Name: The Skeleton Makes a Friend
Rating: 5.00 (2 reviews)

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Skeleton Makes a Friend is the 5th book in the Family Skeleton series by Leigh Perry. It's due out 6th Nov, 2018 from Diversion Books and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

I'm a huge fan of paranormal cozies and this series just keeps getting better. There is a large chunk of necessary suspension of disbelief going in; the main character Georgia has a best friend who's a walking talking skeleton. That being said, there are so many things to love about this series, here are a few:

The protagonist is smart, funny, nerdy and capable but she's not superwoman. She's very down to earth and in some ways vulnerable. She's very much an everywoman character and easily related to (and darned likable). If she were real, I'm pretty sure we'd get along very well. Would love to grab ice cream with her sometime! :)

The dialogue and plotting are spot on. I've read all of the books in the series so far and I've yet to read one bit of honestly clunky or unfortunate dialogue. The author is prolific and experienced and it shows. I've long said that quality is important and writing 'light' mystery or fantasy (or romance) is no excuse for shoddy work. This is a solidly readable, writerly, thoroughly enjoyable mystery.

The author makes some wry and unflattering observations about academia in the USA and she does a good job of describing the system in a lot of places without being strident. It is what it is.

There are a lot of topical in-jokes and references, so I'm not sure how this series will read in 20 years, but they're here now and they're delightful. I recommend this series and this book in particular without any reservations.

This is a very light read. I think it would be fine as a standalone, but I can heartily recommend the other books in the series as well. The language wouldn't make anyone blush. (Incidentally, Georgia and Sid (the skeleton) use alternate anatomy related curse words 'coccyx', 'ossified', 'sacrum', etc etc. it's just another quirky bit of the series).

Four and a half stars. I can't imagine it being better, honestly. I'm looking forward to more from Sid and Georgia (and co.).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I received this book for free from Great Escape Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Oh, thank fuck it's Friday! Not only because ugh, work but I've got a sweet new review and giveaway for ya'll. Skeleton Makes a Friend is a cozy mystery told from the POV of a single working adjust mom, who takes care of her middle grade daughter and...an animated skeleton friend.

Everything else is perfectly normal contemporary setting. There's cell phones, MMORPG playing, and card tournaments at the local game shop and all that current jazz. But there's Sid the Skeleton. Able to assemble and disassemble himself, pick locks, make expressions, and can use his skull and hands as individual pieces!

It sounds weird. But it works and it doesn't feel weird.

About Skeleton Makes a Friend

About The Author:

Skeleton Makes A Friend Excerpt:

Sid unzipped the rest of the way, pulled himself out of the suitcase and back together, and tried
to turn the knob. “It’s locked.”
“Can you open it?”
“Easy peasy,” he said, pulling a set of lock picks from inside the suitcase. My locksmith sister
Deborah probably hadn’t realized that teaching my daughter Madison how to pick locks was
tantamount to teaching Sid. Madison had shared everything she’d learned with him, and he’d
promptly ordered his own picks online. “You really should learn to do this, Georgia. It’s not that
hard.”
Despite his assurance, it seemed to take an awful long time to get the door open. Or maybe it
just seemed like a long time because I kept looking down the stairs, worried that somebody
would hear us and come to see what was going on.
Finally there was a loud click, and Sid said, “Nailed it!” He opened the door, and cold air
streamed out.
“Brr!” I said. “Wouldn’t you know that a department with everybody on vacation would be the
one with overachieving air conditioners?” The window unit in my classroom had gone out
twice. “Not to mention the waste of electricity.”
“You can complain about it later,” Sid said. “Come on.”
I followed him into the human resources department, pulling the empty suitcase along.
There were four more closed doors: three offices labeled with names and one marked File
Room.
“Here we go,” Sid said, using his picks on one of the office doors.
This lock was easier to deal with, which was a relief, but unfortunately, the smell seemed to be
coming from that office. “I’m going in.”
“Remember what I said. Get in, look around fast, get out.”
“Got it.” He stepped inside.
Between the cold, the horrid stink, and the fear of being caught, I was hoping that Sid would be
swift, but I was surprised when he came out in under two minutes. “That was fast. Did you find
something?”
“Don’t go in there.”

“I wasn’t going to—”
Then I looked at him.
He shouldn’t have been able to look like anything but bone-colored, but somehow he seemed
paler than usual, and his bones were so loose he was nearly falling apart. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s in there. At least I think it’s him.”
“Did he see you?” I said stupidly.
He slowly shook his skull, and only then did I realize what it was we’d been smelling.

IMHO: Skeleton Makes a Friend

Skeleton Makes a Friend is the fifth book in Family Skeleton Mystery series. I haven't read any of the other books, but you better believe I'll be going back to do so now!

An easy five star read.

Fun & funny. Actually laughed and guffawed and awed.

LOVE Georgia's parenting, & her and Madison's relationship

LOVE how Georgia's job isn't upper class monetarily or privileged. Not only does the nomadic nature make all the cases more interesting and diverse, but the uncertainly is very relatable for adults, especially single moms.

It's current, but not in a cheesy try hard way. But in a way that authentically fits Georgia and shouldn't cause any vicarious embarrassment.

Georgia and Sid make a great investigative team. They have an unusual relationship for sure, that's sweet and adorkable.

There aren't any remarkably stupid or outlandish antics that stretch my willingness to believe or irritate me. Georgia is prudent and responsible, taking only calculated important risks.

Handles rape and #MeToo VERY well. And ya'll know how strict I am on that kind of stuff.

Did not know what would happen next at all, kept me reading and guessing all the way through.

As someone who knows the value of internet friends and relationships, I really love and appreciate how that's handled as well. Cozy mysteries tend to run older than other genres which doesn't always lend itself well to such issues.

Geek love & pride! (And Georgia gets her old Mom jokes in too lol)

No problems reading it out of order, if you haven't read the rest like me.

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This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon

The Skeleton Makes a Friend (Family Skeleton Mystery, #5)

by Leigh Perry