The next charming mystery from Carolyn Haines featuring spunky southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney. When a ritually murdered corpse is discovered at the new-found Native-American temple site smack in the middle of Sunflower County, Mississippi, the archaeology crew on the dig is immediately under suspicion — with particular focus on its handsome, flirtatious leader, Dr. Frank … leader, Dr. Frank Hafner. So when Sheriff Coleman Peters closes in on him, Hafner does the only logical thing: he hires the Delaney Detective Agency to clear his name.
Rumors swirl around Mount Salla, the burial mound created centuries before by the local Native tribes, and no one is sure what the site contains — bones, pottery, treasures, or a curse — but the victims start to add up. Sarah Booth and her partner, Tinkie, have too many likely suspects to whittle down the list. It’s a race against time once Sarah Booth’s resident ghost, Jitty, in the guise of various Native American warrior women, points to the waxing of the coming Crow Moon as the time of maximum danger.
Death and mystery cloak the site, and Sarah Booth isn’t sure who to trust or what to believe. But she won’t rest until she’s dug up the truth.
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love everything about Caroyln Haines
I enjoy cozies but had never read anything by this author. I have to say I’m happy to have had a chance to read this book. It’s actually book 20 in the series, and I may not have known some of the underlying issues or events that may have happened previously, but I didn’t feel like I missed anything. I liked Sara Booth, Tinkie, Coleman, and all the other characters and critters that made up this story. I loved the twists and turns and the unexpected bad guy and the reasons behind all the trouble.
A very satisfying cozy whodunnit!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.
The title left me with high expectations & I was not disappointed. As always, the characters are lovable and the plot moves swiftly. The ending was an unexpected one, but thoroughly satisfying.
Game of Bones by Carolyn Haines is impressive. Ms. Haines never seizes to surprise me, and she always has my full attention.
Will Sarah Booth and Tinkie figure out who killed the two women before their loved ones are hurt?
Three individuals have warned Sarah Booth that on the night of the Crow Moon, she and her loved ones will be in danger. She tries to keep everyone safe, but her friends just aren’t cooperating with the objective. Coleman is the worst. He and Sarah Booth are so much alike.
The Mystery
We have the murders of a college professor and a private investigator as a local archeology dig in an untouched Native American Mound Burial ground. The excavation is funded by multiple investors, with a professor, Dr. Frank Hafner, and his student from Michigan. They are going about their business when a second professor, Dr. Sandra Wells, and students from the same Michigan college show up. I found this similar to the old claim jumpers back in the day. Dr. Wells isn’t very professional, and everyone knows that she wants to get a television show from this dig.
Since no one like Dr. Wells, you could see why someone would want her dead. There are quite a few people on the list. The problem is what happened to the private investigator, and how are the women connected? This question is where Tinkie and Sarah Booth come in as Dr. Hafner hired them to clear his name. Our sleuths start work right away, but nothing seems right.
So, this one caught me off guard. I fell for all of the same lines that Sarah Booth and Tinkie did. This mystery is perfect; there are so many things moving around. My favorite part is, of course, Jitty and the personas of outstanding Native American women that she brings to help Sarah Booth solve the problems plaguing the dig. There is also the one spirit that finds Sarah Booth on her own to share another valuable message about the troubles that Sarah Booth is trying to figure out.
Coleman and Sarah Booth
Coleman gets shot, and Sarah Booth is supposed to be keeping an eye on him. However, Coleman is just like Sarah Booth and won’t let his deputies down. So, he keeps showing up when Sarah Booth wants him to stay away. Sound familiar? It is nice to see them happy together. Now if they could just quit ending up in the hospital. They need to make that heir for Jitty.
Five Stars
I love this series, and I found this twentieth installment as meaningful and entertaining as the others. Spending time in Zinnia, Mississippi, is always fantastic. It’s like going home to see family and friends. Therefore, my rating for Game of Bones by Carolyn Haines is five stars.
