I am so glad to see Georgia and Sid again! Who is Sid, other than the best friend of Georgia, an adjunct English professor? Sid is the best! He is her confidant, someone to laugh with, who pampers her, and has known her most of her life. Someone who felt so useless at her parent’s house when she took a one-semester position at a small, out of town art college that he packed himself up and sent himself to her. Sid is a skeleton. A walking, talking, skeleton who, when alive, had been murdered, and has been with Georgia’s family since she was a child.

Georgia’s parents are professors who returned from sabbatical and are helping students with meals and homework needs, leaving Sid no place to be except back the attic, alone. Georgia’s daughter Madison is staying with her grandparents, but she is so busy with school that she can’t spend much time with him.

Sid awakens Georgia to see a car with its headlights in the yard behind the summer cottage property she stays at. It was dark, very cold, and snowing hard. Sid boosts her over the wall where they find drops of blood leading away from the car to the body of a woman lying face down in the snow. Only later did she find it was Kelly, the woman who worked in the writing lab to help students with research and preparation of papers for classes.

Sid believed Kelly was murdered. Georgia, not so much…until she met and listened to Indigo, the student who claimed to be Kelly’s assistant. In truth, Kelly was helping Indigo find who has been stealing the students’ artwork, mostly graphic art. Yet if Kelly, a journalist, couldn’t find who the thief was – and if the thief and the killer were one and the same…what could Georgia do? Lieutenant Buchanan seems to think Georgia is a suspect and has questioned her on more than one occasion. Someone has been leaving footprints in the snow and peering in the windows where Georgia lives, which is enough to creep out even Sid! In the meantime, one of the five adjunct English professors is being considered to fill a tenured new opening at the private art college. The other four profs go into self-protection, backbiting mode, as creepy as the footprints.

I love how fully-defined Sid and Georgia are! A reader can almost begin to believe that Sid is a real…okay, he sure seems like … oh, never mind. We see events through Georgia’s eyes, as well as how she and Sid approach finding the source of the problems at the college. They and the other characters, including the department chair, her secretary with his resourcefulness, adjunct professors, and two students enjoy snappy, witty dialog with further-defining behaviors.

Plot twists change the suspect list frequently, even though it seems Kelly would have few enemies since she did not have close friends. There are two additional layers of mystery surrounding the department and staff that make solving the murder and theft even more challenging. Liberally sprinkled within the novel is humor, sometimes completely unexpected, at other times as part of the comfortable friendship Sid has with Georgia. The end brought surprises, as I had thought someone else to be the bad guy(s)! It is completely satisfying, however, and I am already looking forward to the next one. I absolutely love this series, and highly recommend The Skeleton Paints a Picture as well as the earlier three in the series.

From a grateful heart: I received this eBook from the author and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

I was so grateful to get this from NetGalley and the publisher as this is one of my most favorite series in the cozy genre.

I love this series. Sid is one of the best characters out there and Georgia is a great compliment to him [because, even though they are told from Georgia's POV and she is the main voice, these stories are ALL about Sid. And HE. IS. AWESOME.] and I truly love how they work together to solve mysteries and help people in the process.

This book felt a little off for me this time. I [personally] felt it was a little too long [maybe about 25 pages or so] or that it felt like it took to long to get to the conclusion [and then when we did, I don't feel like the explanation of "WHY" was fleshed out as well as it has been in the past], though it was how the killer was revealed that bumped this book from 3 stars to 4 [even though the "WHY" fell a little flat]. I also enjoyed Georgia's self-discovery of things she didn't realize where super important to her and deal-breakers in how she moves forward in relationships as well.

I missed Madison and Deborah and the interaction there and maybe that is why Georgia felt "off" to me for the whole book; I am used to the interaction between Georgia and her daughter and sister as well as Sid and with that missing, it made for some odd syntax at times.

I LOVED the use of the bone verbiage as "swear words" and how that both picked up and intensified in this book. It is hilarious and I will be honest here, I have totally used them in my own vocab and the looks on people's faces is priceless.

