• Skeletons in the Closet

  • The Misadventures of the Laundry Hag, Book 1
  • By: Jennifer L. Hart
  • Narrated by: Suzanne Cerreta
  • Length: 6 hrs
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (279 ratings)

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Skeletons in the Closet  By  cover art

Skeletons in the Closet

By: Jennifer L. Hart
Narrated by: Suzanne Cerreta
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Publisher's summary

Maggie Phillips hasn't had it easy. As the wife of retired Navy SEAL, and the adoptive mother of two little hellions, Maggie is constantly looking for ways to improve her family's financial situation. She accepts a cleaning position for her new neighbors (who redefine the term eccentric), never imagining she will end up as the sole alibi for a man with a fascination for medieval torture devices when he is brought up on murder charges.

While Maggie struggles to prove the man's innocence, her deadbeat brother arrives, determined to sell Maggie and Neil on his next great scheme and to mooch with a vengeance. If that isn't bad enough, her in-laws, (the cut-throat corporate attorneys) descend on the house, armed with disapproval and condemnation, for the family's annual Thanksgiving celebration.

As the police investigation intensifies, Maggie searches for the killer among the upper echelon of Hudson, Massachusetts in the only way she can - by scrubbing their thrones.

Of the porcelain variety, that is...

©2011 Jennifer L. Hart (P)2013 Jennifer L. Hart

What listeners say about Skeletons in the Closet

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

particular brand of crazy that is wholly engaging

AudioBook Review:
Overall: 5 Narration: 5 Story: 5

I will admit that the blurb is what drew me into the story: the ability to present a murder mystery with a main character who is just “the right brand of crazy” to be funny, not too obsessed with taking herself or her reputation seriously, and wanting to help her family’s financial situation so that saving $3 on cheap toilet tissue is not the driving force to her knowing the aisles at W*****t well enough to walk them in her sleep.

Fairly recently relocated to a small town of Hudson, west of Boston and just inside the “Tech Belt” in Massachusetts, Maggie and her husband Neil ( a retired Navy SEAL) have found a modest house for they and their two sons to settle in. Decent schools, not quite strapped enough to be house-poor, the opportunity for Maggie to take on some housecleaning jobs in the little neighborhood is a perfect one for extra money. And, with the encouragement of her best friend, she decides to go for it, calling her company The Laundry Hag.

When the wife of her first client is found dead, all eyes turn to him. But, Maggie was “enjoying” one of several uncomfortable moments with this man with his fascination for torturous devices and their history, and is the alibi that proves he didn’t physically kill his wife. But, Maggie (and her best friend Sylvia) have their own ideas and a misguided sense of their own abilities and are determined to unveil the murderer themselves.

Several twists and turns, with an incredibly well-plotted story that kept the killer under wraps until the end, Maggie is delightful and clever, with a knack for seeing herself with brutally honest eyes, and finding the funny. Her relationship with her husband and son are delightfully portrayed and very real, with Neil’s acceptance of her “happy place moves” as she stands in her kitchen and just sniffs, to ground herself in the moment and release tension. These two are perfectly matched with his protective abilities and sense, and her own particular brand of crazy that is wholly engaging and utterly devoid of deception or ill will.

Secondary characters are far more than just additions: arriving with an instant impression from Maggie, and then allowed to develop and show themselves as the story continues. Her best friend Sylvia, and her immature younger brother Marty , right behind “Pee Wee Herman and Joseph Stalin” on her list of potential babysitters for her two sons Josh and Kenny. With neighbors, police and a ‘gym rat’ all rolled into the mix – the asides about the characters from Maggie’s perspective are funny and sharp, instantly presenting a visual for them. And her in-laws are perfectly dislikable and overplay their hand often where Neil is concerned. Far from creating a division, he is wonderfully supportive and protective of the woman he loves.

Narration in this audio version is provided by Suzanne Cerreta and she has a nice mix of tone and emphasis to give distinctive delivery and sound to the characters. I love the often rapid-fire witticisms from Maggie, and you are never in doubt whether she is thinking or verbalizing her bon mot of the moment. While she didn’t over-reach to present any of the male voices, each one of them had a distinct flavor and delivery, and she nailed the emotive emphasis that gives a voice a certain ménage, belligerence, protective or even adolescent edge, that enhanced the story without distracting.

It’s hard not to empathize with Maggie: everyone will find a moment in her life that is all too familiar: from lamenting a book report on a Hemingway title “it’s true alcoholics hurt more than themselves, even after death”. Maggie has several moments from laundry sorting, to battling with pantyhose and a random wiry grey hair, and even her husband knowing her mood from the casual and comfy outfit she put on. We all have moments to relate, and Jennifer L. Hart managed to bring that into the story and enhance the story in an enjoyable way. If you want a fun, funny and completely engaging cozy mystery, grab this story now.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Skeletones in the Closet

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes,it's fun

Any additional comments?

I LOVED this book!A lady takes a job cleaning at a posh house and then there is a murder!She is sucked into the melee.It is a fun,fast read.I listened to the audio and Suzanne Caretta is WONDERFUL!I can not wait to read book 2!
I was gifted a copy for a fair review!Thank u!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Honest Character

If you could sum up Skeletons in the Closet in three words, what would they be?

Real life mom. There are so many books about mothers that are out of touch, but this one is brilliant, funny with just the right amount of mystery!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Skeletons in the Closet?

I can't pick just one, but maybe if I had to it would be the "fight" scene that lands the main character in jail.

What does Suzanne Cerreta bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought that the accent would bug me, but it didn't. Quite the opposite actually. It actually made the character so much more endearing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book really made me laugh, I could see so much of myself in her.

Any additional comments?

Great book, easy listen and fun!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love audio books

Loved it. Narration good. Could do 2 things at the same time. I'm hooked. Exciting.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Blah

cozy-mystery

Glad I didn't pay full retail for this one. The characters were banal, the plot rather tired, and the humor decidedly trite. It was worth the clearance sale price.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book was FUN

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. It was light and fun and easy to follow. I loved some of Maggie's quips. I love the way she thinks. I will absolutely listen to the rest of the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Start To Series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, very funny, well written. looking forward to next book/ great listen.

Have you listened to any of Suzanne Cerreta’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First one I have heard but she did a great job

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A laugh out loud mystery!

Yes, there are several laugh out loud moments along with several serious moments. I enjoyed listening to this book and I can hardly wait to get the next in the series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nice Clean Mystery

Good little mystery. No real clues as to the culprit prior to the end, but the story was well paced and a good light listen.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Merely ok

This one just didn't catch me. In fact, I started it three times. At the end, it was a reasonably decent "fluff" mystery...but not one that kept me riveted.

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