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Jersey Girl #5
My Cousin Skinny
A dream of a wedding turns into a bloody nightmare for LA family lawyer Sandy Moss's cousin Skinny in the latest instalment of the critically acclaimed Jersey Girl Legal mystery series. Sandy might have to take on her trickiest case yet!An uncomfortable weekend awaits LA family lawyer Sandy Moss when she makes her way to her hometown in New Jersey for the wedding of her cousin Stephanie, sweetly nicknamed Skinny. Uncomfortable, because Sandy is not really looking forward to seeing her family, but at least her boyfriend, Hollywood movie star Patrick McNabb, is by her side.However, if Sandy thought a weekend with her criticising mother and aggravating sister was bad, she definitely wasn't prepared for the rehearsal event at the wedding venue! When Skinny enters the room, all eyes are on her and her beautiful party dress . . . covered in blood, with a knife in her hand.Skinny says she didn't do it. But with dozens of wedding guests witnessing her dramatic entrance, the question of who killed the corpse in the kitchen seems an easy one to answer - and an equally easy court case to lose. Reluctantly agreeing to represent her cousin, Sandy sets to work. But how can she save Skinny when she's not at all sure she's innocent . . . and when Skinny seems oddly determined to put herself in jail?Loveable, streetwise heroine Sandy "could give Perry Mason a run for his money" (Kirkus Reviews). If you like witty, fast-paced cozies, legal shenanigans and a touch of romance, why not try the series out?
240 pages, Paperback
Published September 24, 2024
13 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Copperman
34 books839 followersLibrarian note: E.J. Copperman is the pen name for author
Jeff Cohen
E.J. Copperman is a mysterious figure, or has a mysterious figure, or writes figuratively in mysteries. In any event, a New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. Night of the Living Deed is the first E.J. Copperman novel. It will be followed in 2011 by An Uninvited Ghost, the second in the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series.
E.J., having worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter, writes stories that combine humor and mystery with just the right amount of spooky supernatural happenings and a large doses of Jersey attitude.
Sound like we’re being evasive? Well, the fact is that E.J. Copperman is the pseudonym of a well-known mystery novelist, now embarking on a new type of story that includes some elements of the supernatural as well as a fair number of laughs. And the Copperman novels will have a different attitude, a different setting and completely different characters than anything that has come before, so E.J. really is a new author.
E.J. Copperman is a mysterious figure, or has a mysterious figure, or writes figuratively in mysteries. In any event, a New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. Night of the Living Deed is the first E.J. Copperman novel. It will be followed in 2011 by An Uninvited Ghost, the second in the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series.
E.J., having worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter, writes stories that combine humor and mystery with just the right amount of spooky supernatural happenings and a large doses of Jersey attitude.
Sound like we’re being evasive? Well, the fact is that E.J. Copperman is the pseudonym of a well-known mystery novelist, now embarking on a new type of story that includes some elements of the supernatural as well as a fair number of laughs. And the Copperman novels will have a different attitude, a different setting and completely different characters than anything that has come before, so E.J. really is a new author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 26, 2023
This is such a fun series, although I must confess that this was not my favorite of the books. The characters Copperman has created for this universe are just magnificent, They are fun and flawed and frivolous and focused all at the same time - which should make for a bit of a mess but never does. There are hilarious one-liners scattered throughout, and I love the book titles.
The case at the heart of this one felt a little more muddled to me than in previous books, and the resolution a little more forced, although it was so much fun to see Richard in action and our fearless heroine in her hometown context. Even when I say it was not one of my favorites in the series, it was still an absolutely delightful romp of a book that I burned through from start to finish. I can't wait to see where Copperman takes the series next!
The case at the heart of this one felt a little more muddled to me than in previous books, and the resolution a little more forced, although it was so much fun to see Richard in action and our fearless heroine in her hometown context. Even when I say it was not one of my favorites in the series, it was still an absolutely delightful romp of a book that I burned through from start to finish. I can't wait to see where Copperman takes the series next!
