Skeletons in the Attic

Marketville Mystery #1

by Judy Penz Sheluk

Calamity (Callie) Barnstable isn’t surprised to learn she’s the sole beneficiary of her late father’s estate, though she is shocked to discover she has inherited a house in the town of Marketville—a house she didn’t know existed. However, there are conditions attached to Callie’s inheritance: she must move to Marketville, live in the house, and solve her mother’s murder.

Callie’s not keen on dredging up a thirty-year-old mystery, but if she doesn’t do it, there’s a scheming psychic named Misty Rivers who is more than happy to expose the Barnstable family secrets. Determined to thwart Misty and fulfill her father’s wishes, Callie accepts the challenge. But is she ready to face the skeletons hidden in the attic?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Contemporary, Ebooks, Cozy

230 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2016

About the author

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of Finding Your Path to Publication and Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie, as well as two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries, both of which have been published in multiple languages. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited.

Judy is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors for five years, the final two as Chair. She lives in Northern Ontario.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t really for me. The actual detecting work was interesting but the mystery itself didn’t grab my attention and I found the book bogged down with too much dialogue. I’m surprised by the number of 5 star reviews.

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An only child, Cassie expected to inherit her father's estate. What she didn't expect was a house she didn't know existed in exchange for a promise to investigate her mother's disappearance.
She's barely moved into the house when she learns of suspicions her mother was murdered and has a list of suspects. In exploring the house she uncovers a few surprises--including a coffin with a skeleton in the attic, Tarot cards and a locket with a photo of a man who's not her father.
Cassie seeks clues from her neighbors, none of whom she fully trusts. Among them are a nosey woman who appears to have been her mother's friend; Royce, a handsome building contractor who is eager to assist in her quest, and several alleged psychics.
When invited to visit Royce's wealthy family, she discovers they also have a number of skeletons in their history, including one that leads to a surprising climax.
If you enjoy a small town mystery with a feisty heroine, a cast of quirky characters, a well-paced plot and plenty of twists and turns and a bit of romance, this is a book you'll want to check out.

[Marilyn]

This first book in the series had me reading non-stop, lots of different angles to solve a mystery of 30 years ago. Loved the protagonist Callie. On to Book 2 with an extra hour tonight.

[Elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mystery of the Missing Mother

As an (ignorant) American, I hadn't realized that Canada had tried the Prohibition experiment too, and earlier than the U.S. Just a throwaway comment grousing about the government-run liquor stores made me take a second to check Wikipedia. That this well-written tale of a missing mother made me think and learn beyond following the clues was my own first clue that this was going to be an extra-enjoyable read--or, listen, in this case, as I allowed narrator Claira Jordyn to read aloud while I enjoyed breakfast and other otherwise non-brain activities. Intriguing premise, logical clue-following research (including hours in the library), and a surprise ending.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her father's death, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable, learns that her father wants her to live in her childhood home (abandoned after her mother disappeared) and solve her mother's disappearance. Callie moves in and meets some neighbors and sets about trying to figure out what happened.

Very good writing and interesting cozy mystery!

[Paula Dyches · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't want to give any of this one away so I am just going to say if you like mysteries then you will thoroughly enjoy this one. The narrator does a wonderful job which only adds to the enjoyment of this book. 

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Donna Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Loved the characters but the ending was too quick. I guess I need to read the next one!

[Karly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A suspenseful small-town mystery with quirky, relatable characters.

Callie has grown up in the big city with her loving father ever since her mother left decades ago. When her father suddenly dies, Callie learns that her father had been secretly keeping a house in the town where she grew up with her parents. He also leaves her with a task to complete in order to receive her inheritance: solve her mother's disappearance. Did she leave them for someone else? Or was it something more serious? A murder? With the help of her father's clues and contacts he left behind, Callie sets out to solve the disappearance of her mother. She meets many characters on the way that are so realistic I feel like I know them myself. Judy keeps you guessing until the very end as to what really happened to Callie's mother.

What I loved most about this book was the realistic characters, the genuine dialogue between the characters and the settings which were familiar to me. If you have grown up in a small town, you will feel you know every corner of the fictitious Marketville. While reading about many of the characters in this book I found myself thinking "oh yeah, I know that type!" Every chapter leaves you hanging and wanting to read 'just one more'. For this reason I finished it in less than a week!

