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.

My Cousin Skinny: A Jersey Girl Mystery
By E.J. Copperman
Severn House
November 2023

Review by Cynthia Cow

Sandy Moss may be a practicing family law attorney in a Los Angeles law firm, but she’ll always be a Jersey Girl at heart. New Jersey’s not about to give her up either, as she’s being recalled to attend the wedding of her first cousin Stephanie, whom since childhood Sandy has called “Skinny.” Sandy’s not exactly enthusiastic about attending, as while her perfect sister Delia is a bridesmaid Sandy is barely on the “C” list of invitees. At least Sandy’s plus-one will be the hottest guy there, since her actor star boyfriend Patrick McNabb is joining her for a stint on Broadway while his television show is on hiatus. With the partner of the law firm of Seaton, Taylor, Evans and Wentworth warning her that now is not a good time to be unfocused, the last thing Sandy wants is to be tied down to another case in New Jersey. It doesn’t look like she’s going to have a choice though, as when Skinny is found covered in blood and standing over the body of the Best Man, it’s Sandy who is ordered – by her family - to defend the case.

Sandy does her best to refuse, but pressure from her mother and pleas from Stephanie make that impossible. At least she manages to not be the main attorney, considering that the prosecutor is Sandy’s ex who blames her for breaking up his marriage. Flying between coasts, Sandy does what she can to help investigate but Stephanie is not making things easier. After changing her mind and insisting on pleading guilty and taking a plea bargain offer from the prosecutor, Sandy begins to wonder if the bride-to-be really did do it. All the evidence would indicate that Stephanie stabbed the victim to death, and even Delia is a witness to what she says was their actually “doing it” at the wedding rehearsal. Not helping matters is the groom’s disinterest in walking down the aisle, much less proving his fiancée’s innocence.

This series combines two of my favorite genres: comedy and legal thrillers. Sandy hilariously narrates biting remarks when engaging with her ex and her family, and Patrick is the calm in the storm even as he plans to take on the role as Lady Macbeth in a gender-swapping play. His devotion to her is never in doubt, and Sandy has been forced to order him to put on a pause on his relentless marriage proposals. Their relationship is so supportive and loving despite their differences and the insanity that always seems to ensue around them. Sandy’s family are the biggest challenge in her life, but she handles them with a bit of snark and resigned acceptance. The clever banter and humor - a trademark of this author - will remind readers of the best of the romantic comedies of the 50s. The addition of “gotcha” courtroom scenes are an added pleasure for those who adore the words of Parnell Hall and David Rosenfelt. This continues to be one of my favorite mystery series and look forward to the next appearance by LA Law’s favorite Jersey Girl.

This cozy mystery series is to die for! I adore Sandy and these books are quick paced and leave you satisfied. This book is no different Sandy is at her cousins wedding and Sandy has to find out who killed the person during the rehearsal! Chefs kiss absolutely loved this book!
I just reviewed My Cousin Skinny by E.J. Copperman. #MyCousinSkinny #NetGalley
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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

Fans of the Jersey Girl mystery series -- and any reader who loves an amateur sleuth title with lots of humor -- will definitely enjoy this latest book in the series.

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 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

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

"My Cousin Skinny" by E.J. Copperman is a delightful addition to the Jersey Girl Legal mystery series. Sandy Moss, the LA family lawyer, is a character you can't help but root for. Her complex relationships with her Jersey family and her new life in California create an engaging backdrop for this intriguing mystery.
When her cousin Stephanie, nicknamed Skinny, becomes the prime suspect in a murder at her wedding rehearsal, Sandy reluctantly steps in to defend her. The story takes us on a rollercoaster ride as Sandy shuttles between coasts, juggling her family dynamics and the enigmatic case at hand. The plot keeps you guessing, and the humor injected throughout the narrative adds a charming touch.
E.J. Copperman has crafted a compelling tale with well-developed characters and a seamless storyline. "My Cousin Skinny" is a fantastic blend of family drama and mystery, making it a must-read for fans of legal thrillers with a touch of humor.

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.

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!

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.

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

My Cousin Skinny would appear to be the 4th (?) 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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great and fun book by Copperman.
Loved it and love her previous series.

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.

This was a great entry in the series and does a great job in keeping me invested. I was hooked from the first page and thought this worked overall. The characters felt like they were suppose to and worked with story. E.J. Copperman does everything that I wanted and was written perfectly.

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.

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.