Independent Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth is back again. Her partner in their investigative agency, Tinkie is about to give birth and there's a professor of Greek studies with a decidedly feminist bent in town who is stirring up... everyone. At a talk that Alala Diakos is giving, the local prototypical wife abuser calls her out and it causes a scene. Then Sarah Booth finds a gun that was pointed at Alala while she was speaking. But the professor is not the one to die, instead, she becomes the prime suspect in the abuser's murder. It doesn't help that she's been linked to at least two other murders where the man was similarly of the mind that women belonged in the kitchen. 

Sarah Booth will have to be careful because it seems that there is a group getting together who aren't afraid to use any means possible to make sure that their idealized vision of history becomes everyone else's present. And she is setting herself right in their sights.

I think these books have always been a little preachy but this one is even more so. It's a topic that I agree with but was fairly heavy-handed. I am happy that Tinkie had her baby and look forward to seeing how this changes (or maybe doesn't) the dynamic between our protagonist and one of her best friends.

 

Three stars

This book comes out May 18, 2021

Follows Garland of Bones

Followed by Lady of Bones

ARC kindly provided by St Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own