A Skeleton in the Closet by Judith K. Ivie, a Mysterious Review.

Review: A 60-year-old skeleton behind a fake wall in the basement of a local mansion sets the stage for amateur sleuth Kate Lawrence and her friends in A Skeleton in the Closet, the third mystery in this series by Judith K. Ivie.

When Kate's realty partner Charlene rushes in one day to say there's a skeleton in the Henstock sisters' closet, the response from Kate and Margo is, "Well, doesn't everyone?" But it turns out it's a real skeleton. The Henstock sisters, both in their 80s, have lived in the large, roomy mansion all their lives, inheriting it from their father, Judge Henstock, but now interested in selling it. Kate immediately calls the police who, when arriving at Henstock home, find nothing. The skeleton is gone. But then Kate, completely by accident, stumbles upon it near a local pond while taking pictures of swans. Forensic evidence proves the bones are that of a middle-aged woman who died approximately 60 years ago. But there are far more questions than answers. Who was the woman? Who killed her? Why was she entombed behind a fake wall? And why was the wall built in Judge Henstock's basement? The sisters have little recollection of a past so long ago that they aren't going to be much help.

Meanwhile, someone has been sending threatening mail to the realtors' office. It isn't addressed to anyone in particular, but as the ladies pointed out, everyone has a skeleton in their closet. Could one of the friends be at risk from something that may have happened in their past?

A Skeleton in the Closet is delightful. The three women at the heart of the story (Kate, Charlene, and Margo) share a true and meaningful friendship. The straight-forward plot has some clever twists and readers will quickly relate to the endearing old ladies living in a mysterious mansion with a secret past. The romantic scenes between Kate and her soon to be live-in lover Armando are an added bonus to this genuinely entertaining mystery.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of A Skeleton in the Closet.

Acknowledgment: Judith Ivie provided an ARC of A Skeleton in the Closet for this review.

A Skeleton in the Closet

A Kate Lawrence Mystery by Judith K. Ivie