A Skeleton in the Family (Family Skeleton Series #1)
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780425255841 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 09/03/2013 |
| Series: | Family Skeleton Series , #1 |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Sales rank: | 275,516 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 0.90(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
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A Skeleton in the Family
4.4 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
31 reviews.
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A Skeleton on the Family, by Leigh Perry
A single mom, a teenaged daughter, and the life of an adjunct professor. Sure sounds familiar. Well except for the walking, talking skeleton part. We do not have a skeleton clattering about our little house. But after reading this very charming cozy, I'd like to have one.
Leigh Perry delivers a funny tale, real characters, and a peek into the oh-so-true life of the peasantry - the adjunct professor. There were several things I enjoyed here - the clean, smart use of our dear vocabulary, the interplay between mother and daughter, and the methodical way Georgia researches and analyzes clues, as if I were right along sleuthing with her. Then there's Sid. The household skeleton, Georgia's BFF, and a character in his own right. Although some needed paranormal explanations kept me from total suspension of disbelief, I finally settled into the fact that Sid can deliver sound without vocal chords. And while I wondered more than once why smart Georgia didn't delve into how Sid was ambulatory or by what source of energy was used to hold `dem bones' together, I soon gave up wondering because I just liked everyone so darn much. Well the good guys. Because there are bad guys in this story. Georgia and Sid are about to discover some long-dead secrets. And Sid's `life' is about to be turned upside down. I had such a stressful week at work, but reading this story cheered me, charmed me, and left me smiling for more.
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I wasn't sure about this one. It sounded a bit strange, but that is what drew me to it. I enjoyed it. It was a little long and wordy though. Other than that...great first book and I look forward to reading more!
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Enjoyable and fun read!
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Great first book! Looking forward to the next in the series,,,offers chuckles too, sid is someone to get to for sure, enjoy.
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A Skeleton In The Family is the first book in the Family Skeleton series.
Even the author says this is a little off the wall and I have to agree, but I loved it and look forward to more books in this series.
Georgia and her teenaged daughter, Madison, have moved back to the family hometown, where she has gotten a teaching position at the local college. Georgia is looking forward to catching up with Sid, who is a skeleton.
The Thackery family has "owned" Sid the skeleton for around thirty years and Georgia had named him Sid when they "rescued" him from a traveling carnival.
This book centers around Sid wanting to know who he is and how he came to be dead. Georgia and him get a lead on a lady professor that looks familiar to Sid and sneak into her house, only to find that she has been murdered. A couple strange events had happened at college and they are wondering if she was killed or if she was a victim of burglary gone wrong.
I admit, I had my doubts when I started the book, but quickly changed to loving it. And Sid has some of the best lines. They be corney, but still, they made me laugh.
Looking forward to book #2.
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The cover of Leigh Perry’s “A Skeleton in the Family” intrigued me, so I had to take a peek inside the sample that Barnes and Noble happily provides for would-be buyers. I was hooked as soon as Sid came clattering down the hall.
Dr. Georgia Thackery is an intelligent adjunct English professor at a Massachusetts college, who moves into her parents’ house with her daughter, Madison. A skeleton named Sid lives in the attic, as he has since he saved Georgia when she was six.
Sid is not just any ordinary skeleton. He walks, talks, reads, can use the phone and a computer, spells better than Dr. Thackery, and can be easily collapsed into a suitcase for traveling purposes. There’s just one problem. He doesn’t know who he really is – or was, in his live past.
While on an outing to a manga/anime conference (with Sid in full cosplay – basically looking like himself) Sid sees someone whose face jogs his long lost memory. Sid soon agrees to an examination that reveals his own murder thirty years before. He seems like a nice enough skeleton, so who did it and why?
That exam leads to break-ins, suspicious behavior, assaults and more murder, with multiple oddball suspects. The supporting characters are as interesting as they are varied, including a hunky reporter boyfriend, a locksmith sister, a normal teenager, a nasty colleague, a talented grad student and other academic types. In “A Skeleton in the Family,” that mix blends perfectly with the clever interaction between Georgia Thackery and Sid. With occasional nods to bones falling off and dogs taking nips at tasty ulnas, the conversation between these two best friends is as normal as any sleuthing duo could have.
One of the nicely drawn subplots addresses the issue of adjunct faculty realities. We tend to think of adjunct college professors as part-timers who are basically working a second job, but not really interested in doing anything more. That may have been true in the past, but Perry makes the point that times have changed. In a cost-cutting move, universities across the country now hire part-timers so that they don’t have to pay the benefits and regular salaries given to full-time staffers (who might only teach one more course than their counterparts). Many adjuncts struggle to make ends meet as they move from school to school in search of that ever-elusive tenure track.
Sid the Skeleton, as crime solver? The clattering on the wooden floors might take some getting used to, but I could use an office assistant/puzzle solver that types faster than I do, has a logical mind, and can get from one side of a door to the other without ever opening it. ;-)
“A Skeleton in the Family” is a very clever, engaging book with several LOL moments. I’m eagerly waiting publication of “The Skeleton Takes a Bow.”
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When I first read about this book, the premise caught mt attention. A sentient, mobile skeleton as a member of ones family.
OK They had my attention.
The book is a good read. The mystery is complex and requires clever work to solve.
Georgia and her family and Sid are all engaging characters.
The touch of romance is nice, but minimal. One wonders how much is his attraction and how much is his journalist's curiosity.
All in all, a fun time.
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A fun light hearted read.
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This is a very clever mystry, and I love the idea of introducing the supernatural element of the family skeleton without making it full-on a supernatural mystery. My only complaint is about Byron. The author says Byron the Akita, was inspired by a Keeshond (note the capital letters--variety names are capitalized!). While both breeds are Spitzes of the Northern type, the difference in temperament and personality are huge. Enormous, even. Both are excellent breeds, but it would have made far more sense to leave Byron a Keeshond, a far more cuddly dog than the Akita.