I did not like the handling of the gender-fluid character - while I completely admire Ms. Perry for writing and using a gender-fluid character, I felt it fell short. There were real moments of confusion and I felt that there was a ton of attention to that after the character was introduced that just wasn't needed***.

Overall, it was a good read. Because I love Sid and these stories I was willing to overlook some of the things that bugged me and kept reading on. And I am glad I did because it was, in the end, a pretty decent story. Enough so that I will keep reading her books as they continue to be written.

***For a great example of a gender-fluid character that is well-written and part of a fabulous story-line, please see Magnus Chase and The God's of Asgard. Book Two: The Hammer of Thor. Rick Riordan does an excellent job of both presenting and writing a gender-fluid character.

I missed you, Sid! I was dancing with joy when I found out Sid was moving to a new publisher. This is the fourth in the series and is as good if not better than the previous entries. Honestly, I would love to have Sid as my friend since childhood. The interaction between Sid and Georgia make envious.
Georgia, like her parents, are college professors but, unlike her parents, Georgia doesn't have tenure. She floats around as the jobs appear and this time she is all on her own. Her daughter is staying with her grandparents and Georgia is teaching at an arts college. She is sad, bored and lonely. She misses everybody, especially Sid. Yes, Sid, a walking, talking, awesome skeleton who has been her friend since childhood. (How cool is that?!?) It turns out that the feeling is mutual. Sid hates having to confine himself to the attic so he packs himself up and mails himself to Georgia! Such a pal is Sid. But, it is the combo of Sid and Georgia that seems to be a murder magnet and of course Sid finds a body, Georgia happens to work with the deceased and off they go, hot on the trail of a campus killer. Welcome back, Sid and Georgia. Now I can't wait for your next case. Hope I don't have to wait too long.

The thing about this series is the way Sid can do everything the humans can do...and without food or sleep. How can that be? How did the author ever come up with such a wonderful creation as a living-but not breathing, talking-but no apparent body parts to make that possible, skeleton? It is my favorite mystery of all the ones Sid and Georgia take on!

In this book, Georgia is off on her own teaching English at an Art school-hardly the most rewarding job she has ever had, and one of the loneliest because she is away from her family. Imagine her delight to find two packages at her doorstep when she gets home from work during a snowy evening. When she gets a text from Sid as to which box to open first, surprise! It's Sid himself who has come to be with Georgia. For the first time since she got there she is no longer lonely! Within hours of his arrival, Sid has helped clear snow with the snowblower and settled in. When Georgia is awakened by Sid in the middle of the night, she follows his urging to get dressed and come with him. He leads her a ways from the house to where he has discovered a car that has slid down the incline into a tree. Partially covered in snow, he helps Georgia over a fence and together they go investigate. They discover a woman by following a trail of blood. She is face down in the snow and most assuredly dead. Thus begins another murder mystery with Georgia and Sid in the middle of it.

When the body turns out to be an employee of the writing center at the same art school where Georgia teaches, she and Sid become involved in trying to solve the murder. Add to that an ongoing investigation by the dead woman of cases of digital art theft of student's work, competition of 5 adjunct professors for one tenure position, and anything can happen. Soon Georgia and Sid are trying to solve the art thefts as well.

The author has put a lot of thought behind the adjunct professor characters, as well as the others in the department and the few art professors we meet as well. She has even included a gender fluid student, showing her knowledge of students today and especially in the art world. I found the characters believable and when a sudden twist reveals one straight laced person was a little different than originally portrayed, I almost burst out laughing.
The entire book was written descriptively, and I often felt like I was watching the scene unfold as I read about it.

A fun book and totally believable mystery investigation and solution if you can get past the fact that Sid is a skeleton!

