The Skeleton Haunts A House: A Family Skeleton Mystery

With the paranormal finding new homes in other genres, such as romance, westerns, even in literary fiction such as The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, it would seem a monumental task to come up with something fresh and original. Vampires? Done. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies – all done. Then along comes Leigh Perry, whose main character Georgia Thackery has a skeleton in her closet. Literally. His name is Sid, and Georgia found him at a carnival where he came to life. What follows is one of the freshest and original voices in the subgenre of paranormal mystery

There’s just so much to love here –Sid, the comic book loving, anime watching video gaming cosplayer (he’s always a huge hit at conventions); Georgia is a recovering nerd herself (Classic Trek please) and her daughter Madison is a full-on otaku. Fans and readers are treated with respect, and though the murder is gruesome, the clues are strategically placed so the reader figures it out just as Sid and Georgia do.

In The Skeleton Haunts a House, a beautiful co-ed is bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat in the college’s annual haunted house attraction. Normally Georgia and Sid are told to scram when murder happens, this time she and Sid are asked to try to solve the crime, because the fate of a historical building hangs in the balance. But it is quite the challenge even for Sid and Georgia – who would want to kill a beautiful young girl whom no one seemed to hate?

Throughout the case the warmth of familial love, and the bonding with other adjuncts keeps our heroes safe. Following the clues is fun and learning about the trials and travails of adjunct life is eye-opening. The teasing hint of romance provides hope for Georgia’s ever changing and often surprising life. Having a walking, talking, bad- joke- making animated skeleton in your closet is definitely a ticket to adventure.