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This cozy mystery has it all. For someone who is just a pile of bones, Sid is by far my favorite cozy mystery sleuth. He has so much depth (ha) for a dead person and his likeability factor is off the charts. He's witty, caring, nostalgic, sensitive, and handsome in a clean-cut, boney sort of way.
While the story is about Sid, it is so much more. The writing is outstanding. Even when Sid wasn't in a scene, his adopted family was just as likable. Georgia Thackery, an adjunct English professor at the local college, is a single mom to teenage Madison and sister to one of the town's locksmiths, Deborah. Georgia struggles to maintain a stable environment for Madison while constantly having to change jobs as an adjunct professor. Throw in a murder (or two) and you have two amateur sleuths, Georgia and Sid, for twice the fun. All the plot points were well "fleshed out" creating a seamless work of fiction. I was torn as I wanted to keep reading but at the same time didn't want the story to end. And the ending was perfectly done I might add.
The Thackery's have a unique family dynamic that works. Sid is not just a skeleton, he is part of the family. Highly recommend!
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When some one say's " THERE A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET " didn't now how true that really is. Don't take my word on it go pick up a copy of A SKELETON IN THE FAMILY BOOK 1 in the series ( SKELETON IN THE FAMILY a Mystery/Paranormal Genres). You will fall in love with the family and the ups and downs as Georgina helps Sid find out who he is and how he died. This is a GOOD READ IN DEED.
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Very enjoyable read. I look
forward¿ to reading the other books in the series
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Funny, but a light hearted way of writing that kept me guessing! No bad words (which pleased me) also no off color bedroom scenes! Liked the way the murder was woven in! Inspired author!
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What a enjoyable story. Looking forward to
reading the next one.
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Sid is one of the best characters! He is so much fun, great sense of humor, and so loyal to Georgia.
What they go through to find out how Sid died was totally entertaining. Can't wait to see what happens next!!
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Make no Bones about It, This is a Good Debut
As a general rule, I stay away from supernatural themed books, but something about the Family Skeleton series drew me. I think it was the idea of a wise cracking skeleton as a side kick/partner in crime solving. Either way, I bought A Skeleton in the Family and then let it sit on my To Be Read Mountain Range for a while. Fortunately, I dusted it off because I enjoyed this debut.
Georgia Thackery has come home with her teenage daughter in tow. As an adjunct professor, she goes where the jobs are, and right now the jobs are at McQuaid University, where her parents teach. They are currently on sabbatical, so Georgia and Madison move into their house. This also means reconnecting with Sid, Georgia’s best friend. Oh yeah, and Sid happens to be a skeleton. He walks and talks. No one quite knows why or how he is; they’ve just learned to live with it.
Since he would scare people, Sid doesn’t leave the house much, but an anime convention proves the perfect opportunity for him to get outside. While in his elaborate costume, he sees a face he recognizes from the time he was alive. Suddenly, he begins to wonder about his life before joining the Thackery family. He’s never had memories of who he was when he was living, and before now hasn’t really cared. Georgia agrees to help him learn about his past, and they quickly learn that Sid was murdered. Since Sid had been with the family for 30 years, the pair realize they have a cold case on their hands. Can they solve it? Can they even figure out who Sid was before?
The nature of the story here sets up a different sort of plot than those in a normal cozy. As you know, I enjoy those different plots because it gives the book an added amount of spice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work out as nicely as I had hoped. There are a lot of dead ends along the way, and I just didn’t feel like it was moving forward much. Fortunately, things definitely pick up at the end, and I felt very satisfied with the conclusion. Maybe part my problem with the pacing was the time it took to set up the unusual aspect of the story (you know, Sid), so this might be something that goes away in future books.
The characters were great, and yes, I’m including Sid in that. He may be a skeleton, but he has a strong personality, and it is easy to see the bond between him and Georgia. As our narrator, Georgia is also a wonderful character, and I loved her. The supporting players are equally as strong, with some it is easy to despise. I’m looking forward to seeing all of them again in later books.
Over the course of the book, we get about every bone pun you can think of, usually coming from Sid, occasionally coming from Georgia. They do help lighten the mood, and I always love a good pun. I’m not sure I would say this book rises to the level of a humorous cozy, but I will never complain at all about a good pun.
While I do think the pacing of the book could have been better, A Skeleton in the Family is an enjoyable read. I’m definitely planning on visiting Georgia and Sid again to seeing what other mystery and mischief they can get into.
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Leigh Perry has started a fun series with a skeleton character. It's not explained how Sid is able to walk and talk, he just manifests "liveliness" at one point (years ago) and then we move on from there.
When you're into the story, you accept this, and you'll be glad you did. This is a fun little romp, with jokes and banter aplenty. We also get a view into the tribulations of the lives of teacher adjuncts, which makes you wonder why anyone would want to take a job where the punishment is more than the compensation. We also get a peek into forensics, as well as fan conventions and the lifestyle around that activity. So you learn a few things while you get entertained, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I was pleased with the breezy pace of the book, with a beset-upon mother of a teenager, and a skeleton in the attic. Georgia has a lot on her plate, and must fight a number of battles every day, just to get through. But she keeps her sense of humor as she deals with family and job issues, and then a murder and a mystery. I went along for the ride, and got my money's worth.
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This was a really fun, quick read. The skeleton didn't stay in the closet, so keeping him a secret while solving a murder kept the heroine on her toes. The novelty of the skeleton could have made the plot a little thin, but I found it had enough twists to keep it interesting. I enjoyed the dialogue and antics all the way through. I'm looking forward to the next book!
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