July 5, 2024
This was my least favorite of the series and I think it’s because we don’t get to see the regular characters interact with each other as they would when solving a mystery and that would include the Lt. Here Patrick and Angie are more on the periphery and there’s more about her ex- Richard, her mom and sister and it was just not as engaging.
November 21, 2023
Now a happy California lawyer, Sandy Moss reluctantly returns to her native New Jersey to attend her cousin Stephanie's wedding. But Stephanie--also known as Skinny--appears at the rehearsal dinner, covered with blood, holding a knife, and leaving in the room behind her the slaughtered body of the best man. Naturally, Sandy's former boss (and lover), the county prosecutor, charges Skinny with murder, and she insists that Sandy act as her lawyer. Sandy's movie-star fiance stays in New York to act in a new play opening at the Public, while Sandy conducts a long-distance investigation from Los Angeles, despite Skinny's obstructive behavior and failure to explain what happened in that kitchen. As the strange events get stranger, Sandy finally realizes what really happened, and what she'll have to do to get Skinny out of trouble. Copperman's familiar mixture of suspense and comedy still satisfies.
August 30, 2024
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
Well plotted, relatable characters, surprising twists and lots of humour: highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
October 3, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great and fun book by Copperman.
Loved it and love her previous series.
Another great and fun book by Copperman.
Loved it and love her previous series.
September 20, 2023
This is a very funny story. The author made me laugh often. Although it is part of a series, it worked well as a stand alone read.
Sandra lives in Los Angeles and her boy friend, Patrick, is a star of stage, screen and television. She works for an important law firm and handles domestic cases. Sandy grew up in New Jersey. She is a Jersey Girl in all caps. She is as happy as a nice Jersey girl can be in life. The fact she lives several thousand miles from her mother and sister and the rest of her family helps add to her happiness.
When Sandy receives an invitation to her cousin, Stephanie’s wedding, it is a command performance. One cannot not go to a family wedding. Death and taxes would not even be good enough reasons to miss the event.
Sandy not only wanted to stay in California to avoid her family, but she also does not want to run into her former boss. Richard was her boss when she worked in the county prosecutor’s office. Richard was also her lover. And when she found out he was married and she told his wife, she left Jersey for sunny California. It was a good move.
At Stephanie’s rehearsal party, the best man is stabbed to death. Stephanie appears in front of nearly all the guests covered in blood and carrying the murder weapon. She insists that her cousin be her defense attorney. She also insists she is innocent.
The reader is taken through all the ups and downs of an attorney who must commute from coast to coast at the same time dealing with a case that makes no sense. The ups and downs also include trying to avoid the snark and sneakiness that is Richard.
This is really a family story along with the mystery. Sandy has created a new family for herself in California. But, she still has all that history with her Jersey family. The relationships are front and center during the entire book. And the reader can commiserate with Sandy as she makes her way through the minefield that is her family.
The characters are well done and each of them adds to the texture of the book. The plot moves along well and there are no slow spots. There are a few surprises along the way. And there is always the wonderful humor.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in the hope of a fair and honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
Sandra lives in Los Angeles and her boy friend, Patrick, is a star of stage, screen and television. She works for an important law firm and handles domestic cases. Sandy grew up in New Jersey. She is a Jersey Girl in all caps. She is as happy as a nice Jersey girl can be in life. The fact she lives several thousand miles from her mother and sister and the rest of her family helps add to her happiness.
When Sandy receives an invitation to her cousin, Stephanie’s wedding, it is a command performance. One cannot not go to a family wedding. Death and taxes would not even be good enough reasons to miss the event.
Sandy not only wanted to stay in California to avoid her family, but she also does not want to run into her former boss. Richard was her boss when she worked in the county prosecutor’s office. Richard was also her lover. And when she found out he was married and she told his wife, she left Jersey for sunny California. It was a good move.
At Stephanie’s rehearsal party, the best man is stabbed to death. Stephanie appears in front of nearly all the guests covered in blood and carrying the murder weapon. She insists that her cousin be her defense attorney. She also insists she is innocent.