Judy was kind enough to visit our Book Club and join in on our discussion of her book. She was very open about her writing process and style which really enhanced my understanding of this book. It was so interesting to hear how she develops her characters and makes them come to life.

Overall, a very enjoyable and suspenseful read. Looking forward to the sequel coming out later this year!

[Susan Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Penz Sheluk's novel early because I am interviewing her for my blog. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, the first in a series about Calamity (Callie) Barnstable. Her father's recent death drives the initial chapter where Callie learns the terms of his will. Believe me, this starts the action and mystery very quickly. Abby Barnstable, Callie's mother, has been missing and presumed dead for many years, ever since Callie was a small child. She can't remember very much about her mother, but as she hears bits of her mother's story from various friends, she begins to remember scenes from her own elementary school years when her mother was alive.

James Barnstable (her father) left a will with strings attached. Callie must move into a house she didn't know her father owned, and find out who murdered her mother. Lots of characters who did, or perhaps didn't, know her parents show up, and Callie must sort throught their stories and figure out who is telling the truth. It's a great mystery, and one that, I hope, will be followed by more.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really a captivating mystery that I just could not put down from the first paragraph on…..a young lady looking for the reasons to the disappearance of her mother over thirty years ago. It was a pleasure reading such a lovely fast moving story – plot was put together well, writing was great and the main character was so true to life! You felt like she was your best friend! All along I kept changing my mind as to who was guilty of what and the ending came as a GREAT BIG SURPRISE!!! Then I just had fun – my mom was into tarot readings and we often had Yorkshire pudding….a lot of happy memories raced through my mind as I read. I also liked how the author threw in some clues so you could get some free readings! There really was a skeletons in the attic with lots of hidden clues throughout the story, which the author explained very clearly!

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was the first in a new and exciting murder series. If you enjoy complex who dun it's? , and why did they do it? How did they do it? You will adore this novel.

It is the first and I would have not ended the tale as abruptly as it was, however, I was satisfied with the answers.

So, if you like Tarot Cards, jewelry, skeletons in caskets, Psychics, sudden deaths, missing persons, stories that almost nothing is as it appears...you will love this murder mystery or was it?

Enjoy! I'm waiting for the next book in the series.

[The Audiobookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars- Let's slow clap it out for Judy Penz Sheluk. I watch a lot of mystery series on television, but you got me with this one, Judy. I usually wind up being at least a little disappointed in the conclusions of mysteries, but the ending of Skeletons in the Attic was every bit as captivating as the build up to it had been. I'm still marveling at how well Skeletons in the Attic was written. It was a mental scramble right up until the last few minutes.

Penz Sheluk is a new author to me, but I was highly impressed with what she was able to accomplish in 8.5 hours. I enjoyed getting to know Calamity ("Callie") as a memorable and likable protagonist. She showed a great deal of common sense, something which is a scarcity among main characters these days. Furthermore, the cast of secondary characters was just as memorable. I have this bad habit of dismissing secondary characters as "decoration" or plot devices, but knowing this was a mystery and everyone was a suspect, I paid special attention to the background characters and was rewarded for it. Skeletons in the Attic boasted a memorable and also likeable supporting cast.

Also memorable was its setting. Marketville is a small suburb in Ontario, Canada. The last Canadian set story I remember hearing was the Casey Duncan series which takes place in the Yukon. Having never been to Canada and with the Casey Duncan series as my only frame of reference, the Marketville setting was quite a culture shock initially. There were several mentions of Canada Day and Canadian locations of which I had no prior knowledge, so it was a learning curve, but definitely enjoyable. The setting of Marketville was particularly atmospheric and added an extra dimension of depth to the mystery and Callie's backstory.

There were so many red herrings in Skeletons in the Attic that I was constantly being faked out. I spent the last half waiting for the hammer to drop, only for my expectations to once again be subverted. For the first three fourths of the book, I was convinced that I knew the who of the "whodunit", but not the how or the why. As any mystery enthusiast knows, the why is the corner stone of a a great mystery. Around the 75% mark, Penz Sheluk pulled the rug out from under my feet by eliminating my two top contenders. At that point, it was back to the drawing board and all options were back in play. That's when I became a woman possessed, forsaking all other tasks and single-mindedly listening to this audiobook with the intent of solving the mystery before the ending.

And I failed. The resolution rounded a corner and smacked me in the face. I'll admit that it had sort of been one of the [many] options I was considering, but I'll also admit that probably doesn't amount to much. I may have lost this round, but based on my level of enjoyment while listening to Skeletons in the Attic, the loss doesn't hurt that much.

