The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking

The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking (2019) Leigh Perry (The Family Skeleton #6)

This seems to be the last Skeleton mystery, although I did see a listing for an anthology of short stories.

Georgia is back living at home, and working as an adjunct at the other university in town (the one her parents do not teach at).

This time she is drawn into a mystery when Madison’s dog gets out of the house and is found wandering the neighborhood carrying a femur.

It was Friday night when we found the body, and I was so relieved about not being involved that I didn’t even think about it over the weekend other than to check the Pennycross news site repeatedly to see if there was any new information.

It turns out that her good friend (and fellow adjunct) Charles may have known the woman.

I said, “Charles, would you like a hug?”

“Yes, Georgia, I believe that I would.”

I like Charles quite a bit.

“One of the scabs slipped and fell. No doubt she’ll try to blame the union.”

I hadn’t realized I’d moved closer to the man than was polite until Charles gently pulled me back and in a crisp voice said, “That would be Dr. Hortiz, a single mother who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”

The man turned toward us and stammered, “What? I didn’t realize…”

Also, there is a strike.

Madison asked, “What are they striking about? More money?”

“It’s more about healthcare and workload,” Mom said. “The administration is trying to cut costs.”

This places the adjuncts in an uncomfortable position, as they are temporary contract employees who are not seen by tenured faculty as “real” professors (and thus not part of the faculty union) but are at-will and can be summarily let go for any reason.

Also, Georgia starts seeing her ex again (who apparently appeared in a prior book) but still doesn’t know how to deal with the Sid Situation. (How do you tell the person you are dating that your best friend is an animated skeleton who shouldn’t exist?)

It’s another cute entry and a satisfactory ending to the series.

Characters: Sid, Georgia Thackery, Madison Thackery, Phil Thackery, Mrs. Dr. T, Deborah Thackery, Sergeant Louis Raymond, Oscar O’Leary, Charles Peyton, Dr. Brownlow “Brownie” Fenton Mannix, Dana Fenton, Treasure Hunt Mannix, Sue Weedon, Annabelle Mitchell, Lauri Biegler, Provost Kozlov, Professor Lefebre, Margo Nichols, Yolanda Jacobs, Edward Humphries, Mrs. Jetta Silva, Mr. Sebastian Silva, Professor Dallas Sieck, Mrs. Gleason, Mr. Gleason

Publisher: Diversion Books

Rating: 8/10

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