I was so excited to see this series return, and it was as fun as I remember. Clever mystery with several suspects that kept me guessing. Can't wait for the next book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sid is back and better than ever! I absolutely adore Sid, so when I saw he was coming back I seriously shrieked and started bouncing all over the house, and then screamed the news to my mom (she is a huge Sid fan, too). I loved the mystery, and I even ended up learning some new things. The humor was awesome. I'm pretty sure there were even more bone jokes than previous books (I didn't realize that was possible!). It will appeal to fans new and old.

Georgia Thackery was a lonely adjunct professor at Falstone College until she received a package containing Sid, her best friend and living (well, sorta) skeleton. Things are going well for the pair until one winter night when Sid sneaks out to enjoy the snow and spots a car that has crashed at the end of the property. He wakes Georgia to investigate and she discovers the driver has been killed. Georgia and Sid assume it’s an unfortunate accident but, when they learn that the driver was someone Georgia not only knew but worked with, they find themselves involved in something a whole lot worse and certainly more dangerous. Good thing Sid and Georgia have plenty of experience investigating murders.

The Skeleton Paints a Picture is the fourth installment of Leigh Perry’s Family Skeleton Mystery but it is the first I’ve read. It’s a fun cozy mystery with just a touch of the paranormal – Sid although apart from the whole no skin or, well, being alive thing, he’s a very likable and sympathetic character. Sure, a skeleton as investigator is a bit of a stretch but that’s the thing about cozies – the reader expects to don their willing suspension of disbelief and just enjoy the ride. And I did – quite a lot.

Thanks to Netgalley and Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Our favorite bag of bones, Sid the Skeleton (and his creator, Leigh Perry), have found a new home with Diversion Books and by all accounts it seems that the change of venue has managed to breathe new life into this delightful paranormal cozy mystery series – The Skeleton Paints a Picture is the best book in the series to date.

Georgia Thackery has a new job teaching English at the Falstone College of Art and Design in Massachusetts. Leigh Perry uses this temporary job as a way to remove Georgia from her comfort zone – she has left her family and friends, the schooling here is focused on the arts, and she is unfamiliar with her surroundings. So, when Sid mails himself to her bungalow in a nondescript cardboard box, she couldn’t be more thrilled to have her good buddy – and trouble-making sidekick – with her once again.

I guess it is worth mentioning to those new to the series that Sid is an ambulatory skeleton who has the ability to talk to and interact with those around him. He has been with the Thackery family for years and the reasons for this can be explored in the earlier books in the series (see: A Skeleton in the Family). However, The Skeleton Paints a Picture is so well written that new readers will feel completely comfortable in this universe. Unlike many paranormal novels, other than accepting that Sid can actually exist, the rest of the book – including the sleuthing elements – are all real-world based.

This unlikely detective team starts doing their usual snooping after Sid accidentally stumbles upon the scene of a car accident and the body of one of Georgia’s colleagues at FAD. As one might expect given the title of the book and the setting in a design school, the mystery at the core of the novel revolves around art, but it is the relationship between Sid and Georgia that is the real highlight. Rather than repeating things from earlier books, Leigh Perry allows the interaction between these two to evolve, as happens in real life. Their snarky and combative banter belies the true tenderness and care that exists in the hearts of these two characters.

Despite being every bit the cozy novel, Leigh Perry gently pushes against the artificial boundaries bestowed upon that subgenre. The Skeleton Paints a Picture features nothing that will offend but it also doesn’t downplay the complexity of humanity and the world in which we reside. As the canvas for this series continues to expand, readers are sure to learn a little something while they are being entertained by this one-of-a-kind duo.

By the time they reach the end of The Skeleton Paints a Picture, readers will be more than ready for the next great adventure in Sid and Georgia’s journey.

