CATS, COTTON, AND…MURDER—The worlds of Sarah Booth Delaney’s Zinnia, Mississippi and Trouble, the black cat detective, collide in this fast-paced tale of high stakes cotton research, abduction, and murder.Trouble, the Sherlockian feline, falls in with Pluto, another cat with a yin for detective work, to find the missing Trudy Wells. But the cats aren’t alone. Tabitha Kingsley, posing as a psychic … the cats aren’t alone. Tabitha Kingsley, posing as a psychic medium, has come to the Mississippi Delta to find her missing sister.
Standing in Tabitha’s way is the cynical—and compelling—Roger Long. Roger manages the vast Long Agricultural Products farm and business. Trudy was his newly hired receptionist—and possible lover—before she disappeared.
In a world of wealth and privilege, Tabitha must discover the truth of what her rebellious, sometimes law-breaking, sister was really up to. And she must trust Roger to help her.
Trouble and Pluto aid the bipeds in finding the answers—to Trudy’s vanishing act and also to the path to trust.
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Carolyn Haines never fails to deliver a good read. She is one author that I always anticipate her next book
Trouble comes to the Delta in response to a call out from his brother black cat to help find a missing person. What we get in this cross-over novel is the power of three, cats, that is, to help solve a mystery of murderous proportions. Told from alternating viewpoints, Tabitha Kingsley, sister of the missing Trudy Wells, must go deep undercover as a psychic to pick up Trudy’s trail.
A good mystery is when the reader can not tell who is the bad guy until the end. A great mystery is when we are unsure of who is on either side, good or bad, before all is finally revealed. This book qualifies as a great mystery.
Lots of great clues, a little a romance, and some finer feline points of view as they teach their human counterparts how to solve a mystery and survive dangerous encounters. If you have not read the series these characters visit from, I know they will move higher up your “to read” list.
Entertaining and intriguing, whether you believe in psychic communications or not, this is a book you will not want to leave until the final revelations.
The book that I have been waiting for has finally arrived! Trouble is back with a brand new case with Sarah Booth Delaney’s fearless feline, Pluto and his marmalade love, Vesta. The lovely marmalade cat is desperate to find her missing pet, Trudy Wells, who has some information regarding a new strain of cotton seed that could change the world of agriculture. Pluto enlists Trouble’s assistance to find clues to Trudy’s disappearance. Trouble and Pluto are not alone on this case, Trudy’s sister, Tabitha Kingsley, poses as a psychic medium to find out what happened to her sister. She finds a temporary residence with her newest client, Charline Long, who is trying to contact her mother-in-law, Suellen Long regarding some unfinished family business. Trudy was last seen at the Long Ag office, working on a special report regarding this mysterious cotton seed before she disappeared.
Tabitha hits a major snag when she meets Roger Long, Charline’s nephew, who suspects that Tabitha is a fake trying to get some fast cash from his grieving aunt. She and Roger have a romantic spark that does cause some problems in this search, much to Trouble’s chagrin. Another death occurred shortly after Trudy’s disappearance, so Trouble and the gang have plenty of suspects until Roger’s mother, Hannah and her smarmy boyfriend, Antoine arrive to the mansion looking for her allowance from her brother, Sam Long. Is their arrival to the Long mansion is an ill-timed consequence or something entirely different? Trouble and Tabitha have to find out what is going on with the mysterious agricultural report and Trudy’s disappearance before it is too late!
I could not wait to read about Trouble and the Zinnia gang in this highly anticipated book. The writing is top-notch, the characters are quirky and very entertaining, and the carefully executed plotline with a major surprise ending equals to an outstanding story. Ms. Haines is brilliant to combine the Sarah Booth Delaney Zinnia gang and Trouble into one fabulous storyline. I loved this story that I had reread it again with the same zest that I had during the first read though. I have enjoyed catching up with Trouble, Tammy, Pluto, and several others in both series which is a huge plus for me. The Long family is an excellent addition of new characters that I hope to see in future stories as well. It is a pleasure to read such a highly imaginative and entertaining story of two beloved serial characters.
The only drawback is the limited appearance of Sarah Booth Delaney and her friend, Tinkie Richmond. They would have been an excellent pair to help Roger and Tabitha with the clues and possible leads. A picky drawback, I know, I do love my Sarah Booth Delaney and her zany friends in their adventures.
I would love to see another Sarah Booth Delaney and Trouble story in the future because they do provide an imaginative storyline tome. I hated to see this story to end, I wanted to read a (possible) series featuring Trouble and the Bones characters. The ending is very creative and yes, I had the wrong suspect(s) and possible motives. That is always is a good thing when the author can stump a long time mystery reader such as myself with a fabulous ending.
I would give this book a ten plus star rating for inventive storytelling and the excellent human and feline characters, and the very creative ending. This is an outstanding read that is very hard to put down once you start reading this book, so make plans to stay in for the night. I will be reading more of the Trouble (and hopefully, Sarah Booth Delaney) in future mysterious escapades.
I was given an ARC for an honest book review.
