Sandy heads back to NJ for her cousin’s wedding. When the best man is found dead in the kitchen with the bride covered in blood and holding the murder weapon, things take a weird turn. Sandy is tapped by her entire family to represent Skinny, even if she seems to want to take a plea deal.

As Sandy takes on the case and is working cicostally, she has to figure out who killed the man, because she sure as heck knows Skinny didn’t do it. You can’t keep a Jersey Girl down, that’s or sure and Sandy is all over it!

I’ve been reading Copperman’s books since her previous series set in NJ. I love a good snarky attitude and can always relate to the way her female characters talk. It makes me miss home a bit, but each entry is a visit from friends and family with the dialogue and attitude.

My Cousin Skinny, the fifth book in the Jersey Girl Legal Mysteries series by E. J. Cooperman, takes laugh-out-loud hilarious to a whole new level. Page after page of rip smart repartee (most of which is the monologue within Sandy’s head), clever, rapidly moving dialog, and a cast of characters who continue to delightfully evolve into persons you wish you could know personally just so your life would be more colorful.

Sandy’s latest uniquely ingenious case brings her back to her native New Jersey, where snark is the language of choice…and no one zings it better than Angie…and we get a front-row seat to the zaniness that is Sandy’s family (If uproarious frustration could be two persons they would be Sandy’s mom and aunt). The twists and turns of the bizarre murder are brilliant and keep you engaged and completely unprepared for the machinations that have transpired behind the scenes…and by extension, the pages rapidly turning.

Once again this author has provided a measure of escape from the mundane by immersing you in a world of his making that is not only entertaining but also enviable. I'm looking forward to what crazy is in store next for Sandy, et al.

This ARC book was complimentary and provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.

Sandy, a Jersey girl living in Los Angeles. returns to her home in New Jersey for her cousin Stephanie's, aka "Skinny", wedding. But the whole family is shocked when at the wedding rehearsal Skinny is charged with the murder of her finance's best friend. It looks like an open and shut case and attorney Sandy only reluctantly agrees when her cousin asks her to defend her. This was the first book in the Jersey Girl series that I have read, but that proved not to be a problem. I love legal thrillers, and while this might not be the most realistic example of the genre. it was a very fun one. All of the characters were well drawn and quirky. I enjoyed the authors snarky humor and the entertaining storyline. I did think that she went somewhat overboard with her constant use of asides to the reader in parenthesis, but other than that quibble it was a very pleasant and amusing cozy mystery. If you are in need of a light read and a good laugh, this is the book for you. Thanks to Severn House publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

My Cousin Skinny is book five of the Jersey girl Legal mysteries and trust me, this book does not disappoint. L.A. attorney Sandy Moss travels home to Jersey for her cousin Stephanie aka (Skinny's) wedding. At the rehearsal dinner Skinny enters the room covered in blood, with a knife in her hand. Accused of killing her fiance's best man, Skinny begs Sandy to represent her. To Sandy's dismay, the prosecutor is Sandys resentful Ex who has an ax to grind. This was a witty and fast paced mystery with a touch of humor, quirky characters. and a very twisty plot. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC to read and review.
5/5 *****

What can be worse than returning home to a cousin’s wedding, and facing a judgmental mother and older sister? For Sandy Moss, in E.J. Copperman’s My Cousin Skinny, it’s seeing the bride-to-be covered in blood while insisting she wants Sandy as her attorney.

There are multiple reasons Sandy Moss left New Jersey for LA. Now, she’s made a life for herself there. Her best friend, Angie, came with her. Angie now works for Sandy’s boyfriend, actor Patrick McNabb. And, Sandy’s a practicing criminal defense/family law attorney there. The three of them fly to New Jersey after Sandy gets a last-minute invitation to her cousin Stephanie’s wedding. But, Sandy can only think of her with her childhood nickname, Skinny. And, Sandy really doesn’t want to be there, but knew she’d face family pressure if she declined the invitation. Now, she’s dreading the rehearsal dinner where she’ll see family and friends she isn’t inclined to enjoy spending time with. The puzzling part are multiple trips made to the kitchen by various people, including Stephanie. Then, everything crashes to a standstill when a woman screams and Stephanie emerges from the kitchen in a bloody dress, and she has a knife.

Can it get any worse? Yes, Skinny insists that Sandy defend her. Sandy insists her life and work are all in LA, but family pressure in unbearable. But, why would the county prosecutor, Richard Chapman, insist on taking the case? Maybe it has something to do with the reason Sandy fled New Jersey. She’d worked with Chapman, and slept with him, until she discovered he was married. Then, she told his wife. Now, Chapman seems to have a vendetta against Sandy, and he’s taking it out on her cousin.

As usual with the Jersey Girl Legal Mysteries, there are wonderful characters. Sandy is a hard-working, excellent attorney who understands her opponent. She doesn’t understand her cousin, Skinny, at all. Skinny seems determined to take terrible plea deals, and she’s communicating with Chapman more than Sandy would like. There’s something strange there.

Sandy, Patrick, and Angie are wonderful characters. Chapman is sleazy as can be. And, Skinny? I’m sorry. I was reading the mystery to see how Sandy gets out of this situation. I couldn’t stand her cousin, Skinny. But, I’ll keep watching for this series from E.J. Copperman. I don’t usually read legal mysteries, but the humor and touch of romance are added treats in the Jersey Girl Legal Mysteries and My Cousin Skinny.