{I've Been Reading} Talking Skeletons and Historic Lead Mining

A bunch of my favorite series have new books coming out this week, so I'm splitting it into this post and the regular one on Wednesday.



The Skeleton Paints a Picture by Leigh Perry

It's hard to pick a favorite with so many great cozy mystery series out there to choose from, but Leigh Perry's books about Sid the Skeleton are always at the top of my list. This time around Georgia is staying in an isolated bungalow while she teaches at Falstone Art and Design University. She's feeling a bit lonely -- at least until Sid mails himself to her. (If you haven't had the fun of reading this series yet, Sid may not know who he was when he was alive, but he's a very resourceful skeleton.) The mystery was complicated and satisfying and Sid and Georgia are always a lot of fun to read about. I highly recommend this one.



Mining for Justice by Kathleen Ernst

I absolutely love the Chloe Ellefson mysteries. The main portion of the series is set in the 1980s and watching Chloe and Roelke investigate without benefit of cell phones or the internet or all of the other perks we've come to rely on is a lot of fun. Both the 1980s mystery and the one set in the past are fascinating and I was genuinely terrified for the historical characters. Lead mining in Wisconsin is something I'd never read about before and Kathleen Ernst is absolutely amazing at bringing her characters and their surroundings to life and she's thoroughly convinced me that I want to plan a trip to Wisconsin to visit the historic sites where Chloe spends her days.



Murder on the Toy Town Express by Barbara Early

This one is so fun and fast paced that I read straight through from start to finish. A fatal accident at the annual Train and Toy show plunges Liz McCall and her father int into a murder investigation involving trains and rare comic books. There's a lot going on here, but it all ties together very well and I didn't guess the murderer's identity until it was revealed. 



.Fixing to Die by Miranda James

This is the first book I've picked up from the Southern Ladies mystery series and it's the coziest cozy I've ever read, in the best possible way. If you want something that reminds you of old school Nancy Drew, with an old house that might or might not have real ghosts, and a psychic who might or might not be a fraud, you'll want to pick this one up. It was entertaining and a lot of fun. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. All opinions are my own.