I highly recommend this book and the rest of the Sarah Booth Delaney series. It has everything, mystery, romance, a touch of paranormal, horses, dogs, a cat, friendship, with a few current events, historical images, and that southern Carolyn Haines flare that you can only get from her books.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Game of Bones by Carolyn Haines.
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book on your site.
Until the next time,
~Jen
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Another great Sarah Booth book. I never miss these.
I loved everything about the twentieth book in the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. I found Game of Bones particularly challenging – in a good way – as I absolutely did not guess the villain. I do love that Sarah Booth and her hunk of a sheriff are finding their way together (at long last!) but it does make the hazards of their work even more anxious and poignant for me. And Tinkie’s miracle? All I can say is, decide for yourself. As for me, I believe.
An exciting mixture of mystery, romance, and the supernatural.
Jitty’s transformations are quite interesting.
I appreciated the bits of Native American history blended into the story.
When a horrendous murder is discovered at a nearby archeological dig, Sarah Booth and Tinkie are hired by the number one suspect and leader of the project, to clear his name. The site is controversial as it is an Indian mound, and this ritualistic murder of a woman hated by all is puzzling, to say the least.
The Zinnia gang are in true form: Sarah Booth and Sheriff Coleman have finally rediscovered their earlier love, Tinkie is the best-ever friend, CeeCee is her usual unpredictable self, and Millie, well, she’s kind of the hub. Jitty outdid herself! Her depictions of strong Native American women were lovely and allowed Sarah Booth a deeper insight into the plight of Native Americans. A very strong performance.
There’s a whiff of the supernatural in the story as well. Not that anyone believes it, right? Or do they? We have a fortune teller, hints of a curse, possible buried gold, amulets and tattoos with hidden meanings, noises and movement in the woods. All lots of fun indeed.
And a shout out to author Carolyn Haines for having the students who are working on the dig project be from the University of Michigan (even though they were not particularly brave). Go Blue! And go, read this book; this series is a wonder!
This twentieth book in the ‘bones’ series is a humdinger . I couldn’t stop reading it and was physically aching to know what would happen next. It’s a book full of mysteries, friendships, things that shuffle and bump eerily in the dark and a team of PI’s and sheriff, deputies and the rest of the awesome Zinnia gang that makes these books so addictive and fun!
Fantastic Cozy Mystery
This mystery has a bit too much graphic violence for a ‘cozy’, but I still enjoyed it. This book is the 20th in the series and the first that I have read. It stands alone extremely well. I enjoyed this book enough that I will be looking to read the other 19 books in the series. This book is a little longer than most. The author has used the extra pages to fill in needed detail and give the story more twists. There is a touch of paranormal activity involved, too. I fell in love with the characters and was drawn into their lives like good neighbors. I got this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
It’s just another day in the lives of Mississippi delta private eyes Sarah Booth Delaney and Tinkie Bellcase Richmond until they are hired to look into a murder at the Mound Salla archeological dig. It turns out the murder is just the first in many problems at the ancient burial ground.
Each new book in this series of 20 is fresh and new. Sarah Booth evolves and changes but always stays true to herself. I enjoy not only the mysteries but also the development of her romantic relationships which have faced a lot of challenges. Thanks to Minotaur books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
As soon as I read the first few words I knew I was back in Zinna just by the descriptive words used to give me a picture. I could feel myself riding on Miss Scrapiron with Sarah Booth smelling that soil. I was back with friends and on another adventure with Sarah Booth, Tinkie and Coleman. What an adventure this was! Ghosts,murder, an archaeology dig, suspense that kept me turning pages to the very end.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.
Game of Bones is the twentieth installment in Carolyn Haines Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. In this novel, local toy developing millionaire Elton Cade has funded the archeological dig of Mound Salla, an ancient Tunica burial mound. Dr. Frank Hafner is in charge of the dig but Dr. Sandra Wells has received separate funding that has brought in the latest in excavating equipment. With rumors of ghostly activity at the dig, the student workforce becomes less enthused about their opportunity to improve their grades and more interested in preserving themselves.