The reader is taken through all the ups and downs of an attorney who must commute from coast to coast at the same time dealing with a case that makes no sense. The ups and downs also include trying to avoid the snark and sneakiness that is Richard.
This is really a family story along with the mystery. Sandy has created a new family for herself in California. But, she still has all that history with her Jersey family. The relationships are front and center during the entire book. And the reader can commiserate with Sandy as she makes her way through the minefield that is her family.
The characters are well done and each of them adds to the texture of the book. The plot moves along well and there are no slow spots. There are a few surprises along the way. And there is always the wonderful humor.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in the hope of a fair and honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
October 9, 2023
I received an advanced review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Cousin Skinny would appear to be the latest in a series billed as the "Jersey Girl Legal Mysteries". So I am starting with the disclaimer that I have not read any of the other titles in this series. Perhaps this is why I felt like I picked up the middle of a book that was missing the beginning and the ending.
Sandy is presumably a divorce lawyer who lives in LA, but she spends the entire novel being a criminal defense attorney in Jersey. She kind of loves her famous actor boyfriend but kind of doesn't. Characters were introduced, given back stories, and then left hanging. I felt like the whole book couldn't make up its mind about what it wanted to be.
The actual plot line of this one (a woman accused of murdering the best man at the rehearsal dinner for her own wedding) was intriguing. In fact, it was why I wanted to read the book in the first place. But it wasn't well executed. It felt like it took a really long time to get into the story, and then it ended with the feeling that things weren't resolved. Some of the major plot points were pretty predictable, except for the ones that made no sense at all.
This is one I wouldn't personally recommend.
My Cousin Skinny would appear to be the latest in a series billed as the "Jersey Girl Legal Mysteries". So I am starting with the disclaimer that I have not read any of the other titles in this series. Perhaps this is why I felt like I picked up the middle of a book that was missing the beginning and the ending.
Sandy is presumably a divorce lawyer who lives in LA, but she spends the entire novel being a criminal defense attorney in Jersey. She kind of loves her famous actor boyfriend but kind of doesn't. Characters were introduced, given back stories, and then left hanging. I felt like the whole book couldn't make up its mind about what it wanted to be.
The actual plot line of this one (a woman accused of murdering the best man at the rehearsal dinner for her own wedding) was intriguing. In fact, it was why I wanted to read the book in the first place. But it wasn't well executed. It felt like it took a really long time to get into the story, and then it ended with the feeling that things weren't resolved. Some of the major plot points were pretty predictable, except for the ones that made no sense at all.
This is one I wouldn't personally recommend.
August 25, 2023
My Cousin Skinny is book five of the Jersey girl Legal mysteries and trust me, this book does not disappoint. 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 *****
5/5 *****
December 16, 2023
My Cousin Skinny is the fifth entry in this funny/cozy legal mystery featuring Sandy Moss, a Jersey rbred attorney now in LA at a law firm specializing in family/divorce law. She also has an actoe boyfriend Patrick McNabb. In this one Sandy is back home in Jersey for her cousin's Stephanie (aka Skinny) wedding, wit her Patrick by her side of course. During the wedding rehearsal. Stephanie shows up in her dress stained with blood abd a knife in her hand. The body of the best man is found in the kitchen. Of course Sandy agrees to defend her cousin. Given the current Prosecutor is Sandys ex. It was fun how the story went. It had a great case to solve.
November 28, 2024
Great laugh out loud fun! I totally enjoy the main character’s inner snarky. This series is one of the best legal mysteries where even the court scenes are entertaining.
This story features a very layered plot with a surprise twist at the end. It was good to get a glimpse of the people in Sandy’s NJ life. Given the family dynamics on her mother’s side, I hope we get to meet her father sometime. Could be very interesting and possibly explain a lot about Sandy.
My only quibble with this book was a character added very late in the climax. I get the feeling an editor somewhere in the process insisted on more physical threats and so this person was inserted. As Patrick might say “a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more…”
It is very disappointing that there may be only one more book in this excellent series.
