REVIEW: A Skeleton in the Family

A Skeleton in the Family
Author: Leigh Perry

Too often Cozy mysteries follow a predictable formula. Girl has cute job,finds body, meets love interest, solves mystery while being cautioned by police, gets romantically involved with love interest, the end. I love it when I find a series that totally explodes the formula and goes in a completely different direction. The Family Skeleton Series by Leigh Perry is one of those creative, completely enjoyable, breath-of-fresh-air cozy mysteries!

Georgia Thackery's family has a skeleton in its closet. Literally. Sid is a skeleton, but he walks, talks and loves his family. He came to life one day when Georgia was a little girl and in danger. Sid has lived hidden in the family home ever since.  Now Georgia is a grown woman with  a college-age daughter. She moves into her parents' house while they are on sabbatical. Not only does she have the stress of being an adjunct professor at the college where her parents are tenured, she also has to hide Sid from her daughter while helping her favorite bone dude discover his past. Georgia finds that investigating Sid's murder can be a dangerous undertaking. But she is bound and determined to help Sid discover his identity and find out who killed him.

This mystery was such fun to read! I found myself rooting for Sid and Georgia, while hoping the daughter would somehow discover Sid and love him as much as her mother does. The backstory of the relationship between Sid and the Thackery family was believable and fantastic at the same time. I enjoyed Georgia as a main character. She is a nice person with a bit of a feisty edge brought about by family issues, job stresses and life mistakes. Her issues are things we all find ourselves dealing with in mid-life. The academic setting is interesting, and adds to the atmosphere of the story. The mystery is perfectly paced, with just enough subplots to round out Sid's backstory and his present day place in the Thackery family.

All in all, a great mix of humor and mystery. The paranormal edge of the story (it isn't exactly normal for a family to have a sentient skeleton hidden in their home) was not overdone but perfectly presented as a part of normal life for the family.

There are three books in the Family Skeleton series. A Skeleton in the Family is the first. The series unfortunately was a victim of the recent purging of many cozy mystery books from Berkley Publishing. But, Perry has announced online that she has found a new publisher and the series will continue! Sid lives!

To discover more about Leigh Perry and her books, visit her website: www.leighperryauthor.com