Blue Christmas Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends are in Tupelo. While there, a fabulous replica of Elvis's belt is stolen and she and Tinkie are called in to help. This isn't their home turf so it's definitely harder than usual to figure out what is going on. There are a number of musical opportunities and no end to who might have stolen the belt. 

I wasn't sure that the final suspects were really believable as such. There are a number of Elvis-related puns that were fun to read but did get to be a lot to wade through. 

Three stars

Sarah Booth Delaney #28

This book comes out October 15, 2024

Follows Lights, Camera, Bones

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Lights, Camera, Bones by Carolyn Haines

There's a movie production in town and everyone is atwitter. Famous actor Marlon Brandon is doing a film about his family who have been movers and shakers in Greenville for a very long time but this film focuses on the flood of 1927. But, this being Greenville, there's something going on. A gaffer, Jules is missing. And there are people in town who aren't happy that this movie is being made. 

When Marlon goes missing, there are any number motives that come out of the woodwork though most seem to center around the past. So who is behind the murder and the disappearance?
The Sarah Both Delaney stories are often a little out there (I mean, there's a ghost in every story) but this story includes a shark. Yes, in freshwater. I get that this is a thing that can happen but... it was set up as a major part of the story. 

Three stars

Sarah Booth Delaney #27

This book comes out May 21, 2024

Follows Tell-Tale Bones

Followed by Blue Christmas Bones 

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Tell-Tale Bones by Carolyn Haines

Seven years ago, Lydia Maxwell disappeared. Married to the abusive Tope, she had a good reason. Now Tope claims to have proof that Lydia is dead; he wants her inheritance. Lydia's mother Elisa feels differently. She's just gotten a call on her tipline that Lydia has been spotted. And nearby. She wants Sarah Booth and Tinkie to follow up. 

Of course, questioning people, especially a fraught past, is going to stir up trouble. One person even dies. And there is a lot of backstory and explaining and many, many, many storylines that do come together in the end but are slightly overdramatic in the meantime. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 16, 2023

Follows Bones of Holly

Followed by Lights, Camera, Bones

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth is Bay St. Louis, MS getting ready for the holiday season. While shopping, they come across Janet Malone and Sandra O'Day throwing merchandise at each other in a book store. And this is right after Sarah Booth has told Tinkie that the two are going to be part of the panel of judges for the town library's Christmas tree contest. Even though the two write in different genres (Malone does sexy thrillers and O'Day does nonfictions), they have a well-known feud that is front and center that has been going on since the nineties. 

On the night that Sandra is throwing a big party, she and her assistant, Daryl, go missing. Janet hires Sarah Booth and Tinky to find out what is going on. Is their disappearance linked to the feud with Janet or to the house that Sarah has recently bought? After all, it was built by Al Capone and there is a rumored treasure somewhere on the grounds. 

The overall story was fine but felt a little flat compared to some other books in the series. We get to see all of our favorite friends 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 11, 2022

Follows Lady of Bones

Followed by Tell-Tale Bones

ARC kindly provided by St Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Lady of Bones Carolyn Haines

A blast from the past arrives on Sarah Booth's doorstep when Frankie, a friend of her mother, comes to ask for help finding her daughter. Christa is a journalism student who is trying to find her roommate, Britta. They were both looking into a cult that promises the Fountain of Youth. 

In order to find out where the two women went, Sarah Booth will have to travel to New Orleans. Luckily, she can bring Coleman along with her and he will investigate as well. 

We get glimpses of many of the usual side characters (CeCe, Tinkie, Maylin) but they don't feature as heavily as usual. Jitty was a little much in this book but I think regular readers will enjoy this book. 

Four stars

This book comes out June 14, 2022

Follows Garland of Bones

Followed by Bones of Holly

ARC kindly provided by St Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

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

A Garland of Bones by Carolyn Haines

It's Christmas and Sarah Booth is off on a trip with her friends. They are going to Columbus, MS to stay in a B&B and participate in a series of Christmas activities. Columbus seems very much like her own hometown with it's gossip and cliques. However, someone seems to have a grudge against this particular group with little accidents adding up to big mischief. An electrocution, some cement being dumped in a car, a fall down the stairs... as things escalate, it seems obvious that someone is going to die if the perpetrator is not stopped. 

Sarah Booth is not impressed by this group. It is filled with people only concerned with their own pleasures and images. But one of them offers the Delaney Investigators a big check if they can figure out what is going on.

