annieb123's Review of The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking (Family Skeleton Mystery, #6)

by Leigh Perry

"Mirth and murder blend beautifully in Perry's sixth whodunit featuring Sid, a skeleton who can move around, talk, and search the internet for clues. . . . Cozy fans who enjoy their mysteries leavened with humor will find their funny bones tickled." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Sid is back with a murder that's sure to send a chill down your spine in Leigh Perry's festive new mystery.

Dr. Georgia Thackery is back at home with her parents after finding a new adjunct position at Bostock College. Everyone is excited for their first family Christmas with nothing to hide. Why? Because Georgia's daughter Madison is now in the know about Sid, their walking, talking family skeleton.

But their Christmas cheer is interrupted when the Thackerys' dog Byron goes missing on a cold December night. When he's finally found, he has a femur clutched between his jaws, and Georgia and Madison race to apologize to Sid for letting the dog gnaw on him yet again.

Except that all of Sid's bones are present and accounted for.

This bone is from somebody else, and when they trace Byron's trail to an overgrown lot nearby, they find the rest of the skeleton. It's the normal kind, not moving or telling jokes, and when the police come to take charge, they're sure it was murder.

And one of Georgia's adjunct friends could be implicated.

With tensions stirring at the college and everyone hiding a secret or two, Sid and Georgia must uncover the truth before the ghost of a Christmas past strikes again.

"Whodunits don't come much funnier than Perry's suspenseful fifth mystery featuring 'an ambulatory skeleton named Sid.'... Fans of offbeat comic mysteries will be richly rewarded." --Publishers Weekly starred review on The Skeleton Makes a Friend

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking: A Family Skeleton Mystery is the 6th book in the family skeleton series by Leigh Perry. Due out 15th Oct 2019 from Diversion Books, it's 280 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook format (ebook available now).

This is such a fun cozy light paranormal series. Really the only paranormal element is the (never really explained) articulated, walking, talking, skeleton who is a formerly-living person and a member of the main character's family. He's the not-so-silent partner helping protagonist Georgia solve yet another bunch of intertwined mysteries in time for a sweet holiday denouement that had me kinda sniffly.

The secondary characters are well developed and the dialogue is well written and snappy (if a bit heavy on the puns, which doesn't bother me). The language is clean (even mild cursing is substituted with anatomical references like patella, coccyx, vertebra, etc) and the romance content is very mild and sweet in context.

Readers familiar with the series will find another fun outing for Sid and company. For readers new to the series, be prepared to invest a hearty dose of suspension of disbelief (one of the main characters is a talking skeleton) but once you get past the 'door', it's a really fun cozy with mostly likable characters and Sid's a hoot. There is enough backstory woven into this one that it does work as a standalone, however the series is such fun overall that I recommend reading them in order. I think this one is my favorite so far in the series.

Four stars

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

The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking (Family Skeleton Mystery, #6)

by Leigh Perry

Reviewed by annieb123 on Oct 4, 2019

Reading updates