I listened to Skeletons in the Attic in less than 48 hours. Considering how complex this mystery was and how intricately woven the story became as it went on, it's surprising that I was able to listen to it so quickly and easily. That is certainly a testament to Penz Sheluk's ability to weave a good tale.

Narration Review: Claira Jordyn provided an enjoyable listening experience for Skeletons in the Attic. I was pleased with the production quality, as it was worthy of any big time publishing company. Jordyn's tone and overall voicing were satisfying, reminding me distinctly of an actress I've heard on television, although I'm still unable to put my finger on exactly who. However, I did struggle with dialogue scenes, particularly between two female female characters. Even when concentrating solely on the matter, I still found myself unable to tell who was speaking most of the time, which became frustrating over the course of the book. I hate to do it, but I have to detract half of a star due to Jordyn's lack of character distinction. Other than that, this was a wonderful listen and I would not discourage anyone from hearing it, nor would I hesitate to hear another title from Jordyn.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do have a love of inherited mysteries and this story holds more than one! Callie recently lost her father and now she has a tough choice to make right on the heels of big surprise – her dad had a second house in Marketville that she knew nothing about! I loved how the punches just kept coming for Callie even though that meant she spent most of her time reacting instead of really thinking things through.

So Callie takes on the challenge of her dad’s will – live in the Marketville house for a year trying to solve the old mystery of her missing mother (who Callie hasn’t seen since grade school). On her first day, she finds a skeleton in the attic in a coffin. Ha! What could be more ominous? As she begins refurbishing the house, she minds more oddities, more clues as to why her mother left or was possibly murdered.

I loved all the suspects. There’s plenty of busy bodies in this neighborhood and since the missing mom mystery goes back decades, that just seems to multiply the number of people who could have had a hand in it. i kept jumping from suspect to suspect, and finally I was guessing that perhaps there was more than one person blocking Callie’s efforts to discover the truth.

Misty Rivers was my favorite character to dislike. She’s a self-proclaimed psychic and apparently got Callie’s dad, Jimmy, to believe that Callie’s mom’s (Abigail’s) ghost was haunting the Marketville house. Misty was pretty haughty in her interactions with Callie and she just wreaked of deceit. Then there’s Chantal who has a crush on Royce, the contractor Jimmy hired to renovate the Marketville house. Jessica (aka Randy) was a previous renter of the house and also has a connection to the spiritual world with her knowledge of Tarot. Callie starts bumping into people who knew her mom such as Ellie (the self-proclaimed neighborhood busybody), and Royce’s mom and dad. The plot thickens as Callie stumbles upon info that her dad’s lawyer, Leith, should have given her. So many suspects!

And there’s where we get a little weakness. Callie suspects everyone at some point of something, including her own dad yet she remains so trusting! A couple characters even comment on her being too trusting. I was nodding my head right along with those characters. So it felt that the plot was being shoved along by Callie trusting this person or that at this key point or that key point.

Over all, it was a fun ride but by the end I wasn’t surprised by the final reveal and answer to the big mystery. The plot had wended it’s way into a corner where there was really only 1 way to satisfactorily wrap everything up in the final minutes of the audiobook. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Claira Jordyn was very pleasant to listen to. I liked her voice for Callie and the various emotions Callie goes through in this book. I especially liked her voice for Misty, who was quite rude at times. Her male voices were masculine and Jordyn had distinct voices for all the characters. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Judy Penz Sheluk. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[C.J. Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skeletons in the Attic is the first in Judy Penz Sheluk’s Marketville Mystery series. We meet our protagonist Callie Barnstable at her attorney’s office ready to read her recently deceased father’s will. She was reared by her father as an only child. Her mother had disappeared years earlier when Callie was only six. Much to her surprise, Callie learns that her father has left her a home in the small city of Marketville north of Toronto, a home that she knew nothing about. And, to add to this sudden mystery, she finds that she is required to live in the house for a minimum of one year. Her father made clear that he wants Callie to find out who murdered her mother during her time in the house. Callie complies, moves to Marketville, and immediately finds herself acting as an amateur sleuth trying to make sense of circles within circles of family and neighbor relationships.