This book is fun, well-written with crisp, clean sentences, replete with wonderful characters to cheer for or hiss at, endlessly clever with a twisty plot, a surprise ending and a simmering romance, and set in the Deep South–in other words it is classic Carolyn Haines.
Carolyn cleverly and seamlessly combines the Zinnia, Mississippi setting of her best-selling, award-winning Bones series (featuring Sarah Booth Delaney and her cat Pluto) with Carolyn’s newer adventures in the Familiar Legacy series featuring Trouble, the Sherlock of cat detectives.
When Trouble is transported to Zinnia, he meets Pluto and some other critters, and together they help the humans in a search for the missing Trudy Wells. Trudy might have been kidnapped because she knows too much. She could have been murdered because of some romantic misadventures. Or, being a free spirit, she could have just up and left town. Trudy’s sister,Tabitha, comes South to find her, but discovers more than she bargained for as traditions collide, tempers flare, and the mysteries pile on top of each other.
Tabitha immediately clashes with Roger, who manages the vast Long Agricultural Products farm and business. Trudy was his newly hired receptionist—and possible lover–before she disappeared. Roger and Tabitha bristle and growl at each other, suspicious of motives, thinking the worst…but does their initial dislike camouflage a growing attraction. Can they learn to trust each other and find Trudy?
Complicating it all, Tabitha, acting as a fake psychic to gain access to homes in her search for Trudy, turns out to have real powers. Then there’s the agricultural shady business with GMO seeds, and ghosts and history and “the past isn’t really the past” all mixed into the Landed Gentry world at the Long Plantation, a large cotton plantation. And what is that glimmer Trouble spots in the distance fields? Is it the missing Trudy’s car? Is she alive or dead?
This was a story that I was so excited to read!! Trouble in Zinnia, Mississippi. Carolyn Haines has crossed Trouble and Tammy Lynn into her Sarah Booth Delaney Detective Mystery series. Trouble and Pluto together to help the bipeds find Trudy Wells who has disappeared.
A psychic, agricultural business and ghosts mixed into a world of money and privilege, written in true Carolyn Haines style.
Twists and turns will keep you reading to the very last page.
I always love getting Troubles point of view in these stories….humor and seeing things through the eyes of a great cat detective.
Very entertaining stories about Trouble the cat who assists his humans in solving mysteries and crimes – a cosy mystery.
I like an unpredictable book & Haines delivered. The characters are charming & the book was hard to put down.
This book kept me guessing until the very end. At the end it even gave me goosebumps. If you like a great mystery with a dash of ghosts, and a black cat detective that outwits the humans, then rush to get this book. You won’t be sorry.
I love a mystery and I love cats, add in a touch of romance and it’s book perfection.
Trouble is a visiting cat with a knack for solving mysteries. Pluto is the cat of a local detective who is off with the Sheriff her significant other on vacation. When Trudy the receptionist at Long Agricultural Products disappears, her cat Vesta does also, only to show up at the Long residence.
Tabitha is Trudy’s sister and when her calls are ignored she decides to find out what’s going on. Pretending to be a medium she manages to infiltrate the Long home, Charline and Samuel aren’t a problem but Roger is definitely skeptical and Tabitha needs to win him to her side.
Tabitha quickly learns that Trouble and Pluto would be a help in finding the clues needed to locate her sister.
There are many twists and turns in this tale, as Roger aka Raj finally starts aiding in Tabitha’s quest. A bit of romance to add to the intrigue and a surprise I truly didn’t see coming!
I am now going to the beginning of this multi-author series another book by Carolyn. I also must investigate to see if Pluto has a series.
I love Carolyn Haines and her Sarah Booth Delaney series. This is the first book from the Trouble series I have read and it won’t be the last! As soon as I started reading, I was drawn into the story and did not want to put the book down. Great characters in addition to it taking place in the hometown of Sarah Booth Delaney made it even more fun to read. The story will keep you in suspense and guessing until the end.
Bone-a-fied Trouble is a bonefied blast!
This latest book in the Trouble the black cat detective series takes place in my favorite literary small town, Zinnia. As fans of author Carolyn Haines will know, Zinnia is the Mississippi Delta home of Sarah Booth Delaney and setting for her “Bones” series.
Placing the Sherlockian cat detective in Zinnia as Trouble teams up with Sarah Booth’s cat Pluto makes for a fun, page-turning read.
Sarah Booth is out of town so Pluto enlists Trouble to help find Trudy Wells, who worked as a receptionist at Long Agriculture Products and possibly was the lover of farm manager Roger Long. When Tabitha Kingsley, posing as a psychic, comes to Zinnia to find her missing sister, the plot really heats up. As with all of Haines’ books, this one is well-written, thought-provoking and has a lot of twists and turns leading up to a surprise ending. If you haven’t tried the “Trouble” series, start with this one and I guarantee you will want to read them all.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review and I have absolutely no “trouble” recommending this book.