When Dr. Wells is found ritualistically murdered at the dig site the mystery begins. Private detectives Sarah Booth Delaney and her partner Tinkie Bellcase Richmond are called in to work on behalf of Dr. Hafner, as he is the prime suspect in the death. Will Sarah Booth be working with or against her boyfriend Sheriff Coleman Peters?
In a well spun mystery, Ms. Haines has woven in community and family drama in most unexpected ways. She has also highlighted Native American women’s historical accomplishments while also giving a fresh perspective on the historical digs such as those depicted in this book. Although this was the first I have read of this series, I found this book to stand on its own with enough ties to the evolution of the characters to stay in the loop for those new to the series but not so much that it would be boring to the longtime reader.
I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!
Series: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery – Book 20
Author: Carolyn Haines
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ PI
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Page Count: 384
From Minotaur Books comes the latest cozy mystery book by Carolyn Haines’s “A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery” series, Game of Bones. This is a long-running series, with the latest addition being the 20th book in the series.
The characters in this book are a little hard to keep track of, and if the reader has not read the series, or at least a few of the books in the series they will have no clue who the characters are. Unfortunately, I was one of those people who hadn’t read any of the other books, so it took me a while to figure out who was a reoccurring character and what their personality is like.
Sarah Booth is a warm friendly person with a curiosity that seems never-ending. She gets into all sort of trouble with everyone, except her best friend Tinkie, who on her own is a fun and interesting character. Sarah’s love interest, Coleman is a wonderful character who has the patience of a saint.
The location of an architectural dig reminds readers of a long-ago book by Agatha Christie. It is rarely used in cozies and a welcome change. I felt that the “Mounds” could have been described better as it was difficult to envision them but overall the reader should get a general idea of what they are and what they were used for in understanding the plot better.
The writing is very good, and the author knows her characters. The murderer did not come as a surprise to me but might present a challenge to others. I would like to have seen the motive for the killing made clearer a bit sooner as it comes out of the blue. The way in which the victim(s) is killed is a bit more violent than most cozies and slightly odd as well.
In general, Game of Bones is a good story that most readers will enjoy. It is typical of many cozy mystery books in that it can be read quickly, has memorable characters and enough twists and turns to keep readers happy. In my copy, there were some continuity issues which hopefully have since been fixed in the final edit.
A well-constructed case, a good motive and a touch of magic.
This was my first book in this series. And that wasn’t a problem at all. Although it did take me a while to warm up to Sarah. That could have something to do with the style: first person present tense is not my favorite style. And it could have something to do with Sarah’s personality: she was so matter-of-fact and businesslike! In the case that was useful, but in her personal life… And she was impatient. But I liked that she can see spirits. And I liked her love for animals. The case was interesting and intriguing. A murder on a Native American Burial Mound. Is it a human sacrifice? The work of a serial killer? Something more personal? The work of spirits who are angry at the disturbance of the peace of the buried? I must say, the murder was a bit too gruesome for my sensitive taste. Lots of blood. But the case was so interesting it pulled me in. A well-constructed case, a good motive and a touch of magic.
Game of Bones by Carolyn Haines was one of those books that grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go until I reached the end.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie are working for a university archeologist who is under suspicion of a ritualistic murder at his current dig site. Ms. Haines’ characters are all fully developed now and they are still colorful, quirky and often snarky as these two formidable women work to find a murderer. The plot is tightly woven and there were twists, turns and enough suspects to keep me guessing. This one also showed Sarah Booth coming to some realizations about herself and Coleman. There’s a touch of paranormal in this one as well as spooky sightings of a zombie – or was it? I never did suspect who the murderer was until the reveal which is something I appreciate in a well told mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
If you enjoy a Southern cozy complete with a dig site, ancient ghosts, murder and suspense, you’ll flip over this book! The publisher’s blurb is pretty good, but doesn’t make it sound quite as interesting as I found it. The characters are very interesting and I had no trouble keeping up even though I haven’t read any others in this series. I loved it but don’t want to do a summary or spoilers. Just read it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin’s Press. Thank you!