hit TV series in which she solved mysteries. A dozen years later, her career washed up and her debts mounting (her mother ran off with her money and she’s been trying to save the family farm), she seizes a last-chance opportunity by agreeing to star in a reality TV show. Needless to say, the show takes her back to her hometown, complete with family drama and the love of her life she thought she’d never see again.

Summer’s reality show gets a little more real than anticipated when dead bodies appear, friends and family harbor secrets, and Summer is threatened. Summer makes a likeable and believable protagonist and her old flame an appealing romantic interest. If the mystery at times seemed a bit obvious, it didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment of the characters and story. I’ll definitely look forward to the next in the series.

Another good series from Denise Grover Swank. Summer Butler is in a tight spot but is going home & reinventing herself the solution? While investigating heavily produced 'real' cases Summer finds herself embroiled in something very real. Definitely worth a read!

Summer Butler is a television star whose star has fallen. When she was a teen she played a teenage private eye whose signature line was "Gotcha." But ten years later she can't find a job, her manager mother ran off with all her earnings, and she is about to lose her house and lose the family farm. Salvation might be at hand if she is willing to go the route of reality TV...

Summer finds herself in her hometown of Sweet Briar, Alabama where her first boyfriend, and the only man she's ever loved, is now Chief of Police Luke Montgomery and the lady at the diner runs a Facebook page filled with local gossip. She is reunited with her cousin Dixie who is playing her assistant and the grandmother who disowned her when she couldn't leave her film site in Southeast Asia to attend the funerals of her grandfather, aunt and uncle when they died in a fire Dixie was convicted of causing.

Summer arrives to find that most of the cases that she will be working on for the show have been set up by her incredibly ambitious producer. The cases range from a missing person to finding out which neighborhood pooch impregnated another. She spends most of the time on the case of the missing man. Otto Olson drinks and going missing for a few days isn't unusual but his sister is concerned because he has now been missing for a week.

Summer, Dixie and their cameraman Bill are secretly trying to solve the case of Otto's disappearance even after the producer has made them move on to other cases. When they find Otto's body and the bodies of two other men, Summer knows that they might have bitten off a little more than they could chew. But despite Luke's orders to leave the investigation alone, Summer needs to prove herself.

This story had small town politics, drug deals, stalkers, family drama, and a nice second chance romance. Summer is a great character and I look forward to reading more of her adventures.

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.

This is a wonderful new series by Denise Grover Swank. She certainly has "the touch" when it comes to writing books. Summer is an actress that hasn't worked in a while. Her mother ran off with all her money and now she is being forced to make a choice about her career. This is a really good book with murder and a handsome chief of police, who just happens to be Summer's former boyfriend. I highly recommend getting this book now so you can stay on top with the journey through this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley.

Denise Grover Swank does it again! As a huge fan of all Denise's books, this new Darling Investigations series featuring Summer Butler certainly lives up to the hype. I would describe Summer as a mix of Rose Gardner and Magnolia Steele (and for those of you who are still mourning the end of Magnolia's era, this new series will help ease your heartbreak.) Reality TV turns real life deadly when Summer Butler, a has-been child actress is coaxed home to Sweet Briar, Alabama to reclaim her acting career. By going back to her hometown years later, she reunites with her estranged family in hopes to help them through a difficult time on the family farm. (Denise throws in some references of past book characters that I found quite endearing!) This book is filled with lots of mystery, small town gossip, and southern charm that you are sure to fall in love with!