BONE-A-FIED TROUBLE is a delightful cozy mystery featuring Trouble, cat detective extraordinaire. This adventure takes him to the world of author Haines’ Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries, which is among my favorite series. In Zinnia, Mississippi, with his human Tammy Lynn, Trouble receives a call to help his friend Pluto, Sarah Booth’s cat. It seems that Pluto’s girlfriend Vesta’s human Trudy is missing. At the same time, Trudy’s sister Tabitha comes to town under the guise of a medium in hopes of getting close to Trudy’s employer. Though Tabitha’s methods are deceitful, Trudy’s boss Roger sees that her motives are pure and agrees to help find Trudy. Their investigation, led by Trouble’s influence, takes them down a dangerous road of greed, environmental activists, and a new strain of cotton.
I really enjoyed BONE-A-FIED TROUBLE. There is a touch of paranormal – Tabitha may not be a professional medium, but she does see ghosts. Trouble’s amazing detective abilities seem completely plausible in Haines’ deft hands. The mystery is full of twists and surprises, and I did not figure out who the villain was until late in the book. Even though Sarah Booth barely makes a cameo here, other characters from her series do pop up. It is so much fun. Highly recommended.
I received and ARC of this title from the author and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
I loved this book. I love the characters. Trouble is a wonderful cat detective and I like how he interacts with the people to solve the mystery. The mystery is interesting and there are enough plot twists to keep you guessing until the end. The book is well written and engaging. The characters are relatable. It is a perfect combination of mystery, intrigue and some romance.
I love her books
Trouble, the Cat Detective, visits Zinnia, Mississippi!!!!! It just doesn’t get much better than this! It’s really hard to put this book down.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The mystery was intriguing. Trouble the cat, Pluto the cat, and Vesta the cat are my favorite characters. I liked the setting.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.
Trouble at his finest! The wickedly clever black cat is back, more wily than any coyote and more British than any Brit.
Bone-A-Fied Trouble is an intriguing mystery replete with victims who must be avenged and criminals who must not get away. Toss in a crime against the environment which cannot be allowed to propagate and a cliff-hanger ensues. This also proves a ‘tour de force’ of Trouble’s most comedic assessments of himself, the humans he must herd in the proper direction, and the villains that must be stopped. The séance scene is chillingly real with spirits that warn of dangers past, present and future while reaching out poignantly to love lost.
When lovely psychic medium Tabitha Kingsley arrives in Zinnia to meet with his aunt, Roger Long is immediately suspicious. His aunt is still grieving the loss of her mother-in-law and best friend Suellen, Roger’s grandmother. It turns out Roger has reason to be suspicious but not for the reasons he thinks. Fortunately, Trouble is at hand to uncover clues and nudge Tabitha and Roger toward trust and love as they race to solve one murder and prevent another.
With the town of Zinnia and its residents in the background, fans of Carolyn Haines’ Bones series will be delighted to step into the world of Trouble, the black cat detective, as he is ably assisted by Sarah Booth’s own black cat, Pluto.
Fans of the Trouble series will happily settle into another excellent mystery featuring Trouble, son of Familiar.
Exciting news! Trouble is visiting Zinnia! This charming crossover has Trouble helping his friend Pluto Delany (of Sarah Booth Delany fame) locate Trudy, a missing woman. Along with Vesta, Trudy’s cat, and a Trudy’s sister and boss, the team works their magic to uncover the mystery.
All loyal Sarah Booth fans will love this different perspective of our Zinnia friends. We hang around Millie’s, meet with the Coleman’s deputies, and even hear rumors that Sarah Booth’s house is haunted. Which the erudite Trouble does not believe, of course.
Trouble is able to insinuate himself into every aspect of the town and the mystery. He is quite the gourmet and manages to eat better than most humans as he charms those he meets. The mystery revolves around important environmental issues, which the author is known to champion.
This is a fun romp with some romance, old friends, and a cleverly plotted mystery to boot. Now where will we find Trouble next? This series is just plain fun!
Trouble visits the land of Sarah Booth Delaney. Trouble is visiting Sunflower County with his owner at a book conference. Tabitha comes from New Orleans to search for her sister. Her cover is she is a psychic. Trouble begins to tag along with Tabitha to solve the mystery. This story is woven well. As Tabitha searches for her sister she makes friends with the family she initially thought she might be involved with her missing sister. King Cotton rears it’s head as problems with the crops appear.
Sarah Booth and Coleman are off on vacation during this book; however, Pluto puts in a guest appearance.
Bone-a-fied Trouble by Carolyn Haines is such an engaging cozy mystery that I sat down to read it and didn’t get up until I reached the end.
Trouble is with Tammy visiting the Delta this time. He’s received an SOS message from his friend, Pluto, that his help is needed to find a missing woman. Although Sarah Booth Delaney is not actually in this story many of the characters of Ms. Haines’ Sarah Booth Delaney series do make appearances.
Tabitha has come to the Delta as a psychic to find her missing sister, Trudy. I liked Tabitha immediately because she does have integrity and it’s bothering her that she has to hide her reasons for visiting. The plot was swift and complex as not everyone is as they first seem. The plot twisted and turned with several suspects who all seemed to have something to hide. I was shocked at the reveal but the end made me smile as everything was wrapped up safely for all.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.