This cozy mystery has specific strengths. First are the characters, many of whom are compelling personalities on the verge on being quite eccentric. Among them are a couple of tarot card readers, a very well-informed gossipy neighbor, a woman with man troubles, and a handsome contractor next door named Royce whom Callie hires to work on her fixer-upper, newly-inherited home. Sheluk has a gift for presenting characters that at times seem as allies to Callie, and at other times, potential threats. That keeps us guessing and adds an element of danger to the mystery. Along the way, Callie finds a series of clues in the form of physical objects that appear to be giving her messages: tarot cards, hidden jewelry (hidden but not too well-hidden), and a skeleton in her attic. Another strength is the setting. This is a part of the world I have never visited. My adventures in Canada have all been in the west. I consider setting to be an important part of any good story. Sheluk doesn’t fail in placing this story in environmental context.

This is a quite an enjoyable read for mystery lovers although the final pages left me with questions. We find that the mystery of her mother’s disappearance is linked to some rather implausible behavior on the part of a few family members. Or maybe not. Human beings behave implausibly all the time, especially when it comes to familial interpersonal interactions. Rather disconcerting, though, was Callie’s rather subdued, even flat, reaction to the revelations in the final pages. She appears to lack curiosity or any emotional reaction which seemed somewhat at odds with how she had reacted repeatedly to other unfolding events earlier in the story. I would like to have known more about she viewed the revelations and about she intends to go forward in the future. Recommended.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Skeletons In The Attic" is the first book in the Marketville Mystery series by Judy Penz Sheluk. The story begins in a lawyer's office, where Calamity (Callie) Barnstable is going over her father's will with his lawyer, Leith Hampton. As an only child, and with her mother having disappeared many years before, she knows that she is his sole beneficiary. What she is the sole beneficiary of astounds her! When her mother disappeared, under somewhat questionable circumstances, her father moved them to another town. What she didn't know was that he kept the original family home in Marketville, and had rented it out all these years.

The house, and a sum of money to repair it, are hers. However, she must live in the house for one year, and make an attempt to solve her mother's supposed murder. Her father had engaged the services of a psychic (Misty Rivers) to help him solve her mother's disappearance, and she has been given a retainer - but Callie does not have to work with her. All she would have to do is live in the house, and send Leith progress reports each week - for which she would be paid $1,000 per report. Callie decides to take on the challange.

There are more questions than answers - the neighbors on each side of her, and a neighbor across the street, all seem to have information for her. As does the library, and the friendly (about to retire) librarian. Marketville is a small town, with everything (and everyone) interconnected. What happened thirty years ago, and exactly how innocent was her father? Then there is the skeleton in the closet, along with some of her mother's cloths and personal items, and the five Tarot cards (along with a locket) that she finds when she is taking up the carpet in the house.

The plot is interesting, but it does bog down at times. A bit of editing would not hurt, and using the same device to bring information into the story multile times gets old and repititious. As do wine and pizza, as comforting as wine and pizza are. Then there is the "overly generous" use of the word "generous". Having said that, I found the story a credible read.

[L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie (Calamity) Barnstaple has a problem. And it's not merely an addiction to cocoa butter lip balm!
Her father has just passed away, naming her as his only beneficiary. That, in itself is not unexpected; she's an only child and her mother left the scene years ago when Callie was only six.
Callie's father never spoke much of her mother during her childhood or since, and Callie hadn't given her mum's disappearance much thought either.
So, when her father's will stipulates she move back to her childhood home - to a house she didn't realise her father still owned - Callie is more than surprised, to say the least. Yet, the surprise doesn't end there. Her father wants her to find out who killed her mother! Until that point, Callie had never heard any mention of her mother being killed. So what exactly was her father thinking?
The story develops at pace as Callie moves into her new home and meets the neighbours ad previous tenants (the house had been rented out by her father).
Each person that comes into Callie's life from thereon, has something to say about her parents' relationship - or they know someone who knew them.
Callie is drawn into a world of secrets and cover-ups, affairs and separations. Conflicting information makes her wonder who to trust, but amidst the sleuthing she finds new friends as well as some unwelcome relatives.
The sleuthing is quirky and interesting, relying on old microfiche records of newspaper articles, objects hidden under carpets, not to mention the very specific tarot cards. I found the story flowed well and with short chapters, I was already ready for "just one more".

This was the first full-length audiobook I've listened to in a long time. The narrator did a great job at conveying Callie's thoughts as she questioned those around her.
As for the story, I felt there were a few events that were left hanging - whether they'll be resolved in a future story, who knows? I hope so, I'd like to hear more of Callie's adventures in Marketville.

