And the best performance as a skull goes to…
After years of hiding in the Thackery family house, Sid the skeleton is delighted to finally have his moment in the spotlight. He’s starring in a high school production of Hamlet. Well, not so much starring in as being a prop. At least part of him has a part—he’s using his head to play Yorick of “Alas, poor Yorick” fame. Every day, Georgia Thackery’s daughter, Madison, who’s also in the play, brings in his skull, and every night, she takes him home…
Until one night when he’s accidentally left at school—and hears the sounds of someone being murdered. But the next day, there’s no body and no one seems to be missing.
Sid is not a numbskull—he knows what he heard. Georgia thinks he imagined it—until a week later when a body is found. Now Georgia and Sid will both need to keep their heads as they stick their necks out and play sleuth to catch the conscience of a killer…
For fans of: Sheila Connolly
Sid, the walking, talking, self-articulating Thackery family skeleton, has spent most of his post-corporeal existence confined to the attic. His weekdays tend to be pretty lonely, what with Georgia teaching at McQuaid University and Madison attending high school, so when the opportunity arises for him (well, part of him, anyway) to play the part of Yorick in the drama club’s production of Hamlet, he seizes it.
At first, Sid rather enjoys his new more mobile status; his skull spends mornings in Madison’s locker eavesdropping on students’ conversations, afternoons “practicing” on stage, and evenings at home with the family. But then Madison accidentally leaves the skull backstage overnight and things get decidedly more complicated. Sid’s certain he overheard a murder, but the next morning there’s no evidence of a crime. No evidence means no police investigation, but Sid’s adamant that justice be served. Should the Thackerys and their family skeleton attempt to crack the case themselves, or will doing so bring about their own murders?
The Skeleton Takes a Bow is the second of Leigh Perry’s Family Skeleton Mysteries. I loved the series debut, A Skeleton in the Family, and I’m happy to report that this latest installment is even better than its predecessor. Perry’s setup is whimsical, unique, and takes wonderful advantage of the series’ premise. Her mystery is intelligently crafted and features no shortage of clever clues, viable suspects, and expertly deployed red herrings. The pace is swift, the dialogue is snappy, and the laughs are both hearty and plentiful.
Georgia’s a strong, smart, loyal heroine and a resourceful amateur sleuth. Madison is one of the most authentically realized teenagers in the genre. In Sid, Perry’s created one of the most intelligent, loyal, and endearing sidekicks I’ve ever encountered. And together, the three make for a fabulously compelling non-traditional family. Perhaps my favorite thing about this book, though – about this series, really – is watching the trio try and figure out how Sid fits into the picture. Sid’s been Georgia’s best friend since she was a child, and the nature of that relationship’s never really changed; Madison only recently became aware of his existence, though, and while she’s accepted his presence in the house, his role in her life has yet to be determined. To call him a pet would be inaccurate (not to mention insulting), but he’s not properly a father figure, either. Can a skeleton be an honorary uncle? And if so, can a skeletal honorary uncle enforce curfew? I, for one, can’t wait to see what future Family Skeleton Mysteries will bring.
Reviewed by Kat
