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A Skeleton in the Family
A Family Skeleton Series #1
Leigh Perry

Berkley
September 3, 2013 / ISBN 0425255840
Mystery / Paranormal / Humor

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks

Georgia Thacker is heading to McQuaid University where her parents are tenured Professors. The home they live in is where Georgia and her sister grew up. Waiting for Georgia is an old family friend – of sorts. Sid has been with the family since the girls were young. Sid is different because he’s a walking, talking – but not necessarily breathing - skeleton. Of course Sid thinks he could also be a skinny Zombie. Sid’s first memory is ‘waking up’ when he heard a young Georgia crying. And he’s been in the family ever since.

For a treat, Georgia takes Sid to an Anime convention as Lord Death from Soul Eater. Sid’s a big hit but once they get home Sid doesn’t want to be disturbed. Depression? Resentment? Georgia finally convinces Sid to open up… so to speak…. Sid tells Georgia he recognized a woman at the convention and it made him feel afraid. Now he’s concern that he may have been a bad person in his former life. Georgia and Sid decide to visit the woman and end up in the middle of a crime scene -- but nobody knows it, yet…

Perry brings cozy mystery readers a delightful new series. Odd though it is…. (I say laughing). The mystery begins immediately then takes a backseat as the author sets up the characters and surroundings – Georgia, her family, (how they discovered Sid), the College and the staff. Seriously, forget the walking, talking skeleton; the College staff scared me. Remember this is a first-in-series mystery so stick through the introductions in the first chapters; the mystery will come back around and it’s very entertaining.

I have to say I’ve read mysteries with ghosts, vampires, witches, and werewolves, even, but never a Skeleton sided-kick. As soon as Sid moved his jawbone I was sold…. What a sense of humor. And the camaraderie between Georgia and Sid is priceless. The mystery is strong. I enjoyed it. It will be interesting to see how far or should I say wild Perry can get with this series.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Skeleton in the Family #1
The Skeleton Takes a Bow #2
The Skeleton Haunts a House #3

Reviewer's Note: Leigh Perry is a pseudonym for Toni L.P. Kelner

Reviewed 2013
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