I have read this series since the beginning and when it wasn’t being published anymore, I was very disappointed. Then, I was delighted to see it was being published again. Georgia is settling in to her adjunct faculty job without her family when Sid shows up having mailed himself to her rental. In the middle of the night one night, he’s out exploring and finds an accident, an accident with a body. Georgia finds out it’s one of her colleagues, and it isn’t long before she and Sid start investigating. Like always, soon they are neck deep in trouble. Will they get out of it, or will Georgia pay the ultimate price? Oh, how I missed this series! Ms. Perry is an excellent writer, and I love the friendship between Georgia and Sid. Their bone-y zingers are just so funny and they work so well together! And while there is much humor, this book, like the others in the series, are still filled with serious sleuthing moments. If you like cozy mysteries with a small paranormal element, you will love this series. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Diversion Publishing for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is the first book in the series I have read and I found it extremely enjoyable. Wasn’t sure what to expect with a skeleton as part of the story, but found Sid to be a well-developed, thoroughly likeable, character in the book. It’s labeled as a paranormal cozy mystery, but I found it to be much deeper in its story.
Dr. Georgia Thackery is an adjunct English professor at a small art school in Massachusetts. This is her first semester in the small town of Falstone and she is settling into life with the constant snow and getting acquainted with her department peers. One night, after returning home, she finds several packages on her doorstep. Come to find out that Sid, the family skeleton, has shipped himself to Georgia after feeling unappreciated at her family’s house.
Sid proceeds to settle into Georgia’s house and one night goes out for a stroll and comes across a car in a snow bank. He recruits Georgia to come and check out the situation. A woman’s body is found near the car and the police are called in. The next day at college, Georgia finds out that the woman was an English adjunct peer she knew at the college.
This sets into motion a whole string of events. The college decides to open up a tenured English professor position, so on top of the murder, the desire to obtain the tenure increase the tensions at the college. There is also love triangles, art theft (in various forms) and a genderfluid character (for those who don’t know what this is, neither did I until I read this book).
Absolutely love Georgia and Sid’s relationship. The mystery was good too! Thank you NetGalley and Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

love this series! I want a skeleton like Sid as a bud! As a rule, I don't care much for serious mysteries, but having discovered cozy mysteries,I find these mystery lites just my style! Leigh Perry is so creative at find ways to get Sid out of the house, lol! Fun reads!

The Skeleton Paints a Picture: A Family Skeleton Mystery
By Leigh Perry
Diversion Books
October 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

When you’re an adjunct English professor you go where the job takes you, which explains why Georgia Thackery is in one of the snowiest parts of Massachusetts teaching at the Falstone College of Art and Design. For the last semester Georgia has been away from her parents, daughter, and their dog Byron teaching Expository Writing to aspiring young artists. Skyping with her family is starting to wear on Georgia, so when she receives an unexpected delivery on her doorstep it’s met with delight. It’s not everyone who can mail themselves in a box to another town, but not everyone is an animated, sentient skeleton.

Best friends since Georgia was a child, Sid remains her most trusted and compassionate companion. So she’s delighted to have Sid around for company, even when he wakes her up in the middle of the night to take her to the scene of a nearby accident. It is not until the next morning that Georgia learns the young woman killed was Kelly Griffith, an instructor at FAD and head of its Writing Lab. Using the prize of a much sought-after tenure position as bait, the head of the English department lures the without-benefits-or-respect adjunct professors into takings shifts at the lab as they one-up one another and curry favor. Georgia’s willing to add another task to her already full agenda as it allows both her and Sid to go through Kelly’s files and question her students. She and Sid have perfected the techniques that allow him to (literally) play dead and be sneaked into secured areas, and this time being a non-life model for artists gives him access to the entire facility. Sid and Georgia openly admit that their deliberations include wild speculation, arguing, and asking stupid questions, but it’s a system that works.