I received a free copy of the audiobook as part of the AudioBookWorm blog tour, and have reviewed this voluntarily.

[DubaiReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The search for Abigail.
I enjoyed this mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main protagonist's mother when the MP was just six years old. The clues were presented in a fluid manner and I even managed to keep track of a rather large cast. I was listening to the book in audio and loved the narrator, Claira Jordyn. She managed to make me forget I was being read to, which is not easy.

Callie Barnstable had no idea that her father owned a property in Marketville until she found herself listening to his will after his sudden death. Callie and her father had moved to Toronto after her mother's disappearance and almost no mention was made of her after that. Callie inherited the Marketville property (a dooer-upper!), but on the condition that she live in the house for a year and attempted to find out what had happened to her mother.

There was a number of characters, each of whom offered some insight into the mystery, some more reliable than others. I enjoyed the theory that it would be hard to know who to trust and that some who appear friendly may not be, and vise versa; that was very much the case in this novel. I also appreciated that Callie was quite hesitant to disclose information until she was sure about each person; she was so suspicious of everyone. I would have just blurted everything out and my search would have been way less subtle.

The ending was maybe a bit rushed, suddenly everyone was knocking on her door or phoning with final clues, but that would be my only criticism. I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the sequel which is in my audio library.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie and her dad got on just fine without her mother, who disappeared when Callie was a young child, and she's going to miss her dad now that he's passed. It's odd that he left her a house she didn't know existed, odder still that the will requires that she live there for a year to get the rest of her inheritance. It's not a tremendous amount of money but she'll get half of it to live on for the year and then she can sell the house if she wants to. The most surprising provision is that she must investigate her mother's murder...but Callie had never been told that her mother was murdered.

As Callie follows one thread after another, some taking her deep into the past, unexpected questions arise that could lead to answers she doesn't want. Could her dad's 30-story fall on a construction site have any connection? Why do her grandparents hold such animosity towards her when she obviously couldn't have been the cause of all the trouble so many years ago? How does Misty Rivers, who calls herself a psychic, fit into this mess and, most of all, is Callie's mother really dead? Callie's lucky to have a new friend, Chantelle, and neighbor Royce for support and to help her get to the truth.

Claira Jordyn narrates with a very pleasing tone and she does most voices quite well. I did think there was not enough emotion or energy; it was more as though she was reading out loud without any kind of performance. Having said that, I'd be happy to listen to her again.

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and it would have got a five star review from me but the ending fell a little bit flat, it ended so suddenly and I was left thinking huh. Other than that I did enjoy it. The mystery was different and the unusual circumstances grabbed my from the start. The characters were quirky with Psychics and tarot reading and I spent most of the book wondering who Calamity should trust or befriend. This meant there was plenty of suspects and twists in the story, as well as clues and false clues, I did get a little bit confused as to what was planted and what was real. There is no ghosts or haunting in this book which I thought there might have been from reading the blurb and it did make me hesitate, so don't let that put you off listening to this mystery . A good start to a new series, I just wish the ending wasn't so abrupt.
Callie is surprised to find she has just inherited a house from her dead father, that she knows nothing about. One the condition that she lives in it for a year and solve her mother's disappearance before living there permanently or selling it. The house was the old family home and the neighbours all know more about her and her circumstances than she does. But who to trust?. Can Callie piece together the clues left behind and discover what happened to her mother after all these years?
The narrator was good and gave each character there own voice.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request from audiobooksunleashed and have voluntarily left this review.

[Lidia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review of the audio version as posted on Audible:

Well, first let me tell you it was a very interesting listen right up to the last 3 chapters. The investigation into the disappearance of the main character's mother was intriguing, well thought out, with a lot of twists and threads to follow... Nothing was what it'd seemed to be at first, the characters were complex and very realistically drawn, the truth was uncovered piece by piece, step by step - just as it should be in a good mystery novel. But then there are the last 3 chapters - the solution to the whole investigation - and I simply feel disappointed. Not by the solution itself (I suspected something of the sort) but by the execution of it. And I don't mean the fact that we get it in the form of a conversation, but because we get the conversationa and... that's it; no real reaction from the protagonist nor any other character in the book. There's no follow-up; and there were so many people involved in the case, the disappearnce of Calamity's mother touched so many people in the past that you wait to see their reactions to the whole situation, but you don't get any... That's really disappointing and that is why I've decided to only give the story 4 stars. Other than that, it's a great mystery novel, hard to put down, really.