This story features a very layered plot with a surprise twist at the end. It was good to get a glimpse of the people in Sandy’s NJ life. Given the family dynamics on her mother’s side, I hope we get to meet her father sometime. Could be very interesting and possibly explain a lot about Sandy.
My only quibble with this book was a character added very late in the climax. I get the feeling an editor somewhere in the process insisted on more physical threats and so this person was inserted. As Patrick might say “a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more…”
It is very disappointing that there may be only one more book in this excellent series.
November 13, 2023
This book was not as funny as the last one, mostly because I questioned why Sandy would put up with her idiotic cousin to defend her despite the cousin fighting her on every step of the process. The whole plot was so ridiculous I wondered if it would even be remotely possible. I found all the characters obnoxious other than Sandy, Patrick and Angie. I think we also needed more Angie in this book.
Either way, I did enjoy it, although if Sandy was my cousin I would have never stayed around after the first few chapters.
My thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC
Either way, I did enjoy it, although if Sandy was my cousin I would have never stayed around after the first few chapters.
My thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC
June 28, 2024
There's something about the dysfunctional family unit that I find compelling in storytelling. My Cousin Skinny raises the bar on delicious dysfunction. Following a murder at her cousin Stephanie's wedding, Sandy is expected to defend her cousin. But, everyone seems to want her to fail. They thwart her at every turn, including the suspect herself. And while Sandy seems to be treated with the least respect in the family, she is tasked with the burden of all the responsibility (or blame) for the outcome. There is so much tension, and so many twists and turns. Yet, My Cousin Skinny still maintains the smart humor that defines Copperman's work.
August 11, 2025
A wedding rehearsal dinner, a murder, a bride to be holding a bloody knife in front of guests. All is not as it seems. My first time reading this author, which is apparently a series. However, I feel it's a stand alone book. It took me a while to get used to the writing style, the use of parenthesis on a regular basis. But the storyline was quite good, and I didn't predict the outcome. At 227 pages, it's a very quick read, and entertaining.
February 29, 2024
It is a good book. I just thought the ending was rushed, forced, and honestly a let down. I was so invested in the mystery of who the murderer was the entire book and the truth didn’t satisfy my craving.
June 10, 2024
LAUGH OUT LOUD! Anyone from NYC area but especially New Jersey will love this book! Strong heroine with solid romantic partner & great BFF, interesting relationships with her family, besides the mystery makes this a GREAT read. Highly recommended.
December 9, 2023
This is a witty and entertaining cozy series
February 3, 2024
Excellent mystery with an ending I didn't see coming
February 8, 2024
Amusing mystery that takes place in New Jersey.
February 23, 2024
Entertaining, a little outside of my usual.
August 5, 2024
Another fun book to read. I really enjoy this series and yes, E. J. Copperman, you do make me laugh...a lot! Please keep writing about Sandy Moss and her legal and personal experiences.
November 30, 2024
Entertaining. The end was a bit anticlimactic.
June 3, 2025
I was super slow reading this, not because I didn’t like it because I really did. Simply reading instead of listening means that’s what I’m doing. No multitasking.
Love the characters and it was fun having it take place in Jersey instead of Hollywood. Plus family drama adds to this quirky series.
Love the characters and it was fun having it take place in Jersey instead of Hollywood. Plus family drama adds to this quirky series.
December 21, 2023
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.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #SevernHouseImprint for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #SevernHouseImprint for an honest review.
November 7, 2023
This is a very funny story. The author made me laugh often. Although it is part of a series, it worked well as a stand alone read.
Sandra lives in Los Angeles and her boy friend, Patrick, is a star of stage, screen and television. She works for an important law firm and handles domestic cases. Sandy grew up in New Jersey. She is a Jersey Girl in all caps. She is as happy as a nice Jersey girl can be in life. The fact she lives several thousand miles from her mother and sister and the rest of her family helps add to her happiness.