I absolutely adore this mystery series that should not make sense. There is no explanation for why Sid exists, or why he alone has the ability to function. It is a testament to the author’s skills that readers will not care and embrace the concept. Sid is one of the most delightful, funny, and charming halves of a detective duo. Georgia is a joy as well, battling up through college bureaucracy and staying immersed in the unquestionably unique academic world. Often the only adult in charge, Georgia is flexible enough to accept gender fluidity, not blink at the chapel’s blend of every religion including possibly Klingon’s, and appreciate the artistry of sequential art (otherwise known as comics and graphic novels). The author makes the most of the tiny English department amidst the artistic personalities of the school, yet the humor is never mean-spirted nor crude. Who can resist a heroine who references Firefly, Monty Python, and Harry Potter? Leigh Perry, also known for her mysteries written under the name Toni L.P. Kelner, doesn’t shy away from sentimental moments between Georgie and Sid, complex issues of art ownership, or the line between just annoying and harassment. I never thought I would find the friendship between a woman and a skeleton to be so charming, moving, or enviable. The murder plot is just as complex and unpredictable, making it a winning entry in the always entertaining field of academic mysteries.

Last fall I read The Skeleton Haunts a House. This year I've been lucky enough to receive The Skelton Paints a Picture for review.

Georgia Thackery is an adjunct English professor. She's been hoping to land a permanent position in her field, but until she is lucky enough to get a tenured position, she has to take jobs as they come.

Georgia has recently found herself alone in a small Massachusetts town. Having arrived in January, there isn't much for her to do after her shift at the art college, other than grade papers and watch the relentless snow come down.

Things get a bit more exciting when Georgia's lifelong friend, Sid shows up on her doorstep. It isn't long before she and her bony pal are thrust into the investigation of a woman found dead in a snowy car crash. A persistent police officer immediately has Georgia in her sights. Sid knows they have to get to the bottom of what really happened before Georgia gets all the blame. 

The Family Skeleton Series has now become a fall tradition. This beautiful season, with its vivid colors and crisp air, wouldn't be complete without a story about Sid, an animated human skeleton with a passion for web sleuthing.

Available October 10, 2017!

I would like to thank Diversion Books for allowing me an early glimpse at this immensely fun and whimsical read.

For more book reviews, visit my blog at https://linaemery.wixsite.com/linaloveslit
and the accompanying Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/lina_loves_lit/?hl=en

In the fourth offering of the Family Skeleton series, adjunct professor, Georgia Thackery finds herself teaching at Falstone Art and Design University. Feeling a bit lonely, having left her daughter and her best friend at her parent’s house, she’s surprised and very happy to find her best friend, Sid, shipped himself to her. Did I mention Sid happens to be a fully articulated skeleton? He likes being with her in the snowy north since he can run the snow blower and shovel snow while being completely covered in full winter clothing. While enjoying his outdoor freedom, Sid discovers a car partially covered in snow with a young woman behind the wheel. Georgia soon discovers the victim was employed by the university and was secretly investigating possible art theft on campus.

I found this review hard to write. I don’t know why. This was a highly intriguing read with Sid at its forefront. Honestly, everyone should have a friend like Sid. He looks after Georgia like a best friend should. Plus, the information regarding the theft of the young student’s work was very interesting. The back biting and false friendly staff of the English department was too enlightening. I’m sure a lot of that goes on. It goes on everywhere. This is a fun, relaxing read and one that didn’t require a lot of concentration. A good beach read or even an afternoon by the fire with a cup of tea or better yet, a glass of wine. I don’t believe a lot of teens would pick this up even with a talk up. Some might say that due to the story involving students in college, struggling with the woes of college life would entice them. Though the theft of the student’s work is the basis of the story, I just can’t see teen readers being interested. That’s just my opinion. I would still offer it up as a realistic look at college life.

So glad this series is continuing. Sid and Georgia a are great characters and their BFF relationship is well done. I love how Sad was able to get around in this one and their work together to solve the mystery is always entertaining.

A Cosy Mystery with a difference!

I am really annoyed. Annoyed that I have only come upon this series at Book Four, the lovely people at Netgalley have remedied my total ignorance of the books, but I will now have to read them out of order!

Travelling English Professor Georgia is rootless and listless as she does not hold tenure so as a kind of Literary minstrel she brings better grammar to the students of an mid-range art school. Used to a full house filled with parents (fellow scholars) and her teenage daughter, she is a little lonely and bored, enter Sid, the family Skeleton of the title!