As for the performance, it's my first book narrated by Ms Jordyn, so I had no particular expectations; I liked the sample so I knew that it should be at least OK. And I wasn't mistaken. The narration is very good. The reading pace is right, and Ms Jordyn modulates her voice enough for the reader to easily follow any conversations. She also has this particular timbre of voice and the way of reading that I especially like: not obtrusive, allowing me to concentrate on the story and forget it's somebody else reading the book for me. I'll definitely look forward to listening to more books read by her.

Overall: Despite me giving the story only 4 stars, I wholeheartedly recommend the book to any lovers of good mystery/crime novels.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and any opinions posted herein are my own.

This is the first book in the Marketville Mystery series. If you have read this author's other series - Glass Dolphin Mysteries - you will find some crossover in locations and a few characters.

One of the strengths of this book is the MC Callie [Calamity], who is very relatable. She is surrounded by a group of friends, who help in various ways to solve the mystery of Callie's mother's disappearance. I really enjoyed the mystery and how several of the characters are presented in such a way that you are not sure if they are friends or adversaries to Callie. What I felt to be a bit of the downfall of this story was the ending. I do not want to go into any detail as that would be a big spoiler but suffice it to say that the wrap up seemed rushed and to me, a bit unbelievable. I also found Callie's reaction to the solution of the mystery to be oddly lackluster - which seemed to be a bit [for lack of a better term] out of character.

The narrator, Claira Jordyn, has a wonderful warm voice which is very pleasant. Her voice did a great job in conveying the emotionalism of Callie's character.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like domestic suspense novels, try Judy Penz Sheluk’s Skeletons in the Attic. Set in Marketville (loosely based on her home town of Newmarket, Ontario), the author manages to make suburbia a lively backdrop for its main character’s problems. That protagonist is Callie Barnstable, a mid-30s single Toronto woman in a rut, and those problems confront her from the grave. Her father has just died. The big surprise in his will is that he owned a house in Marketville, and in order to inherit it Callie must live there for a year and try to solve a murder from her childhood - her mother’s, who disappeared when Callie was six. So Callie accepts the challenge, and begins to dig into her past with the help and hindrance of a clutch of diverse neighbours including a tarot reader and at least two busybodies. Judy Sheluk has skillfully crafted a complex plot, but it is Callie, smart, practical (she rips up old carpeting as a way of dealing with anxiety), and single-minded, who really carries this book. I recommend Skeletons in the Attic, and look forward to book two in the Marketville series (surely Callie will get it on with the yummy contractor who lives next door…)

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Skeletons in the Attic by Judy Penz Sheluk, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable sits in the office of Leith Hampton, the lawyer who drew up her father’s will after having been a good friend to Jim Barnstable. Callie is shocked to learn that her father owns a house in Marketville, a town an hour outside of Callie’s home of Toronto. But even more shocking to Callie is her father’s message that he has come to believe that his wife, Abigail, did not abandon him and Callie on Valentine’s Day 1986 when Callie was 6. Instead, he believes that Abby was murdered, and he will bequeath the house to Callie, on the condition that she move into it for at least a year. She will get $50,000 on the condition that she finds either the killer or proof that Abigail Barnstable ran away on her own. If she fails at this, her father has put on retainer Misty Rivers, the psychic who was the last tenant in the home before Jim decided to fix it up and potentially move into it. Misty will instead get the $50,000 to solve the mystery.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Casia Pickering · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Boom! The review that follows is my honest opinion. There has been no compensation.

I have to say, this book didn't end the way I was expecting. And after a few days of listening to the book, I'm still not sure where I stand in it. 

The writing is well done. It pulls the reader in and never lets go. Though there isn't much in action, there is a mental process at work. You get to experience the MC, Callie undergo her investigation on the disappearance of her mother. Which only poses more questions by the end of the book.

Yes, the disappearance is explained in the end, but there is still so much left unanswered that I'm led to hope that it will be in later books.

Callie is a strong enough character and I was able to relate to her. She definitely showed a stubbornness that she claimed to have, but there was a loyalty to her. I found that she was a heroine I wanted to see succeed. 

I am still unsure about the supporting cast as characters, but so is Callie. It really makes the experience interesting. Would I read more? Maybe. 

Final rating: 3/5

[Nanasbookreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skeletons in the Attic by Judy Penz Sheluk is a cozy mystery. It's the first book from the Marketville Mystery series.

