Most of you know I’m getting ready to move in September, so you never know what book I might review as I’m going through piles. Leigh Perry’s The Skeleton Paints a Picture is six years old, but that doesn’t mean I can’t talk about it.
How does an adjunct English professor and a skeleton solve a mystery together? “We’ll do what we always do: nose around, ask stupid questions, speculate wildly, and argue about everything.”
Georgia Thackery is homesick for her family. She has a new job teaching as an adjunct professor at Falstone College of Art and Design (FAD), and the emphasis is not on English there. It’s a nasty winter in Massachusetts. But, there’s a touch of home when she receives two boxes, and the family skeleton, Sid, is in one of them. Sid has been Georgia’s best friend since she was six. Together, they’ve solved several murder cases. But, on his first night there, did Sid really have to find a crashed car with a woman’s dead body nearby? How does Georgia explain the discovery in the middle of the night to a shrewd police officer? It’s even harder to explain it a couple days later when she learns Kelly Griffith as on the faculty at FAD, and she didn’t recognize her.
It doesn’t take long to realize Kelly’s death wasn’t an accident. Now, the team supreme is back in the sleuthing business. And, their investigation leads back to FAD. But, now that a tenured position is up for grabs in the English Department, all the adjunct faculty are looking at each other with suspicion. And, they have a lot of reasons for suspecting Georgia might know more than she’s telling.
Perry’s mystery combines the cutthroat world of academia with stolen art and murder. It takes a while for Sid and Georgia to find the right track in this investigation. But, it’s always fun to watch the two friends work together. They each bring their own gifts to their cases. There’s always humor to alleviate the tension, and this book is no exception. Bone jokes, music, and friendship are essential elements in The Skeleton Paints a Picture.
You never know what book I might dig up in the treasures that are all over the place as I’m getting ready to move.
Leigh Perry’s website is https://www.leighperryauthor.com/
The Skeleton Paints a Picture by Leigh Perry. Diversion Books, 2017. ISBN 9781635760460 (paperback), 257p.
FTC Full Disclosure – It’s six years old! I have no idea where I got the copy of the book.
Thank you for this review, I enjoyed this series and read a few but forgot about Sid. This series is great fun, I think I have one or two unread.
I know! I haven’t seen Sid for a while, either, Jeannette. Good to see Sid again.
I read this when this series when they first came out and enjoyed it. I think it’s going to be fun seeing what you turn up.
Who knows what I’ll find, Sandy?
I love that you found this, Lesa! I read some of the earlier Sid books and enjoyed them. This one is perfect for my “read books set in cold places books when it is over 100 degrees in summer.” I have done this for ages and it really helps mentally! It’s great to find one that’s not Christmas, I will read some of those, but don’t like to do too many at this time of year. Already ordered!
Good for you, Andrea. I’m glad you found a challenge that helps you mentally in the heat of the summer. Enjoy Sid’s latest adventure. I’m sure it will have enough snow for you!
I can’t believe that there is a series about a skeleton that I have never heard of. I have collected books with skeletons or skulls or parts of skeletons on the cover for years, so skeletons are on my radar. But apparently this series passed me by.
Is this considered a paranormal cozy mystery? I will have to look for the first one at the book sale.
Oh, Tracy! There are at least six books in this series. I wouldn’t call it paranormal, just cozy. If he wasn’t a skeleton, Sid would be just as human as anyone else.
Well, then, I definitely have to read one of these.
Six books, one short story, and a seventh novel in progress.
Thank you for the update, Leigh!
Is the seventh a Sid book? I hope so as I love this series. And where can I find the short story?
The short story was out last fall in ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERY MAGAZINE, so I’m not sure where you can get it now. (But if you were to email me via my web site, and ask, I might be able to help…)
And yes, it’s a Sid book–tentatively The Skeleton Swings a Sword.
I can’t wait to purchase the next Sid book. I’ll contact you about the short story.