When Sandy receives an invitation to her cousin, Stephanie’s wedding, it is a command performance. One cannot not go to a family wedding. Death and taxes would not even be good enough reasons to miss the event.
Sandy not only wanted to stay in California to avoid her family, but she also does not want to run into her former boss. Richard was her boss when she worked in the county prosecutor’s office. Richard was also her lover. And when she found out he was married and she told his wife, she left Jersey for sunny California. It was a good move.
At Stephanie’s rehearsal party, the best man is stabbed to death. Stephanie appears in front of nearly all the guests covered in blood and carrying the murder weapon. She insists that her cousin be her defense attorney. She also insists she is innocent.
The reader is taken through all the ups and downs of an attorney who must commute from coast to coast at the same time dealing with a case that makes no sense. The ups and downs also include trying to avoid the snark and sneakiness that is Richard.
This is really a family story along with the mystery. Sandy has created a new family for herself in California. But, she still has all that history with her Jersey family. The relationships are front and center during the entire book. And the reader can commiserate with Sandy as she makes her way through the minefield that is her family.
The characters are well done and each of them adds to the texture of the book. The plot moves along well and there are no slow spots. There are a few surprises along the way. And there is always the wonderful humor.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.
Sandra lives in Los Angeles and her boy friend, Patrick, is a star of stage, screen and television. She works for an important law firm and handles domestic cases. Sandy grew up in New Jersey. She is a Jersey Girl in all caps. She is as happy as a nice Jersey girl can be in life. The fact she lives several thousand miles from her mother and sister and the rest of her family helps add to her happiness.
When Sandy receives an invitation to her cousin, Stephanie’s wedding, it is a command performance. One cannot not go to a family wedding. Death and taxes would not even be good enough reasons to miss the event.
Sandy not only wanted to stay in California to avoid her family, but she also does not want to run into her former boss. Richard was her boss when she worked in the county prosecutor’s office. Richard was also her lover. And when she found out he was married and she told his wife, she left Jersey for sunny California. It was a good move.
At Stephanie’s rehearsal party, the best man is stabbed to death. Stephanie appears in front of nearly all the guests covered in blood and carrying the murder weapon. She insists that her cousin be her defense attorney. She also insists she is innocent.
The reader is taken through all the ups and downs of an attorney who must commute from coast to coast at the same time dealing with a case that makes no sense. The ups and downs also include trying to avoid the snark and sneakiness that is Richard.
This is really a family story along with the mystery. Sandy has created a new family for herself in California. But, she still has all that history with her Jersey family. The relationships are front and center during the entire book. And the reader can commiserate with Sandy as she makes her way through the minefield that is her family.
The characters are well done and each of them adds to the texture of the book. The plot moves along well and there are no slow spots. There are a few surprises along the way. And there is always the wonderful humor.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.
November 11, 2023
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
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
September 5, 2023
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’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.
August 29, 2023
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 fiance'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.
November 30, 2023
My Cousin Skinny is the fifth book in E.J. Copperman’s Jersey Girl Legal mystery series. This time attorney Sandy Moss travels back to her home state to attend the wedding of her cousin, Stephanie (nickname: Skinny). While Sandy isn’t really looking forward to mingling with various relatives or her over-bearing mother, she figures it will be a quick in-and-out and her family obligations will be met. But all that changes when Skinny is arrested for murdering her fiancé’s best friend and only wants Sandy to defend her.
This cozy mystery series is fun to read. There are a number of unique characters and the mystery is well-plotted. I enjoyed the humor and the give-and-take dialogue. While this isn’t my favorite book in the series, it’s still a solid read and a good choice. NetGalley provided an advance copy.
This cozy mystery series is fun to read. There are a number of unique characters and the mystery is well-plotted. I enjoyed the humor and the give-and-take dialogue. While this isn’t my favorite book in the series, it’s still a solid read and a good choice. NetGalley provided an advance copy.
September 8, 2023
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.
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.
October 21, 2023
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.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews