And nothing fits the season better I'd say than a book with a skeleton! Well, this skeleton does a lot of things including helping solve mysteries, in author Toni L.P. Kelner's latest collection, The Skeleton Rides a Horse and Other Stories.
* Get the paperback on Amazon and B&N, and get books and e-books at publisher Crippen & Landru.
The collection of 12 stories range from the title-inspired story "The Skeleton Rides a Horse," based on Toni's six-book Family Skeleton mystery series written under the name Leigh Perry, to stories, with curses, werewolves, pirates, a carnival, elephants, and more.
** Another fun fact is the author has a mini version of the skeleton named Sid that is her traveling companion on a lot of her book-related excursions! Read more about that here.)
This is an eclectic collection, sure to give readers a chuckle or two as they pick a favorite. The title-inspired story is especially fun if you're not familiar with Toni/Leigh's animated, re-living skeleton character, Sid, who travels around with main character, adjunct professor Dr. Georgia Thackery in pieces, in her bag. (See the cover photo.) And yet, Sid can still see, hear, talk, think, and reassemble himself as needed. Btw, he's a great help when there's a mystery at hand to solve as in this story involving a retro TV show reunion.
(For Sid's origins, see the first mystery in the series, A Skeleton in the Family, A Family Skeleton Mystery.)
I also enjoyed the story, "Where Does a Herd of Elephants Go?" I love elephants, especially watching videos of the playful babies and the wonderful rescue groups in Africa for orphaned elephants, so I hoped that this little mystery where the long-time owner of a small circus is killed isn't because of the elephants. I won't say what happened but there's a satisfactory ending and there's a good clue buried if you spot it.
If you prefer a story with an interesting name, then the Agatha Award-winning story "Sleeping With the Plush" will have you going, huh? until you understand that it's set at a carnival. With a murder. And an ingenious way to get rid of the body and solve the crime.
There's more, much more, like werewolves, a sleazy bar owner who gets what he deserves, and other shenanigans. You'll enjoy the ride. I did. Giving this 💀💀💀💀💀. (Hey, it's as close to skeletons as I can get here.) 😊
