My Cousin Skinny

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 *****

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the series. Leaving LA behind, kind of, we get to meet more of Sandy’s family and it makes it clearer to the reader while LA is a better fit. I laughed throughout this book due to the writer’s wit and banter with the reader and in conversations with the characters. The plot moves along at a fairly consistent pace and the ending was not something I’d even remotely seen coming until about 85-90 % of the way through. Will definitely recommend to anyone who likes comedic mysteries. The only downside to this book was that there was very little Patrick interaction which always makes the story more fun.

Filled with humor. A little romance. Fast paced story with wonderful characters. Sandy is a fun character who makes me smile. Thanks#Netgalley and #Severnhouse for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine q

This was a fun and fast paced mystery filled with hilarious humor. As much as I enjoyed going through this book, I do feel I would’ve enjoyed it more had I gone through the previous ones in the series. There were some plots that had left me with more questions than I initially had.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I was initially hooked on the description of the plot, then stayed for the lovable characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

My Cousin Skinny is book 5 in A Jersey Girl Legal Mystery series by E.J. Copperma.
This story was witty and clever with fun characters.
It's a gripping and highly entertaining story, I had a lot of fun in reading it.
Excellent character and plot development, a fast paced and tightly knitted plot.
The mystery kept me guessing and it's full of twists/turns.
A well written mystery that I truly enjoyed.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

A fun addition to the series that should be just as amusing as a standalone! Sandy who fled to LA where she now works as an attorney (and has a hunky movie star boyfriend) is back in New Jersey for the wedding of her cousin Stephanie (Skinny). Only problem- someone murdered the BFF of Skinny's fiance and she's the one on the hot seat. Of course Sandy takes on her case. Sandy's a hoot; she's smart, snarky, and delightful. Her family, well, they would be a challenge for anyone but she's got Patrick with her. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Sandy’s relationships with her mother and perfect older sister are problematic. Sandy strongly feels her mother and sister are closer and far too judgemental of her life choices. As for her cousin, Skinny – a nickname Sandy coined when she was seven years old – they’ve never been all that close. So when Skinny hysterically insists that Sandy has to be her trial lawyer, despite Sandy now living some 3,000 miles from where said trial will be held – she is dismayed when the rest of the family join in the chorus.

I love the desert-dry observations Sandy’s first-person narration drops our way, in between what is genuinely a puzzling case fraught with difficulty. One of the major problems for Sandy comes in the shape of the Prosecutor – her ex, who admitted to her far too late that he was already married. So Sandy promptly contacted love-rat Richard’s wife and told her what had been going on, before fleeing as far away as she could get – LA. Now she has triumphantly rebuilt her life with a good job in a new law firm as a defense attorney and a loving, loyal boyfriend, who also happens to be a TV star, Patrick. So Sandy’s professional façade is sorely tested when she’s confronted with her untidy and painful past.

I tore through this thoroughly readable and entertaining legal whodunit, with a doozy of a plot twist I didn’t see coming. I reached the end with a real pang of regret, because I didn’t want the goodness to end – and this one comes highly recommended. While you obviously will get more out of these stories if you read them in order – as the crime is perpetrated and solved within this offering, you could jump in and sample this slice of Sandy’s life without undue floundering. While I obtained an arc of My Cousin Skinny from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

EJ Copperman writes solid mysteries that are also highly entertaining. This is a laugh out loud solid mystery and I had a lot of fun.
Well plotted, relatable characters, surprising twists and lots of humour
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have long been a fan of EJ Copperman’s writing so I was excited to get the newest in this series. This is my favorite in the series so far. I enjoyed them all: they’re funny, witty, and the cases are always interesting, but this one stands out because you get to meet Sandy’s Jersey family. Between the constant trying to live up to her mother’s expectations (and feeling like she’s falling short), to the sibling rivalry with her sister, and the tenuous relationship with her cousin/client, I was on the edge of my seat and laughing the whole time. The case itself was intriguing and really had me guessing the whole time. I loved everything about this one and can’t wait for the next.