This is an incredible book. I am a huge fan of mysteries and this one had everything I usually look for in a great story from this genre. The plot is simple, we follow Callie's short journey on discovering what happened to her mother. There is so much suspense and enough
twists that will shock you. The author's writing skills are phenomenal and so are her descriptions of each scene. It gives you the feeling that you are watching a movie, it's so vivid. The characters were great as well. Callie was amazing, she was handling everything so well and her detective skills were on point. My second favorite character was Ella, I love a good old lady character. The only thing that I didn't really like was towards the end, I can't reveal it because it would be a major spoiler. I can only say that it is a sore subject for me and it pissed me off. Other than that it is a great book.

I enjoyed reading it so much. It kept me hooked from the beginning till the end and I will rate it with 4.5 stars.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dammit, Daddy, you're really starting to p**s me off."
When the last will and testament of David James Barnstable is read, his only child, Callie, is unsurprised to be the only beneficiary. What does astound her, though, is that her inheritance includes a house in Marketville and a large sum of money in part to renovate it, the remainder to come to her provided she live in the house for one year and investigate her mother's murder. She hadn't known her father had either the house of the money - and her mother had, she believed, fun away from home when Callie was only six.

This is a well written mystery story, complete with nosey neighbours, newfound friends, digging back into newspaper reports of the time, unexpected discoveries at the house - and even a tarot card reader and a so called mystic get involved. Easy to read and intriguing.
Narrator Claira Jordyn gives a good performance, with her p!peasant clear voice having good intonation, expression and understanding.

A fun, easy read, I was fortunate to receive Skeletons in the Attic as a comp!momentary copy from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. This review is voluntarily given.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First in a short series that I had not heard of before. I hadn’t heard of the author either until my daughter gave this book to me as an unexpected gift. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to reading the second book of the series, which, by the way, my daughter also got for me.
Calamity Barnstable’s father dies unexpectedly in an industrial accident. She is suspicious. Was it really an accident? She isn’t sure. Dad leaves her a home in Marketville , Canada, that she didn’t know existed. However, he has left her a couple of unusual conditions in order to keep the home. She must live there for a year, renovate the old place with money he’s left her, and solve the 30-year-old mystery of her mother’s sudden disappearance. Was it murder or something else? In addition she has to figure out why and who is the skeleton in the casket in her attic?
I love it when authors weave many possible story lines that somehow come together. Fun read. Thanks you, daughter of mine.

[Kitty_ranma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery with no.....
It strikes me that there doesn't seem to be a explanation for the stars that are given. So I thought I'd start giving my take on it.
1 horrible no redeeming qualities.
2 there are redeeming qualities.
3 good worth reading, or well written but not my cup of tea.
4 great but there's something off.
5 loved it.

A good beginning for a series.
I can't wait for more of this, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Realistic, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Twisted.
Bookshelves/tags:
clean, contemporary, mystery, recorded, series.
This Audiobook was given to me for free at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skeletons in the Attic follows the storyline of Callie's investigation into her past after her father passes away suddenly and leaves a note telling Callie that her mother was murdered.

The concept of this book was intriguing. Initially, there were a lot of twists and turns that kept me flipping the pages as fast as I could. However, as the book began to drag on, the storyline that I thought would get juicier and juicier actually became more and more predictable.

The ending of this book was rather predictable and forced, and it didn't feel as well thought out as it could've been. To me, there was a different way to take this book that would've added a few more twists and a more exciting ending than was actually taken.

Overall, it was an entertaining-enough read, but I don't see myself picking this one up again like I do with some other mystery favorites of mine.

[Ann Winacott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is on behalf of the Pefferlaw Library Book Club.

We all really enjoyed our discussion with you today, Judy, thank you.

One of our members wrote this review:
It has been a very long time (and hundreds of novels) since I got hooked on a story so difficult to set down. The chapters were short and believable and always ended with a "hook" to encourage one to just read on.
Like most mystery stories, I tried to solve the situation, but there were so many possibilities that the climax ending was quite out of the blue.
I enjoyed Judy's use of our general area for the setting - Hwy 400/69 up to Lake Rosseau/Muskoka, Marketville (Newmarket) and Lount's Landing (Holland Landing) subdivisions and elaborate summer homes with helpful or nosey neighbours. All these elements made a very comfortable environment for this engaging mystery.
Why cocoa lip balm?