This story was a little confusing with betrayals on betrayals and there were a few things that were repeated a little too many times but this was overall a fun story that I think regular Sarah Booth Delaney readers will enjoy.

Three stars
This book came out today
Follows The Devil's Bones

Followed by Independent Bones
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own 

The Devil's Bones by Carolyn Haines

For regular Haines readers, I don't think you will be disappointed. The main mystery was really intriguing but fell apart a bit at the end when an old enemy (rather awkwardly added to the story) shows up again. Characters' story arcs are moved along and the writing is just as good as always.
Sarah Booth is visiting a new B&B in a nearby town to celebrate Tinkie's new pregnancy. The B&B is near the Palestinian Gardens, a 20-acre piece of property that is set up to be a miniature version of the Holy Lands and Tinkie wants to attend the sunrise Easter service. Too bad their exploration of the gardens is marred by the discovery of the local ambulance chaser. And, as can be expected from a mystery story, there is more than one person who wanted him dead with the lead suspect being the handsome bachelor of the town.

Three stars
This book comes out July 27th
Follows Game of Bones

Followed by A Garland of Bones
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Enchanted Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sara Booth is startled to discover a young girl while she is on a horseback ride one day. The child is very young, has a birthmark that looks startlingly like a third eye, and also has note pinned to her back saying that she is cursed and that anyone who helps her will also be cursed.
There was a lot going on in this novella (lots of new-to-the-series history built in) but it was still an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars
This novella came out June 16th, 2020
Borrowed this book from the library as an ebook
Opinions are my own

Game of Bones by Carolyn Haines

Near Sarah Booth Delaney's home, they've started an archaeological dig on a burial mound but something has gone wrong. One of the main archaeologists has been murdered in a very brutal fashion. The other archaeologist, Frank Hafner, hires Sarah Booth and Tinkie to clear his name. There are a lot of suspects since the murdered woman was a maneater and endeared herself to no one. Peter Deerstalker, the member of a local tribe is also hellbent on making sure that the dig stops so that his ancestors can rest in peace. And there was something odd about the family who most recently owned the property. Could they be coming back to cause trouble?
There was so much crammed into this book that it was hard to follow who was doing what and why we needed to care about anyone other than our main character. The first historical elements introduced (at least in the ARC) seemed a little off but then we got to the bit about Custer and that was  SO wrong that it took me out of the story. I get that this is a fiction book and should get some leeway but whoo-ee, this was bad in that it pulled me out of the story every time after that Haines introduced some "history" of the area. I was already wavering in between two and three stars and the ending took it down for me. There have always been supernatural elements in this series but to add in magic was just too far for me. It made sense in order to tie up the story but the ending came out of left field.

Two and  half stars
Followed by The Devil's Bones
This book came out May 14th
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines

Cece Dee Falcon is one of Sarah Booth's dearest friends. So, when her cousin is kidnapped, Sarah's willing to do anything, even hide her involvement from Coleman. Their relationship is pretty strong right now and she doesn't want to mess it up... but it's Cece. And her pregnant cousin.
I really enjoyed that Christmas was woven into the story but not super in your face. A nice addition to the series.

Three stars
This book comes out October 16
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Charmed Bones by Carolyn Haines

Cozy at home, Sarah Booth Delaney is not happy to called out to the Sunflower County Board of Education meeting by Tinkie. It seems that three sisters are applying for state recognition for a boarding school they're opening. The reason people are upset? It's going to be a Wiccan school.
The Harrington sisters have bought a load of property from Trevor Musgrove, a local artist who will be allowed to live on the property until his death. And this isn't a problem until people start dying and the sisters get blamed.
A decent story. The ending was a bit overwrought but I don't think that regular reader's in this series will mind at all.

Three stars
This book comes out May 15th
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Sticks and Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth Delaney and her posse are back. And they're all united at being pissed at Frangelica "Sister" McFee, a local girl who has profited off the death of her brother and mother in a mysterious car accident. She even refers to Tinkie as "Stinky." Really, now. Now a film company is in town, getting ready to turn her story into a movie. But Sister isn't the only McFee whose name is out the world. Her father is making quite a name for himself while he runs for Senate, showing off his young, pregnant wife and denigrating Putin as much as possible.
Sarah and Tinkie are brought into the case when the filmmakers hire them to find out who killed Sister's family. They run into some people who really, really don't want them to find out the truth.
Regular Haines readers will not be disappointed.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out May 16