Literally an ambulatory and autonomous bag of bones,Sid is able to assemble and disassemble at will, this state often affected by his own emotional state of being . Despite his lack of body, he inhabits the story perfectly.He is an unlikely sleuth, but with a gift for researching the Internet and an inquisitiveness second to none, Sid's arrival heralds another suspicious death in what appears to be a line of precedent of murder wherever she and Sid roam.

In this story, a body in the snow begins a chain of events where friendly rivalries for a tenure spot turn into more ominous underhanded acts in a bid to bury more than the deceased.

I warmed to Georgia immediately, she is kind of ageless despite her progeny so I suspect most readers will enjoy her too. Sid is a really fun character and the ingenious ways that Ms Perry finds ways to incorporate body parts into expletives and humourous asides just raises the story above the norm. With just enough peril to keep this thrilling, this is a near perfect light mystery.

Leigh Perry does it again! When I thought this series was ending, I almost shed a tear, but Sid and company are back and better than ever! Georgia has gotten a adjunct position at Falstone and is there by herself. She is starting to feel lonely until Sid ships himself to her. The house Georgia is staying at is secluded which allows Sid to wander around outside. Everything seems right with the world until Sid's jaunt outside leads him and Georgia to a scene of a crash and a dead body. Georgia and Sid jump head first into the mystery.
This series is beyond charming and fun. Sid and Georgia's one on one relationship in this story really blossoms for readers. I love the twists and turns in the story. The story is well written and the supporting cast of characters is top notch. A wonderful read.

Today I am sharing my review of The Skeleton Paints A Picture, which is a book I finished September 5th. I was so thrilled when I got approved to read and review this book and was delighted to find that Leigh Perry brought all the magic over to her new publisher with The Skeleton Paints A Picture, this is the 4th book in the series which quickly earned a spot as a series in my heart. While technically this is a paranormal cozy mystery, it really doesn't read like one. The magic is Sid himself, an extraordinary character, rich in depth, emotion, humor and grace you almost forget that he is a skeleton. The banter between main character Dr. Georgia Thackery and Sid is my favorite part of the book, the way they have chemistry that pops off the page, they are Best Friends and unlikely sleuths who share a love of movies and the internet. I am always so amazed with author Leigh's ability to create new ways that Sid can "roam free" and how with each book, I feel jealous that I do not have a skelton best friend of my own. This was a great story and mystery, different from the last three but built on the magic and mystery solving duo I love. I enjoyed that Georgia and Sid are on their own in this one but I did miss the snarky teenage daughter and quirky sister. All in all I loved this book, this series even got me over my fear of skeletons at Halloween! Now I even want one!

Three cheers for Sid, the skeleton that any woman would want for a best friend, confidant and fellow investigator.  The Skeleton Paints a Picture is a mystery that once again proves that Leigh Parry is one of the finest authors of modern humorous cozies.  I absolutely love this fun, lighthearted series that shows that friendship is more than skin deep.

Georgia Thackery is once again an adjunct, this time at Falstone Art and Design University.  Far from home and surrounded by snow, life is lonely - until Sid mails himself to the cottage she is staying at.  Life is looking up, filled with visions of grading papers, late night movies and dance parties.  Unfortunately during some late night exploration Sid discovers a body.  It looks like an accident, and Georgia doesn't recognize the woman.  But the police aren't so sure it was an accident and the woman is one of Georgia’s coworkers.  Sid is eager to investigate and his eagerness is infectious.  

I like the way Leigh Perry brings up current issues, from the effects of social media on copyright to gender fluidity.  Her plots are always well planned and provoke thought while entertaining.  The Family Skeleton series is wonderful fun, and can be read by all ages of mystery lover.  I loved The Skeleton Paints a Picture and look forward to Leigh Perry’s next exciting novel.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Skeleton Paints a Picture from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

A very enjoyable read. When I started I thought it was going to be dumb with a skeleton as a character but boy was I wrong. The book was a delightful mystery that I actually laughed out loud at.